When you come to Ohio we should plan some time to introduce you to the LT35... I'll talk to Jason about timing... Soccer has been eating up our time lately but we are hopefully winding down in the coming 30 days...
We share alot of the same thoughts and concerns. I too was looking at the Norwood, butttttttt now I'm starting to think I will investigate the Woodmizer product a little more. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the comment Jeffrey! I am extremely happy with Wood-Mizer thus far... I'm sure Norwood is a great product, I just felt this was the right decision for me based on my research and comfort level... Good luck, would love to hear back what you decide on!
Using common sense is just unheard of these days. So that's one reason I chose to subscribe to your channel. Common sense eludes so many humans these days. I'm interested in a mill and your research helped me alot in my decisions on the way to my first mill. Thanks
Thank you George and good luck with your mill purchase! I have been extremely pleased with my purchase and am looking forward to years of projects, fun, and possibly even retirement income. Let me know what you decide to get! - Josh
I liked the honest look at the TOTAL package of buying the sawmill. The service from the manufacturer is very important because no sawmill is perfect and will also need parts eventually. I just did a price comparison (Sept 23) on an HD36v2 and LT28 both manual. LT28 was about $2k more. With that said, I have heard as long as the bed is level on the T28, the cantilever head is level. On the HD36v2, you need to make sure the head is always level regardless if the bed is level. It sure seems that Wood-Mizers are used more by the high production people. That said I like the Norwood for the easy upgrades unless I go full hydraulic and not worried about the price then I would probably go Wood-Mizer. I think both get the job done. I have not looked, but do you have a long term review on your sawmill? Great video.
Hi Paul, thank you for the feedback and for taking the time to leave a comment. I agree and suspect both are quality mills and will get job done. I was ready to pull the trigger on a Norwood but just got frustrated with the lack of follow up before I even bought and I was buying for the long term. I also liked the idea of not having to put it together since time is limited for me. All of that said, I have not put the hours on this mill that I had hoped to which is why an updated review hasn't been published yet. Three major limitations for me became access around my hilly property, time, and the inability to securely park it somewhere that I could use whenever I wanted; so it is in my pole barn and is in a like new state with about 25 hours on it. My itching to really get it out and use it this winter but time will tell. My property is not my primary residence and my kids sports and life in general have taken priority. Keep me posted on what mill you end up purchasing, I'd love to hear about it. Also, stick around, I'm sure there will be more videos in the not too distant future. Have a great day and good luck with your purchase! - Josh
We share the same reasons for buying the same mill. I visited both Norwood and Wood-Mizer dealers during my quest to buy a mill. Upon visiting the Norwood office, it seemed to me I was interrupting the sales staff. I asked to see.a mill and was told they only demo mills on the weekends and to come back? As soon as I walked into Wood-Mizer, I was given the VIP tour of the dealership and shown every mill on site. Based on company reputation, customer service, brand name, resale value, training and support, Wood-Mizer is the best mill made on the market.
Right on Gary! Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience! It’s awesome to know that this sort of customer commitment is consistently being applied by Wood-Mizer!
Hey Jason, I have a brother Jason! :-) Work ethic is definitely a Hardy trait! Glad to hear that is true for most if not all Hardys! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great information on the LT35 thanks for making the video. I’m looking still and also lean toward the Wood Mizer. Trying to decide if the LT25 wood be a better fit. I like the hydraulics on the 35. Thanks.
Glad you found it useful! I knew i wanted to have hydraulics eventually so bit the bullet... They are nice, but everything comes with a price. Good luck with your purchase. Let me know if you have any other questions, definitely happy to share my perspective. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you so much for your time and great review. I was ready to pull the trigger in the spring for a lt15wide. I'm now thinking I'll save for 5 extra months and seriously rethink buying the mill you've purchased. More money but more conducive for my application
Definitely think about it as a long term purchase... like a car... will it serve my needs in 5 years? I’m not getting any younger nor am I gaining any more time in my schedule, at least for another 10 years... came down to how effectively can I best use my investment for current and future needs. Glad that it helped and wish you all the best in your purchase. If you remember, circle back and let me know once you get your mill! Thanks Josh!
LOL, yes sir... I took the easy route with a prebuilt mill... While I'd love to learn all about the mill by building myself it was just one more thing on my plate that I wouldn't have had time to do. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I bought a Woodmizer LT 35 with same options as yours in 2018. Your story sounds just like mine. I did alot of research and settled on the LT35 for all the same reasons. One other selling point for me as I'm sure it was for you was the setworks which is not available on the smaller mills. I'm glad I went with the LT35.
Yeh I love it and great point on the setworks that was definitely a compelling feature. I am hoping to get more time this year to use it... haven't put the hours on it yet that I've been hoping for. but when i do mill it is productive time spent which is what I had hoped for. Thanks for watching and commenting! - Josh
@@brucecarleton7061 the CEO just made a post on the Facebook forum stating that Kohler has committed to getting them engines faster. Hopefully that will start to correct the backlog. It’s just crazy as my mill was on the lot when I purchased right before the shut downs started from the pandemic.
I have a lot of dead ash in Medina County and hardwood on my property in Trumbull County. It gives me something to consider. Great video. Your audio mix seems to be right on now.
Donald Kollar thanks for the feedback. I have a lot of standing dead ash but I’m reluctant to try to cut it. I’ve heard from others that the tops are falling out and people are getting injured or killed. I’ve contemplated hiring a logger to come in and drop them all for me. Have some really nice ones.
Great review! I am leaning toward Wood Mizer myself. I have contacted Norwood to ask for references for people in my area who have purchased a mill that are willing to show it to potential customers. So far, the names they have given me have not panned out. Follow up phone calls to them have not resulted in any more referrals from existing customers. That is a major concern!
Thanks John! Woodmizer has a published pro network that you can schedule times with owners to see the mills in action... I've not signed up yet as I feel I need to get a few thousand board feet processed before I become the demo example... haha... Thanks for watching and commenting and good luck with your purchase! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions I can help with. Hardy_Brothers_Outdoors@gmail.com
I went with the LX55. It’s an entry level mill. But it kicks ass. Building a 3 bay garage and a rather large barn. I figured if I can make a few grand a year from it. I might just up to a LT35 with hydro & a diesel motor. I’m only $6500 into mine with all the upgrades & additional add ons. It’s a cheap enough tool to pay its self off from my use only. If I get bored of it. I’ll sell it for $3-4,000.
Yeh the LX55 is a nice! I definitely could have started smaller but I decided this was gonna be a long term purchase... I called it my boat... haha... I plan to use this for the next 10 years and into retirement... Would love to see your barn and garage project if you are documenting the process at all.
I look at these kinda purchases pretty seriously. I try to be tactful when we start talking this kind of coin. So I look at it as way to make income. We only have a 10 acre place in Sierra Mountains in Kommifornia. But trees are plentiful. I’m going to document it. I’m on the fence about starting a RUclips channel. Mainly b/c I’m wicked vulgar. And deathly allergic to stupid people. Which the Internet can magnify. I’m also doing things that I don’t want to advertise to the government. They get really pissy when you don’t ask them permission and allow them to extort you of more money. I loath government. The barn includes a rather elaborate butcher shop and a sleeping quarters in the hay loft area. The barn won’t be used for livestock. More as an income stream for renting out for events, airBNB, etc. I use Mobil structures for livestock.
@@07negative56 I agree. It did take me 4 years to pull the trigger on this purchase and even then I was wavering. I was definitely thinking income but down the road. Lots of variables for me at the moment. All points valid on the hesitation on RUclips. If the goal is document for the sake of having it then yep no biggie but if your long term goal is that your channel produces income then language and such impacts the ability to monetize. And yes the magnification factor is huge. Haha. Sounds like you have a slice of heaven with your property. Enjoy and be safe!
Glad it was helpful. Bear in mind that the marketplace changes just a month after I bought, with the pandemic and shutdowns. I believe Woodmizer wait times are almost a year on this mill but don’t quote me on that. There is a Facebook Woodmizer forum that the CEO has been very good at posting updates. Seems the Kohler engines are the major hold up.
There are lots of options out there and I really struggled with what was right for me. I think once I looked at it as a long term investment my criteria and budget evolved. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great information, thank you. The only concern (and I do mean ONLY) with the Wood Mizer is the single post construction. At 7:20'ish, you can see the whole head dancing as it seems to labor a bit (going through a knot???). How does that translate as far as cut quality? Keep the videos coming, they're great.
