Guide to the Best Portable Sawmill

I’ve got a bomb to drop on you; LOGS ARE HEAVY.When folks peeped our logs and then our portable sawmill they said, “You and what army and gonna get those up on that mill?” Probably the first thing I’d ask someone looking to buy a mill wouldn’t be about the mill at all; It’d be about logs!Our average log while milling our timber frame was a 20″ green Douglas Fir, 28 feet in length and weighed in at approximately 2000 lbs (check out our first log delivery).

Have you ever tried to push a 20′ long car with cant hooks and knots on its wheels up a ramp? Good, now that we’re on the same page…

One major awakening that happened within a day of getting our mill was the sobering realization of moving logs to the mill. Formerly, we’d only moved logs 30 yards or less using mostly block and tackle or let gravity to do the work.

Then we brought our chainsaw mill to the log from which we could easily move the slabs we created. Mind you, all we created was 1.5″ rough-sawn slabs. I doubt we could have carried anything over 2″ thick; slabs that thick are just too heavy, even for two people.

When you’re looking at a mill you first need to think about how the heck you’ll get the mill to the log like a trailer mounted mill with good road access or you’ll use heavy equipment.

Can you move logs by hand?

Unless you’ll be making very small lumber (under 8 feet in length) and working with logs under 20″ in diameter, moving by hand is not only a chore but physically dangerous! You can do it, but do so with full disclosure!

Can you drag logs on the ground?

Dragging logs is a terrible idea. If the bark is left on initially the bark can provide protection but you’ll be forced to debark the log before milling or risk doing crazy damage to your blade(s).

Debarking is a good idea anyway as bark is full of blade-gobbling matter. If you can lift and carry the logs you can often get by without debarking which saves a lot of labor! Blades are cheap compared to a chiropractor.

Moving logs with equipment.

In the end, we opted to buy a backhoe. This wasn’t exclusively for moving logs but for a host of things including building our home, snow removal  and digging our water system to name a few. Moving logs was high on the list, however.

Even for this 15,000 lb machine, a 28 foot long 24″ green Douglas Fir log proved formidable. With practice we got it down to a few minutes to load a log without jarring the mill, risking injury or damaging our grapple.

What about log loading ramps and cant hooks?

When our mill first arrived we purchased log loading ramps which included cant hooks. It took us ONE log to realize for our use, primarily beams for our timber frame home, this wasn’t just hard work, it was potentially lethal.

In one afternoon we had attempted to safely move a 20 foot 18″ green Larch (Tamarack) butt from our flatbed to the mill using ramps and scared ourselves silly. One wrong move is all it takes.

Consider bringing the portable sawmill or chainsaw mill to the log.

If you can’t move logs then you’ll want to focus on a mill that you can bring to the logs themselves.

For going-to-the-log applications we’d focus on circular saws or chainsaw mills. Their portability and ability to be set up in difficult locations make them a clear favorite.

Have equipment or small logs (under 16″)? Then a bandsaw mill might be just right!

There’s more to consider of course, but to get the most from a bandsaw mill being able to safely move logs is vital. Keep in mind that having a mill in a fixed setup and moving the log is far more efficient overall. Moving the mill to the log has many inherent inefficiencies.

The second question I’d ask someone looking to buy a mill would be about the primary use of the mill.I say primary because most all mills are pretty versatile and can make a lot of cuts with some creativity. It’s about what you plan to do day-to-day that really should be the focus. This will make it far less confusing when shopping for a mill as the different mills have clear strengths.

Bandsaw mills are great for large beams.

For us lumber is important, but not as important as the beams we’d be using to make our 36’x36′ Douglas Fir timber frame house.

What made this frame challenging to mill was the length of the longest timber at 27 feet (final dimension in the frame is 25 feet 6 inches, but we always over saw!). This one fact put the circle saw family out of contention. For many of them the longest cutting length is 24 feet.

Then let’s look at the largest beam we’d need to cut at 8 inches by 15 inches. Even for the largest, non-production circular sawmill available, 15 inches is a substantial cut and would require creativity to produce. With a 10″ kerf you’d need to make two passes and hope they’re spot on! We needed 8 of these pieces… So while it’s within the abilities of the circular mill, pieces this size are by no means a strength. Most entry level bandsaw mills have no problem with this beams of this dimension.

For us the bandsaw mill with it’s “limitless” track extensions, ability to make large and long consistent cuts for the beams made it the clear winner. The cost of the timbers made it very worthwhile for us to mill all our own beams.

