Kevin Brain used to work for the NZ Army, as a project engineer involved in identifying a portable sawmill for the Army to take overseas and use in remote locations.
The Peterson was the pick of the lot.
Then, two years after leaving the Army, Kevin faced the challenge of buying a sawmill for his own personal use.
Kevin says “I wanted to be able to churn out a good volume of timber on a mill that was easy to use and bank-manager-friendly – I wanted a mill not a millstone.
“I also wanted to be able to pack the mill up each night and take it home with me. This meant I had to consider setup time and the fact that I needed to fit the entire mill onto my ute and trailer.”
He goes on to explain, “The chance to work closely with the Peterson mills bought by the Army satisfied me that I would be happy to own one myself.”
So, Kevin, how has it all turned out for you?
“Well, it’s really the simple things that make operating easier that I notice,” says Kevin. He refers to things like the Peterson radial gauge measuring system which “seems simpler and more accurate than others out there.”
“I really like how my production is sped up by not having to raise and lower all the rails.”
Kevin was also impressed with the 10″ mills’ ability to double cut 10″ x 20″ beams, which was important to him.
Kevin hopes that his site on the 400 acres he owns in the Waiohine Gorge will one day become the site of a new home built purely from his own trees.
