PREPARING FOR SPRING:
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE GUIDE

A Quick Guide to Woodland Mills Product Ownership and Preparing For Spring Projects!

In this section, we will talk about your Portable Sawmill and the proper and routine maintenance required to ensure operator safety, good milling results, and prolonging the life of your investment.
 

Portable Sawmill Operator Safety

Before we begin, it is important to never make blade guide adjustments, remove or install blades, conduct any other maintenance or make any other adjustments while the engine is running. Always shut the engine off, remove the ignition key, and turn the engine off before carrying out any of the aforementioned procedures. Consult your <engine manual> for safe shutdown procedures to prevent accidental ignition.
 

Pulling Your Mill Out of Storage this Spring

The snow is melting away and you may be starting to get ready to get back into the swing of milling lumber this spring.
We are here to help you with setting up a routine maintenance plan.

First, ensure you are not going to run with old fuel. If you find old fuel, it is possible you’ll need to run seafoam through the system as the carburetor may be plugged (if your engine won't start). It is recommended that you run the motor completely dry before it's put away for an extended period of time or use fuel stabilizer before storing.

Upon starting your routine maintenance plan, ensure to position the engine's air cleaner cover properly depending on the weather. As you are preparing for spring you'll want to position it back to the normal operating position where the air cleaner cover has the sun decal out.
 

Running the engine with the cover positioned for cold weather operation in normal conditions can damage the engine. If the temperatures are still cold, keep the cover with the snowflake decal out. Doing this will reduce the likelihood of the carburetor icing, as the air cleaner cover is rotated to draw warmer air from the muffler. Once you have completed this important step, follow the below Preparing For Spring Maintenance Guide.

Preparing for Spring: Routine Maintenance Guide

Inspection before use:

• Bandwheel Bearings — Inspect before use to ensure they are not worn. Bearings are sealed and do not need to be greased.
• Blade Guide Bearings — Inspect before use for excessive grooves or scoring in the bearing case. Replace if necessary.
• Sawhead Lifting Cables — Regularly before, during, and after operations; inspect the cables for any wear or kinks. Ensure that the cables are in perfect condition. Oil coiled part of cable often to prevent premature wear. Replace with new cables as necessary.
• Check Engine Oil— Check the engine oil level before each use and if oil must be changed, use the table below based on your engine model and operating air temperatures.
  
  
  
  Note: The engine is equipped with an oil alert system, meaning that if the crankcase oil level is low or empty, the power is cut to the spark plug and it will not start. Oil should be changed every 100 Hours or Annually (whichever comes first).

• Blade Tension — Grease threads of tensioning “T” handle when dry or as required. Use multi-purpose, extreme-pressure grease.
• Log Clamps — Spray cam mechanism with dry silicone spray frequently.
• Belts — Check the condition and wear of the drive and idler belt. The belt also provides a cushion for the blade to ride on. Ensure the belt is proud (sitting higher than) on the steel band wheel. If the blade is riding on the band wheel, it could cause it to slow during the cut or come off. It is always best to check the drive belt tension with the blade off the mill. This will give you the true tension on the drive belt.
• Drive Belt — Periodically check the tension of the drive belt. You should inspect your drive belt periodically for any signs of wear of improper tension. A worn or loose drive belt can cause the blade to stop during the cut.
• Sawhead Vertical Posts — Spray posts before use with a silicone spray lubricant such as “WD-40 Water Resistant Silicone Spray,” “3-in-One Silicone Spray Lubricant," or “Jig-ALoo.”
• Bandwheel Guards — Routinely remove any build-up of sawdust that may collect inside the bandwheel guards.
• Spark Plug - Replace the spark plug and set gap every 500 Hours or Annually (whichever comes first). Perform this procedure more frequently under severe, dusty, dirty conditions.

What You Need to Know About Blade Lubrication:

Do not run lubricant for the initial 30 minutes of milling. Run the blade dry to break-in the belts. After the belts have been broken-in, use water with 1 tsp (5 mL) of liquid dish soap per tank if air temperatures are 34°F (1°C) and warmer or use winter windshield washer fluid in air temperatures 32°F (0°C) and colder.
Note: never use diesel fuel or kerosene as blade lubricant. These substances lead to premature wear of your belts and poor sawing performance.
 

Searching for Technical Support?

You can contact us by completing the Technical Support Request form on our website. Our tech support team operates Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM Eastern Standard Time. https://woodlandmills.com/contact/ or call us at 1-855-476-6455 (Press 2 for Tech) for assistance.

In this section, we will talk about your Wood Chipper and the proper and routine maintenance required to ensure operator safety, good chipping results, and prolonging the life of your investment.
 