Circular saws may be better for lumber.

For lumber production a bandsaw mill often requires more steps to produce lumber than a circular saw. Additionally the circular sawmill can cut in both forward and back passes (bandsaw mills cut only on the forward pass) cutting operator fatigue in half.

There’s another perk to circular saws when it comes to smaller lumber under 10″. Because of how the mills are designed, you can “flip” the blade from a vertical position to horizontal. This feature makes it possible to literally “carve” a laundry list of pieces out of a log. On one pass you might want to harvest 8″ tall pieces. You only need two pieces of lumber say 2 inches by 8 inches, you could use maybe a couple 8 inch by 8 inch beams and maybe a couple 4 inch by 8 inch pieces you could later trim to 4 inch by 4 inch pieces. That’s all doable quickly with the circular sawmill. The same cuts would take quite a bit more processing with a bandsaw mill.

For mass produced common dimensional lumber it would be a close tie. The bandsaw mill would require more effort for the same product as the log must be rotated to make additional cuts. Remember that the circular saw blade could “swing”? That ONE feature removes the need to re-position the log.

We’ll hit it again in case you jumped straight here!For us, the primary use of our mill was to cut the timber frame for our home. Our longest timber was 27 feet. Just this one fact put our needs outside those of even the largest non-production circular sawmills. We were forced to focus our research on bandsaw mills.With their “limitless” track designs you can cut to nearly any conceivable length. Of course at some point the curve of the earth begins to become a factor…. you get the idea.

If you intend or at least need to have the option for long lengths, let’s say over 20 feet, you might want to consider a bandsaw mill. Circular sawmills are however available and capable of cuts upwards of 25′, but you begin diminishing the strengths of that type of mill such as portability.

As we looked at the timbers needed for our mill we wanted to consider our largest timber. This turned out to be our carrying beams measuring 8 inches by 15 inches.While this is feasible with the larger, non-production circular sawmills, it would require creativity. This just put one more vote for us in the bandsaw mill direction.For most circular sawmills, the largest single pass cut depth, vertical or horizontal, is 10 inches. If you’re looking to make mostly dimensional lumber or posts under 10 inches you’d be set. Can you cut larger? Yes, but more effort and skill are needed and the process becomes a bit cumbersome.

Most bandsaw mills can easily handle cuts in the 28-inch range and the top-of-the-line mills can make 36-inch cuts.

Something worth noting is the design of the mill head, however. So while a 36-inch cut is possible you will be limited on the depth of that cut. Most mills have drive belts which have a cover that intersects the “throat” of the cut. When cutting at maximum width you’ll be limited on depth. Sorry guys, you can’t cut a 10 inch by 36 inch slab… DARN!

Here we’re not so much discussing slabbing. We’ll touch on that now!

Slabbing really is it’s own animal! When we talk about choosing a sawmill most of us want some versatility. Some lumber, some posts.Slabs, however, require a lot more thought and the right equipment to do well, creating quality pieces that have high value and maybe most importantly, reduce effort. When most people are talking slabs, we’re looking at single pass cuts 36 inches and larger. Most bandsaw mills aren’t set up for cuts this size. Most max out around 36 inches and at that width their depth can be limited. This is in part due to their inherent design and also somewhat attributable to physical limitations of the blade length.There are people who have built massive slabbing bandsaw mills however, so it can be done! For mills on the market, however, the selection gets quite narrow. If your slabs are 36″ or less, bandsaw mill is a great option!

For a dedicated slab machine, or to keep your slabbing options open, a circular sawmill with a slabbing conversion can be a great option! This opens the door to cut slabs up to 9 feet. Wait, there are still logs out there that big? SERIOUSLY! Gonna need a crane for that sucker!

When maintaining profitability matters, choosing the right mill takes on a whole new level of seriousness. While side jobs and “favors” can be done with most any mill, profitability is often ignored.Hands down, profitability often comes down to a couple of things: reducing labor and increasing production. It really depends on your “niche” though.Portability over complexity could be more profitable if you’re frequently milling on location. Either way, bandsaw mills here really start to shine.

With features like hydraulic loading, hydraulic turning, debarkers, automated head drivers, programmable repeatable cuts and board returns much of the “heavy” lifting is done by the mill. Quickly, any of the weaknesses of the bandsaw mill are equalized and production soars while operator fatigue drops.

With the ability to have the mill basically “set up” on a trailer the time it takes from arrival to milling is just a few minutes reducing “windshield time” and increasing billable time!

