Mobile and static sawmill buyer's guide 2023 for forestry

LIVINGSTON GARDEN MACHINERY 
LOGOSOL

LOGOSOL is a Sweden-based international company that specialises in the design and manufacturing of machinery for small-scale wood processing. Founded in 1989 by Bengt-Olov Byström, the company is still owned and run by the Byström family in Härnösand. 

Logosol products are known for simplicity of design, reliability, and efficiency. The modular nature of their sawmills and accessories mean that you can easily upgrade at the same rate as the growth of your own business. Logosol offers long-term reliability, extensive support and products that retain their high value.

One of its most popular sawmills just now is the B751 Pro. It hits a sweet spot in terms of competitive price, build quality and ease of use. In its standard configuration, the Logosol B751 Pro can cut really large logs, nearly five metres long and fully 75 cm in diameter. If you are going to cut longer logs, being modular, the sawmill can be extended to any length. The sturdy rail frame is generously strengthened and adapted for sawing directly on the ground or on a trailer. The rectangular tube construction of the rail optimises the torsional rigidity. This gives a lightweight and strong design that stays perfectly straight even under the load of the largest logs.

The Logosol B751 Pro is easy to use; the sawhead is adjusted in fixed steps, which allows quick and exact setting of the saw cut. In addition, there is a Last-Cut indicator on the height-adjustment scale that shows the position of the last cut and works as a reference for the next.

The B751 Pro has a selection of power options, including the 18 hp Briggs & Stratton engine or the 8 kW three-phase electric option. Extensions, sawdust management systems and many other accessories allow you to upgrade the B751 Pro to suit your activities. The 18 hp B751 Pro can also be equipped with Logosol’s advanced digital sawmill control system, Smart Set.

The B751 Pro can confidently compete with considerably larger and more expensive band sawmills in terms of efficiency and ease of use.

If you are considering investing in one of Logosol’s machines, it is well worth looking at its YouTube channel with its extensive range of live demo videos – showing the many advantages the machinery offers as well as real-time use of the machines; not hiding the challenges that processing timber can present.  

Livingston Garden Machinery, based in the Scottish central belt, is one of Logosol’s UK distributors. Staff offer machinery demonstrations from their showroom and will happily advise you on your sawmill selection and support you throughout the process.

Phone 01506 811670 or visit www.livgm.co.uk

For full details and pricing on the band sawmills and chain sawmills or to find your closest distributor, visit www.logosol.co.uk.

DAKIN-FLATHERS
RIPPER37 SAWMILL BLADES

THE heart of any sawmill is the blade itself. Your sawmill will only ever be as good as the blade used on it, so choosing the correct one is critical to maximise your cutting performance and output.

Using Ripper37 sawmill blades will enable you to optimise the performance of your machine, reducing your operating costs and increasing both your profits and the quality of sawn timber.

What’s more, Ripper37 is suitable for most brands of sawmills including Wood-Mizer, Woodland Mills, Norwood and Logosol.

Ripper37 blades deliver more than just a great cut, you’ll benefit from:

• 37% greater durability than its leading rivals – for more time cutting, less downtime, and fewer blade changes
• 100% more re-grinds – for greater working life between purchases
• Unparalleled “out-of-the-box” performance - minimising setup time and the need to sharpen first like other manufacturers
• Minimal waste and maximum cutting power – giving you more finished product
• Improved quality of finish on the sawn timber - reducing the need for further finishing
• Reduced production costs- increasing your profit for you and your company

Ripper37 is crafted from high-quality, carbon-rich Western European steel, developed with unique metallurgical properties to deliver the optimum balance between strength and flexibility.

Dakin-Flathers has partnered with Stephen Cull BladeMaster to distribute its full range of sawmill blades in the UK. As well as distributing Ripper37 blades, Stephen Cull also offers sawmill servicing and technical advice borne out of over two decades of experience.

To discover the full benefits of Ripper37, and to order sawmill blades online, visit www.stephencullblademaster.com for more information or call 07887544333.

WOOD-MIZER
LT20 WIDE

WOOD-MIZER has added the WIDE head option to the LT20 series, designed for custom sawmilling, small-to-medium timber businesses, and entrepreneurs.