Hey thanks for watching and commenting! I'm not sure what caused that little slow down, my guess is I may have been going too aggressively and it bogged a bit. I've not noticed any major differences in cut quality thus far, but I've not put calipers on it or been too concerned yet. This lumber in this video is being used for a fence so any variation wouldn't matter. I may get more sensitive to the precision over time but for now my major use will be rough sawn and maybe down the road when i evolve into higher quality woodworking I'd assume there will be a planer in my future. So far nothing too noticeable in terms of cut variation. Wood-Mizer did tell me that the cantilevered head helped reduce the amount of leveling you need to do like you would on a four post head. Don't know if its true but I bought into the idea since I have lots of un-level land... haha... It wasn't the selling point but it was a concern I had. Good luck with your purchase, feel free to ping me with any questions you have on the LT35. - Josh
Exactly why I won't get a cantilevered-Mizer. They just will never be as solid as a 4post config. I know Wood-Mizer's are well built and respected. But I'd go with a Timberking if money weren't an issue, 2nd would be Norwood over the wood-mizer even. Though having designed my own 3D plans with the intention of building my own that's still an option too.
Most people that I have talked to that planned to purchased a Woodmizer sawmill, with the intentions of using it for their projects and then reselling it, have either traded them in on a bigger mill or hope to in the future. Many of them have told me that they never realized how much enjoyment they would have milling lumber.
Timothy Christian I can totally understand that. I have visions of using this mill into retirement. That said what has become a little more of a challenge is the felling and dragging of trees. Love milling them but not as comfortable yet with getting the logs myself. With time and experience I expect this to improve. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors I have a couple of bills to payoff and then I plan on getting a mill. It will take me a couple of years to pay them off and then, if this nation is still functioning, I will be set. I have a lot of health issues so will be looking to get hydraulics and as much automation as I can afford. I will more than likely go with the lt40 with 38hp engine. I like the lt35 but the manual blade engage/disengage and the manual blade guide arm, I’m afraid, would be more than my shoulder could take.
Timothy Christian the blade engage and disengage does require some force for sure. I didn’t consider the LT40 as i was already pushing past me immediate needs with the LT35... but you never know... could be a future purchase once get more hours under my belt.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors those two issues are the main reasons but the wide option, board return option and the larger gas engine option sure help too. I enjoy the video content y’all put out and if ya ever need help getting ride of any cull bucks, just give me a holler. 😂😂😂
I curious about how the cantiliver head design compares with a more rigid 4-post design. I notice in a lot of wood-mizer videos the saw head bobbing around, and I wonder if this translates to the cut? take a look at 7:29 in this video and see what I mean. Does the head bobbing around when the blade engages translate to a wavy cut?
I've not seen an issue related to that... i've had wavy cuts from running into knots too quickly which is what is happening there, hitting the crouch of the tree. I've also had wavy cuts from dull blades but I don't think i've seen an issue due to the cantilever.
Man I'm right there with you. Only thing is that I wish I would of heard more about the customer service issue. I put my deposit down Jan 5 2021 I got my mill well most of it on the 29 of June. Want to mention as of today 8/16/21. They have sent me 7 shipments. So two where mill then 2 week or so later the trailer. The third was the extension well half of it. 4.5.6 where them trying to send me the rest of the parts. I sent pic and part numbers everything needed to get the right part. I would call with three phones at a time for days to get someone to talk to. So long story short norwood is really falling on there face. Used mill for a week or so now I'm selling and buying the woodmizer
Wow, I hate to hear that... Nothing worse than poor customer service when you make a purchase like this. Best of luck on your sales and Wood-Mizer purchase. I know Wood-Mizer is struggling to fill orders right now with all of the demand and supply chain issues. I hope that goes better for you. I bought right before the pandemic. Good luck! Thanks for watching and sharing your experience! - Josh
That stinks; I'm sorry to hear that. I have a LT15WIDE on order (supposedly just waiting on an engine now). I somehow talked myself out of the regular LT15 (I have some standing timber that exceeds 28" and some already bucked that are close to the 28"). Anyways, I felt guilty about spending the extra money and tried to switch to a LM30 back in April because it was cheaper, I can build it myself, and it was lighter to move/store without the trailer. I couldn't get ahold of anyone at Norwood and never got an email or call back. I also couldn't even place the order online because it wouldn't let me purchase any accessories; after that I let it go but felt guilty again last night. I called this morning and actually was able to talk to someone, but was still hesitant because it is so hard to get ahold of them in case I was missing parts. You kind of confirmed my fear, so thank you for sharing. I will be sticking with the WM. They have a distributer about an hour away and I have never had issues with them answering the phone or responding to emails. Also, I swear the Norwood site used to explicitly state it was made in North America, but it no longer says that on their US site. It still says it on the UK version, but not the US site.
That's one thing that was a must. I had to be able to cut big slabs I needed the 36" Throat I just maxed it out 29" slab it was a let's say a one he'll of task. I finally got the rest of my order after having the mill for 2½ months and at least 15 calls and only 3 call backs later. But the mill itself is great no issues. Just have to watch the bed make sure it is level with the head. Logs slamming down constantly it likes to move...
William this is the hydraulic model so the only extras were the debarker which was on sale and hydraulic 4 link assembly that connects the 4 log dogs which are usually two hydraulic and two manual. I bought a box of blades and got a cant hook and box of blades tossed in. I got them to honor the most recent sale price from the prior sale. Out the door with tax was $25,250... As mentioned I also believe there is tremendous value in the 6 hr course I received and so far the mill has been great. I just posted about a fuel line issue that I had but it wasn’t a mill defect... great mill, let me know if you have any other questions. I highly recommend Wood-mizer as a company and look forward to many years using this mill.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors Good Morning! I want to thank you for the kindness that you have taken to answer my questions. I have been interested in purchasing a Wood Mizer LT35 for a while, unfortunately 2020 has seen a lot of changes for all of us. But I still have the goal of purchasing one. I want to wish you and your family all of God's Blessings and Protection through theses trying times! Happy Holidays!
I did the majority of my research on the Norwood 36HD because I liked the option of the future hydraulics. I also spent quite a bit of time considering the Frontier line... honestly I’ve heard good things about all four brands you mention in terms of quality and support after the sale so it’s hard to say who would be the best. Part of my decision to go with Wood-Mizer was the proximity... I wanted to see it before I bought it. I also wanted to know that if I had to get support there was a way to either get it there or that they had mobile servicing. Sorry I can’t give ya the perfect answer. My suggestion is a spreadsheet or table and compare the points that matter most and take the leap on the one you think matches your criteria the best. Love to hear back what you decide. It took me 4 years to pull the trigger from the initial dreaming of wanting one.
Thanks John! I did a lot of watching others online before getting it and the 6 hr training class was invaluable... Definitely a jumpstart for diving right in. Thanks for watching and commenting!
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Josh, thank you for the videos. I think I have watched all of your sawmilling videos. I have ordered an LT35 hydraulic and I am anxiously waiting to go pick it up. Shipping to Alaska adds an extra $1800 to the price and a bit longer wait for delivery. When you talked about how you decided to go with the LT35 you didn't mention checking out the TimberKing mills. From what I saw the TimberKing mills are quality mills and close competitors with WoodMizer. However, like you, I decided to get the LT35 for pretty much all the same reasons that you stated.
Ric Plate thanks much for the comment, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed them and have joined the wood-Mizer family. While I didn’t mentioned Timber King I did get their brochures but I think I shortlisted Woodmizer and Norwood and never really went back to Timber King. Honestly I was 99% sure I was going with Norwood and spending about $15k but talked myself into the full hydraulics. At that point I felt Wood-Mizer was the safer bet for me based on brand reputation as I just hadn’t heard as much about the others. I’ve not done as much milling as I’ve wanted to but am looking forward to getting out soon and building up some inventory of board feet so will make some more videos once I do. Keep me posted on how you like the LT-35.
Hey Ric did you order yours through Parker outside of Palmer? I'm looking to order an LT35 hydraulic from him but I'm up in Fairbanks. How long is the wait time for delivery?
@@jake10373 Hi Jacob. Yes, I got my LT35hd through Parker. It seems they have mills coming in at various time. I wasn't in a hurry (for personal reasons) so it took about 7-8 weeks before I got my mill. The best bet is to call Parker, or Kate, at WoodMizer Alaska and talk directly to them. I like the LT35 mill - it is fun to operate but I still have a lot to learn. Keep in touch and let me know how it works out for you (ricp@alaska.net).
I’m glad you found it helpful. I know I spent a ton of time researching and wanted to share my experience. Good luck and check back we have some cool projects coming soon!
Thanks Richard, and I agree... Knots will definitely cause it to dip. I was surprised when I got my training at Woodmizer that they suggested entering the log faster that I thought made sense... Still gaining experience with each use for sure... thanks for watching and commenting!
