Looking at The Best Portable Sawmill for the Money

Want the best sawmill featuring the best value? Let's get into it.

You're a landowner who wants an affordable portable sawmill, one that offers incredible value for the price. 

And that makes sense, landowners who want to mill their own lumber are looking at the cost savings of producing lumber from their own land, so cost is important.

But it's also important to decide what features are important to you. Do you want to do mobile milling with high convenience features? Or do you want a more minimal portable sawmill model that just features the necessities? And what price do you want to pay for all that?

Let's discuss what features you want in your portable bandsaw mill and what models match your needs for the best price.

Why is a portable sawmill a good investment?

First let's talk about why you may want to purchase a portable sawmill.

Portable sawmills convert logs into dimensional lumber. This is great for landowners with an abundance of trees or who have access to logs off their property. Maybe you're thinning a forest stand, or doing land clearing for an upcoming project? Maybe you have dense acreage and you want to pull out trees that have been felled by storms?

By owning a portable sawmill sawyers have the ability to convert these logs that might otherwise go to waste into usable lumber, either dimensional lumber for building projects or even live-edge slabs for woodworking projects like charcuterie boards, bar tops or coffee tables.

It beats the backbreaking effort many sawyers deal with when doing chainsaw milling, and these machines offer a number of convenience features that make them easy to operate.

What features should I consider in a portable sawmill?

The features of your portable sawmill will be the main factor affecting the cost. For this reason we've categorized them into must-have features vs nice-to-have ones. That way you can figure out which features make sense for you.

Necessary Features

Here's the essential features you should consider when considering a portable sawmill:

• • Size of Logs: Each portable sawmill model features a max cut width, which is the biggest determinant for the size of logs you can mill. For example, the Woodland Mills HM136MAX has a maximum cut width of 36 inches. You can always add optional track extensions to mill longer logs, but if you want to mill oversized logs you may want to consider a larger mill.

  • Sufficient Engine Size: The horsepower of the engine determines the time it takes to mill, and the more powerful the engine, the faster you can mill. But engine size only buys you a faster time milling, making it an easy factor to scale back on if cost is a deciding factor.

  • Stability: You want a heavy duty portable sawmill model with a track that can take a beating, and survive rugged day-to-day use of rolling heavy logs onto it.

Optional Features

Decide whether these features are something you want as you think about what you want your portable sawmill to be:

• • Portability: Will you ground mount or trailer mount your portable sawmill? If you just want to cut logs in one place, then you can save money and get a ground mounted sawmill. But a sawmill on a trailer can travel to the logs, giving you improved portability.

  • Accessories: Additional optional attachments include track extensions to mill longer logs as well as the Power Head, which can help adjust the height of the saw head faster and with less manual effort.

  • Quality of Life Features: Woodland Mills HM Series sawmills come with great convenience features like Gas & Go AutoLube, Quick Lock clamps, adjustable blade guides and levelling feet. The SE Series sawmills are affordable, streamlined designs that lack these features. Decide what features are worth your investment.

What are the benefits of getting a new portable sawmill?

While buying a second hand portable sawmill may offer cost savings, there are a few things to consider. When buying a new portable sawmill, assembly of the mill teaches customers how their mill operates. This makes it easier to repair or request replacement parts when you have a more knowledgeable understanding of your mill.

Woodland Mills also offers a warranty with their products, so it's easy to get replacement parts for long-term maintenance. You also have access to great customer support to ask questions and help troubleshoot issues.

What is the best portable sawmill for my budget and needs?

Let's get into which reliable sawmill model will work best for your milling needs.

"I want a budget portable sawmill with no frills, it just needs to mill lumber"

We recommend the Woodland Mills SE126 Portable Sawmill for you. The SE Series sawmills have streamlined features that bring the portable sawmill back to basics. It features only the must-have features, giving you the most basic form of portable milling. It works great for sawyers you don't mind taking a little more time and prepwork when milling, and it's a great platform for entry level sawyers looking to do basic tasks like mill dimensional lumber for siding or building projects.

SE126 Specs:

• • 26" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 24" Max Cut Width

  • 13 HP Engine

"I want a portable sawmill that has good capacity and features, but isn't too expensive"

The Woodland Mills HM126 is one of the most trusted, reliable portable sawmill models. It's seen many thousands of hours of use by thousands of sawyers around the world. As an HM Series sawmill it has added features that make milling easier, like Gas & Go AutoLube and Quick Lock clamps. It also is compatible with many optional accessories, giving you room to grow your operation. It's a smooth, consistent model trusted by many and features more than a decade of engineering improvements, if you want a model that balances cost and features then the HM126 is right for you.

HM126 Specs:

• • 26" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 24" Max Cut Width

  • 9.5 or 14 HP engine options

  • Patented Gas & Go Auto Lube

"I want a large portable sawmill, but I still have a modest budget"

If you're a woodworker, carpenter or landowner who wants a want a high capacity sawmill, then you may want to consider the Woodland Mills HM130MAX. It features a FULLCUT™ sawhead, giving you a full 30" cut width, letting you get the most out of your sawmill. It also features all the quality of life features in our HM Series sawmills, as well as the capacity to add track extensions to mill longer logs. It's been trusted by serious sawyers for years and is a great high capacity sawmill that is also budget conscious.

HM130MAX Specs:

• • 30" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 30" Max Cut Width

  • 14 HP Electric Start Engine

  • Patented Gas & Go Auto Lube

  • Power Head compatible

What else should I know before buying a portable sawmill?

There are other factors to think about before finalizing your purchase. A few things you may want to consider include:

• • Regular blade maintenance is crucial for performance. Consider getting a bandsaw blade sharpener to keep your blades in top shape.

  • Most portable sawmill tracks start at about 10-11 feet long, consider adding track extensions if you want more length.

  • Log capacity measures the average diameter of trees that can be cut, while cut width measures the width of the logs the sawmill can mill. Know the difference between these two when doing your research.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What accessories should I get for my portable sawmill?

A: That's up to you and your budget. If you intend on milling longer logs, track extensions may be helpful. If you want to do lap siding, accessories like the lap siding attachment could also be a consideration. Common accessories many landowners purchase with their sawmills include the custom-fitted cover for the saw head as well as a cant hook.

Q: What size of portable sawmill should I get?

A: Look at the size of trees you plan on milling, whether that's trees you intend on harvesting from your own land or ones you plan on acquiring. We always recommend adding an extra 20% to that size, just so you have extra room for odd-sized logs or anything that rolls onto your lot. So if you have 26" logs, you may want to size up to the HM130MAX.

Q: What is the least expensive portable sawmill?

A: That would be the Woodland Mills SE118, which features the same streamlined feature set of other SE sawmills as well as a capacity for 16" logs. It's a great option for sawyers with smaller trees, and offers a great affordable option for those who want to get their feet wet milling while on a budget.