The WIDE sawhead has been developed to meet the increasing demand in the industry to saw larger logs. With a wider sawhead, the operator can cut logs with a maximum diameter of 90 cm. The WIDE sawhead generates additional benefits in urban sawmilling and areas where large-diameter logs are cheaper and easily sourced.

READ MORE: Wood-Mizer: Electric LT15 sawmill leads Welsh open day

The LT20WIDE sawmill has the proven classic Wood-Mizer cantilever head design and hydraulic bed functions. The LT20WIDE Mobile also has three versions of log handling – manual, standard, and super hydraulic. The super hydraulic version includes two vertical side supports, a central clamp on two rods, hold-down clamps, a log turner, log-levelling rollers, and a log loader. A sawmill owner can choose the configuration to match their productivity and budget requirements.

The new version of the LT20WIDE sawmill is available with the 7.5 kW, 11 kW, and 15 kW electric motors, the 25 hp petrol engine, and the 22 hp or 25 hp diesel engines.

With the standard automatic board thickness adjustment Setworks SW10 device, cutting is more convenient as the operator does not need to remember to set the thickness after each cut. The sawhead is moved up/down and forward/backwards electrically. Water from the tank feeds lubrication directly to the blade to improve cutting. The electric blade guide arm keeps the blade supported while cutting various-sized materials. Blade tension is easily adjusted and keeps the blade at the proper tension for cutting. An optional debarker helps to keep the sawmill blade sharp for longer as it clears dirt from the tree bark.

With a wider head and a mobile chassis, the LT20WIDE sawmill matches the needs of those sawmillers who look for efficient, flexible, and productive ways to convert logs to timber. A portable sawmill can be transported to the forest, farmland, or construction site where the user needs to cut logs. Transporting the mill with a pick-up truck is convenient, and preparing the machine for work on site takes only a few minutes.

Wood-Mizer offers a two-year warranty for all professional sawmills and lifetime premium customer service support.

For more information, visit the official website: woodmizer.co.uk or contact your Wood-Mizer local sales representative.

M LARGE 
ZENZ 

M LARGE Forestry Equipment is a leading supplier of forestry machinery and equipment in the UK. It is also the exclusive UK dealer for Zenz sawmills, which are some of the most advanced and versatile sawmills on the market.

M Large purchased a Zenz sawmill for its own use in 2019, and staff have been nothing but impressed with the results. The sawmill has been a “complete game changer” for M Large’s live-edge timber business, which has been able to produce high-quality, custom-made timber products that customers love.

Zenz sawmills are known for their high quality and precision, and the Zenz Z 160 S is no exception. It is a powerful and versatile machine that can handle a wide variety of timber sizes. With a roller diameter of 1,000 mm and a saw blade of 130 mm width, this log band saw is ideally suited for the highest demands in the hardwood timber sector. The Zenz sawhead impresses with several features. It is attached at an angle, which results in a softer approach and neckline and a higher cutting performance.

M Large is particularly impressed with the Zenz sawmill’s ability to cut live-edge timber.

Live-edge timber is timber that has been sawn so that the natural edge of the log is preserved. This type of timber is highly sought-after for its unique look and feel, and the Zenz sawmill can produce it with ease.

In addition to its accuracy and precision, the Zenz sawmill is also very user-friendly. The controls are simple and intuitive; two joysticks, which the operator can flexibly assign with the various functions according to his/her requirements, enable optimal and therefore efficient work processes. With the use of proportional valves in the hydraulics, we achieve high speed in the movements and are still very sensitive at the crucial moment, so that high-quality clippings can be handled with care.

M Large is so impressed with its own Zenz sawmill it is now offering them for sale to other businesses. If you are looking for a high-quality, versatile sawmill that can produce high-quality, custom-made timber products, then the Zenz sawmill is a great option.

Contact Mr Large today to discuss your sawing requirements. 
T. 02890 342838 E. sales@mlarge.com.

MEBOR 

MEBOR is one of the biggest European manufacturers of sawmilling machinery. The Mebor story started in 1982, when the first Mebor band saw was made. Mebor now produces a wide range of sawmilling machines for small-, medium- and bigger-scale sawmills – from debarking to cross-cutting of boards. Mebor is present on every continent in more than 70 countries and has completed more than 30 projects all over the UK.

