Portable Sawmills- Are they worth the money?- Woodland Mills HM126

Are portable sawmills worth buying? Which do I think is better: a bandsaw mill or a chainsaw mill? Is it possible to make a living with your own portable sawmill? What do I think of the Woodland Mills product? ...Stay tuned to find out!
*Update: After watching this video, Woodland Mills contacted me to let me know that they have in fact, made a trailer for their sawmills. Here is the followup video I do on that:
• Woodland Mills- Sawmil...
My $60 Sawmill Tool Shed-
• My $60 Sawmill Tool Sh...
Bunkhouse / Tool Shed Construction!
• Bunkhouse / Tool Shed ...
Log Cabin on a Budget series-
• The Journey Begins- Ep...

[@stevesyphax]

Just a little tip. If you use a string level to straighten the bed in the direction of travel you can get in straight much faster. Your not looking for level your looking for a straight line of cut. After you get the table in a straight line then you can level the cross members. If the string is in the center of the cross member, the cross members can be adjusted by raising the low side and lowering the high side an equal amount. I hope this helps you out.

[@ZAZUZAZ1]

I've had the HM126 for about a year now. Only complaint is that I didn't buy one years ago. Absolutely love it. Don't think you could make a living with this mill as there's a lot of manual work involved. For someone with their own trees and a frequent need for lumber it will pay for itself pretty quickly.

[@goldassayer93555]

HI Outsider I also have the HM126 which i bought in 2013. I use it on an occasional basis and process about 10 to 15 logs a year. I use the wood for tool sheds, wood sheds an new porch etc. you did not mention so i will that with each log you cut you will get 20 or 30 gallons of sawdust. I add the sawdust to my compost heap as the wood material in the mix. Also all the “scabs” which are the pieces of wood with bark on one side get cut up into firewood. There is very little material wasted if you do a little thinking about where you can use the various products of boards, firewood and sawdust. Finally i found the local high school has an enthusiastic wood-shop teacher but no budget for wood. I keep him supplied with pine, oak, chestnut and cedar so the kids have plenty of material to work on. All at no charge of course. I have not found there to be a market for selling wood locally except for the occasional neighbor who needs a few boards. This occasionally pays for gas to run the mill. Nice video and valid insights. Pete

[@philandhannahslittlefarm1464]

We purchased a bandsaw mill from a company on Vancouver island that custom makes bandsaw mills comparable to a woodmizer. What an amazing investment to the farm! Definatly worth the money! Thanks for another great video!

[@dianeroome972]

Hi Phil and Hannah. Greetings from Duncan.

[@tylerhack6417]

Great video! Short informative and to the point. No blabbering. This is what all youtube videos should look like

[@oldfart83]

I was restoring my barn. Needed 6000 bf for just the roof and walls. Local lumber yard wanted $1.05 for field dried, rough pine. I had plenty or trees, I purchased a Norwood 2000. for$7000. Ended up cutting many posts, sills and beams also. Saved much more than mill costs. When figuring the cost of a chain saw mill don't forget the Dr. and chiropractor cost as they will kill your back. Very good video

[@hermit1249]

I have the same mill, it's simple and easy to run, well built, no complaints from me! I set mine on blocks as low to the ground as possible but eventually raised it aprox one foot. This was to be able to clear sawdust out from underneath the bunk .. it accumulates pretty fast! This is NOT a high production mill but does a super job. When cutting TAKE YOUR TIME... One other important issue... clean the logs as best you can before cutting..., garden hose/stiff brush works well... a lot of the Fir logs I've cut have heavy bark on them... those I run the power saw along deep enough to cut through the bark and then peel it off.. takes a bit of time but saves the band saw blades. Great little mill, thoroughly recommend.

[@ismaelramirez2786]

Roger Coles how much you pay for

[@positivededication2300]

@@ismaelramirez2786 I think, $1.00

[@jamesh2853]

Buddy is eating his words now. “Cant make money selling 2x4’s” lol could get rich now selling them

[@mattpaolini3218]

Just got to know people to sell to. You can't have a great product, but no personal skills and you're shit out of luck.

[@faelwolf1177]

After watching this, I checked the price on this mill. I was very surprised at how much less it cost than what I expected to see. I am looking at timber framing a house and workshop (among other things) in a few years, and I think this would more than pay for itself many times over. Thanks for the video!

[@collinmc3694]

This video answered every question I still had about Woodland Mills and band-sawmills in general. I have done a lot of research and I am very happy with the summary you have provided. Thank you very much and best of luck!!!!

