Used Portable Band Sawmills
Used portable band sawmills have two obvious benefits: they're more affordable than building a new one, and being portable, they are smaller scale lumber cutters which can be moved to the tree-cutting site.
Portable Sawmill Blades
The blade used in the portables are like those on a band saw rather than the large circular blade on traditional mills, drastically reducing machine bulk. The smaller kerf (width of groove made by blade) dramatically increases the yield of lumber per log. Less space is needed for cutting, as the blades move back and forth while the log remains stationary. Logs in a traditional mill move on a trolley.
Production Capabilities
While a portable sawmill cuts with accuracy, the production capabilities are more limited and so are favored by those who are focused on lower-volume. Some top uses for this kind of sawmill equipment include specialty cuts of wood not available in traditional lumber yards, such as less-common to rare hardwoods. Portable sawmills are also effective in log construction, for truing up logs; a much easier alternative to using a drawknife. The thin kerf blade of the portable sawmill allows for much higher yields in salvaging valuable antique logs (previously lost underwater during the 19th century river borne log drives).
Owning A Portable Sawmill
The attractiveness of owning and working one's own land again became attractive in the early 1970's, and spurred the development of portable mills. The idea of self-sufficiency is still growing in today's up and down economy. Plus, a portable saw mill can fit on the back of a standard pick-up truck, with the option of lengthening the mill with extenders..
Purchase Price
Currently there are nearly 80 brands of mills represented and sold in the United States and Canada. A couple of hundred companies produce parts and accessories for these mills. The purchase price can be $4000 to over $80,000 when bought new. If you buy used portable band sawmills, you can cut this price in half. So, how is one to choose from this vast range?
Choosing Your Portable Sawmill
Rentals may work very well for independent projects, especially if what you are cutting may vary greatly in diameter/length, or uncommon projects. A smaller mill would be more appropriate for smaller projects, etc...Also, recall that the amount of wood lost to sawdust would lead one to consider mills with thinner blades. Chainsaw mills have a kerf of about .40inches; circular sawmills have a kerf that ranges from .20 to .30 inches; band mills have a kerf of just .06 to .12 inches. Clearly that is a significant savings when working with valuable woods. A timber owner would typically retain 20% more log with a band type blade over the circular blade.
There are 4 types of portable band sawmills that can be rented:
Manual - Are the least expensive to rent and have no labor saving hydraulic features.
Power Feed - Mechanically cuts the wood. One must still load the logs manually and turn them manually.
Fully Hydraulic - The portable band sawmill automate loading and turning and generally are meant for higher production.
High Production - The portable band sawmill have even wider bands, higher powered engines, and more productive lumber and log handling equipment.These machines are sophisticated and require more expertise to use.
Thoroughly Explore The Subject
The key, as with many things, when shopping around for used portable band sawmills is to be patient and make sure you've thoroughly explored the subject. You want to make sure you're getting exactly what you want before you plunk down those few thousand dollars.