Unless I missed something I don't know why you said Norwood could go as high as $35,000. How? I've done some pricing for Norwood and Woodmizer and didn't find a difference in price that big. For what I need Norwood with hydraulics was less than Woodmizer. Woodmizer on the other hand beats most of the others with dealers and service. That's why I may go Woodmizer but my research showed Norwood was less. Pascal Metals beats both of them on price but there again I don't know enough about it. I like Norwood also but Woodmizer beats them all on service.
Hi thanks for asking... So my price of $35k was if I buy everything i wanted today w/out hydraulics and then later upgraded to full hydraulics. The value proposition for Norwood was buy what you need today and upgrade in the future. The value proposition is strong... its the only mill I could find that gave an upgrade path and I really really like that approach... But when i started trying to reach them for quotes I was not getting called back. During that time, I started to rethink how soon i wanted Hydraulics and got outstanding sales support from Woodmizer... I did not ever get a quote for a full hydraulic mill from Norwood... my main interest with them was the step up approach. If had gone that route, i would have paid roughly $35k based on all the sale materials I had been receiving in the mail. Make sense? Thanks for watching and commenting. I also agree that for me the brand value became much more than price, it was the preassembled mill, pick up on my schedule, training class, and the service reputation I had heard from others. I'm sure the Norwood is a great mill, but when I decided to go full hydraulic from the start, Wood-Mizer had already earned my business and I went with them.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors In the future try explaining yourself better then you won't have to defend yourself as much. I like Norwood's price better than Woodmizer's. Ialso like its quality. Better yet I prefer Wood mizer's dealer outlet and service which with me gives Woomizer the edge.
Thanks for the reply. I’ll have to rewatch and see where I missed the mark on the upgrade point. I’ll also pin a comment to the top to help address. Thanks for watching and commenting and good luck on your purchase.
Wood Mizer of the 2 sawmill brands I will consider. Timberking is the other brand I'd consider. Both from what I researched are good. The others are scrap metal to me.
I'm hearing you spent four years researching before buying, but that Norwood not returning your calls quick enough took them right out of the running. Woodmizer had better not ever put you on hold when you call huh? ;o) I started out thinking Woodmizer was king but Norwood's HD36 features and design just blew them out of the water from my perspective.
Lol... yes you got me there. Haha. 4 years of contemplating and gathering info on and off and then more like 4 weeks of serious research in the end. In the beginning it was about price but then shifted to what I perceived as value. I was trying to decide what I valued most when I really didn’t know what I needed. Start small and build up is really a compelling message and I think Norwood wins in that “grow as you go” story. Pulling the trigger on the purchase was a big deal for me so when I finally convinced myself to move I wanted to move quickly before I talked myself out of it, as I had every time before. I’d say the customer service gap gave me time to change my mind and rationalize more money for what I believe was more important to me at that moment which definitely included the time savings of an assembled mill, the training, and also the proximity... they all played a factor... as I’ve said i have no doubt the Norwood is a solid mill and purchase but for me the other factors changed when it came down to the game time decision and the other team fumbled... to be clear this wasn’t just one failed callback. Thanks for watching and for the comment... Happy Holidays and stay safe! :-)
The swing saws and 2 bladed circular bladed mills that cut out a board with one pass will over take these band mills in the near future, they have improved the circular blades to a point where they cut really fast and have fewer teeth to keep sharp.
I haven't really looked into those but i could see the competition increasing over time. I had read one main difference was the "kerf" or blade thickness. I suppose there is always a trade off with time... a little waste or slight reduction in yield wouldn't be an issue if overall efficiency improves.
They have their place but they will never overtake bandsaw mills. They are better suited for making dimensional lumber at far faster speeds yes. But when it comes to slabs bandsaws are the clear choice.
i have the hd 36 .with power lift and 16' cutting length cost under $10,000 canadian .you can get one fully equiped for under 20. and you can keep adding four foot sections to your bed for as long a cut as you want. i can cut pretty much as fast with my manual mill as with the hydraulic, faster with small logs. but for the big logs i guess you cant beat hydraulics. i also like the fact that the norwood blows the sawdust away from you , not onto the same side you are working on.as far as parts and blades go they used to come in the mail in a week , but not now. but the mizers are nice
Hey Peter, thanks for watching and commenting. I think my original purchase I had priced at $17-$20k with everything i wanted prior to moving up to hydraulics... so i was trying to get the "all in" manual mill before i got the "all in" hydraulic mill... that is why my estimate of $35k vs. going full hydraulic from the start. I finally decided that this wasn't a short term purchase but something I'd have for the next 15 years and into retirement so I went "all in" on hydraulics but never did get a quote back from Norwood on that equivalent mill. I do think the Norwood is a nice mill, wish I had been able to see one operating... tough purchase when your only test driving by watching RUclips videos... haha... Again, thanks for watching and commenting and stay safe out there and enjoy your HD36! - Josh
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors if i wood have had the cash at the time i bought i would have went with the woodmizer .never got any of the manual accesories thinking i would upgrade to hydraulics.the power lift was a $1,000 touch but after cranking the mill up and manually it was well worth it.the whole mill showed up on one pallet . and every nut and bolt on the machine had to be assembled. it does get you to know your machine when you build it
Couple things concerned me early about the Norwood 36v2... That Plastic cover around a very dangerous saw blade...But I started to overlook it with the catchy deal they are having at this time. Then I searched many video's and low and behold there is a gentlemen that shows what happens when that band breaks.... It goes right through the sides of that plastic shield.. Then a few photos of the broken ends sticking two feet out. He even had it patched with metal and it blew the patch out because the rivets are in ...PLASTIC... Norwood even says in the directions to not go within 6 feet of the two sides when its running.Once I seen that I started thinking differently... Also those ceramic guides are suspect and expensive to replace at $140 for 2 each time...If you look at the Woodmizer Lt 35 HD as compared to the Norwood36v2... You must put the Norwood together with bolts and nuts... The woodmizer is welded. Stronger. STEEL and not aluminum... The Frame on the norwood can get tweaked after a small mistake.. So it is not as forgiving... Trees are heavy..Can bounce around a little..YES you can stack weight on top the Norwood.. But any sudden side force of any degree...you will have a problem much more so then the Wood mIzer... I could go on but thats 3 huge things right there.The wood Mizer LT 35 HD is about 30,000 ..The Norwood 36v2 on sale with hydraulics and power feed...$23,440 plus the power feed another $4005 makes it about $27445 ..and that was up to yesterday when they had the 10% off all options and dropped the price for the bare bones assembly to $10780 from $13500 ,, So normally you would pay $32,124 and the woodmizer $29,701 ! Sorry I could go on... BUt ill spare everyone after this last one... The log pickup on the Norwood... Well its One Piston doing all the work on one side... When it says 4000 pounds..You better have the log properly placed because its going to take all its got to do the job... Look at the wood Mizer... Its just more heavy duty 2 pistons ... One each side... Bottom LIne ... You get way more ...Better engineering .. with the Wood Mizer...
Whether it is true or not Woodmizer pitched that it was easier to level the cantilevered head on hilly terrain. My property is all hills. Dunno if this is true but the point was made that the four post models needed more leveling. I only briefly looked at timber king. Mostly proximity thing.
I have a Timberking and the leveling issue is not true but Timberking and Woodmizer like to take swipes at each other. Nice mill, you will continue to be happy with it.
I must be missing something here. All the people commenting here that they can buy a hydraulically equipped HD36 for 20k got me backtracking. So I ran the numbers and when I price out one similarly equipped to your LT35 (Setworks, log loader, debarker) I’m coming up with 33k. I will likely still go the Norwood route (HD38) because of the cut width, price and upgrade path. Btw, I used a price list good through June 2021.
I think the key is actually getting a Norwood sales rep on the phone... which I was unsuccessful in accomplishing after many attempts. There was a lot for me to like about the Norwood value proposition but I have no regrets on the WoodMizer LT35... I think both are probably great products but for me the service before the sale left me fearing what service after the sale would be like. Best of luck in your purchase!
Your going to fight with that mill cutting straight wood you would have been better off with a Hudson , a Timber king or a Cook. good luck it sound like you brought the mill you wonted to to start with.
I may have bought a Cook or Timber King but there was no where even close for me to see them in person... I’d say I bought way more than I thought I would but am happy I got it. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hi! Best to call Wood-Mizer to get the latest price... I think their is a sale going on now that includes the debarker... This was what I paid pre-pandemic before the supply dropped significantly while demand has grown. I have the LT35 hydraulic model so the only extras were the debarker which was on sale and hydraulic 4 link assembly that connects the 4 log dogs which are usually two hydraulic and two manual. I bought a box of blades and got a cant hook and box of blades tossed in. I got them to honor the most recent sale price from the prior sale. Out the door with tax was $25,250... As mentioned I also believe there is tremendous value in the 6 hr course I received and so far the mill has been great. I just posted about a fuel line issue that I had but it wasn’t a mill defect... great mill, let me know if you have any other questions. I highly recommend Wood-mizer as a company and look forward to many years using this mill.
currently the Norwood mills are about $11,000 cheaper then the woodmizer mills of the same specs. can completely build a fully hydraulic hd36 norwood for about $23,000. not sure where this person was priced $35,000 for an hd36.