[@danryan3146]

I have the same mill with the track extension. It has paid for itself several times, it is a lot of fun and extremely satisfying work.

[@OceanAce]

3 years later, wood has went up by a lot.

[@stovepipe9er]

The lap siding attachment is pretty handy now at $56/sheet of osb

[@mtbcentral9454]

4 years later, wood has went up even more

[@montanaelkwhisperer1744]

Sawmill would probably pay for itself cutting the first twenty logs!

[@ivanmarmeladof3813]

Sawmills are useless without tractor, and tractors costs a lot.....

[@montanaelkwhisperer1744]

@@ivanmarmeladof3813 millions of board feet of lumber were cut year after year in the 1800s by horse drawn log skidding and steam powered sawmills. And giant redwoods the size of an Amtrak train!

[@fordferguson1731]

And now in 2021 woodland mills offers trailers.

[@reillystsb]

I bought one of these Mills you're right the customer support is 2nd to none I had an issue with the clutch because my RP m's were not set right 2 days later a brand new club showed up for free Excellent quality excellent people.......

[@chriswoods3188]

I have had my woodland mills 126 for 5 years now and it's the greatest thing ever. I have my own lumber yard at my fingertips.

[@ChrisGilliamOffGrid]

Which engine?

[@chriswoods3188]

@@ChrisGilliamOffGrid 9.5 Kohler

[@ChrisGilliamOffGrid]

@@chriswoods3188 Thanks! No need for the 14hp one then?

[@chriswoods3188]

@@ChrisGilliamOffGrid I dont think so. I cut all kinds of wood from red oak to pine and cedar. It had no problem.

[@1963JamesT]

I bought a small mill 15 yrs ago, and love it. I work full time, and run the mill a couple days per month, and sell enough blocking to a local business, to pay for the mill every 16 to 18 months. if you have trees, and need lumber, i highly recommend buying one.

[@crappo8459]

Thanks for the information and your opinion ,my brother has a portable mill ,the amount of money that would have been spent on the mahogany lumber is staggering upwards of a hundred thousand dollars. If your a wood worker you can't go wrong

[@differenthandyman938]

Very helpful video, thank you. In case if you’re still having difficulty levelling it, use a laser level. You might want to do it in the evening when the sun is going down and it’s easier to see, but it makes the job super easy and way more precise than trying to do it with a 4” bubble level like you are showing here. Good luck.

[@weeveferrelaine6973]

And if anyone else is reading this on a budget, you can use strings pulled tight over long distances to bring things to flat, if you account for the sag in the middle. There are various ways of accounting for it, but a lightweight string under heavy tension will already just solve most of it.

[@OpekiskaWood]

I also own one of Woodland Mills' bandsaw mills, although mine is an entry level model. I would highly recommend even the small "hobbyist" version I have. Great value for the money when building my own furniture.

[@mikeallenma78]

What's the largest diameter of log that it will mill? And, what is the info on it?

[@RJM1011]

30" if you get this one woodlandmills.ca/product/hm130-portable-sawmill/ It's the one I am looking at buying from them.

[@OpekiskaWood]

I watched that video. The 130 looks like a great machine.

[@mikeallenma78]

Thank you, Rick and Richard.

[@williamgates5652]

How is your maintenance going with your mill. I looked at different brand, and you can only buy parts from them. Mill was cheap, but the maintenance and parts were very expensive. Thanks, WG.

[@robertcarver4295]

Excellent commentary, great production work. I have a simple suggestion, not sure you remember, I was the one suggesting a portable saw mill 18 months ago.I hate mud on my wood, dulls the tools, need to sharpen them much more often. You know this from your chainsaw experience, not telling you anything new. My suggestion would be to get a small wood chipper, not an expensive one, then cover the ground around the sawmill with the chips, spread that sawdust around too, it keeps the mud down.I helped a guy on another website, he did not understand foundations. Just like you have trouble with your sawmill, a house has the same problem going through seasons and staying level. The solution is soil dynamics, foundation engineering, which is very complicated. Basically, you need to get something stable, and that depends upon the conditions where you build. In that soil, I would suggest piers. You have rocks, so to reduce the amount of cement, you might pressure wash rocks or find clean ones in a stream bed. Add a little extra OPC and fill a sonotube, buried below the frost line. That might be difficult with so many rocks there. Believe me, it will be worth the effort, even if you can only put one pier every 16 feet. You have free wood, you can span that distance easily with a 2"x10". Most log cabin guys dig a trench, fill it with rocks and sit something on top. It always fails and the rocks need to be restacked every spring. With piers, you might still trench and stack the rocks, but get the wood up 30" off the dirt and away from the rain splash. If the rocks fall over, so what, just restack them. Piers can look ugly, so to make it look really good, use slip form. Slip form would be like getting a sonotube just 12" to 18 inches high, anything above ground, stack clean stones around the outside, fill the inside with rocks and crete. That is the easy way to make it look like masonry. I am not a mason either, but taking time to get the rocks close to each other, then pointing afterwards will work. That same idea can be done the traditional way with slip forms to create a flat face. There are a few examples on U-tube, most of them awful.Great job, good luck with all your endeavors!