Expect to see handsome cost increases for features like those on a production mill, but this cost is quickly realized in profitability.

For hobby mills, maximum features at a budget friendly price point is often desirable. For this you’ll once again find bandsaw mills shining bright. Models are available that can be expanded as needed keeping the initial investment low. These entry-level models often have less automation and require more effort to operate. A tradeoff to reduce both purchase cost and also overall maintenance costs.

When discussing one feature of sawmills it’s hard not to touch on others because they’re all so intertwined. We’ve touched on portability a couple times now when thinking about our ability to move, or not move, logs. This also came up when we talked about running a business versus a hobby mill.Portability can range from “toss it in the back of your pickup” to trailer-mounted with hydraulic stabilizers! A host of factors need to to be considered.For us we wanted… well, all of it! We wanted to ability to anchor the mill for a prolong period of single-location milling as we cut our 118 piece timber frame from 55 logs. After all that was done, the mill turned into a road block, restricting access and use of our property (only because we have yet to mount it to its trailer).

We also wanted the ability to travel to mill for ourselves and help others. Sometimes moving logs is much harder or less convenient than moving the mill. For this reason we opted for a mill that can be mounted on a trailer as well as stand alone.

For “arrive and saw” operations the trailer mounted, tow behind, bandsaw mill is hard to beat. Towable behind most full sized pickups (ya know to carry all the other stuff you’ll need to run a mobile mill!) and setup requiring under 15 minutes you can be milling more and assembling less.

If chasing logs that can’t be moved is your thing a circular sawmill is the way to go, but it’s quite a specialty and keep in mind that you’ll need special accessories to open the door to slabbing. Why else would you go all that way to a log you can’t move?

Several mills offer a lower cost entry level stationary option with the ability to add a trailer package later. As we always say, “Never say never!”

One of the trophy that belongs bandsaw mills is their narrow kerf at under 1/8″. Why is this so important? Two reasons!1. Waste
We never saw it (no pun intended) coming, but we created a MOUNTAIN of sawdust with our chainsaw mill making lumber from just ONE pine tree. We harvested enough lumber for our hot tub deck decking. For every 4 boards we cut we turned one potential board into sawdust or about 20% waste. The kerf on our chainsaw, even with a narrow kerf ripping chain, is right at 3/8 inch.

Hands down bandsaw mills provide incredible value for the dollar!Used units can be found for several hundred dollars. Those on a budget can own a fantastic little mill.High production, automated, feature rich models will require a much larger investment topping $70,000! If that mill generates an income this investment will provide a healthy return for years or generations to come!

Circular saws are harder to acquire, often require more shipping and have an overall higher acquisition cost starting in the $8,000 range. To be fair, an entry level circular sawmill is a formidable machine. To gain access to the larger 10 inch circular saw mills expect a much larger price tag.

When contemplating budget consider a few things beyond the features. What about upkeep, maintenance, repairs, warranty and resale? All of those contribute to what the vehicle industry calls “true or total cost of ownership”. It’s a way of looking at not just the price you’ll pay at the showroom, for example, but to actually operate, maintain and ultimately the price you’ll be able to fetch if you decide to sell. Let’s just call these “intangibles”.

It’s not a secret that the companies who’ve been around for decades and their core business is sawmills are going to provide a better “after sale” experience. Some of these companies even provide amazing support to second hand owners of their mills. It’s really a tribute to their longevity when an early generation of their mill is still in operation. What better way to build a legacy than to support these owners!

Often lower priced “hobby” mills come with little or no support, can be more difficult (or VERY DIFFICULT) to service, repair and maintain and resale value is weak for all the same reasons. If your skill set leans toward DIY and you’re up for the challenge this might be less intimidating than someone who needs or wants a more “plug and play” mill.

Sawmills break. Fact. After-sale serviceability is perhaps more important than anything!Hit something metallic in a log, break a belt or drop a log in the wrong spot, all real and common things that happen.The ability to get your mill repaired and back in service without major headaches should be considered in the buying process. The best companies don’t just make sawmills, they’ve got as many or more people dedicated to servicing, repairing and improving their products. Some even keep all service records for customers so when they sell the mill the new owner has an entire service history. Kinda like that guy who kept all his oil change receipts on that Honda Civic for 300,000 miles? Yea, that.

If you plan to use the mill professionally or operate VERY remote, having easy maintenance and serviceable parts on hand is imperative to success. Downtime is money for any sawyer, but when parts are out of reach and the job must get done you won’t regret having a machine built with service in mind.