Yes you are right but that isn’t what I talked about. I talked about buying a non hydraulic and upgrading it over time. To do that costs $35k... if I took the lower cost but now upgrade later approach. Bottom line is Norwood didn’t seem to want my business so I took it to Woodmizer.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors Actually its $23000 to buy a non hydraulic hd36 sawmill and fully upgrade it at norwood, you can build and price on their website. as far as I am aware you cant even buy a woodmizer non hydraulic and upgrade it later? I currently own a woodland mills sawmill and I'm in the market for a hydraulic mill. I love both mills a lot I wish I could afford a fully hydraulic lt40 @$33,000 and wait for the 16 month's lead time.
@@gregatkins597 I’m not sure if you can upgrade the LT35 non-hydraulic later. Don’t believe so. The calculation I was using back when I was shopping was if I bought into the buy manual now and upgrade later I wanted all the manual creature comforts for log turning and ease of use, so I was basically tricking out the manual version with as much as I could. When it was all said and done to get what I wanted and could afford today and upgrade later was in the $35k range. I had spreadsheets, flyers and online configurations. What I didn’t get was Norwood sales support... multiple attempts and I had already moved on changing my criteria and thinking and Wood-mizer earned my business. Per the video there were many factors that changed my determination of value for one over the other such as proximity, drive off the lot vs order/wait/build it... I got mine 2 weeks after ordering. This was March last year right as the pandemic started. Clearly demand has skyrocketed and lead times are lengthy. I suspect you have a better idea of what you want and need than I did since you already have a mill. Good luck with your decision...
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors 100% agree with the sales support aspect. I tried calling norwood for 3 days before finally getting someone, once I got someone I have their direct extension now. I think all sawmill companies are getting beat up right now with orders. I wish there was a bigger market for hydraulic upgrades for any mill, only real place I can find is norwood but you have to own their mill to buy the upgrades...
@@gregatkins597 yep. Just make sure you price out the now price and the future price. For me that lead me to biting the bullet and going all in on hydraulics now vs later. I loved the Norwood flexibility and upgrade path. But I’d you don’t need it and are going fully hydraulic then focus on the hydraulic mills and cost/benefits. Training won’t carry the same value for someone accustomed to running a mill but for me it was the jumpstart for me vs fumbling around to figure it out. That said the training was probably 50% focused on fine tuning and adjusting so that may have some uniqueness to a cantilevered mill vs what you are used to. Yeh it’s a shame that they can’t all keep up. Good for them now but I suspect if the lumber bubble bursts they will get a lot of cancellations. The market will also be flooded with used mills 24 months from now, possibly.
Totally agree. I had a spreadsheet going and lots of brochures and in many cases i wanted to upgrade lots of stuff. The LT35 was definitely the Cadillac of what i was looking at so it was good that there were only a few upgrade options and I got both of them. haha. No regrets thus far!
The HD36 is fully hydraulic is no where near 35k. Thats a flat out lie. How do i know? I just purchased a fully loaded hydraulic HD35 for our timber business and it was under 20k. The closest comparison mill (32 inch wide cut capability by removing 1 guide on the HD36) is a LT40wide which is tens of thousands more. If you only used it 5 times since march you should have bought a hudson for 5k.
Thank you for your feedback, but no I didn't lie, you just didn't completely grasp what I shared... If you listen to my points, I was going to buy into the Norwood value proposition of getting a manual HD36 first with all the components I wanted day 1 and then later down the road upgrade to full hydraulics. That is when the path to hydraulics will cost in excess of what you just paid. So why didn't I just go full hydraulic on Norwood on day 1? Well, again if you had listened closely... I did not get timely calls back when I called into Norwood which opened the door to me exploring Wood-Mizer further and I was delighted with their responsiveness and the feedback I was reading about the brand. I'm sure the Norwood HD36 is a fine mill and I almost pulled the trigger on buying one, it was my original first choice, but as I stated, this was not a comparison of the technology but of the brand value, time to value tradeoff (prebuilt, training, dealership picked up) and the overall customer journey that I experienced... each persons experience may vary so you should make a video and share yours to the world as I have... :-) How I use my mill will vary in the future, as time permits, so I have no doubt I made the right purchase. Best of luck in your milling business, I wish you nothing but the best.
@@michaela1655 cool. My message was not that it cost $35k new if you start full hydraulic... it was I was going to buy into the upgrade over time value proposition and if I went that route vs full hydraulic today it was more expensive than making the plunge today. I never got a full hydraulic quote from Norwood because they were not returning my calls and Woodmizer was... they lost my business because of customer service and buying experience more than because of product and price.
Ditto. No where near $35k for a Norwood HD36 fully hydraulic. For any buyer, get the actual quote I researched both extensively - and went Norwood HD36. Value, features, benefits and price Not perfect, but Sorry, Woodmizer came up short IMO - and I put my money where my mouth is. Not saying I don,t have a lot of time for Woodmizer. Bought a twin blade edger based on facts. Nuff said.
Yep, I agree. Do your research and get a competitive quote. Unfortunately Norwood wasn’t getting back to me and I was building my own quotes. But again to be clear, the $35k was if I put everything I wanted on it day one and later upgraded to hydraulic with what I thought I would want. The idea of spend less today to upgrade later was an attractive value proposition to me... but would cost more over the long term than to go full hydraulic day one. I did not ever get a full hydraulic quote as I had moved on due to the poor customer experience... I have no doubt it’s a great mill. Thanks for watching and commenting. Enjoy the mill and be safe!
Nice Video and I did watch this prior to getting my LT35HD. I upgraded from an LT15GO. I just uploaded a video of the Lessons Learned with my new mill. Check it out if you have a minute and let me know what you think.
Did you say thirty-five thousand!? As in $35,000.00! You mentioned $2,000.00 and the Norwood was around $3000 but you didn't want to assemble it. I'm guessing that you either have an income that makes $30,000 not worth your time or you meant to say thirty-five hundred. Thanks for the video!
Hi Chris, sorry for any confusion... I started out my search thinking I'd buy a $2k Harbor Freight mill... watched tons of videos and figured no issue working with a fully manual mill. I soon realized that due to my limited time on the weekends (remote property) that I'd never get much done and started looking at hydraulic. I loved the Norwood pitch to buy manual and upgrade to hydraulic later... When i priced what I wanted "today" which was as many bells and whistles as I could the price was approaching $20k and was not hydraulic... To then later upgrade to the same machine it would be roughly another $15k. In the meantime I was pricing other options and the LT35, while more day one, seemed to offer me what I ultimately wanted. Sadly, Norwood's lack of sales support resulted in me never getting a new out the door price for the HD36... In response to income, yes at the time my income was such that I could afford it if I could justify it... Much of my search was justifying that I needed a $25k mill... I've still not used it to its potential but I have no regrets and am looking at it as an investment. I plan to use it more but if not they hold their value pretty well. Thanks for watching and commenting! - Josh
Great video. I’m just starting to look at sawmills and you came up
When you come to Ohio we should plan some time to introduce you to the LT35... I'll talk to Jason about timing... Soccer has been eating up our time lately but we are hopefully winding down in the coming 30 days...
We share alot of the same thoughts and concerns. I too was looking at the Norwood, butttttttt now I'm starting to think I will investigate the Woodmizer product a little more. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the comment Jeffrey! I am extremely happy with Wood-Mizer thus far... I'm sure Norwood is a great product, I just felt this was the right decision for me based on my research and comfort level... Good luck, would love to hear back what you decide on!
Using common sense is just unheard of these days. So that's one reason I chose to subscribe to your channel. Common sense eludes so many humans these days. I'm interested in a mill and your research helped me alot in my decisions on the way to my first mill. Thanks
Thank you George and good luck with your mill purchase! I have been extremely pleased with my purchase and am looking forward to years of projects, fun, and possibly even retirement income. Let me know what you decide to get! - Josh
I liked the honest look at the TOTAL package of buying the sawmill. The service from the manufacturer is very important because no sawmill is perfect and will also need parts eventually. I just did a price comparison (Sept 23) on an HD36v2 and LT28 both manual. LT28 was about $2k more. With that said, I have heard as long as the bed is level on the T28, the cantilever head is level. On the HD36v2, you need to make sure the head is always level regardless if the bed is level. It sure seems that Wood-Mizers are used more by the high production people.
That said I like the Norwood for the easy upgrades unless I go full hydraulic and not worried about the price then I would probably go Wood-Mizer.
I think both get the job done. I have not looked, but do you have a long term review on your sawmill? Great video.