[@RJM1011]

I use all my sawdust for my free range hens.

[@Mr407etr]

Robert Carver i

[@tedpert1360]

Robert Carver I

[@thereclamer2112]

I purchased a woodland mill after seeing yours. 2years ago. After pricing out the lumber to build my barn. I hope to build next summer. Got to finish digging out and the foundation first.

[@zacharyadams6277]

When I was a teenager my grandpa let my cousin and I "rent" his band sawmill, tractor, and truck/trailer. The sawmill is a small lumbermate from Norwood with a Honda engine. Its close to the size of your machine. There is a flooring mill in a town close to us that buys red oak of differing widths and lengths cut 5/4" thick. If I remember right we were able to net, after paying Grandpa his equipment fees and our gas and diesel, $140 for a 10 hour days work. This would vary some as prices changed. $14 dollars an hour isn't going to get you rich, but some folks live on less I suppose.

[@SansaStarkofWinterfell]

I just found your channel recently and am currently going through the videos for wild edibles & whatnot. I just needed to come to a more current video to post and tell you exactly how much I appreciate the knowledge you are sharing with others. I've got books to read by the dozens... *But* that doesn't replace the hands on experience of seeing someone showing you what these beauties look like. So, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me confidence in identifying what I have around me in the natural world. It's so difficult without a woodsman/woman or growing up with a parent to instruct you. ~Be Blessed from SW South Dakota

[@TheOutsiderCabin]

+Sansa Stark That you Sansa for your very kind comment. ☺

[@SansaStarkofWinterfell]

You're very welcome! It's the truth, I am enjoying these videos. They perfectly complement my 5-6 different herbal books. Great job!

[@AdamCraigOutdoors]

i have a chainsaw mill. Let me tell you, that is back breaking work!! you are always bent over running the chainsaw. It is hot and dirt and exhaust seems to be always in your face. If you try to get logs up to a nice height you need big muscles or equipment of some sort. But as you mentioned, you can't get much more portable then that. I have a video up of me using mine. I am hoping for a bandsaw mill eventually. Great video!!

[@TheOutsiderCabin]

Thanks Adam! I was hoping someone with a chainsaw mill would weigh-in on the conversation. I'm just sorry that it's such a hard piece of equipment to use. Anyway, I appreciate you sharing with us.

[@AdamCraigOutdoors]

it isn't hard, just tough work. But like you said, if you need to fly or boat in lumber, this is a great tool. Many many cabins, house, cottage, etc have been built with this tool. For me, it is very rewarding.

[@Lanninglongarmmowing]

Adam Craig Outdoors Take the rakers all the way off your saw chain when milling. You don't need to push nearly as much without them. I did it and it seems to work good. You can also put a winch on the mill to help with pushing. That's what I do.

[@epopeegenetics]

I have big muscles..

[@BlueGamerDude]

e POPE e GENE tics lol

[@anderspetersrensen2403]

