The popularity of Peterson Portable Sawmills’ new ASM machine is set to grow if the accolades of a NSW, Aust. firewood contractor are any measure to go by.
Kel Cuthell operates a firewood business with his son Bill in Luddenham, just west of Sydney, in Australia.
Some of the timber they bring in is too good for firewood so Kel decided to buy a portable mill that would handle both pine and some hardwood logs. Kel has owned portable mills in the past, so he had some idea of what he was looking for.
He saw the Peterson Winch Production Frame model at the Sydney Woodworking Show and was impressed with what he saw. Kel was almost ready to buy a new WPF when he read about the new ASM machine. Kel and Bill travelled west to New Zealand to visit the Peterson factory, and they ordered one right there and then.
“It’s one of the best portable sawmills that I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s one of the best portable sawmills that I’ve ever seen,” said Kel. “I like the way it’s been designed and the workmanship is spot-on.”
Kel also found the Peterson family and its staff to be very helpful and hospitable. “I don’t think you could get better service for anything else you could ever buy,” he said.
Kel will set up the mill permanently in a shed to produce pallet timber, and has plans to buy a slabbing attachment in the future. The ASM is able to cut 1.5-2.0 cubic metres per hour and can produce boards up to 10” x 20” automatically. This production quantity milling is achieved effortlessly as the sizing, blade rotation, board retreival and more are all done with the press of a button, making the Peterson’s ASM the most efficient portable sawmill in the world.