Hi Paul, thank you for the feedback and for taking the time to leave a comment. I agree and suspect both are quality mills and will get job done. I was ready to pull the trigger on a Norwood but just got frustrated with the lack of follow up before I even bought and I was buying for the long term. I also liked the idea of not having to put it together since time is limited for me. All of that said, I have not put the hours on this mill that I had hoped to which is why an updated review hasn't been published yet. Three major limitations for me became access around my hilly property, time, and the inability to securely park it somewhere that I could use whenever I wanted; so it is in my pole barn and is in a like new state with about 25 hours on it. My itching to really get it out and use it this winter but time will tell. My property is not my primary residence and my kids sports and life in general have taken priority. Keep me posted on what mill you end up purchasing, I'd love to hear about it. Also, stick around, I'm sure there will be more videos in the not too distant future. Have a great day and good luck with your purchase! - Josh
Great job I’m a long time Woodmizer owner you have a new friend. Need any help or questions just ask
Thanks much! I just wish I had more hours and experience with the machine but I’ve got long term plans for it so I remain patient.
We share the same reasons for buying the same mill. I visited both Norwood and Wood-Mizer dealers during my quest to buy a mill. Upon visiting the Norwood office, it seemed to me I was interrupting the sales staff. I asked to see.a mill and was told they only demo mills on the weekends and to come back? As soon as I walked into Wood-Mizer, I was given the VIP tour of the dealership and shown every mill on site. Based on company reputation, customer service, brand name, resale value, training and support, Wood-Mizer is the best mill made on the market.
Right on Gary! Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience! It’s awesome to know that this sort of customer commitment is consistently being applied by Wood-Mizer!
Hello cuz. 👋 Good to see the Hardy work ethic on display.
Jason Hardy, from mn.
Hey Jason, I have a brother Jason! :-) Work ethic is definitely a Hardy trait! Glad to hear that is true for most if not all Hardys! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great information on the LT35 thanks for making the video. I’m looking still and also lean toward the Wood Mizer. Trying to decide if the LT25 wood be a better fit. I like the hydraulics on the 35. Thanks.
Glad you found it useful! I knew i wanted to have hydraulics eventually so bit the bullet... They are nice, but everything comes with a price. Good luck with your purchase. Let me know if you have any other questions, definitely happy to share my perspective. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you so much for your time and great review. I was ready to pull the trigger in the spring for a lt15wide. I'm now thinking I'll save for 5 extra months and seriously rethink buying the mill you've purchased. More money but more conducive for my application
Definitely think about it as a long term purchase... like a car... will it serve my needs in 5 years? I’m not getting any younger nor am I gaining any more time in my schedule, at least for another 10 years... came down to how effectively can I best use my investment for current and future needs. Glad that it helped and wish you all the best in your purchase. If you remember, circle back and let me know once you get your mill! Thanks Josh!
I should have listened before my first comment. You were able to buy it pre built?
LOL, yes sir... I took the easy route with a prebuilt mill... While I'd love to learn all about the mill by building myself it was just one more thing on my plate that I wouldn't have had time to do. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors Hey I don’t blame you. I got lucky with my Norwood. It is being pre built for me by Norwoods technician.
I bought a Woodmizer LT 35 with same options as yours in 2018. Your story sounds just like mine. I did alot of research and settled on the LT35 for all the same reasons. One other selling point for me as I'm sure it was for you was the setworks which is not available on the smaller mills. I'm glad I went with the LT35.
Yeh I love it and great point on the setworks that was definitely a compelling feature. I am hoping to get more time this year to use it... haven't put the hours on it yet that I've been hoping for. but when i do mill it is productive time spent which is what I had hoped for. Thanks for watching and commenting! - Josh
But right now you have to wait until the end of 2023 for an ordered sawmill from wood mizer . Will you wait that long? I wont.
@@brucecarleton7061 the CEO just made a post on the Facebook forum stating that Kohler has committed to getting them engines faster. Hopefully that will start to correct the backlog. It’s just crazy as my mill was on the lot when I purchased right before the shut downs started from the pandemic.
Best company out there hands down. The LT35 is a work horse. For the price point you can’t beat it with a stick.
I agree, I'm very pleased with the LT35 as well as Wood-Mizer as a company. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors thanks for sharing the videos.
I have a lot of dead ash in Medina County and hardwood on my property in Trumbull County. It gives me something to consider. Great video. Your audio mix seems to be right on now.
Donald Kollar thanks for the feedback. I have a lot of standing dead ash but I’m reluctant to try to cut it. I’ve heard from others that the tops are falling out and people are getting injured or killed. I’ve contemplated hiring a logger to come in and drop them all for me. Have some really nice ones.
Great review! I am leaning toward Wood Mizer myself. I have contacted Norwood to ask for references for people in my area who have purchased a mill that are willing to show it to potential customers. So far, the names they have given me have not panned out. Follow up phone calls to them have not resulted in any more referrals from existing customers. That is a major concern!
Thanks John! Woodmizer has a published pro network that you can schedule times with owners to see the mills in action... I've not signed up yet as I feel I need to get a few thousand board feet processed before I become the demo example... haha... Thanks for watching and commenting and good luck with your purchase! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions I can help with. Hardy_Brothers_Outdoors@gmail.com
Would love to buy a Wood Mizer and I talked to the dealer. It is a 64-week wait for the LT35 right now. That is over a year!
Yep I’ve seen that. I bought mine and picked it up 2 weeks later. That was March 2020 before it all hit the fan...
I went with the LX55. It’s an entry level mill. But it kicks ass. Building a 3 bay garage and a rather large barn. I figured if I can make a few grand a year from it. I might just up to a LT35 with hydro & a diesel motor. I’m only $6500 into mine with all the upgrades & additional add ons. It’s a cheap enough tool to pay its self off from my use only. If I get bored of it. I’ll sell it for $3-4,000.
Yeh the LX55 is a nice! I definitely could have started smaller but I decided this was gonna be a long term purchase... I called it my boat... haha... I plan to use this for the next 10 years and into retirement... Would love to see your barn and garage project if you are documenting the process at all.
I look at these kinda purchases pretty seriously. I try to be tactful when we start talking this kind of coin. So I look at it as way to make income. We only have a 10 acre place in Sierra Mountains in Kommifornia. But trees are plentiful. I’m going to document it. I’m on the fence about starting a RUclips channel. Mainly b/c I’m wicked vulgar. And deathly allergic to stupid people. Which the Internet can magnify. I’m also doing things that I don’t want to advertise to the government. They get really pissy when you don’t ask them permission and allow them to extort you of more money. I loath government. The barn includes a rather elaborate butcher shop and a sleeping quarters in the hay loft area. The barn won’t be used for livestock. More as an income stream for renting out for events, airBNB, etc. I use Mobil structures for livestock.
@@07negative56 I agree. It did take me 4 years to pull the trigger on this purchase and even then I was wavering. I was definitely thinking income but down the road. Lots of variables for me at the moment. All points valid on the hesitation on RUclips. If the goal is document for the sake of having it then yep no biggie but if your long term goal is that your channel produces income then language and such impacts the ability to monetize. And yes the magnification factor is huge. Haha. Sounds like you have a slice of heaven with your property. Enjoy and be safe!
Dude great info thank you much!
Glad it was helpful. Bear in mind that the marketplace changes just a month after I bought, with the pandemic and shutdowns. I believe Woodmizer wait times are almost a year on this mill but don’t quote me on that. There is a Facebook Woodmizer forum that the CEO has been very good at posting updates. Seems the Kohler engines are the major hold up.
I have norwood .lm29 and it works for me but i would prefer a woodmizer lt35 .
You made the right decision .
There are lots of options out there and I really struggled with what was right for me. I think once I looked at it as a long term investment my criteria and budget evolved. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great information, thank you. The only concern (and I do mean ONLY) with the Wood Mizer is the single post construction. At 7:20'ish, you can see the whole head dancing as it seems to labor a bit (going through a knot???). How does that translate as far as cut quality? Keep the videos coming, they're great.
Hey thanks for watching and commenting! I'm not sure what caused that little slow down, my guess is I may have been going too aggressively and it bogged a bit. I've not noticed any major differences in cut quality thus far, but I've not put calipers on it or been too concerned yet. This lumber in this video is being used for a fence so any variation wouldn't matter. I may get more sensitive to the precision over time but for now my major use will be rough sawn and maybe down the road when i evolve into higher quality woodworking I'd assume there will be a planer in my future. So far nothing too noticeable in terms of cut variation. Wood-Mizer did tell me that the cantilevered head helped reduce the amount of leveling you need to do like you would on a four post head. Don't know if its true but I bought into the idea since I have lots of un-level land... haha... It wasn't the selling point but it was a concern I had. Good luck with your purchase, feel free to ping me with any questions you have on the LT35. - Josh
Slow down at any group of knots. Go slow at the start of the log.