Key features of Mebor horizontal band saws:

• Strong, robust construction – reliability and durability
• Wide blades – high precision of sawing and higher quality of sawn wood
• Best price and performance ratio
• High production through servo blade positioning and high-speed return

Mobile horizontal band saws: HTZ 800/HTZ 800 Mobile 

The HTZ 800 (Image: Supplied)

The HTZ 800 is a solid yet small machine with wide-blade precision. It is available as a mobile or stationary sawmill with a strong but compact frame which makes it easy for transport. One of its key features is that it can be one-man operated, with automatic board removal.

Static horizontal band saws – HTZ 1100 PRO and HTZ 1200/1300 PLUS

The 1200 Plus (Image: Supplied)

The HTZ 1100 PRO and HTZ 1200/1300 PLUS are Mebor’s most advanced horizontal sawmills. Bringing more production and speed, as well as versatility, they are relied on by sawmills on all continents, from softwood sawmills to quality-oriented hardwood sawmills. Various sizes are available for small, big and oversize logs.

The HTZ 1100 PRO is a versatile band saw for log diameters up to 1 m. It offers best performance in its price range. With the HTZ 1100 PRO customers have lowered operation costs as well as increased the quality of sawn wood.

The HTZ 1200/1300 are performing with unmatched productivity and are recognized as among the fastest horizontal band saws. Key features include fast return speed and servo-controlled blade positioning, automatic control and high-speed hydraulic log-manoeuvring functions. 

Vertical band sawmills with log carriages – VTZ 1400 PLUS

The VTZ 1400 PLUS is Mebor’s exceptionally fast vertical band sawmill, designed for high-capacity as well as quality-oriented sawing. Its smart design combines speed, energy efficiency and high recovery of wood. The fully automated sawmill is packed with innovative features and can be installed on a level concrete floor without any special concrete foundations.

Visit www.mebor.eu/ for more information.

PETERSON 

FOR almost 35 years, Peterson Portable Sawmills have been the passion and livelihood of thousands of satisfied sawmillers worldwide; from farmers and woodlot owners to custom sawyers, arborists, woodworkers and commercial operators, who enjoy the most efficient portable sawmills in the world, matched with after-sales service that is second to none.

With Peterson, you get what you pay for; durable, well-designed, efficient, and versatile portable sawmills with custom-built features that will save you time and money on running costs. Designed and manufactured in New Zealand and exported globally, from the highlands of Papua New Guinea to the snow peaks of Alaska, Peterson makes machines that are well engineered, adaptable, and built to last.

They are designed with safety in mind – all Peterson Portable Sawmills are CE Certified.

The CE marking represents the internationally recognized standard for safety compliance, enabling the company to export its sawmills to the European Economic Area.

The Peterson brand began in 1989, when Carl Peterson sold his first portable swingblade mill. Even though it was only a basic version, it was a true invention – the world’s first commercially available portable swingblade sawmill! A machine that combats the issues of portability, limited cut sizes, blade costs, time efficiency and durability.

Today, Peterson boasts a range of five top-of-the-line models catering for a wide range of users, from hobby millers to professional foresters. Widely admired for the world-class engineering of their products, Peterson proudly cut, weld, treat, build, and individually test every single machine with love and care, to the highest workmanship standards.

Apart from the Junior Peterson (made from mild steel to achieve a lower price point), the entire Peterson range is manufactured using hand-polished stainless steel and aluminium. This makes them virtually rust free and means the mills are robust in performance and most importantly they maintain long-term durability in even the harshest conditions. 

Peterson Portable Sawmills’ website is home to hundreds of interesting owners’ stories, and endless testimonials.

But these clever Kiwis have undoubtedly the greatest resources in the world for people who have never heard of their brand or technology. If you’re researching a sawmill purchase, you would agree that the best people to speak to are those who operate the machines on a regular basis. As a result of identifying this need, Peterson has created an ‘Owner’s Network’: a global map of Peterson owners who have put their hand up to take your calls, answer all your questions and even demonstrate their mill to help you make the most informed decision possible. 

You really can do it all with a Peterson and, with global support only a call away, why settle for anything less?

petersonsawmills.com

NORWOOD SAWMILLS 

WHAT makes milling a go-to for so many people? Norwood believes it is the uncapped potential and versatility that quite literally allow dreams to become a reality. The team at Norwood Sawmills understands this and have created a sawmill range that is built on three staple principles: innovation, quality, and integrity.

