We recently sent out an email that we had taken a good, used TimberKing in trade. Here’s what one TimberKing owner emailed back…
Hi Will —
A bigger TimberKing mill is in the future for me. Until then my TimberKing 1400 is a fine workhorse.
I’d trade in my 1400 today but you couldn’t make a new TimberKing 2000 fast enough for me. I can’t afford the downtime. I’m running two shifts and it’s not my busy season yet. Note the LED lights I added to the machine for night shift sawing.
I demonstrated my mill for some interested soon-to-be sawyers last weekend on the same day as my wife’s rummage sale. At times we had 75 or more people watching us and we picked up much work. I let a neighbor run the saw just to show how easily anyone can make quality lumber. I think he will have a job with me soon because he did well.
The most common comments from the crowd were about the finish quality that challenges the term “rough sawn lumber.” Those TimberKing Ultra Blades zing through the big pine logs fast and clean!
— Eric
Read more of Eric’s story
“I got my TimberKing as a business endeavor. I have a bunch of projects and I couldn’t find anybody to do quality sawing for me. Now I saw for myself and others. I work in a shipyard during the day. I have very long days so sometimes I saw when I come home at night. That’s why I installed LED lights on my mill.
I’m doing custom sawing and making specialty lumber for other people. I saw every species there is in Wisconsin: oak, maple, walnut, popple, and more. Business is pretty good, I’m really busy.
Sawing demo drew crowds, stirred up business
My wife had an idea about how to advertise my sawing business. I set up and ran my mill while she was having a rummage sale. I had a lot of people watching and I picked up a lot of jobs and contracts. When people see the saw running, they get pretty interested.
Welds vs. bolts
I bought this mill as an investment, not as a hobby. I chose TimberKing basically because of the construction. TimberKing’s steel frame was all welded. I tow it to locations down back roads so I need welded strength. Other sawmills are bolted together and just feel tinny.
This 1400 is tough — I’ve loaded 5,000 lb. logs onto it. I chose the 1400 over the TimberKing 1220 because of the bigger capacity and throat size.
The TimberKing has a big cut throat. The design lets you see the blade very well. You can see exactly what you’re cutting with that wide-open throat. That’s a big selling point when you’re sawing barn beams. It’ll take logs up to 34” in diameter. I’ve cut bigger diameter logs when I’ve chainsawed them down a little.
It’s very versatile with an expandable design: I can expand the bed length by adding bed sections without making a major investment.
Bigger mill?
I’m running two shifts and it isn’t even my busy season! If business stays good, I will probably trade up to a bigger TimberKing because I do max-out the 1400. Maybe TimberKing’s 2000 or the 2200.
Challenges the term ‘rough sawn lumber’
People used to saw with old-fashioned circle mills. The big, rusty circular saw blades would wobble a lot and leave a rough surface. And they’d cut boards uneven thicknesses. That’s rough cutting. The TimberKing’s sharp bandsaw blade leaves the surface so smooth, I don’t have to put boards through a planer. Sometimes you can just sand them and use them as they come off the mill. When I do sand, I put the board on the floor and use my floor sander!”
— Eric Kurowski, TimberKing 1400 Owner, Sobieski WI
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