Exactly why I won't get a cantilevered-Mizer. They just will never be as solid as a 4post config. I know Wood-Mizer's are well built and respected. But I'd go with a Timberking if money weren't an issue, 2nd would be Norwood over the wood-mizer even. Though having designed my own 3D plans with the intention of building my own that's still an option too.
Most people that I have talked to that planned to purchased a Woodmizer sawmill, with the intentions of using it for their projects and then reselling it, have either traded them in on a bigger mill or hope to in the future. Many of them have told me that they never realized how much enjoyment they would have milling lumber.
Timothy Christian I can totally understand that. I have visions of using this mill into retirement. That said what has become a little more of a challenge is the felling and dragging of trees. Love milling them but not as comfortable yet with getting the logs myself. With time and experience I expect this to improve. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors I have a couple of bills to payoff and then I plan on getting a mill. It will take me a couple of years to pay them off and then, if this nation is still functioning, I will be set. I have a lot of health issues so will be looking to get hydraulics and as much automation as I can afford. I will more than likely go with the lt40 with 38hp engine. I like the lt35 but the manual blade engage/disengage and the manual blade guide arm, I’m afraid, would be more than my shoulder could take.
Timothy Christian the blade engage and disengage does require some force for sure. I didn’t consider the LT40 as i was already pushing past me immediate needs with the LT35... but you never know... could be a future purchase once get more hours under my belt.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors those two issues are the main reasons but the wide option, board return option and the larger gas engine option sure help too. I enjoy the video content y’all put out and if ya ever need help getting ride of any cull bucks, just give me a holler. 😂😂😂
I curious about how the cantiliver head design compares with a more rigid 4-post design. I notice in a lot of wood-mizer videos the saw head bobbing around, and I wonder if this translates to the cut? take a look at 7:29 in this video and see what I mean. Does the head bobbing around when the blade engages translate to a wavy cut?
I've not seen an issue related to that... i've had wavy cuts from running into knots too quickly which is what is happening there, hitting the crouch of the tree. I've also had wavy cuts from dull blades but I don't think i've seen an issue due to the cantilever.
Congratulations on building that monster.
Man I'm right there with you. Only thing is that I wish I would of heard more about the customer service issue. I put my deposit down Jan 5 2021 I got my mill well most of it on the 29 of June. Want to mention as of today 8/16/21. They have sent me 7 shipments. So two where mill then 2 week or so later the trailer. The third was the extension well half of it. 4.5.6 where them trying to send me the rest of the parts. I sent pic and part numbers everything needed to get the right part. I would call with three phones at a time for days to get someone to talk to. So long story short norwood is really falling on there face. Used mill for a week or so now I'm selling and buying the woodmizer
Wow, I hate to hear that... Nothing worse than poor customer service when you make a purchase like this. Best of luck on your sales and Wood-Mizer purchase. I know Wood-Mizer is struggling to fill orders right now with all of the demand and supply chain issues. I hope that goes better for you. I bought right before the pandemic. Good luck! Thanks for watching and sharing your experience!
- Josh
That stinks; I'm sorry to hear that. I have a LT15WIDE on order (supposedly just waiting on an engine now). I somehow talked myself out of the regular LT15 (I have some standing timber that exceeds 28" and some already bucked that are close to the 28"). Anyways, I felt guilty about spending the extra money and tried to switch to a LM30 back in April because it was cheaper, I can build it myself, and it was lighter to move/store without the trailer. I couldn't get ahold of anyone at Norwood and never got an email or call back. I also couldn't even place the order online because it wouldn't let me purchase any accessories; after that I let it go but felt guilty again last night. I called this morning and actually was able to talk to someone, but was still hesitant because it is so hard to get ahold of them in case I was missing parts. You kind of confirmed my fear, so thank you for sharing. I will be sticking with the WM. They have a distributer about an hour away and I have never had issues with them answering the phone or responding to emails.
Also, I swear the Norwood site used to explicitly state it was made in North America, but it no longer says that on their US site. It still says it on the UK version, but not the US site.
That's one thing that was a must. I had to be able to cut big slabs I needed the 36" Throat I just maxed it out 29" slab it was a let's say a one he'll of task. I finally got the rest of my order after having the mill for 2½ months and at least 15 calls and only 3 call backs later. But the mill itself is great no issues. Just have to watch the bed make sure it is level with the head. Logs slamming down constantly it likes to move...
Hardy Brothers, question? What was the total cost of your LT35 out the door? Because you have a lot of extras. Thanks!
William this is the hydraulic model so the only extras were the debarker which was on sale and hydraulic 4 link assembly that connects the 4 log dogs which are usually two hydraulic and two manual. I bought a box of blades and got a cant hook and box of blades tossed in. I got them to honor the most recent sale price from the prior sale. Out the door with tax was $25,250... As mentioned I also believe there is tremendous value in the 6 hr course I received and so far the mill has been great. I just posted about a fuel line issue that I had but it wasn’t a mill defect... great mill, let me know if you have any other questions. I highly recommend Wood-mizer as a company and look forward to many years using this mill.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors Good Morning! I want to thank you for the kindness that you have taken to answer my questions. I have been interested in purchasing a Wood Mizer LT35 for a while, unfortunately 2020 has seen a lot of changes for all of us. But I still have the goal of purchasing one. I want to wish you and your family all of God's Blessings and Protection through theses trying times! Happy Holidays!
If you was to be buying a manual mill, have any suggestion? I have considered the lt15 wide, Norwood 36hd, woodland 30 max, or the timberking 1220.
I did the majority of my research on the Norwood 36HD because I liked the option of the future hydraulics. I also spent quite a bit of time considering the Frontier line... honestly I’ve heard good things about all four brands you mention in terms of quality and support after the sale so it’s hard to say who would be the best. Part of my decision to go with Wood-Mizer was the proximity... I wanted to see it before I bought it. I also wanted to know that if I had to get support there was a way to either get it there or that they had mobile servicing. Sorry I can’t give ya the perfect answer. My suggestion is a spreadsheet or table and compare the points that matter most and take the leap on the one you think matches your criteria the best. Love to hear back what you decide. It took me 4 years to pull the trigger from the initial dreaming of wanting one.
you might not have run it much but it looks like you know what your doing to me,,,good job,,,im jello-ous
Thanks John! I did a lot of watching others online before getting it and the 6 hr training class was invaluable... Definitely a jumpstart for diving right in. Thanks for watching and commenting!
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Josh, thank you for the videos. I think I have watched all of your sawmilling videos. I have ordered an LT35 hydraulic and I am anxiously waiting to go pick it up. Shipping to Alaska adds an extra $1800 to the price and a bit longer wait for delivery. When you talked about how you decided to go with the LT35 you didn't mention checking out the TimberKing mills. From what I saw the TimberKing mills are quality mills and close competitors with WoodMizer. However, like you, I decided to get the LT35 for pretty much all the same reasons that you stated.
Ric Plate thanks much for the comment, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed them and have joined the wood-Mizer family. While I didn’t mentioned Timber King I did get their brochures but I think I shortlisted Woodmizer and Norwood and never really went back to Timber King. Honestly I was 99% sure I was going with Norwood and spending about $15k but talked myself into the full hydraulics. At that point I felt Wood-Mizer was the safer bet for me based on brand reputation as I just hadn’t heard as much about the others. I’ve not done as much milling as I’ve wanted to but am looking forward to getting out soon and building up some inventory of board feet so will make some more videos once I do. Keep me posted on how you like the LT-35.
Hey Ric did you order yours through Parker outside of Palmer? I'm looking to order an LT35 hydraulic from him but I'm up in Fairbanks. How long is the wait time for delivery?
@@jake10373 Hi Jacob. Yes, I got my LT35hd through Parker. It seems they have mills coming in at various time. I wasn't in a hurry (for personal reasons) so it took about 7-8 weeks before I got my mill. The best bet is to call Parker, or Kate, at WoodMizer Alaska and talk directly to them. I like the LT35 mill - it is fun to operate but I still have a lot to learn. Keep in touch and let me know how it works out for you (ricp@alaska.net).
@@jake10373 By the way, I am down in Soldotna. However, I lived in Fairbanks for 7 years in the 80's.
Thanks so much great information
I’m glad you found it helpful. I know I spent a ton of time researching and wanted to share my experience. Good luck and check back we have some cool projects coming soon!
Thank you for the great info.
Glad it has helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions. Just ran the mill today for about 4 hrs. Was a great day!
Waves at the beginning could be that your going to fast at the start. Or knots.
