It is now just on seven years since Lucas Mill introduced their 16 H/P six inch cut mill to the portable mill market. It met with immediate success and has gone from strength to strength, two years later the model eight was introduced and this also met immediate acceptance. The two models now account for over 3500 mills in more than 60 countries and around 80% of swing blade sales worldwide.
The original Lucas model 6 was not intended as a commercial sawmill however it was obvious from its first test cut that it produced timber at a rate that made it a commercial proposition. Many operators who first bought the model 6 went on to buy a larger model 8 when their business grew to the point where they could make saw milling their full time occupation.
Model 6 now comes with a lot more features than the original with such things as electric start, purpose built toolbox and tools, Aluminium tracks and trolley frame as well as safety winches and quick dismantle end frames.
Effectively the price has come down when you take inflation into account. We have been able to keep our prices low, using our bulk buying power as well as improved manufacturing methods such as injection moulding, rotor moulding and dedicated Aluminium extrusions. Lucas Mill realises there is a large number of people who would like to own a portable sawmill but find it hard to justify spending a lot of money on a machine they only intend to operate part time. This has led us to develop the New Model 613.
The new six-inch mill is powered by a manual start 13 H/P Honda. The machine comes with two blades a twelve-volt diamond sharpener and track to cut 4.5 metres. The machine can be optioned to cut 6 or even 8 metres and can be retro fitted with an 18 H/P electric start Vanguard Briggs & Stratton engine if at a later stage the operator wants to increase performance. Most of the parts are shared with the 18 H/P mill and if any thing is under stressed, the warranty will be two years as with all Lucas Mills.
The machine will accept the Lucas Slabbing attachment or the Weatherboard Attachment, making it perfect for furniture manufacturer, farmers, owner builders & fencing contractors. As with all Lucas Mills it is capable of doing a double cut, thus joining two six inch cuts to produce a twelve inch or 300mm board. On top of this the mill can cut trees over 4 feet 1.2m in diameter on uneven ground. This versatility has made Lucas Mill, Australia’s number one selling portable mill for over seven years.