Norwood was the very first company to develop affordable personal bandmills and is the only company to focus entirely on this class of sawmills. Since Norwood launched the first LumberMate, other companies have followed suit, selling their own lines of personal band sawmills, but only as an afterthought to their main focus of super-sized, and super-expensive, hydraulic mills. No other company has more portable sawmill patents than Norwood.

Every Norwood is quality built in the USA and Canada. They are designed, and built, to mill millions of board feet reliably and smoothly.

Original Norwood mills from 1993 are still running strong today which is testament to their build quality and the components that are used.

Many of these are operating two eight-hour shifts a day, milling even the hardest exotic hardwoods in Africa, South America, and Australia.

Every component of a Norwood sawmill is made of top-quality steel by highly-skilled operators with cutting-edge fabrication and machining technologies.

The LumberPro uses twin double-plated debossed commercial-grade steel rails in its wide-track log deck. Debossed steel is much stronger and more rigid than flat, unformed steel. Combined with the boxed front- and rear-end frames, this log deck gives you greater strength and stiffness, lighter weight, and ultimately greater structural integrity.

Norwood’s cutting head is designed to eliminate any bounce or sag.

The fully supported four-post design is fortified with structurally engineered reinforced 2” x 5” precision-extruded vertical guides, and heavy-gauge 2.5” structural tubular steel rear vertical mounts and front horizontal stabiliser bar.
This means the LumberPro manages higher load inputs for better milling, with more accuracy and control.

Industrial-grade powder-coating protects the sawmill better, and longer, than old-fashioned spray paint, which chips, scratches and rusts. It costs a considerable amount more to powder-coat steel and this sets Norwood apart.

Norwood has the only sawmill that can take you from manual to hydraulic whenever you are ready. Even Norwood’s manual-only models have more optional attachments and time-saving upgrades than any other brand.

The largest mill in Norwood’s lineup is the LumberMax HD38. The HD38 is a sawmill engineered and built to go where other sawmills can’t. Unmatched capacity, next-generation patented technologies and exceptional versatility make this mill stand out from the rest of the market. In manual or hydraulic configuration, the HD38 is everything a sawmill should be, and you’ll know it from your first cut. Impressive oversized cutting capacity combined with rugged carriage and log deck engineering ensures this mill has unmatched output capabilities.

FRONTIER SAWMILLS 

2020 saw the UK launch of Frontier Sawmills. Designed and backed by Norwood Sawmills, using high standards of innovative engineering, they’re built to rigorous international safety standards. Norwood’s quality assurance team inspects all Frontier sawmills, and back them up with their world-class one-year warranty.

If you’re looking for an affordable alternative for your first portable sawmill, Frontier Sawmills are an ideal investment into entry-level milling.

Andy Dudley, sales consultant at Global Machinery Solutions, said: “We wanted to bridge the gap in the UK market by offering our customers an alternative sawmill with reduced cost but a retained and backed level of quality.

“We have customers of all experience levels owning Frontier Sawmills. Some mill simply as a hobby that will never go further, whereas others are starting a business and want initial investment costs kept low whilst the business grows, then we find they often upgrade to a larger mill model from the Norwood Sawmills range.”

Norwood Sawmills are known for the “smoothness” of operation and “smoothness” of the sawn lumber. Frontier Sawmills are as close as you can get from any mill built outside of North America and with three models to choose from, the OS23, OS27 and OS31, there is a mill to suit every requirement.

Frontier Sawmills deliver the highest production volumes in their class, thanks to Norwood’s patented features including the auto-locking sawhead, a feature that saves hours of tedious repetitive operations. This feature allows infinitely variable depths of cut. Whatever height the carriage is left at, the handle automatically locks into position, providing a highly accurate cut.

The full range was showcased at the APF Exhibition 2022 and sales reflect the brand as going from strength to strength, with nearly 100 mills having now been sold into the UK since launch.

For further information on both Norwood and Frontier sawmills, contact the Global Machinery Solutions sales office on 01476 568384 or visit the website www.globalmachinerysolutions.co.uk.