Thanks Richard, and I agree... Knots will definitely cause it to dip. I was surprised when I got my training at Woodmizer that they suggested entering the log faster that I thought made sense... Still gaining experience with each use for sure... thanks for watching and commenting!
Unless I missed something I don't know why you said Norwood could go as high as $35,000. How? I've done some pricing for Norwood and Woodmizer and didn't find a difference in price that big. For what I need Norwood with hydraulics was less than Woodmizer. Woodmizer on the other hand beats most of the others
with dealers and service. That's why I may go Woodmizer but my research showed Norwood was less. Pascal Metals beats both of them on price but there again I don't know enough about it. I like Norwood also but Woodmizer beats them all on service.
Hi thanks for asking... So my price of $35k was if I buy everything i wanted today w/out hydraulics and then later upgraded to full hydraulics. The value proposition for Norwood was buy what you need today and upgrade in the future. The value proposition is strong... its the only mill I could find that gave an upgrade path and I really really like that approach... But when i started trying to reach them for quotes I was not getting called back. During that time, I started to rethink how soon i wanted Hydraulics and got outstanding sales support from Woodmizer... I did not ever get a quote for a full hydraulic mill from Norwood... my main interest with them was the step up approach. If had gone that route, i would have paid roughly $35k based on all the sale materials I had been receiving in the mail. Make sense? Thanks for watching and commenting. I also agree that for me the brand value became much more than price, it was the preassembled mill, pick up on my schedule, training class, and the service reputation I had heard from others. I'm sure the Norwood is a great mill, but when I decided to go full hydraulic from the start, Wood-Mizer had already earned my business and I went with them.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors In the future try explaining yourself better then you won't have to defend yourself as much. I like Norwood's price better than Woodmizer's. Ialso like its quality. Better yet I prefer Wood mizer's dealer outlet and service which with me gives Woomizer the edge.
Thanks for the reply. I’ll have to rewatch and see where I missed the mark on the upgrade point. I’ll also pin a comment to the top to help address. Thanks for watching and commenting and good luck on your purchase.
Wood Mizer of the 2 sawmill brands I will consider. Timberking is the other brand I'd consider. Both from what I researched are good. The others are scrap metal to me.
Happy with my WoodMizer and proximity and service was a key consideration. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors it's a good choice either way.
I'm hearing you spent four years researching before buying, but that Norwood not returning your calls quick enough took them right out of the running. Woodmizer had better not ever put you on hold when you call huh? ;o)
I started out thinking Woodmizer was king but Norwood's HD36 features and design just blew them out of the water from my perspective.
Lol... yes you got me there. Haha. 4 years of contemplating and gathering info on and off and then more like 4 weeks of serious research in the end. In the beginning it was about price but then shifted to what I perceived as value. I was trying to decide what I valued most when I really didn’t know what I needed. Start small and build up is really a compelling message and I think Norwood wins in that “grow as you go” story. Pulling the trigger on the purchase was a big deal for me so when I finally convinced myself to move I wanted to move quickly before I talked myself out of it, as I had every time before. I’d say the customer service gap gave me time to change my mind and rationalize more money for what I believe was more important to me at that moment which definitely included the time savings of an assembled mill, the training, and also the proximity... they all played a factor... as I’ve said i have no doubt the Norwood is a solid mill and purchase but for me the other factors changed when it came down to the game time decision and the other team fumbled... to be clear this wasn’t just one failed callback. Thanks for watching and for the comment... Happy Holidays and stay safe! :-)
The swing saws and 2 bladed circular bladed mills that cut out a board with one pass will over take these band mills in the near future, they have improved the circular blades to a point where they cut really fast and have fewer teeth to keep sharp.
I haven't really looked into those but i could see the competition increasing over time. I had read one main difference was the "kerf" or blade thickness. I suppose there is always a trade off with time... a little waste or slight reduction in yield wouldn't be an issue if overall efficiency improves.
They have their place but they will never overtake bandsaw mills. They are better suited for making dimensional lumber at far faster speeds yes. But when it comes to slabs bandsaws are the clear choice.
You are right. And not logosol b1001 of course.
Very happy with my Wood-Mizer thus far... sorry to hear you are having troubles with your Logosol
i have the hd 36 .with power lift and 16' cutting length cost under $10,000 canadian .you can get one fully equiped for under 20. and you can keep adding four foot sections to your bed for as long a cut as you want. i can cut pretty much as fast with my manual mill as with the hydraulic, faster with small logs. but for the big logs i guess you cant beat hydraulics. i also like the fact that the norwood blows the sawdust away from you , not onto the same side you are working on.as far as parts and blades go they used to come in the mail in a week , but not now. but the mizers are nice
Hey Peter, thanks for watching and commenting. I think my original purchase I had priced at $17-$20k with everything i wanted prior to moving up to hydraulics... so i was trying to get the "all in" manual mill before i got the "all in" hydraulic mill... that is why my estimate of $35k vs. going full hydraulic from the start. I finally decided that this wasn't a short term purchase but something I'd have for the next 15 years and into retirement so I went "all in" on hydraulics but never did get a quote back from Norwood on that equivalent mill. I do think the Norwood is a nice mill, wish I had been able to see one operating... tough purchase when your only test driving by watching RUclips videos... haha... Again, thanks for watching and commenting and stay safe out there and enjoy your HD36! - Josh
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors if i wood have had the cash at the time i bought i would have went with the woodmizer .never got any of the manual accesories thinking i would upgrade to hydraulics.the power lift was a $1,000 touch but after cranking the mill up and manually it was well worth it.the whole mill showed up on one pallet . and every nut and bolt on the machine had to be assembled. it does get you to know your machine when you build it
I don't hd mills because it's all on bolts not good for long uses
Your running just a tiny bit fast on your wide cuts. Great video
Thanks for the feedback, will definitely check that out! Appreciate you watching and commenting!
Couple things concerned me early about the Norwood 36v2... That Plastic cover around a very dangerous saw blade...But I started to overlook it with the catchy deal they are having at this time. Then I searched many video's and low and behold there is a gentlemen that shows what happens when that band breaks.... It goes right through the sides of that plastic shield.. Then a few photos of the broken ends sticking two feet out. He even had it patched with metal and it blew the patch out because the rivets are in ...PLASTIC... Norwood even says in the directions to not go within 6 feet of the two sides when its running.Once I seen that I started thinking differently... Also those ceramic guides are suspect and expensive to replace at $140 for 2 each time...If you look at the Woodmizer Lt 35 HD as compared to the Norwood36v2... You must put the Norwood together with bolts and nuts... The woodmizer is welded. Stronger. STEEL and not aluminum... The Frame on the norwood can get tweaked after a small mistake.. So it is not as forgiving... Trees are heavy..Can bounce around a little..YES you can stack weight on top the Norwood.. But any sudden side force of any degree...you will have a problem much more so then the Wood mIzer... I could go on but thats 3 huge things right there.The wood Mizer LT 35 HD is about 30,000 ..The Norwood 36v2 on sale with hydraulics and power feed...$23,440 plus the power feed another $4005 makes it about $27445 ..and that was up to yesterday when they had the 10% off all options and dropped the price for the bare bones assembly to $10780 from $13500 ,, So normally you would pay $32,124 and the woodmizer $29,701 ! Sorry I could go on... BUt ill spare everyone after this last one... The log pickup on the Norwood... Well its One Piston doing all the work on one side... When it says 4000 pounds..You better have the log properly placed because its going to take all its got to do the job... Look at the wood Mizer... Its just more heavy duty 2 pistons ... One each side... Bottom LIne ... You get way more ...Better engineering .. with the Wood Mizer...
Great insights. I had not heard about the plastic cover. Thanks for sharing.
Look at timber king . I like the solid 4 post cutting head
Whether it is true or not Woodmizer pitched that it was easier to level the cantilevered head on hilly terrain. My property is all hills. Dunno if this is true but the point was made that the four post models needed more leveling. I only briefly looked at timber king. Mostly proximity thing.
Thanks for the info.
I have a Timberking and the leveling issue is not true but Timberking and Woodmizer like to take swipes at each other. Nice mill, you will continue to be happy with it.
Team orange!
Yessir... great mill as you know!
I must be missing something here. All the people commenting here that they can buy a hydraulically equipped HD36 for 20k got me backtracking. So I ran the numbers and when I price out one similarly equipped to your LT35 (Setworks, log loader, debarker) I’m coming up with 33k. I will likely still go the Norwood route (HD38) because of the cut width, price and upgrade path. Btw, I used a price list good through June 2021.
I think the key is actually getting a Norwood sales rep on the phone... which I was unsuccessful in accomplishing after many attempts. There was a lot for me to like about the Norwood value proposition but I have no regrets on the WoodMizer LT35... I think both are probably great products but for me the service before the sale left me fearing what service after the sale would be like. Best of luck in your purchase!