I have got some messages about this video and what my personal opinion is when it comes to Woodland Mills. Are portable sawmills worth buying? The general answer will be yes if you are a forest owner or have access to logs. If you can use the milled wood yourself, such a sawmill will have a short repayment time depending on how much wood you mills. It is a common misconception that twin-rail sawmils are portable, - they are the first portable when they get on wheels. Woodland Mills has already introduced trailer solutions. Which do I think is better: a bandsaw mill or a chainsaw mill? The short answer is both are best, understood the way they complement each other. At this end of the sawmill scale (prize level), one must often use the chain saw to ensure that a log can match bandaw's limitations. The chain saw is very slow, noisy and uses very expensive gasoline, and has a 7-8 mm. kerf. A bandsaw is much faster, less noicy, use less gasoline per cut and have a 2 mm. kerf. Is it possible to make a living with your own portable sawmill? Both yes and no, when we speak Woodland Mills. If you have your own forest or tree access or you can use the tree yourself, it will always be possible to save yourself a lot of money and gets better quality. If you have to make a living out of it, you should be able to compete on hourly rates, board feet, linear feet, cubic feet or cubic meters. There will be competition from the super hydraulic sawmills (on wheels) such as Timberking and Woodmizer (and they are in a completely different investment level). In many countries one can live by having a Woodland Mill in the long term, while it is more difficult in countries with a high wage level like in Northern Europe. It is also largely dependent on the local market situation, ie supply versus demand. But I am quite sure that there new trailer models from Woodland Mills will fill a need in the market also here alone because of the lower price. What do I think of the Woodland Mills product? First of all, I'm not right to ask, we are using Stihl, Logosol and Wood Mizer products for long. However, Woodland Mills has a good product range for the small sawmill business segment. You get value for money, well thought out design, quality standard components you can buy anywhere in most countries. It is easy (and cheap) to customize or update the sawmill, to the wishes you may have. The design makes it possible to service and maintain yourself, and that it is easy to make constructive improvements. For the beginner it is not only necessary with advice and guidance in connection with the purchase of the sawmill, but especially when you have first started, it is necessary to have a good supplier backing up the product and providing a good after-sales service and that's my impression that Woodland Mills is fully in line with the best in the industry. Should we need a smaller mobile sawmill more, Woodland Mills in Göteburg, Sweden, would be among the first we visited.

[@josephbordelon2353]

Ok

[@jimmason1072]

Making the base out of a channel or rectangular tube would stiffen up the track alot! Angle iron that was used is to flimsy. Also I would have built a shed of someone sort to cover up the saw during the winter and bad weather! At the same time put in a gantry crane to lift your logs on . ( Always easy to give suggestions and spend someone else 💰 I know)

[@Longsnowsm]

Looks like they make this saw with a trailer now and is probably the easiest way to level up the saw and be able to move it where you want it. Looks like that is the way to go and just build a shelter for the saw when it is parked and not being used. Thanks for the video.

[@jlyle51]

Saw mills are like exercise machines. Spend your money ! You only get good out of them if you use them. I use my woodland mills saw. I love it.

[@martimcdonald5795]

I bought a used hud-son 28"mill over 10 years ago. I only intended to use it for my hobby wood work and such, I have cut many logs with it, cedar, oak, walnut, cherry, pine. I have tried to sell some of the boards, pricing 2x6-8' at half the lumber yard price, and could sell none. I have used many of the boards myself for my hobby, and sold a number of bird houses made from them. this fellow talks of cutting boards for furniture, but you have to have the finest straight grain clear boards for furniture, and they have to be totally dried and planed, just cutting boards on a mill like this doesn't even get you close to furniture making. there is a guy advertising localy 2"x16"-8' slabs of walnut, oak and elm, and it appears he hasn't sold any (price $50-80 each) in conclusion I would say do not buy a mill to make money, it is only a hobby unit. treat it as such

[@eflint1]

I bet you could sell some now!!

[@hermit1249]

I've been using the same mill for a couple weeks now cutting up to 16ft Cedar logs into 1" and 2" boards plus larger timbers.. It's a great little mill, easy maintenance, easy to set up, easy to use... best if it's on a concrete pad but at the moment mine's on wood blocks and I've got zero problems with accurate cutting. I think the key to successful cutting is to TAKE YOUR TIME and always use sharp blades.. soon as a blade starts wandering..change it. Great little mill for the guy who wants to take the time to do it right, not a mill for high production to make money...

[@TheOutsiderCabin]

+Roger Coles Spot on assessment my friend.

[@Buzbikebklyn1]

I've been watching your work for over 4 years. My sympathies for the lost of your Dad, when my Dad left us it was extremely difficult to continuing on out projects. He's always watching you. Now down to business, of course a mill is worth it. I've been watching your progress, could you spend that much for lumber? Beautiful work.

[@benscoles5085]

I think your ''take'' on this is pretty straight up, I agree with what you said, specially with chainsaw mills, I cut some big cants with a chain saw mill, the gas and oil consumed, could have cut much more with a band mill, , the waste wood of the chain mill could have made some pretty decent boards with a band mill, and still cut my big cants as well,

[@michaellutes1057]

I might have to thank you for this video, for the fact that when I went to purchase the m126 it came with the trailer when I bought it.

[@greywolfwalking6359]

They, IMHO, are worth 10x's their weight in gold ! The more that you learn about just exactly what your mill can do it"s even more valuable! ATB from sunny Wintergarden,Florida😎!

