Far as hype on these new blades that's all it is. Steve
Steve,
I'm gonna politely/firmly disagree with you because that statement is FAR from the truth.
Gullet shape and depth are quite important. It is not as much of a factor/benefit in lower HP machines because of what jb griffin already mentioned. To realize the full potential of these type blades (regardless the maker), the mill HAS to have the HP/Torque to pull it.
*WARNING* The following post is quite lengthy but for good reason. But hopefully the time spent in putting it together will help educate and inform anyone reading.
When we were developing the Kasco 7/40 it went through several evolutions/versions. Hook Angle and Back angle were IDENTICAL, gullet shape/depth different. Each was tested over a broad demographic, but I'll share this one portion to shed a little light.
Testing done on a
WM LT70 w/ 62hp. Cutting fresh R Oak, Running Kasco 7/40 "test" profile blades that I personally made.
In narrower cuts, this profile cut great. Hardly any sawdust left in cut, excellent feedrate, etc.
Now, same blade, same log. But... it is now squared up and the cuts are getting wider. More sawdust being left in cut but still excellent feed-rate.
Cut width has increased into 16" range... Excessive sawdust, feedrate beginning to suffer and heat was becoming a factor. .... Why ?? I'll explain later
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Switch blades to a deeper gullet. Nothing changed other wise, same log, same tooth angles, same amount of set (+/- .001")
The difference was immediate and obvious. Most apparent was the reduction of sawdust left behind, 2nd was better feed-rate, less heat and even the engine sounded better. Why???
Nothing, NOTHING changed except for the gullet depth. But this was
identical to feedback several other mills were saying also.
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Now for the explanation.... We have a 55 gal drum full of wet sawdust that we need to empty (tipping drum over is not feasible).
To empty this drum we have (2) options -
1) 1 gal. pail
2) 2-1/2 gal. bucket
Both the bucket and pail have same manufacturer, metal, shape, same taper, heck lets even make 'em the same silver color (gotta keep the OCD at bay
)
To "power" these buckets we have (2) more options -
10 yr old boy
18 yr old young man
Stipulations are (1) scoop every 2 seconds, no slower. Faster yes
See where this is going ?? If not, please keep reading....
Lets start with the 18 yr old and the (1) gal. pail. No problem scooping (over flowing), lifting and dumping the sawdust. Sawdust spills off/out of the the pail because it is filled beyond capacity. 20 yr old can go faster, but in doing so more gets spilled. The 20 yr old has more power/stamina beyond the capability of the 1 gal pail. Regardless, the barrel gets emptied, the job gets done in a time of
15 minutesNow, give the 18 yr old the 2-1/2 gallon bucket. Now he can push down, fill nearly fill full and dump. Able to maintain the minimum (1) scoop every 2 seconds... sometimes a little faster. 20 yr old used less energy because able to get more per scoop. Might not have had a full bucket EVERY time, but mostly full. Little harder with the extra weight, but still kept the minimum rate. Barrel got emptied in
7-1/2 minutes.
NOW lets imagine the same scenario, BUT, the ONLY change is the 10 yr old will be doing the job....
10 yr old can efficiently handles a 1 gal pail. Can dig in and scoop, lift, dump the wet sawdust without spilling much, if any. Keeps the required (1) scoop/2 sec rate, sometimes a little faster if his Wheaties kick in. Gets barrel emptied in 21 minutes. "Good Job Little Fella".
10 yr old boy w/ 2-1/2 gal bucket. Hard time digging into the drum, lacking power to lift full bucket, can only lift 2/3 full (1.6 gal) of sawdust and dump. 10 yr old is struggling to keep the required rate, begins to slow down. Tired, sweating but gets it done in 18 minutes. Little guy needs a break and a popsicle. Good effort.
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Lets draw the parallels between 2 different sawmills... For arguments sake lets use approx current diesel hp ratings of -
18 yr old = 55hp diesel
10 yr old = 36hp diesel
55 gal drum = Log being sawn
Buckets -
1 gal. = Shallow gullet Kasco 7/40 (early version)
2-1/2 gal = Current Kasco 7/40 production
Whew, glad I was able to keep this short.
I think any further explanation/parallels can be left to the reader(s). Makes for some good thinkin' material. Similarities and results are VERY typical when it comes to sawmills. This isn't theory, but results. Some of which I've personally experienced/witnessed.