What engine did you choose ?
The 25HP Kohler Gas... No major issues but did have a few instances where I had to do some troubleshooting...
Your going to fight with that mill cutting straight wood you would have been better off with a Hudson , a Timber king or a Cook. good luck it sound like you brought the mill you wonted to to start with.
I may have bought a Cook or Timber King but there was no where even close for me to see them in person... I’d say I bought way more than I thought I would but am happy I got it. Thanks for watching and commenting.
What is the price ?
Hi! Best to call Wood-Mizer to get the latest price... I think their is a sale going on now that includes the debarker... This was what I paid pre-pandemic before the supply dropped significantly while demand has grown. I have the LT35 hydraulic model so the only extras were the debarker which was on sale and hydraulic 4 link assembly that connects the 4 log dogs which are usually two hydraulic and two manual. I bought a box of blades and got a cant hook and box of blades tossed in. I got them to honor the most recent sale price from the prior sale. Out the door with tax was $25,250... As mentioned I also believe there is tremendous value in the 6 hr course I received and so far the mill has been great. I just posted about a fuel line issue that I had but it wasn’t a mill defect... great mill, let me know if you have any other questions. I highly recommend Wood-mizer as a company and look forward to many years using this mill.
currently the Norwood mills are about $11,000 cheaper then the woodmizer mills of the same specs. can completely build a fully hydraulic hd36 norwood for about $23,000. not sure where this person was priced $35,000 for an hd36.
Yes you are right but that isn’t what I talked about. I talked about buying a non hydraulic and upgrading it over time. To do that costs $35k... if I took the lower cost but now upgrade later approach. Bottom line is Norwood didn’t seem to want my business so I took it to Woodmizer.
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors Actually its $23000 to buy a non hydraulic hd36 sawmill and fully upgrade it at norwood, you can build and price on their website. as far as I am aware you cant even buy a woodmizer non hydraulic and upgrade it later? I currently own a woodland mills sawmill and I'm in the market for a hydraulic mill. I love both mills a lot I wish I could afford a fully hydraulic lt40 @$33,000 and wait for the 16 month's lead time.
@@gregatkins597 I’m not sure if you can upgrade the LT35 non-hydraulic later. Don’t believe so. The calculation I was using back when I was shopping was if I bought into the buy manual now and upgrade later I wanted all the manual creature comforts for log turning and ease of use, so I was basically tricking out the manual version with as much as I could. When it was all said and done to get what I wanted and could afford today and upgrade later was in the $35k range. I had spreadsheets, flyers and online configurations. What I didn’t get was Norwood sales support... multiple attempts and I had already moved on changing my criteria and thinking and Wood-mizer earned my business. Per the video there were many factors that changed my determination of value for one over the other such as proximity, drive off the lot vs order/wait/build it... I got mine 2 weeks after ordering. This was March last year right as the pandemic started. Clearly demand has skyrocketed and lead times are lengthy. I suspect you have a better idea of what you want and need than I did since you already have a mill. Good luck with your decision...
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors 100% agree with the sales support aspect. I tried calling norwood for 3 days before finally getting someone, once I got someone I have their direct extension now. I think all sawmill companies are getting beat up right now with orders. I wish there was a bigger market for hydraulic upgrades for any mill, only real place I can find is norwood but you have to own their mill to buy the upgrades...
@@gregatkins597 yep. Just make sure you price out the now price and the future price. For me that lead me to biting the bullet and going all in on hydraulics now vs later. I loved the Norwood flexibility and upgrade path. But I’d you don’t need it and are going fully hydraulic then focus on the hydraulic mills and cost/benefits. Training won’t carry the same value for someone accustomed to running a mill but for me it was the jumpstart for me vs fumbling around to figure it out. That said the training was probably 50% focused on fine tuning and adjusting so that may have some uniqueness to a cantilevered mill vs what you are used to. Yeh it’s a shame that they can’t all keep up. Good for them now but I suspect if the lumber bubble bursts they will get a lot of cancellations. The market will also be flooded with used mills 24 months from now, possibly.
Difficult to compare because there are so many different models with different features .
Totally agree. I had a spreadsheet going and lots of brochures and in many cases i wanted to upgrade lots of stuff. The LT35 was definitely the Cadillac of what i was looking at so it was good that there were only a few upgrade options and I got both of them. haha. No regrets thus far!
The HD36 is fully hydraulic is no where near 35k.
Thats a flat out lie. How do i know? I just purchased a fully loaded hydraulic HD35 for our timber business and it was under 20k. The closest comparison mill (32 inch wide cut capability by removing 1 guide on the HD36) is a LT40wide which is tens of thousands more. If you only used it 5 times since march you should have bought a hudson for 5k.
Thank you for your feedback, but no I didn't lie, you just didn't completely grasp what I shared...
If you listen to my points, I was going to buy into the Norwood value proposition of getting a manual HD36 first with all the components I wanted day 1 and then later down the road upgrade to full hydraulics. That is when the path to hydraulics will cost in excess of what you just paid. So why didn't I just go full hydraulic on Norwood on day 1? Well, again if you had listened closely... I did not get timely calls back when I called into Norwood which opened the door to me exploring Wood-Mizer further and I was delighted with their responsiveness and the feedback I was reading about the brand. I'm sure the Norwood HD36 is a fine mill and I almost pulled the trigger on buying one, it was my original first choice, but as I stated, this was not a comparison of the technology but of the brand value, time to value tradeoff (prebuilt, training, dealership picked up) and the overall customer journey that I experienced... each persons experience may vary so you should make a video and share yours to the world as I have... :-)
How I use my mill will vary in the future, as time permits, so I have no doubt I made the right purchase.
Best of luck in your milling business, I wish you nothing but the best.
I priced a HD36 with hydraulics and it came in around $20,000.
@@michaela1655 cool. My message was not that it cost $35k new if you start full hydraulic... it was I was going to buy into the upgrade over time value proposition and if I went that route vs full hydraulic today it was more expensive than making the plunge today. I never got a full hydraulic quote from Norwood because they were not returning my calls and Woodmizer was... they lost my business because of customer service and buying experience more than because of product and price.
Ditto. No where near $35k for a Norwood HD36 fully hydraulic.
For any buyer, get the actual quote
I researched both extensively - and went Norwood HD36. Value, features, benefits and price
Not perfect, but Sorry, Woodmizer came up short IMO - and I put my money where my mouth is.
Not saying I don,t have a lot of time for Woodmizer.
Bought a twin blade edger based on facts.
Nuff said.
Yep, I agree. Do your research and get a competitive quote. Unfortunately Norwood wasn’t getting back to me and I was building my own quotes. But again to be clear, the $35k was if I put everything I wanted on it day one and later upgraded to hydraulic with what I thought I would want. The idea of spend less today to upgrade later was an attractive value proposition to me... but would cost more over the long term than to go full hydraulic day one. I did not ever get a full hydraulic quote as I had moved on due to the poor customer experience... I have no doubt it’s a great mill. Thanks for watching and commenting. Enjoy the mill and be safe!
Wish I could afford a mill
It's been a long time in the making for me... been talking about it for years.
You could. LX25 is only $3,000 and Woodland mills are inexpensive, though made in China Whereas Woodmizer is US made.
Nice Video and I did watch this prior to getting my LT35HD. I upgraded from an LT15GO. I just uploaded a video of the Lessons Learned with my new mill. Check it out if you have a minute and let me know what you think.
Great tips! I've subscribed to see what you do with the mill! - Josh
@@HardyBrothersOutdoors Thanks, looking forward to making more.
Did you say thirty-five thousand!?
As in $35,000.00!
You mentioned $2,000.00 and the Norwood was around $3000 but you didn't want to assemble it. I'm guessing that you either have an income that makes $30,000 not worth your time or you meant to say thirty-five hundred.
Thanks for the video!
Hi Chris, sorry for any confusion... I started out my search thinking I'd buy a $2k Harbor Freight mill... watched tons of videos and figured no issue working with a fully manual mill. I soon realized that due to my limited time on the weekends (remote property) that I'd never get much done and started looking at hydraulic. I loved the Norwood pitch to buy manual and upgrade to hydraulic later... When i priced what I wanted "today" which was as many bells and whistles as I could the price was approaching $20k and was not hydraulic... To then later upgrade to the same machine it would be roughly another $15k. In the meantime I was pricing other options and the LT35, while more day one, seemed to offer me what I ultimately wanted. Sadly, Norwood's lack of sales support resulted in me never getting a new out the door price for the HD36... In response to income, yes at the time my income was such that I could afford it if I could justify it... Much of my search was justifying that I needed a $25k mill... I've still not used it to its potential but I have no regrets and am looking at it as an investment. I plan to use it more but if not they hold their value pretty well. Thanks for watching and commenting! - Josh