Then again if milling is your hobby, maybe grinding, welding and fabricating is too? So if you love to tinker, all you need to know is will your grounding clamp fit on the steel! It is made of steel, right?

Steel SHOULD not, in nearly every case, dull from exposure to wood. However other things like heat (friction) and debris like rocks and dirt from moving logs, whether barked or not, will most certainly dull any blade over time.Many sawyers lament that they went all day on a blade and then all of a sudden hit something and BAM; the blade was dulled in an instant. An all too common experience with sawing logs.Sharpening is probably the most frequent and most challenging maintenance required to keep your mill running cool, cutting accurately and productivity high.

Bandsaw blades requires an additional process called “setting” the teeth. This establishes a slight opposing bend to alternating teeth establishing the “kerf” to be slightly thicker than the blade to prevent binding during cutting. This needs to be done each time the blade is sharpened and must be very consistent. Inconsistent “set” will create inconsistent and undesirable cuts.

Thankfully the cost of sharpening for bandsaw blades is quite affordable to have done professionally by a service like Woodmizer ReSharp. At around $7 per blade you simply ship the blades in a box, they sharpen, set and ship them back to you in about a week. Blades that have excessive damage or are at end-of-life are simply recycled.

We purchased two boxes (15 each box) of blades. Once we consumed the first box (cut over 20 logs) we sent it in for sharpening and used the second box in the mean time. If you’re sawing constantly like we were we’d go through a box in about a week, roughly the time it takes to send in a box for sharpening.

Circular saw blades can be sharpened on the mill by the owner with jigs provided by the saw manufacturer. Keep in mind that circular blades have a much higher overall cost than bandsaw blades. Hitting something like a rock, spike, fencing or conduit (yes, people hang conduit on trees!) can render a blade junk, beyond sharpening. If you plan to be sawing logs or materials that have a high probability of containing debris then a bandsaw might be the only way to go due to reduce blade cost.

The second you’ve committed to which platform you’ll choose, bandsaw or circular saw, you’ll suddenly realize there are now many more options that must be chosen. One of the biggest decisions, and hardest to later change, will be engine type and power output.Currently the most common power plants available are single and two-cylinder four stroke gasoline engines ranging from 10hp up to 25hp. Some companies do offer a single cylinder two stroke diesel option on some mill models.Electric models are also available if you’ll be installing your mill near a power supply.When looking at power plant options consider blade width, production speed, hardwoods, longevity and NOISE!

You’ll want to take your time considering where you plan to saw (altitude reduces power) as well as noise (urban nor suburban milling might restrict decibels allowed) before making your selection.

We chose the 25HP Kohler on our mill for it’s excellent cost/value/power/efficiency balance. We can saw large logs, at higher altitudes (above 5000′ above seal level) and maintenance costs are very low. Noise is acceptable and we aren’t anticipating excessively high hours of operation over it’s lifetime.

Portable Bandsaw Sawmills

Strengths

• Ease of loading
• Ease of transport
• Availability very good new and used units
• Longest milling length
• Deepest / Widest single pass cut upwards of 36″ wide and 16″ deep
• Available diesel engine
• Blades are affordable, quick easy to replace
• Very narrow kerf 1/8″ or less
• Hydraulic systems available to increase production, reduce labor
• Hook up and tow portability
• Available automated milling features

Weaknesses

• Production speed making lumber
• Production speed creating wide mix of output from single log (2×4, 4×4, 4×6 etc)
• Moving large or old growth logs onto mill can be impossible
• Blade sharpening not easy for mill owner
• Sensitive to foundation, easy to mis-calibrate
• More labor to operate (rotate log, cuts only on forward pass)

Portable Circular Sawmills

Strengths

• Ease of sharpening, can be done by mill owner
• High production, cuts in both directions
• Creates “circle sawn” look, which is value added
• Set mill up around massive logs, mill in place, no need to move log
• Production speed creating wide mix of output from single log (2×4, 4×4, 4×6 etc)
• Less labor, no rotating log to make cuts
• Available slabbing attachment for up to 60″ wide slabs

Weaknesses

• Availability
• Length of cut limited to 18′. Longer length compromises portability./li>
• Depth of cut limited by diameter of circular saw, often 10″ or less in single cut
• Portability and Setup
• Thicker kerf = more waste, more effort
• Blades are costly if damaged by metal or stones in logs