[@tigermanmccool4037]

I'm over in Pinellas Co & got 5.3 acres up in Suwannee Co. I milled a few trees with a chainsaw mill attached to 18" electric chainsaw but it's slow go....I would love to have one of these bad boys , I used the electric because didn't want to burn up my gas saw

[@williamtwarog7082]

Very good! I enjoyed your nariaton and your comments and I respect your opinion's. The video was also very nicely done.

[@jake000916]

Thank you for sharring. You were very clear and descriptive. Appreciate your help.

[@kellybartok50]

Hello , If you have the right people , the right people again the right people , then you put a team together, you make tongue and groove , base board quarter round and use you’re team to help manufacture , sell and ship the finished wood product to other people who will become regular buyers of you’re teams best effort , I didn’t say you’re wood but included the key word team , now if you’re team sucks and you are stuck in a pit that’s a thing that you can change and if you’re team kicks ass pay them good show them love , keep them working in a fun happy safe manner and of coarse you will do great , trucker Kelly :)

[@O.D.B.420]

Word of advice, when setting your cinder blocks, (You should be using concrete blocks.), set them with the holes facing up/down not side to side. The blocks are far stronger that way.

[@tinahaynes696]

Chainsaw mills have a thicker kerf. That’s a huge difference. Thank you

[@meehd01]

For 95% of the guys it makes a lot more sense to just take ur logs to someone who mills lumber for a living. You will get better quality lumber and it's will cost you a LOT less in the long run. Sawmills are like boats, the first summer is a blast then from then on you just keep spending time and money working on it and everytime you want to use it it won't start or needs more work.

[@fastrivers812]

I would love a bandsaw mill but can't justify the cost nor can I afford one at the moment. For me, I chose a chainsaw mill. Yes, I had to pay for an expensive saw ($1100) and a jig attachment for $300 so I'm out around $1600 after taxes. However, to get a comparable 36" cut for a bandsaw mill I'm looking at paying $8000. That said, there is one other huge expense that most informational videos don't project for the cost of these and that is buying an implement to lift the log onto or carry it to the mill. For a tractor strong enough we're talking at least $10K so now we're out $18K. Where I'm located, I have a lot of hills that tractors won't access and/or properties that are fenced in where a tree has been dropped. I can go to all places w/ my chainsaw mill. Yes, the saw does take a thicker cut, however, the $16,400 in savings helps me to sleep better at night. Hopefully I can afford to get a bandsaw mill in the future but for those of you that are on tight budgets, I strongly recommend a chainsaw mill.

[@DeniseSkidmore]

My great grandfather had a full sized sawmill at a location only accessible by rowboat. But he built it from scratch himself from small parts. The old truck engine was the biggest component. But when you build something in place it never moves again. As far as I know the sawmill is still there, although nobody has maintained it and it would need rebuilding to come back into service. So, if you want a sawmill in a remote location, it only needs to move into place once, and you can build one from scratch instead of having large parts delivered, you could still consider a circular saw or band saw mill.

[@TSCBroken]

Fast forward to April 2021 and we all realize that a portable sawmill is liken to a money-printing machine. Last I checked a 2x4x8 was selling for $8.50 CAD

[@dennisdownes9319]

Excellent video!! There is no chance in a million years that I will ever buy or need a portable mill........HOWEVER, I have been thinking about the same questions you answered for a long time. For some odd reason, I love watching videos on saw mills.........Thanks for posting!

[@bwillan]

Great information on the merits of a portable sawmill. I agree with your assessment that if you plan on starting up a saw milling business then a manual mill is not the way to go.

[@jamesm.taylor6928]

Very helpful..i was/am considering getting one or building one for a business. I can build one of these for 350 to 500 bucks--doesnt evem look that far off the commercial models either and i can build for larger diameters very easily at the same time exvept auto feed hydraulic loaders turners dogs ect cost a bit more and would take longer to build. Im trying to find a way to make furniture grade plys but that looking near impossible witjout HUGE equip investments..too bad..im a furniture and custom cabinet builder and milling my own exotics is very much in my planning. Your vodeo helped confirm many things in my mind though so thank you.

[@mikewilson4150]

A Transit would be very helpful, to level. I've used to level metal turning lathe! Works Great.

[@Carpenter481]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[@picklerix6162]

My friend showed me how to use a transit many years ago when I helped him build a storage building. I was shocked at how fast we were able to level the building using the transit.

