Homestead sawmill

countryboy84 · #1 01/15/11, 09:06 PM

I was wondering if anyone had an Oscar 118 by hudson. I have had chainsawmills for a while and do like them even though they are a little slow. But with gas going sky high and needing to cut a few thousand feet over the course of this year I have been looking at them. I have also run big circle saws. I have a 54 inch saw that I could set back up, but the straight 6 that runs the mill kinda likes the gas too plus would have to pull logs lot futher. If anyone has an Oscar 118 or knows some one that does please let me know your opion of it and if it is really able to turn out 100 BDF per hour of 12ft long boards. Thanks

TnAndy · #2 01/16/11, 02:23 AM

Not familar with the Oscar, but I love my Woodmizer LT40. ( 1991 model ).

4 gallons of gas will saw all day.....800 to 1000bdft at the end of the day.

nc_mtn · #3 01/16/11, 04:17 AM

I was sold on the Hud-Son design several years ago when I got interested in portable sawmills. The 118 is really a "hobby" saw. It has it's place but if I was buying, I'd spend the $500 more bucks and get a 121. You gain some inches in diameter cutting but most importantly you get a 10 hp engine. This is plenty for the size log you will cut. Most of what I use personally is the 328. It has the same engine as the 21.
I don't like to say how many board feet you can get because it's involving so many factors outside of "the saw". If you were to lay out track after track down an airport runway and put logs on it, you'll saw straight down no problem or stopping, and put out lots of bf per hour. I use that illustration to point out that most of the time is spent cleaning logs, or turning them and loading them. Smaller logs will produce less bf than larger ones in the same basic time. Also it depends on what you cut (2x or 1x).
As to the gas, I never "fill" up the tank, just because I don't saw that much in one shot, (and I have access to other saws so I don't like to leave them sitting with lots of fuel in it). They don't use much gas at all.
The starting prices comes with 2 sections of ground track that gives you a 10 ft cut but you can add another section to any mill and go as long as needed. 1 more section on both the 18 and 21 is 6 ft so you get a 16' cut.

I'll answer anymore questions if you want, you can also pm me if needed... good luck... and I should warn you... it's addicting to saw...

countryboy84 · #4 01/16/11, 07:09 AM

NC MTN thanks for the info. I have ran a couple of bandmills but one had a 60 horse engine so it is not even in the same ball park. The other was a 24hp Koholer and it did well but that mill was around 5500 bucks and I was only ever able to get 120bdft per hour off of it and that is consider log handleing and all. I need to really keep the money side low while still getting a good product. The Hobby mill can cut 16 inch boards which is way bigger then anything I will ever cut. I will take a 18'' diameter log which covers most of the log that I have. I will have to get anther track so I can cut at least 12 ft logs even though most will only be 8 or 10. Just really need to know from some one that has one if the little 118 holds up well. The smaller motor just means you got to slow down and that is fine with me.

nc_mtn · #5 01/16/11, 09:08 AM

I know of people that's had them for years and they still run. Just like any equipment, if you take care of it (keep it out of the weather especially when not in use, and the like) it will last. As long as you know it will cut slower than the larger mills you will be fine. They all make the same cut, it's just the size log you (can) start with and the speed that makes the difference. If you're up for a road trip this week, you can go to Fishersville, VA to the Virginia Farm Show (www.virginiafarmshow.com) and see them demonstrated.