Sawmill power

stihlsawer · Feb 17, 2014

I am needing help on selecting a tractor for powering my Belsaw M14. I am currently rebuilding the sawmill as I get time.
I am looking at the 50-70 PTO HP range on older tractors. I really like the series 74,84,86 International.
I need a tractor that has quick responsive governors. Which tractors are better in this category; looking at 70's-80's tractors.
Thank you for your help in advance and have a blessed evening.

Trever

Farmritch · Feb 17, 2014

I have an engine that would be perfect for this,
It's a Hercules 4 cyl out of a Generator

stihlsawer · Feb 17, 2014

Nice. Can you still get parts? I remember our old dirty burn (multi fuel) Hercules in the deuce and a half trucks.

Are you close to TN?

Trever

VicS · Feb 17, 2014

Don't know the no. but a neighbor had a Belsaw. He
started out running it with a 530 Case gas. Ended
up with a 1900 Oliver with a 4-53 Detroit diesel.
about 100 hp. He had changed the pulleys on the
feed. so it would feed about 3 times faster. and
really come back. So I would think bigger on the
hp. and diesel. A good diesel shop can make your
gov as touchy as you want.

Geo-TH,In · Feb 17, 2014

My dad had an old belsaw 4 ft diameter blade. He powered his with two 30 hp 3 phase motors. He found that if his blade didn't stay at a constant RPM, it wouldn't cut right.

M-MAN · Feb 17, 2014

Is this a circle saw? If so how large a blade?

MarkB_MI · Feb 18, 2014

It seems to me that an engine out of a scrapped combine would be ideal. Combine governors are set up to maintain a constant speed, while tractors are usually set up to "droop" under load.

stihlsawer · Feb 18, 2014

It is a circle sawmill and have a 40" inserted tooth blade now, but looking for a 48" to use also.

stihlsawer · Feb 18, 2014

(quoted from post at 21:01:06 02/17/14) My dad had an old belsaw 4 ft diameter blade. He powered his with two 30 hp 3 phase motors. He found that if his blade didn't stay at a constant RPM, it wouldn't cut right.

Yep. You have to keep the saw at blade's hammered speed. A little over is not too bad, but you don't want to be under.

Trever

stihlsawer · Feb 18, 2014

(quoted from post at 20:28:40 02/17/14) Don't know the no. but a neighbor had a Belsaw. He
started out running it with a 530 Case gas. Ended
up with a 1900 Oliver with a 4-53 Detroit diesel.
about 100 hp. He had changed the pulleys on the
feed. so it would feed about 3 times faster. and
really come back. So I would think bigger on the
hp. and diesel. A good diesel shop can make your
gov as touchy as you want.

Thanks for the reply. I had a 4-53 that I bought site unseen and ended up getting rid of it. Alot of damage to the engine that was unknown. I am wanting to make the mill portable. I would love to find an old Oliver or Cockshutte with the Detroit to use on it.

stihlsawer · Feb 18, 2014

Thank you for the information, that's an idea I haven't thought of.

Trever

Bret4207 · Feb 18, 2014

You might try asking at some of the home sawmill sites. I had some bookmarked a computer or 2 ago but don't have them now. I missed a Belsaw last fall, would have loved to have it. I've seen them run with everything from an H Farmall to a D2 Cat to old car engines.

RodinNS · Feb 18, 2014

I think you would be well advised to go with more power than you're contemplating. A buddy of mine runs a 50 hp electric on an 42" saw and that is only driving the head saw, nothing else. It's pretty modest for power and I suspect some of the problems he has with it are from a lack of power. If you're running the rest of the mill off of a friction drive you could easily need 20-30 hp more... for a minimum.
I'd look for something like a 100 hp tractor or at least a 4 cylinder turbo that you could turn up a bit to get the 100 intermittently. A MF 1105 would be a good candidate. IH 986 if you prefer that shade of red. I prefer Fords... an older 2wd 7710 could be tweaked to make the power you need. If you want to go older a Ford 8000 would be available pretty cheaply.... Personally I'd stay clear of the green leakers. Who wants to listen to that all day long.

Rod

greygoat · Feb 18, 2014

The portable Sawmill that came to our farm, in
the 1950"s had a 4-53 Detroit Diesel, and 48
inch blade. It did a good job !

wilamayb · Feb 18, 2014

I dont know what part of TN you are in but you'll need a bellhousing with a clutch to make your power output easily adapted.

There are several irrigation places in the Bootheel of Missouri that have gobs of old engines and Rockford bellhousings. They might fix you up with an engine and bellhousing combo for a few $$$.

Richard G. · Feb 18, 2014

I have run my Turner mill with 42 inch blade with a Massey Harris 101 Sr, an Oliver 88 gas, a Farmall M, a 620 JD and a 48 HP Case LAE. The best were the Massey, Oliver and Case. You need torque and power, not speed. The Case was 4 cylinder, 403 CI, 1100 RPM and long stroke. It did the best and was a work horse.
50 HP is plenty for a Belsaw.
Richard in NW SC

M-MAN · Feb 18, 2014

You're going to need more horses if you're planning on using all the blade. 100hp & you'll still be feathering the belt on large logs. Anything less & you'll be feathering all the time.

You need a stand alone power unit. Mount it on a skid and add an axle for portability. That's how it used to be done here.

Tim Barnes · Feb 18, 2014

I agree with M-MAN as per more power. My father and I ran an old Frick 00 mill back in the 80's. We tried using several tractors for power and ended up going with a 100hp electric motor. We were sawing to build pallets and shipping crates. After messing with hard starting diesel engines, with a crew of 5-7 men standing around getting paid and not working, we went electric. We had to sign a 3 year agreement with the power company to get them to run 3 phase to the mill but it was well worth it.

stihlsawer · Feb 18, 2014

(quoted from post at 08:02:07 02/18/14) I dont know what part of TN you are in but you'll need a bellhousing with a clutch to make your power output easily adapted.

There are several irrigation places in the Bootheel of Missouri that have gobs of old engines and Rockford bellhousings. They might fix you up with an engine and bellhousing combo for a few $$$.

Thank you for the information. I live in Athens which is in the southeastern parts of the State. That would be too far to travel. I was going to go that route when I had my Detroit; before I found it would be more trouble than it was worth fixing.

RodinNS · Feb 18, 2014

Bingo.... and if you don't maintain speed you here that good old wop wop... while you saw wedges.

Rod

Sawmill power

New User

Member

New User

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

New User

New User

New User

New User

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

New User

Well-known Member

Similar threads