What's the Best Sawmill for Your Off Grid Cabin?

[@danmalone5365]

Thanks!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Thanks so much! It's appreciated!

[@edrose8358]

Hello Eric, it was one of your milling videos that brought me to your channel. My retirement/3rd career dream is undeveloped forested acreage in east TN. My forefathers taught me forestry management and logging in western NC. I've set my sights on a Cook's HD3238 mill. My plans are a mill shed, a 2BR post and beam home, and a rather large barn. After that I want to mill white oak lumber for custom furniture and high end cabinet builders. Ahhh yes, the best laid plans. Wish me luck.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Sounds like you've got a great plan!

[@ElectrabuzzXD]

You put some crazy ideas in my head with this one, Jarhead! Ive got a pile of logs after the hurricane and neighbors with even bigger piles. Thank you for getting me started milling 👍

[@TheOldJarhead]

Nice! I'll warn ya! It's an addiction! Making lumber is just plan cool and if you like hard work but seeing the results too, well, it can't be beat!

[@andysmith8544]

Didn't realize you started with an Alaskan Mill, we did too. I didn't care for it at all, Paul was more patient with it, but it certainly inspired us to look at bandsaw mills. The main beam for our sawmill shed is a 9"x14" beam Paul chainsaw milled from a 36' white pine. The Granberg mill was maxed out at 14". We used around 22' of the beam. Nicely done Jarhead, and thanks for the name drop!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Ya I'm not that patient either! lol -- good job on the shed build, it's a gorgeous shed! Cheers!

[@Cody_Ramer]

I bought one because i was crunching numbers for beams when i was planning my house (which i am going to start on next year Lord willing) Buying the sawmill and some logs would be cheaper than buying the beams, and thats not even taking into account any boards and tongue and groove i would need.. so i got a woodland mill hm 122 9.5 hp. Was 3,500 i think with the extension to be able to mill 16 ft long logs. 22 inch max diameter. Got it put together this spring and i have used it for building a small shed and chicken shelter. For moving logs i have a logpile next to my saw and just use a cant hook,

[@TheOldJarhead]

Sounds like a great investment, especially if you’re doing all the work yourself!

[@southernadirondackoutdoors]

Good job Eric. One thing I would add is parts and maintenance. For backwoods remote milling at a cabin the manual mills (yes I am a little biased) require very little in terms of maintenance and there is little to go wrong. No hydraulic lines, filters or fluids, no electric motors to fizzle out, no 'puter to act up etc. That being said I would still love to have a LT70 Wide Super 🤣

[@TheOldJarhead]

Great point! Very little maintenance deep in the woods on a manual mill! But yet, the LT70 Super Wide would be an awesome machine to play with!

[@southernadirondackoutdoors]

@@TheOldJarhead Send your check to Hannibal NY Wood-Mizer and I'll pick it up for you and deliver it after I test it for a few years! 😁🤣

[@TheOldJarhead]

ah hahaha sure, checks in the mail!

[@edklaus2411]

Have you ever heard of a Keener sawmill? I got it at an auction, after a lot of maintenance it's turning out to be a good mill.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I have not! Is it a bandmill?

[@NWfish509]

We have a good amount of Ponderosa Pine on our property, what's your thoughts on using for building? I see it's softer then standard Dug Fir.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Ponderosa is what Knotty Pine is made out of! :D I love the stuff and though it's classified for 'light framing' I've used it for beams, posts, 2x's and more. Sure, it's not gonna pass muster when a DF#2 is called for but I've just milled it oversized (true dimension) and used it in places that might surprise you. So it comes down to: what do you want to use it for? The stairs in my cabin? Pondo. Paneling? Pondo. Roof framing on my deck (that's held over 4 feet of snow without failing? You got it, Ponderosa Pine :D

[@NWfish509]

@TheOldJarhead Thank you for the insight, Sir. we will be taking this into consideration. Semper Gumby!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Semper Gumby!

[@nomad-pq4yw8iy7v]

LT35 non-hydraulic with hydraulics added is great option. It is not same as the full hydraulic LT35 but you can get just the loader arms or arms and the turner for a bit less than the FULL.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Great point!

[@DANG--]

Are you going to put insulation in those walls behind you ?

[@TheOldJarhead]

The interior walls? No. The exterior walls (which are R11 today) yes.

[@chrisp308]

If you don't have a tractor or skid steer you could always build a log arch if you don't want to drag your logs. 👍🏻 Edit I have the woodland mills 130 max but it's still in the crate 🤣

[@TheOldJarhead]

A log arch is a great idea!

[@tgs1420]

But no tractor or wheeler !

[@TheOldJarhead]

You'd need something to pull the logs either way ;)

[@chrisp308]

@@tgs1420 or a cheap truck or jeep, tractors and skid steers are expensive

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yup