Portable Sawmill Considerations Before You Buy

Buying the right portable sawmill will give you access to fresh lumber whenever you want, saving you money

Portable sawmills are increasingly a popular way for landowners to make their own lumber, create live edge slabs for their own woodworking projects and save money.

Woodland Mills offers a number of models of portable sawmills, but which one is right for you?

In this article we'll go over the basics of portable sawmilling to prepare you for your purchase. 

Should I buy a portable sawmill?

Many woodworkers and sawyers have invested in portable sawmills and they say it's helped save them money, given them access to great lumber from their own land and allowed them to make their dream projects come true.

While buying a portable sawmill does require an upfront investment, many sawyers say that they easily recoup their costs and some for-profit sawyers even make money from their sawmills.

How much does it cost to buy a portable sawmill?

There is a wide variety of options for price points for portable sawmills. There are entry level models that cost just a few thousand dollars while larger models with bigger engines can cost upwards of $9,000.

A smaller model like the HM122 could cost as little as $2,600 while a large model like the HM136MAX could cost upwards of $12,000 when kitted out with accessories like the trailer.

What's the difference between a bandsaw mill and a chainsaw mill?

Bandsaw mills, like Woodland Mills' portable sawmills, have a flexible bandsaw blade that rides two bandwheels to cut into the wood. That blade moves down a track to cut the timber into boards.

Chainsaw mills, also known as Alaskan mills, are chainsaws equipped to a rig to help cut logs into straight boards. These often require a much lower upfront investment but many woodworkers complain about the backbreaking labor associated with them.

Portable sawmills mill lumber faster and cut larger logs more easily than chainsaw mills.

What should I consider when buying a portable sawmill?

When you're looking at buying a portable sawmill to turn your trees into usable lumber, here are the top things you'll want to think about before you purchase.

Performance and Capacity

Performance is a key element to think about when buying a sawmill, since a larger engine means you can turn your raw logs into usable lumber faster.

Capacity is also important since a larger mill means you're able to cut larger logs. Think about the logs you plan on milling and get a mill that's at least a size up from the largest log you have. So for example if you plan on milling 28" wide diameter logs, you may want to consider the Woodland Mills HM136MAX Portable Sawmill to better handle logs of all sizes.

Build Quality and Maintenance

Woodland Mills portable mills are designed to be durable and easy to maintain. You should prioritize mills that only require a few maintenance points, such as refuelling and refilling the engine with oil, replacing or sharpening blades when they get dull and replacing the belts when they wear.

Cost and Value

If you're on a budget then there are many small sawmills capable of turning your trees into lumber, such as the HM126, which has more than 1,600 5-star reviews.

If you have a larger budget you can get a larger sawmill capable of milling larger diameter logs like the HM136MAX, or also consider getting your sawmill mounted on a trailer for improved mobility. If you want to do a smaller initial investment you can always get the sawmill and upgrade with accessories like track extensions later.

Portability

All Woodland Mills HM model sawmills are capable of mounting on a trailer, which can be hitched to your vehicle and taken anywhere you need to go.

Having a portable mill means cutting lumber on any job site, for neighbors or friends or for customers at their own properties.

Support and Community

With tens of thousands of sawyers in the Woodland Mills Product Owners and Community Facebook group, there are plenty of people with experience capable of answering questions, providing advice or to share ideas with.

Have a question about a Woodland Mills sawmill? Give us a call or shoot us a message, many Woodland Mills customers are very happy with the customer service and how quickly their questions are answered and their issues are resolved.

Are portable sawmills profitable?

Sawmills have the potential to make a ton of money if you want to create a sawmill business. Some sawyers like Clay from Oakmond Design use their mills to make lumber for their woodworking projects that they sell, while others like Rick from Rustic Harbors offer portable milling services for their customers.

Because some species of woods, especially when cut into live-edge slabs, can sell for thousands of dollars it's easy to make money with high quality lumber if you're willing to put in the time. A portable sawmill can be a worthwhile investment.

What's it like using a portable sawmill?

Portable sawmills are very easy to use, whether you're loading small logs or massive timbers.

Simply load a log onto the track using a tractor, crane arm, winch kit and a cant hook and then start up the machine. Then you can mill the log into a cant for dimensional lumber or cut it into slabs for charcuterie boards, epoxy river tables or other woodworking projects.

Are portable sawmills worth the investment?

Tens of thousands of sawyers out there are pleased with their portable sawmills, since it means they're able to turn their forested land into cheap lumber to avoid fluctuating lumber prices.

It also allows those in remote locations to create lumber, thus bypassing expensive trips to the lumber yard or hardware store for those living off-grid or in the rural countryside. In some cases the only way to get lumber is to mill it yourself.

Portable Sawmill Reviews

With more than 15 years engineering portable sawmills we've heard from thousands of customers about how their sawmills empower them to make their dream projects finally come true. See what verified customers have to say about their sawmills and how it's allowed them to transform their timber into their next big project.

Joe M. - HM136MAX Owner

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"I am totally impressed with the power this machine has. When you squeeze the throttle sawdust is gonna fly. Built with the quality you’d expect from Woodland, no disappointments."

Aaron H. - HM130MAX Owner

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Wow! Owned couple other company mills and Woodland is by far the best! Installation was easy! Instructions were perfect and easy to understand! Quality is top notch! Thanks again!! Put on a homemade trailer and works phenomenal!"

Stephan J. - HM130MAX Owner

★ ★ ★ ★

"From the purchase to the assembly of my HM130 Max I have to say was most enjoyable. The Customer Service when needed have been very respectful and resourceful also."

Richard D. - HM126 Owner

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Upgraded from a Woodland mill HM122 to the HM126. Loved both mills, only upgraded due to larger log capacity. Both mills performed flawlessly. Highly recommend Woodland mill products."

Brock S. - HM136MAX Owner

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"This is my second mill from Woodland. Customer service is top notch. Every problem I have had has been swiftly corrected by the Customer Service Team. Mill operates exactly as advertised. My only complaint is that I never have enough time to operate this machine as much as I would like."

Summary: Things to think about when buying a Portable Sawmill

When you're looking to purchase a sawmill here are the things you should think of:

• • Capacity: Do you want a smaller mill or one with a large capacity like the HM136MAX?

  • Engine Power: Do you need a larger engine to cut through logs faster?

  • Maintenance: Pick a sawmill that requires little maintenance, just as Woodland Mills sawmills are designed to do

  • Community: With tens of thousands of members, the Woodland Mills Product Owners and Community can provide great support to sawmill owners regardless of whether their mill is made by Woodland Mills or any of the other sawmill manufacturers