How to Start a Portable Sawmill Side Business

Many sawyers and landowners have made a ton of cash milling wood, because turning logs into lumber can be a serious money maker

There's a lot of money on the table, bench and countertops if you're planning on starting a sawmill business at home or by taking your portable sawmill on the road. 

Plenty of sawyers have made part-time and full-time jobs out of their custom sawing businesses, either selling lumber, slabs or doing their own projects.

Matt is one sawyer who quit his day job at a tree service to run his own portable sawmill business.

"I made double my daily pay on two pieces of wood than I did out there trekking through the briars up in a bucket truck, risking my life for $12 an hour," says the owner of a Woodland Mills HM122 Portable Sawmill.

So how did he and hundreds of other hobbyist sawyers change their lives by doing custom mobile sawing?

Tips to Starting a Portable Sawmill Business

When it comes to milling lumber there are plenty of testimonials from entrepreneurs who have proven that their time can be turned to money using a portable sawmill. Here are a few examples of sawyers turning customers' logs or their own wood into profit.

Tip #1: Have the right equipment for the job

Jon is a man who knows his way around a chainsaw, and in fact, he runs his own chainsaw business.

But he also knows chainsaws aren't the best machines for running a lumber business. Because of that, he decided to invest in an HM122 and never looked back.

"I found myself destroying chainsaws," says Jon, adding "bandsaw milling is really where you're going to end up going."

Looking at his business expenses, Jon says he needed a band mill that was affordable and would help him expand his business. When he looked online he found Woodland Mills and says he couldn't find a single negative thing said about their machines.

"The customer service is next to none," he proclaims.

Now he runs his own custom sawing business, producing lumber for clients and for his own projects.

Tip #2: Grow your business model

Clay runs Oakmond Design, a custom furniture business where he uses lumber and slabs from his HM136MAX Portable Sawmill to produce gorgeous projects for clients.

When he got his first sawmill, an HM130MAX, he says he didn't plan on doing custom milling jobs on the side. But he started getting inquiries from people driving by and seeing his sawmill, wanting him to mill lumber for them and to do kiln drying jobs.

"I didn't really have to do anything to turn it into a business on that end, it just turned itself into a business," says Clay.

While Clay says it wasn't his plan to branch out that way, it's a natural extension of his business model. He encourages other interested sawyers to think about their business plans and only invest in starting a sawmill business if it's something that really interests them.

"Do it because you love it," is Clay's biggest piece of advice for new sawyers looking to make money from their portable sawmills. "I wouldn't do it just because I'm here and I'm hungry to make money."

Tip #3: Stay at home or take it on the road?

A big advantage to owning a portable sawmill is its portability. Owning a portable mill you can take to clients' properties can be a huge boon, especially for large jobs or customers who want to turn sentimental trees into something new.

Rick runs Rustic Harbors, a portable sawmill business where he takes his HM130MAX to customers' properties to mill up their trees.

It's great for landowners who just want someone to come in, take down a tree and leave a usable stack of lumber for their own projects. Not only does Rick make a ton of money, but sometimes he even splits the lumber with customers so he can take some home for his own projects. Then he turns those into beautiful live-edge charcuterie boards and tables and sells them for profit.

It's all part-time for Rick, but he says that could easily change if he wanted it.

"If I wanted to go full time I could do it in a heartbeat," says Rick. "Just with a couple of Facebook Marketplace ads, I could literally be milling five, six, seven days a week."

Milling on your own property has many advantages, such as having all your equipment and log pile on hand. But taking it on the road could lead to big profits depending on whether you're milling your own logs or customers' logs.

What's the best sawmill for running a portable milling business?

When it comes to running a portable milling business selling lumber, you have a few great options. We recommend picking a model that lets you mill dimensional lumber, posts and slabs easily, and gives you the freedom to mill larger logs or ones with Y-shapes. That way you can easily mill whatever log falls into your lot. With that in mind our suggestions include:

3. The Woodland Mills HM126 Portable Sawmill

A great mid-sized portable sawmill capable of milling logs 26" in diameter or less. It has excellent customization options, including the Power Head to cut down on time spent raising and lowering the saw head, as well as an excellent middle ground of size, capacity and price.

Specifications:

• • 26" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 24" Max Cut Width

  • 9.5 or 14 HP engine options

  • Patented Gas & Go Auto Lube

  • Power Head compatible

2. The Woodland Mills HM130MAX Portable Sawmill

Sizing up from the HM126 to cut logs 30" in diameter or less, the HM130MAX is a power house of a lumber making machine. Capable of turning your log pile into hundreds or thousands of board feet of slabs, posts and timbers for timberframing, the HM130MAX has been trusted by many sawyers who use it for their commercial milling operations.

Specifications:

• • 30" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 30" Max Cut Width

  • 14 HP engine

  • Patented Gas & Go Auto Lube

  • Power Head compatible

1. The Woodland Mills HM136MAX Portable Sawmill

The HM136MAX is one of the best options for bandsaw mills if you want to start your own portable milling business. Capable of cutting logs up to 36" in diameter, this gives you a lot of options for cutting whatever logs land in your lot, or whatever trees you find when you roll up to a customer's lawn. Complete with great customization options, including the Power Head and track extension for milling longer logs, the HM136MAX is relied upon by many sawyers who use it for their milling businesses.

Specifications:

• • 36" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 36" Max Cut Width

  • 21 HP Honda engine

  • Patented Gas & Go Auto Lube

  • Power Head compatible

Other advice for starting a portable sawmill business

What else do you need to know about making money with a portable sawmill?

• • Set up a solar kiln or some way of drying your lumber to make it usable faster. Dry lumber sells for more than green wood

  • A manual mill like an Alaskan mill is a great way to start, but find a portable sawmill that speeds up your processes and is easier on your body, such as the HM126 or HM130MAX

  • A small sawmill can produce a lot of lumber despite its capacity. Find the best model that mills the logs you have or intend on milling that balances the best price with size

  • Equipment maintenance is important. Take good care of your equipment and pick a sawmill that's supported by the best customer service