Sawmills: The Useful Portable Sawmill

Turning trees into Lumber is easier than ever with the evolution and advent of the Portable Sawmill. Instead of bringing the tree to the saw mill, why not bring the saw mill to the trees? Since the early twentieth century it has come in especially handy for custom jobs that the local lumber yards cannot accommodate such as Log construction jobs. Log Cabins, Canoes and other projects are made possible by the sawmill, and made simplified by portable sawmills. This is why renting a portable sawmill is in both the craftsmen and carpenters best interest.

Sawmill Companies

The first companies to start building these products were Sears, Montgomery Ward and JC Penny. Though they began in the early nineteenth century, these machines have been tweaked and altered to now be offered by many more companies, and are now available to be rented, and/or bought. Companies such as Mighty Mite, Ripsaw, Peterson sawmills, Hud-Son Sawmills, Woodmizer, and many others now offer full lines of manual and hydraulic Portable Sawmills with attachments and options to make many jobs easier.

Different Sawmill Types

If you are new to the business of logging, or handling timber, then you are probably in need of a quick rundown of the different sawmill types available for rental or for purchase. Let's look at the most common ones offered.

  • Hydraulic sawmill

    Hydraulic sawmills are generally more expensive, and are used to handle much larger logs (around 10 000 pounds) and a much higher number of logs. Because of the size of them, and precision required, some hydraulic mills have a computer setup that allows the control of the various settings to operate the mill. There are portable versions, as well as commercial, fixed versions. Hydraulic mills will include the use of hydraulic loaders as well as hydraulic blade movement.

  • Chainsaw sawmill

    Typically procured for a few hundred dollars, this kind of sawmill is essentially a chainsaw fitted onto a bracket or frame, which allows you to manually cut logs into boards. There are a variety of homemade types, made from normal chainsaws, fitted to ladders or custom made frames. Some of these can be used directly on a tree, saving you the need of felling the tree first. These offer a major cost advantage over the other types of sawmills.

  • Band sawmill

    Band mills are driven by gasoline engines, and compared to a manual operation offer a higher yield of logs. These require a large amount of effort and work, since you are required to pull each slab of board from the top of the log. They would have an electric start, and offer more than a single blade. Band mills are preferred where the timber being cut is not 100% clean, for example, if the logs contain metal.

  • Swing sawmill

    These have circular blades, and typically produce a lot of sawdust. They also have a limited depth to which they can cut, usually around 8 inches or so. The lumber they produce is already edges, so they do not require edgers or resaw equipment. The teeth on a circular blade tend to stay sharper for longer, and can be sharpened without removing the blade from the mill These, however, are being replaced by advanced technologies in band mill construction.

  • Dimension sawmill

    A dimension sawmill will have multiple blades, which would offer the ability to cut a 2x4 in one go. They also have automatic feed, making them quite efficient. Although they are portable, they are large, and the most difficult to transport. They offer a greater range, however, being able to cut logs of any diameter and up to 60 feet in length.

Overall, you need to do your research and know exactly what you are going to be using the mill for. Once you have that done, you can make your decision in choosing the correct sawmill type.

So How Does One Choose A Portable Sawmill?

There are several factors to consider when considering buying or renting a portable sawmill.

  • Do you want a manual sawmill in which manual labor and settings are still required? Or do you want a hydraulic where the wood is hydraulically pulled, turned, and clamped?

  • What size tree limbs or trees will you be cutting or planing. Look at the dimensions, the weight, and how large a saw blade you will need. This will be important because the wrong machine will not suit your needs.

  • Do you insist on new, or will used do? You'll find that used portable sawmills can offer you a tremendous savings, if you're willing to buy something that's pre-owned (although a portable sawmill rental will also save you money). You can also read some portable sawmill reviews.

The Benefits Of A Portable Sawmill

So, without further ado, let's look at the key advantages of a portable sawmill:

  • Easy Transport

    This one should be fairly obvious: the convenience of transporting the mill to the tree, as opposed to finding a way to transport the trees to a mill (and the wood back), makes the portable sawmill ideal.

  • Cost Benefits of Portable Sawmill Rental

    Again, this should go without saying: if you want to build a shed and have some trees to cut down for the timber, it would be cheaper to rent a portable sawmill than it would be to buy one, and if you include costs of transporting the wood to and from a traditional mill, then it tends to work out cheaper than using a traditional mill as well.

  • High Yields

    In certain cases, the thin kerf blade of a portable sawmill will return a much higher yield for certain logs than a typical traditional mill would.

It generally comes down to your intended use for the timber, and what your budget is set at. If you are interested in the business of logging, you will require a bit more in depth research into your target areas, and what kind of yield you are expecting from your logs. This would determine what kind of mill you require. The location of your trees would determine whether or not you opt for a portable sawmill, or a traditional one.

If you are interested in a mill to simply cut logs for a furnace, then a portable sawmill is a no brainer, but you would be wise to stick with a cheaper option. The mid-range would be for someone who intends on building a shed, or has some home improvement projects requiring timber, generally available on their property. You'll then need to look at a more expensive option, perhaps with hydraulics included.

Trailer And Setup

Next you will need to see if a sawmill is located in your area. It will need to be trailered and setup, which will take some time, so a small amount of research will go a long way in accomplishing you job. A good rental company will help you with providing a trailer and answering any questions you may have.

Once The Wood Is Cut

Lastly, while this will make your job go smoother one has to remember that nothing worthwhile comes quickly. The wood once cut will still have go through the drying process and the planing process to produce standard Lumber out of cut trees.

The Pleasure Of A Portable Sawmill

Yet, although there is minor work to be done on the carpenters part, the ease of the rest of the job is well worth the time and effort. If you are a carpenter building a log cabin, this machine is a necessity, if you are looking to make standard lumber out of a yard being cleared of trees, this machine is a necessity, if you are building a log canoe, this machine is a pleasure.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

We have heard the saying, measure twice cut once, and the same applies for the portable sawmill. In essence a slight amount of research, and some effort before the job is even begun, will make the job run smoother. When a big timber is turned into beautiful pieces of wood, the little effort exerted will seem worth it. If this sounds like something you are interested in, go to your nearest rental center and enjoy the beginnings of a job well done!