# Hudson oscar 228



## bigmoose (May 15, 2012)

I am going to look at a used hudson oscar 228 on friday.Can anyone give me any reviews on the one they own or have used?I have been shopping for a sawmill for sometime now and this is close to where I live.Any info will be greatly appreciated.


Thanks MOOSE


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## mad murdock (May 16, 2012)

You want to look it over generally checking for bent metal on frame and head rig. Check to see that movement is good up/down adjust, move back and forth along track, does it move without binding and does it feel relatively smooth, as you move the saw head back and forth along full track? Check engine for overall health, crankshaft is it sloppy or nice and firm with no excessive end play and no major oil leaks? Does the engine run ok? Clutch work ok? Etc. Does the band track ok or does it jump off? One good thing would be if he has a log or something he can make some cuts on to demonstrate it's opertation. You will be able to tell a lot of how it is as it performs under load in the cut.


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## bigmoose (May 16, 2012)

Thank you for the info,but I was mainly looking for feedback on that model.What do owners or people who have used them think about them.


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## gemniii (May 16, 2012)

What he said.
Pay special attention to the rails. The Hud-Son uses especially light rails compared to many of the other entry level mills.


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## Cmccul8146 (May 16, 2012)

I've


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## Cmccul8146 (May 16, 2012)

Let me try this again!!! I've owned a 228 since May, 2007 and have been well pleased with it. I built a 6ft. track extension for it about a month after I got it. With 18 ft. of track, max length of log you can saw is 15 ft, 4 inches. Am currently making a 20 ft, one pc. track , with provisions to add current track. 

Properly set up & leveled ,the 2 x 2 x 1/4 inch angle iron track is plenty sturdy. Set it up with " crossties" under each bunk for maximum support. Concrete foundation is best for this mill, unless you plan to mount it on a trailer for portability. 

I've sawed thousands of BF of Yellow Poplar, ERC, Black Walnut, Red Oak, White Oak, and Pine with mine. Biggest I have sawed was a 28inch diameter x 15 ft, long White Oak for a hay truck floor .Cut it 6/4 thick & had no trouble at all . Could have used a bigger motor for that one, but with a new blade it cut quite well. 

I use a forklift to load logs onto my mill & it works really well for the bigger logs. Turning the big ones is not an easy job with 2 cant hooks, but can be done. I use a leaf blower to keep the sawdust cleaned from under the tracks. My only problem is finding somewhere to store & dry the lumber I saw. Got to get a drying shed built.


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## bigmoose (May 17, 2012)

Thank you for the reply.Dose yours have the 8 or 10 hp motor?I have been told these mills ar very slow?


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## Cmccul8146 (May 17, 2012)

Not sure what the HP of my motor is BigMoose. It's a 305cc Briggs 13.50 ft lbs. torque.
With a sharp ,properly tensioned blade, cutting 12 ft long 20 -24 inch diameter Red Oak logs I can make a cut in less than a minute. Don't know if that's slow, average, or over feeding, but as long as the engine doesn't start laboring that's how I run it. Maybe another 228 owner will give you some input & we can both see a comparison. I may be wrong, but I don't think it's any slower than any other MANUAL MILL. As it's a manually fed mill, you will soon learn by feel when the blade starts dulling out, as well as the cut quality. Biggest time killer for me is turning the log for the 2nd & 3rd cut when running it by myself. A helper, to hold the log against the squaring pins with a cant hook, while I dog it in place makes a huge difference. Once I have 3 sides squared up & get the log rotated for the 4th cut, it's just a matter of adjusting head for desired board thickness & moving boards out of the way. Claude


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## porta mill (May 22, 2012)

I own a oscar 28 and for what I paid for it I am happy .it does have it's good points and bad, It is not A high production mill it is a home owner unit do not expect to make a big pile of lumber in a short amount f time . I have a hard time keeping the edges of my boards true . and there is some wonder in the blade it might might be my fault not enough blade tension but all in all I am happy with the mill .I made a sub frame for the rails . I can cut 20' long boards View attachment 239149
View attachment 239150


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