Turbosawmill compared with other Swing-blade designs & the Bandsaw Mill

Turbosawmill manufacture the world’s first commercially available single beam Swing-blade sawmill. We are the pioneers in this technology, with our frame system utilizing our unique open side design.

Our automation is robust and extremely simple, giving years of flawless design - no hydraulics, no buggy electronics. Our blades utilize our unique safer replaceable tip design. We have granted patents on these designs.

Turbosawmill over a bandmill?

Turbosawmill blades take only around 60 seconds to sharpen. Bandsaw blades require specialist gear and have 100s of teeth to sharpen. You will also need to set the teeth and dress the gullets!

Turbosawmill cutting teeth are replaceable on site. Bandsaw blades are switched out at around three hundred board foot. Turbo teeth get switched out around 10,000 + board foot. Turbo blades last for years.

Turbosawmill - over other Swing-blade designs?

Turbo cuts straight timber even when the blade dulls. It is not fussy like a bandsaw (yes, there are bandsaw gurus out there that know what they are doing).

Mastering a bandsaw takes an awfully long time due to all the variables involved… the actual band supplier and the quality, tooth set, lube, hook angle and tension. You will also need to gain a feel for the cut to anticipate when it is starting to dull - before you start wasting your boards.

The Turbosawmill diminishes tension in the log as it progressively saws through it.

The bandsaw needs to confront this tension (typically the log is rotated four times and slabbed to reduce a significant part of the issue) - this is where experience is extremely important - not so much with Turbo!

Bandsaw manufacturers push the thin kerf idea. Band mills typically waste timber when making the first four cuts around the log. The slabs that get removed are usually VERY wasteful. An extra 4-8 boards are available if care was taken. The reason:

The operator wants to cut to the chase and get producing - re-sawing these slabs slow you down.
The operator does not want to drag the band through the bark, dulling the blade.
Finally, a squared log rests on the mill ready to rip roar into boards. But there is one problem… that last board at the very bottom is too narrow and needs to get thrown into the rubbish pile.
Turbo’s recovery wins easily. Straight timber and every board, sawn out of the log right down to the bark!

The simple illustration below shows the minimal difference between bandsaw kerf and Turbosawmill’s range of kerf options. Sawing 2" boards out of a typical sized 20" log. The drawing is to scale and is not exaggerated as other websites show.

With the Turbo, you simply power the saw down the log in the horizontal orientation, swing the blade and return the mill to affect a fully edged board. Progressively saw each board out of the log according to your cut list.
A bandsaw requires a whole lot more thinking: Removing 4 sides, reducing the log into slabs, setting aside the slabs, and calculating how you will re-saw them into your cut list (without wasting timber).

A nice advantage of our manual mill range is the push pull weight of the carriage. As there is no associated frame to support the carriage, the weight is kept to a minimum. The M6 manual carriage weighs only 154 pounds (70kg), the motor weighs only 80 pounds (37kg). Giving a total push pull weight of 107 kg or 235 pounds. Now compare that to other competitors which start at 330 pounds (150kg). You will have energy to spare at the end of the day!

The Turbosawmill carriage is coupled to the beam, any blade twist whilst in the vertical cut is kept to a minimum. Wide frame carriages can suffer from twist if the pull arm is not positioned directly in front of the leading edge of the vertical blade. You will quite often notice an operator of a wide frame using both arms to maintain a true vertical cut. The more wear on the carriage rollers, the worse it gets. The Turbosawmill does not suffer from this issue.

Turbo is automated - super easy when sawing horizontal wide boards (4 runs down the log are typical) - just tilt the lever.

Turbo has an open access frame - you are not stuck between rails when removing timber or loading logs. Simply grab the board from the OPEN SIDE of the log and stack directly onto your forklift or timber pile. Extremely important when dealing with large flitches.

Turbo sizing is all done at one spot.

Turbo features the largest available extruded alloy beam on the market.

Turbo’s frame is also built heavy duty. Extremely rigid in comparison.

Turbo can double cut (with-out having to lift the mill up and turn it around!).

When performing the vertical cut, the Turbo will not twist. Wide frame designs need to be pulled straight (it is very important how you pull the machine through the cut).

Turbo utilizes an industrial 40hp gearbox for its blade drive.

Turbo has an optional ultra-precise, user friendly electronic setworks option.

Turbo is automated - super easy when sawing horizontal wide boards (4 runs down the log are typical) - just tilt the lever.

Turbo has an open access frame - you are not stuck between rails when removing timber or loading logs. Simply grab the board from the OPEN SIDE of the log and stack directly onto your forklift or timber pile. Extremely important when dealing with large flitches.

Turbo’s main beam is off the ground, so sawdust will not build up around it.

Turbo sizing is all done at one spot.

Turbo can adjust the far end of the beam so that it can align to the log where it sits!