Do You Really Save Money With a Cheap Sawmill?

[@randypedersen2141]

WM HM126. Got it a couple years ago and I love it. I am mostly a hobbyist but have sold a few planks and a bunch of stuff I have made from the wood I cut.

[@MacJackal]

Heck yeah! It's a great saw.

[@steveolson3667]

I have a HM130 max and I like it one thing I wish I had is a log turner. Those big ones get pretty heavy on the back and of shoulders. When they're too big, I take them off with the tractor and grapple and turn them.

[@MacJackal]

Yeah after using a log turner that's one thing I also wish my woodland mills had. It can get tough when trying to turn the log and hold it in place while grabbing a chunk of wood to keep it from rolling back towards you.@@steveolson3667

[@FirelightFirewood]

Right on that’s a solid video I’m gonna buy this bad boy and just start milling I think it’s good to just gets started overall

[@MacJackal]

Heck yeah! I'm glad you got some value from the video. Keep me updated on how everything goes.

[@JosEPh-zy3yr]

Good straight forward video. Thanks.

[@MacJackal]

Thanks for watching!

[@heyyoubuddy6749]

Hey there buddy how are ya? I enjoyed the video!! So I was looking at the woodland mills Hm130max for quite sometime was about to buy them talked to my Dad. He asked me am I getting younger or older day by day. I was 56 and retired at the time I bought my mill. He asked is there a mill that is affordable now and later can upgrade to full hydraulics? Only one mill meets these criteria. The Norwood saw mill HD36V2 is what I bought. I cut 34 inch 14 foot fur logs. This is way too much for a manual mill but I did it. Really fought these heavy logs. Next time I will quarter with a huge chain saw make life a lot easier. I’m cutting for lumber not slabs so is ok. Now most of the logs I cut are 12 to 24 inches these are much easier to handle and turn on the mill. 18 to 24 are preferred as you get a good quality of lumber from them. During the pandemic I sold a lot of 2x4s 4x4s and 2x6s lumber was crazy high at the box stores. Tree crews drop logs off for me. They have to pay to dump them so it’s a win win. I love having a saw mill it’s fun, rewarding and profitable. Some day hydraulics might be needed but in tell then it’s all me!

[@MacJackal]

That's great advice! Your Dad sounds like a man of wisdom. The ability to upgrade to hydraulics later on is a great way to get the best of both worlds. Thanks for watching and for the comment.

[@thorisian]

As I consider whats going to be right for me and my family, I am trying to gather as much information between using a chainsaw mill vs buying a bandsaw mill, did you ever consider using a chainsaw mill and what led you to buying what you currently have?

[@MacJackal]

I did look at chainsaw mills when I was thinking about getting a sawmill. For me we had about 60 logs laying around after our land was logged. The logs were all around 20-25" in diameter. That much wood sort of ruled the chainsaw mill out for me. Also I would have had to invest in the large chainsaw and mill as well. But... I still think there are advantages to a chainsaw mill. Our land is covered with deep ravines and hills that make access very difficult. With my equipment there is no way for me to pull up a log from most of the hills, so they just lay there or get cut up into firewood. If I had a chainsaw mill, I would just take the mill to the log, mill it up, and then pull the boards out one by one. Also with a chainsaw mill I could mill larger logs depending on what size bar and chain. With my mill a 26" diameter log maxes is out. With a chainsaw mill you could slab much larger stuff. Of course you lose more material with a chainsaw mill and you use a lot of fuel, but with a bandsaw mill you still go through fuel and blades and need equipment to move the logs around. So it's really situational. I think if you just had a few trees you wanted to mill up, or you just wanted some extra wood for yourself, a chainsaw mill is a great option. Sometimes simple is better. What are you wanting to do with a mill?

[@thorisian]

I think you said it rightly when you said that it's addicting to see what kinds of pieces you can get out of a given tree or piece. Our overall goal would be to harvest wood on our own land and mill up to build a timber frame structure. But I also love the idea of being able to slab up my own wood and custom mill pieces for my own projects. I think a bandsaw mill makes more sense for me, although a chain saw is still a must. I do wonder about wether having a mill on a trailer vs on the ground would be better, then you could at least haul the mill around the property as needed or even to someone else's property if need be. But obviously thats a higher expense. @@MacJackal

[@MacJackal]

Yeah the trailer vs not is a tough decisions. A couple advantages as well with a trailer is that you don't have to build a platform or concrete slab to set the mill on to keep it level. And if you want to clean up around the mill you can just pull the mill out of the way. Also some people prefer the height of a trailer when milling the wood as you don't bend over as much. Of course you have to have equipment that can get a log up higher onto the trailer and like you said, the whole setup costs more upfront. I would love to have my mill on a trailer for the reasons mentioned, but I do enjoy having the mill really low to the ground in order to load heavier logs onto. If I had a bigger tractor or Uniloader I would probably prefer the trailer. I Love that you want to build a timber frame structure!

[@aaronschoenherr737]

Hey man, my frog watch has hydraulics!

[@MacJackal]

I'm not hating on your frog watch.

[@russwabuda1556]

m.j. i agee sawing wood is great. i would rather mill lumber than eat. we have a woodland 126 that is good, very good. but like you we wanted more so we bought a circular mill with a 56in blade. we must load it, but we have tractors and like that so that is no real problem. the mill just arrived and is not set up yet. if you are near southern connecticut stop by we welcome visitors at ball-acre farm. best wishes.

[@MacJackal]

If I am ever in that part of the country I'll make a point to visit. I would love to see a circular mill in action! I'm sure you are itching to get the mill set up and running. Enjoy!

[@trevortimmreck]

I took the even more manual method, a chainsaw mill lol

[@MacJackal]

Yeah that is a much more manual method. What size saw are you using?

[@trevortimmreck]

Ms660

[@MacJackal]

Oh nice! That will get the job done and then some!@@trevortimmreck

[@galacticwaterman]

Sorry if this sounds harsh but I can't help it. What's the point of this video? You're comparing a $40K sawmill to a 4K one. Do you really save money with a cheap sawmill? HELL YEAH! $36K instant savings. Also one mill is a production mill, the other is a homesteader, small farmer, hobbyist mill. In other words, the expensive mill is for making money, and the cheap one is to satisfy personal needs.

[@MacJackal]

Good summary.