Wood Chipper Operator Safety

Before we begin, it is important to never remove or install blades, conduct any maintenance, or make any other adjustments while the tractor engine is running. Always shut the tractor's engine off, remove the ignition key, and disconnect the PTO shaft prior to carrying out any of the aforementioned procedures. Consult your tractor’s manual for safe shutdown procedures to prevent accidental ignition. The entire <owner's manual> must be read and understood before you start using the machine highlighting with utmost importance of the safety and personal safety guidelines.

Always operate the machine with all safety devices and guards in place and in working order. DO NOT modify or make changes to safety devices. DO NOT operate the machine if any safety devices or guards are missing or inoperative.
 

Pulling Your Wood Chipper Out of Storage this Spring

Thinking about using your Wood Chipper to make quick work of your brush piles laying around? Do you have a plan for this spring of where you'll use your piles of wood chips? Wood chips are great for garden beds, walking trails, or mulch. You'll also need a plan to ensure your Wood Chipper is in working order and ready to take on the task and we are here to help you with setting up a routine maintenance plan.

First, make sure nothing has seized by hand spinning the flywheel before it is connected to your tractor. Ensure the flywheel housing and discharge chute are clear of debris (needles, leaves etc). It is recommended that the general condition of the wood chipper be examined before it is used each time and follow the below Preparing For Spring: Routine Maintenance Guide.
 

Preparing for Spring: Routine Maintenance Guide

Inspection before use:

• PTO Shaft - Ensure that the PTO Shaft is still greased, intact, and not cracked. Be sure to disconnect before servicing, adjusting, installing accessories or attachments, or storing. Such preventive safety measures reduce the risk of starting the power tool accidentally.
• Bearings - Check each grease point prior to use and add grease as needed. All bearings come pre-greased and do not require greasing on the initial start-up. Do not add grease to these points on a new wood chipper. The wood chipper will either have six (6) or eight (8) Zerk fitting grease points:
  • One (1) infeed roller bearing
  • Two (2) flywheel shaft bearings
  • Three (3) on the PTO shaft
  • Two (2) pump shaft bearings (WC88 Only)
  • Note: Over-greasing can damage the bearing seals.
• Blades - Keep sharp and clean. Properly maintained wood chipper blades are less likely to bind and make feeding-in brush easier. You can get to the blades by opening the upper flywheel housing using a 24 mm socket/wrench to remove the M16 X 40 mm bolt and flat washer securing the upper and lower housings together. Always replace the M10 lock nuts with a new set when changing or reversing blades.
• Fly Wheel - ensure that it is free-spinning before it is connected to your tractor.
• Bed Plate - For ideal chipping performance, the gap between the bed plate and the blades should be set to 1/16-1/8” (1.5-3 mm). Failure to set the proper gap can lead to poor chipping performance and/or clogging.
• Cleaning and Lubrication - Use only soap and a damp cloth to clean your wood chipper. Many household cleaners are harmful to plastic and rubber components on the wood chipper.
• Drive Belt - Check the condition and tension of the drive belts after every 30 hours of operation. The belts should not deflect more than ¼” (6 mm) when firm pressure is applied. If the belts are too loose, adjust the tension. The belts are self-tensioning via two extension springs.

Searching for Technical Support?

You can contact us by completing the Technical Support Request form on our website. Our tech support team operates Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM Eastern Standard Time. https://woodlandmills.com/contact/ or call us at 1-855-476-6455 (Press 2 for Tech) for assistance.

Stump Grinder Operator Safety

Pulling Your Stump Grinder Out of Storage This Spring

Preparing for Spring: Routine Maintenance Guide

• PTO Shaft - Ensure that the PTO shaft is adequately greased, intact, and not cracked. Excessive clutch plate slippage, burning odour, or visible smoking should not be observed during use. Clutch plates can stick together, particularly after long periods of inactivity. This can prevent the plates from slipping during operation as designed, resulting in high loads and possible damage to the steel shaft. To prevent this from occurring, follow the “PTO Shaft Clutch Run-In” procedure in the manual.
• Bearings - Grease the bearings and the pivot pins on the main housing as needed before each use. Do not over-grease the bearings as this can blow out the seals and cause premature bearing failure. The stump grinder will have six (6) grease points:
  • Two (2) Flywheel Shaft Bearings
  • Two (2) Hinge Pins
  • Two (2) on the PTO Shaft
  • Note: All bearings come pre-greased and do not require greasing on the initial start-up.
• Flywheel - Ensure that it is free-spinning before it is connected to your tractor.
• Flywheel Teeth - Ensure all 34 teeth are torqued to 160 ft•lb using a torque wrench with a 24 mm socket.
• Cleaning - Use a pressure washer to clean the carbide teeth while taking care not to pressure-wash the bearings as this could introduce water into areas of the machine that may cause malfunction or damage.

Searching for Technical Support?

You can contact us by completing the Technical Support Request form on our website. Our tech support team operates Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM Eastern Standard Time. https://woodlandmills.com/contact/ or call us at 1-855-476-6455 (Press 2 for Tech) for assistance.