[@victorquesada7530]

That value piece at the end was excellent! Thank you for that rundown of the comparisons.

[@adamfowler6119]

I work at a place called bohlke veneer, I get to see quite a few different species of veneer like walnut, white oak, red oak, maple, cherry, and a few others, and they cut some of the best logs of any specie you can think of, before I got this job i never gave a crap about trees and what expensive wood looks like, I am now fascinated with wood, I'd like to eventually buy a saw mill and try making a little extra money cutting and selling slabs

[@shawnmchenry9697]

I've got the hm 130 max with the same clamp set up and I have to say I don't care for the clamps at all. They don't always hold the logs very well and they seem very cumbersome to move around with larger logs on the mill.

[@rafaelalvarez1976]

By far one of the best KZbin "review' DIY videos I have ever seen. You are a talented man. Very straight to the point and very humble opinions. Did not waste anytime yammering about all kinds of nonsense. Only tip I can think of because you pretty much dotted all your i's and crossed all your t's is try to talk more natural, less robotic, You have a good voice for this you should exploit that to the fullest. Best of luck and thank you sooo much for your video I really enjoyed it.

[@crixtus]

I think the manner of speech is fine. Its clear and well enunciated. The voice is well modulated. No issues at all. In fact, its a much welcome change to the frenetic "rap" or rather yapping of easily excitable youtubers.

[@peterdonahue8294]

i dont worry too much about perfect levelling. i just use a string line once a year after the frost. get the track straight and the lumber will be straight.

[@shootsandscoots]

You’re opinion is accurate. If you have the time, money, need and inclination then go for it. I would think stepping up from a chainsaw mill would be a smart decision. It does the same thing , but faster and cleaner with less work?

[@TheGhungFu]

The best way to level these things is to make a water level from a bucket and some clear plastic tubing. Hard to get more precise, even with a laser level. Or you can buy one at the big hardware. Some even beep.

[@abengtebaran5346]

I absolutely agree on your comment s.

[@mkbman45]

I enjoy your videos and the Oregon Old Timer sawmill videos.

[@danielhmanning]

Thanks! I'm in the process of deciding whether or not to buy a mill of some kind, and that pretty much covers all my questions.

[@AngeliqueKaga]

You were able to work with your dad, so well done.

[@HalfInsaneOutdoorGuy]

Very well done sir! you answered all the questions I have had about portable/semi-portable saw mills. I certainly will be buying one! probably this very one you use! (The company should sponsor you one of these days =) Peace.

[@happyjacky52]

Don't forget the tractor. And the forks. And the trailer if you ever need to move it off your property. (the tractor) And the truck to pull it. 1/2 ton won't do it. Probably not a 3/4 either. I would love to own one too. It would only make sense if I had enough trees on my own property that I wanted to part with. And owned a tractor.

[@dave3464]

@@happyjacky52 It's 800 pounds and its on wheels, I'm pretty sure a 1/2 ton could tow it.

[@braydencampbell6691]

I also have one and I share ur problem with the level but I put a concrete pad under it and now it is perfectly level and works great

[@jlyle51]

I am in a area that has trees , however my property does not have trees. I made a deal with local tree trimmers and people that cut down trees in residential areas. I cut on half. My lumber is free . Also get good logs like walnut. And pecan and other really expensive wood. Some lumber cannot be found in the local lumber yards because people cannot afford it.

[@whippyboy6272]

I have the aussie "hardwood mills" equivalent. Same thing, really. Totally aawesome.

[@jaimedu5350]

Very good. Thanks a lot for the info. It helps. God bless.

[@JetSkiBuyFixPlaySellChannel]

With the current popularity of live edge and river epoxy tables I imagine you could make agoid amount of money if you have a supply of desirable wood. Like walnut, maple, cedar, ash etc. I've bought a few slabs from a guy locally that has a small mill. He started off working with a guy that removes dead or fallen trees from people's property. He started off cutting the woodfor firewood and then progressed into cutting lumber with the better wood.

[@aloberdorf4579]

a small torpedo level on the blade, and a laser pointer on the tracks would help leveling efficiency , as light will not bend much.

[@JAMaxeRestoration]

Good video and review. Am I the only one who noticed the ground area around the mill? Looks like it would be slick when wet, it's not flat and very cluttered.Still thumbs up on this video.

