Craigslist WM sawmill, is it a good deal?

[Popeye1]

Saw this on Craigslist: He is asking $3800, wish I had it right now.

"This is a 16' bed, will saw logs up to 34" dia., and boards up to 24" wide, makes siding, decking, framing,trim, ect., it comes with a resaw attachment($1500 new), and blade sharpener, some blades, It is portable. low hours(1800hrs.). "

I emailed him about what model and this is what he sent back,
"Sawmill is a 1992 lt/hd 30, 18 hp twin, automated controls."

This is 18 years old, sounds like about 100 hrs a year of use.

What do you think?

 

[mtngun]

18 years old, you may have to put some money into it, but for that price, I think you'll come out OK.

 

[thewalnutguy]

Assuming the mill has been properly cared for it does in fact sound like a good price. The 18 hp engine is a bit small perhaps, but should work fine if you're not after high production rates. It's the same age as my LT30 (no hydraulics). The carriage speed control circuit board on mine had to be replaced last year at a cost of several hundred dollars.

 

[gemniii]

If you can use it it's a good price if in good condition.

 

[Backwoods]

Take a good look at it and insist on seeing it run even if you have to take some scrap wood to cut into kindling. Figure on putting some money into it and if you don’t then you are ahead of the game. I have been looking at an lt-30 as a second mill and would consider that to be a good price if it runs and cuts wood.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Is the motor an Onan???? Sounds like a nice sawmill, but i don't think 1,800 hrs is "low" hrs on the motor.

DM

 

[Andrew96]

Is the motor an Onan???? Sounds like a nice sawmill, but i don't think 1,800 hrs is "low" hrs on the motor.

DM

Though I don't know anything about this mill....I use 80 - 100 kilometers per hour of run time on various gas engines to give others a 'feel' for how much use they have had when compared to cars. This 1800hr engine I'd say would be about the same as 144,000km, or 90,000 miles on a hard worked small engine (think baby 4 cylinder car). Being an air cooled engine, it won't last as long as the car though. On air cooled aircraft engines...1800 hrs is all you'll get out of a well cared for top end...maybe the crank too....and they don't run at as high an rpm!
As Rob said..not really 'low hours' IMO. 80% - 90% of it's service life is done on it's first rebuild.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Lots and lots of Onans were put on older Mizers, and most folks never rebuilt them, they are pretty much a throw away... Onan is now owned by Cummins, and parts prices are "out of this world!"

Even if it isn't an Onan, 1,800 hours is a LOT of hours on a small gas motor...

As a side note, at one time Onan made a VERY reliable cast iron motor that ran at 1,800 rpm's, then they changed to aluminum and sped it up to 3,600 rpm's. Once they did that, they lived on their reputation, cause their motor just wasn't what it "use to be"... I still have one of each around...

Rob