Tractor saw mill

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

 I have some ideas in my head of a way to run a saw mill to cut logs into lumber using one of these tractors. Maybe they’re already is and I don’t know it yet but if there is Please share some  pics or vids.

[520hC-120 136]

Right off wheel horse parts and more website. I don’t know anything about the saws but here’s a pic for ya to see.

[953 nut 55,081]

15 minutes ago, 520hC-120 said:

Right off wheel horse parts and more website. I don’t know anything about the saws but here’s a pic for ya to see.

 

That is not a saw mill, it is a PTO to drive agricultural equipment.

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

Yea but I'm talking about a saw mill driven by the clutch drive on the tractor. There would be a lot of mechanical engineering involved.

[953 nut 55,081]

If you are talking about a cross cut saw fir fire wood it has been done and there are lots of pictures on 

If you are talking about a rip saw for lumber from tree trunks you will need a little more power.

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

I'm talking about usable lumber. If it was geared right and use band saw?

[Artmilaca 23]

58 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

If you are talking about a cross cut saw fir fire wood it has been done and there are lots of pictures on 

If you are talking about a rip saw for lumber from tree trunks you will need a little more power.

I don't know why you would need any more power. I have seen an Alaskan Sawmill slab up to two foot trees with a 5 horsepower chainsaw. Especially if you're talking softwood

[Ed Kennell 38,022]

My nephew has built two band saw mills.   The first one was stationary and he found the dirt from moving the logs was destroying the blades.   He has now built a mill on a trailer and he takes the mill to the tree keeping it as clean as possible.      He uses two trailer spindles, wheels and tires to support and tension  the saw blade, and the third drive wheel to drive the saw.  I believe he uses an 8HP Honda engine.  I'll try to get some pictures.

[Tankman 3,518]

Take a peek-a-boo at Rough and Tumble Engineers.

Years ago I was a member. My Amish friends ran saw mills off their tractors. 

Belt drive, not PTO as shown here.

 

 

I purchased my first tractor from the Amish. a 1932 Farmall. Hand crank start.

FYI. 1932 was the 1st year for rubber tires.

 

http://www.roughandtumble.org/

Edited October 13, 2018 by Tankman

[neil 2,409]

I currently have this saw mill hooked up to an Oxford Allen scythe , I plan to convert it to run on one of my tractors hopefully it will fit to my RJ58

it already has a kohler k90 which I plan to transplant onto the RJ

[ebinmaine 67,277]

Cool stuff

[Mows4three 826]

If you aren't committed to a design yet and you're still looking for ideas, you might want to check out the sawmill featured on a YouTube channel hosted by Cecil Skinner.  I think his channel is titled "Off-grid Homesteading with Cecil Skinner."

 

This guy and his wife Heather are mostly off grid in a small community in rural Canada.   Cecil does some remarkable backwoods engineering.   He built his mill using an engine from his old Wheel Horse.  It's super functional and the design is super simple.  Started with a big vertical bandsaw that must have come from a school auction or some kind of industrial sale.  He saws mostly softwood so the bandsaw set up works like a chard for him. You've got to keep in mind that his mill is a rough sawmill and to finish the boards you've got to take more steps like proper sticking, drying, planing and jointing.  

 

Cecil has hundreds of videos posted of his sawmill, logging, construction and work on engines, snow machines and miscellaneous equipment.  The guy is a do-all and really hustles.  Great info and I find his work entertaining, to boot!   

 

Cheers!

 

Dave

Edited October 13, 2018 by Mows4three
Spelling

[SylvanLakeWH 25,492]

Some quick ideas off google search...

 

 

[JAinVA 4,619]

I built my own bandsaw mill almost 20yrs ago and it is powered by an 8 horse Honda.I don't see how using any Wheel Horse tractor as power source would be practical.If you want to cut lumber you ought to rethink the WH option.If you want to tinker that's another thing.The first picture is the mill at refresh 5 years ago.The second is the missus standing in the doorway of our picnic shelter.Except for the salt treated poles all the lumber came off this mill.

[Ed Kennell 38,022]

Nice work on the mill and the porch Jim.   The mill is similar to the two my nephew built.    A tractor powered mill would have to be stationary with the log on a mowing carriage.  The problem with the moving log is the carriage would have to be 2X the length of the log.

Edited October 13, 2018 by Ed Kennell

[JAinVA 4,619]

Exactly.Plus you are having to move the carriage and log every stroke.The fellow who designed this mill,William Rake also had a desigh for a verticle band and I guess you could use a WH tractor as a power source.I opted for this design.By the way W Rake is a located in PA.Quite the tinkerer.Thanks for the compliment.

The brown siding is from boards sawed as the result of hurricane Isabell.I would have lost lots of wood had it not been for the mill.

I don't know how to embed a U-tube vid but if you go there and type in  boat trailer band mill you can see this machine in use.The slabs on the lower right came from the log being processed.

Edited October 13, 2018 by JAinVA

[SylvanLakeWH 25,492]

9 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

...A tractor powered mill would have to be stationary with the log on a mowing carriage.  The problem with the moving log is the carriage would have to be 2X the length of the log.

 

Of course you are right...But man, a Wheel Horse saw mill...Imagine what the Ponds would have thought...

 

[wallfish 16,985]

Stuff like this always gives me dumb ideas and food for thought on trying to figure out solutions.

How about frame with a band saw that rides on rails but it's powered by a tractor and you can get some seat time driving it back and forth to cut the stationary logs.

Obviously there is a bit more engineering involved but...

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

9 hours ago, wallfish said:

Stuff like this always gives me dumb ideas and food for thought on trying to figure out solutions.

How about frame with a band saw that rides on rails but it's powered by a tractor and you can get some seat time driving it back and forth to cut the stationary logs.

Obviously there is a bit more engineering involved but...

 Now that gives me an idea what you have pictured. Hook up the tractor straight off the motor to run the saw and put a log on rollers !

[Ed Kennell 38,022]

12 hours ago, wallfish said:

Stuff like this always gives me dumb ideas and food for thought on trying to figure out solutions.

How about frame with a band saw that rides on rails but it's powered by a tractor and you can get some seat time driving it back and forth to cut the stationary logs.

Obviously there is a bit more engineering involved but...

Using the tractor to push/pull the saw through the log...sounds a little scary John. Probably need a good cheap supply of saw blades. 

I got a feeling it would be much cheaper to stick a $99 HF engine  on the saw frame and pay  the missus to push the saw through the log.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Ed Kennell

[wallfish 16,985]

19 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

Using the tractor to push/pull the saw through the log...sounds a little scary John.

LoL  I switched it from a large horizontal circular blade without and guards to a band saw because that was a little scary

Hence the "gives me dumb ideas" comment.

[kick 59]

On 10/13/2018 at 4:56 AM, neil said:

I currently have this saw mill hooked up to an Oxford Allen scythe , I plan to convert it to run on one of my tractors hopefully it will fit to my RJ58

it already has a kohler k90 which I plan to transplant onto the RJ

That saw would make a good movie prop for Saw X. 

[Tankman 3,518]

Just saw a saw, local Craig’s List. $225.

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

2 hours ago, Tankman said:

Just saw a saw, local Craig’s List. $225.

 Doesn't look like you get much for 225 bucks! Maybe the blade is made out of titanium !

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,296]

That is a cut off saw for slab wood. My grand parents had one. They would get the small slabs that the saw mill had left over from squaring up logs.  Belt ran from tractor. Cut the slabs to length 12 to 15 inches . That's is how the heated the house and the wood stove in the kitchen. The kitchen  stove was used year round.