[@pentachronic]

Great video, demonstration and discussion. Very much appreciated. :-)

[@garthn2561]

Using a clear plastic tube mostly filled with water and a few drops of food coloring makes a very good level, of any length. I spoke to a laser level sales guy and he wasn't happy about them, said they worked as well as the lasers at a tiny fraction of the price. If you got the two ends sorted out first it might have been much easier to level the rest

[@mastersparkee59]

If you put a T at each adjustment point you can level it entirely without moving the hose. I leveled an entire house this way.

[@chocolatte6157]

Cool.

[@ldwithrow08]

Depends what you want it for. If you have a plot of land with a lot of standing timber, you intend to build a house and have enough timber to do it, you can save a bunch. Log cabins are a waste of a lot of wood. The only reason they were popular in the colonial period is that settlers were clearing farm land and had a whole lot of logs. And there weren't any commercial mills nearby to break up the lumber. Solid wood has a low R rating compared to even air in a stud wall. And you can make a log go a lot farther as sawn lumber than a log. That said, unless you intend to make a living cutting lumber, it is unlikely you will find a lot of profit in owning a mill. I'd look into leasing a mill for a year or so to cut up your timber, or buy a really good quality mill you can resell when you are done with it.

[@bryansnewandused]

I love my 126 I do make $$$ with mine but its more for my use.

[@angeladuffelmeyer1117]

I owe the same sawmill and love every thing about it

[@stephenmerritt5750]

If i needed 2x4s, I would just go buy them. If I had a woodlot and was building a homestead, this would be incredible. You're right though, no one is going to get rich selling spruce lumber, unless it is beams for timberframing. It all comes down to what log you're cutting. Cedar lumber is good and so is hardwood slabs.

[@davidhood8598]

the sawmill is a good asset if you do not have a good deal of work for it when you complete your project you could think about hiring it out to other diy cabin builders

[@singleman1986]

Excellent info and timing. Researching bandsaw mills, and Woodland is on the list. Thinking that a mid to 'higher end' mill is a good way to start if 'upgrades' are too expensive later. Thanks!

[@timtravasos2742]

Would love to have one and store a bunch of lumber for building or future use. 👍

[@halhibben]

Great video, well made. I wish more KZbin channels would be this professional.

[@ronlee7261]

That's nice . It would always come in handy . THANKS

[@dysfunctional_vet]

i have the same saw, 2012 edition, and it is still running very well. harbour freight copied the design, but it is not that well made. i point this out as unless you look for the logo, it is hard to tell at a distance. i bought enough extension to cut a 20 foot board and walled the inside of my cabin with white oak (1/4 inch thick). it paid for itself in that job and i use it often. with the price of wood now, it pays for itself every month in sacrificial lambs for concrete work, or other projects like you are doing. my only recommendation is to pull the valve from your lubricator tank and use anti-seize, as mine gaulded up even with teflon tape on the thread. the valve eventually wore out. i could not extract the thing, and i drilled it out a bit and then rethreaded it for a new valve. the lower valve will also wear out later, mine lasted until last year and i found the air valve for shutting of inline tools worked well and got me back up and running in about an hour the bearings on the blade seem to wear out fast from the lubrication on the dispensing side, but other than that, almost no maintenance apart from ensuring level every so often. i don't consider this a portable saw, but it is top quality. great presentation.

[@jnminfl]

Im not in agreement that a portable sawmill like you're would goud for a business venture. I make furniture out of logs that I saw with my Alaskan sawmill now. You are correct that there is more waste with an alaskan sawmill. And it will kick you're ass by the end of the day. Mass production with a portable sawmill is not in my future plans. But milling logs and furniture making is. I just need to figure out if im,going to build my sawmill or purchase a sawmill. Thank you for you're informational video, It was helpful.

[@john-cx7nt]

Why did you select the Woodland Mills over Woodmizer or Timberking? If I could afford one, I would like to have the Woodmizer on a trailer with all the hydraulics, but that one is around 30k. Way too rich for my blood. What about sharpening the band? Does that require special tools? Then there is the argument for the slower but infinitely cheaper Alaskan type that you attach to a chainsaw. I have an older 36" Husky I believe would be up to the job, but the accuracy of the cut comes in to question along with the speed. How long do you have to let the lumber cure before use? Any special prep you need to do the lumber after cutting it? Your Dad is a lucky man. Which also means he did a pretty good job of raising you. Keep up the good work.

[@damondiehl5637]

Several sawmill manufacturers offer a blade sharpener machine, for a few hundred dollars. Some people sharpen blades with a Dremel tool, but they do not have the same accuracy as a sharpening system. You have to reset the teeth to cut to the left or right of center, too. Jerry's Reshaw is a great place to buy blades. His Ripper 37s are famous. You can buy new blades, and send used ones back to him to be resharpened. Blades can be resharpened a few times, but should be closely inspected for cracks before you waste time resharpening them. There are lots of reasons to use an Alaskan mill, and you mentioned some of them. One real benefit of a bandsaw mill is the tiny kerf. Basically, every 4th board is free, compared to what you get from an Alaskan mill. But, I can mill a log far larger than I can move if I use an Alaskan mill. There is no way I could get a 30 inch log up onto a bandsaw mill, especially with the additional height of a trailer. (I too am on a shoestring budget.) You want a chainsaw with a motor that is at least 70 ccs. Anything less than that is really pushing it. You could go smaller if you are using a sort mill. I have a 36 inch mill on a Stihl 660, and I wouldn't want any less of a saw. Rule of thumb for air drying lumber is one year per inch of thickness. That will vary a bit based on species and geographic location and climate. Lots of guys built kilns to speed up the process. A solar kiln operates pretty cheaply. You should seal the ends and sticker boards after they are milled. AnchorSeal is made for that, but you can use exterior latex paint or even wax. Your stickers should be seasoned, dry wood, or you might stain your boards. 3/4 inch stickers will allow a lot of air in and around your boards.

[@roadhouse8604]

Band mills are ideal for cutting dimensional lumber, and working with manageable-sized logs. But for cutting mammoth sized beams and slabs, from huge trees, you just can't touch a portable chainsaw mill. For less than $1000 (and a little sweat), you can mill trees that a "portable" band mill can't get anywhere near, and couldn't process even if it could. Most "portable" band mills are hardly portable. If you're really into milling, ideally you'll want both.

[@randylanhart1796]

yes they do exist. is was watching another video before I saw this one. And that one had a 2 sided blade! if I see the video I will forward the info too this video.

[@edbenson98]

With the price of wood going through the roof these portable mills pay for themselves in no time!

[@cruzanmongoose]

Bandsaw mills are worth it if you have access to trees.. I bought an Oscar 36 and built all my windows doors, kitchen, furniture, and many other things. not to mention the wood I sell..

[@charlesjenkinson5020]

Great video. On levelling up and-or trailer beds. Anything long and narrow doesn't necessarily have good/high torsional stiffness, so still requires levelling - it just might have fewer feet, because it is stiffer over significant chunks of its length. Concrete pads has to be best way for non trailer beds.

[@dustinkennedy8821]

Thank you! For take time make you're videos and explaining the process and challenges that someone might face! 👍

[@rg1ish1]

Great video i am thinking of getting one of the HM126 woodland mills i think you have convinced me thanks

[@googlename8066]

Depends obviously on how much you plan to use it, location, etc. Personally around me for about $45/hr I can have a guy bring his saw to my house and cut logs. One day gave me enough material to build an entire cabin and shed.

[@abefrohman1759]

Another great video. I'm really enjoying your build series. I'm really looking forward to more cabin updates.

[@TheOutsiderCabin]

Thanks!

[@RaspberryRockOffGridCabin]

I did consider going that route for my cabin but I just don't have the quality trees available to me near the cabin site. Although, hauling it all in by ATV was no fun either.

[@patsplat]

Thanks

[@toshawalker1910]

The price of lumber has gone thru the roof! You can't go wrong buying this!

[@jimmyneutron9929]

The question is clearly moot. It's always about enjoyment, not money ! It's like saying is buying a vintage jeep worth it? Worth what?

[@kymerdeth]

My jeep was offended by this comment and as such cost me another 1k to "upgrade" so thanks for that. :)

[@markhildebrand2417]

Sure sounds like a promotional ad for Woodland Mills to me.

[@canadianbushman8982]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@justd02ofus]

My Chainsaw Mill was 1\5 the cost of this Band-saw mill , Of course the Chainsaw is much harder to use and you'll need Muscles lol

[@goldassayer93555]

Here's my two cents. I have a HM126 sawmill. I just yesterday picked up a log the highway department left by the side of the road for locals to cut into firewood. I cut the is douglas fir log into 2x6x10 boards for a neighbor. The same board costs $7.87 each at Home Depot and i would have to travel 140 miles round trip to get to the HD Store. So my "free" wood which i gave to my neighbor for $5.00 each was a bargain for me and for him. So yes a personal sawmill is well worth the money it saves me and makes for me.

[@coryboyd7958]

super informative as always and professionally produced. thanks for sharing.

[@bradleyfoss8933]

Great job I am convinced on the bandsaw option.