What is the Best Portable Sawmill Under $5000?

Whether it's for commercial purposes or for your own homestead, there are great sawmill options for those on a budget

Portable sawmills are great investments for making your own lumber, saving you money in the long-term by giving you a cheaper alternative to buying lumber at retail. 

And a lot of sawmill owners are budget minded because they're seeking to save money, whether it's for their own projects at home or for business uses. The benefits of owning a sawmill include the ability to control your lumber supply and reduce expenses over time.

Regardless, Woodland Mills makes some of the best sawmills on the market with consistent performance and tens of thousands of satisfied customers.

Let's compare some of the best entry-level portable sawmill options below $5,000 to see what fits in your budget, what elements you're looking for and what aspects of a sawmill are worth it to you?

Why should I buy a portable sawmill?

Portable sawmills are great investments because, for the cost of a new sawmill, you can produce thousands of board feet of lumber for your own projects. While you do have to pay upfront for the cost of a new mill, it will produce major savings for years to come by ensuring you no longer need to purchase lumber.

What’s more is that by sourcing your own timber you can ensure your lumber is always high quality, as opposed to what you get from the lumber yard which can be knotty or warped. You also have the power to turn logs into custom dimensions or cut slabs for projects like epoxy pours or custom dining tables. Owning a portable sawmill also allows you to create furniture, such as tables, chairs, or cabinets, from your own milled lumber.

Customers who have purchased portable sawmills often very proud to own a great mill that gives them access to whatever lumber they need whenever they need it.

What features should I look for in a budget portable sawmill?

Portable sawmills are simple machines and Woodland Mills designs ours to be easy to use, but with the potential to be offer even more with accessories.

When looking at the options for affordable sawmills, keep an eye out for these features and see if they're something you need compared to the price:

Engine Size

A bigger engine will help you to cut through wood faster, but that's it. It won't increase your cutting capacity or let you mill bigger logs. Because of that, opting for a smaller engine will save you some money but for the cost of taking up additional time milling.

Ground Mount vs Trailer

When it comes to portability, being able to take your portable sawmill to the logs or across your property can be a great benefit, but do you need it? Many sawmill owners opt to ground mount their mills in dedicated spaces like sawmill sheds, saving them money and time for needing to construct the trailer.

Cutting Capacity

The smaller the cut capacity on a portable sawmill, the cheaper it will be, so if you're only planning on milling smaller logs then you may only need a smaller mill. One piece of advice though is to take the largest log you have and add 20% more size, then use that to decide what mill you need. So if you have a log pile with 21" diameter logs, you may want to size up to a sawmill with a 24" cut capacity like the Woodland Mills HM126. You won't always use that extra cut width, but for oddly-shaped or slightly larger logs you'll appreciate that it's there.

Accessories

All Woodland Mills HM model sawmills are capable of being equipped with track extensions to allow you to cut longer logs, or the Power Head which can save you time and effort from manually lifting or lowering your saw head. But if you’re budget conscious then you may want to consider holding off on these accessories and just going with base models for now. You can always upgrade later.

SE model sawmills don't feature rich customizability with accessories like the HM models, but are priced affordably for any landowner, so consider that before purchasing.

A key point to consider is whether investing in accessories now will improve your efficiency immediately, or if it's better to wait and add them as your needs grow.

What are the best sawmills available for under $5,000?

When it comes to sawmills on a budget you can't go wrong with these reliable models, made of premium quality steel and engineered to last.

Woodland Mills HM126 Portable Sawmill

The HM126 continues to be one of the best-selling options for money minded sawyers and landowners. Engineered by co-founders Neil and Josh in the earliest days of Woodland Mills, this model holds a special place in our company’s history. It set the standard for every sawmill model that followed and remains one of our best-selling products.

It is a great balance of capacity, engine size and features, compatible with a broad range of accessories from track extensions to the Power Head and more.

Specifications

• • 26" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 24" Max Cut Width

  • 9.5 or 14 HP engine options

  • Patented Gas & Go Auto Lube

  • Power Head compatible

Considered one of the best tools for landowners and DIY enthusiasts, the HM126 is a great model for those looking to turn their trees into a useful pile of lumber. Tens of thousands of woodworkers and builders have used their HM126s to craft materials for their off-grid cabins, sheds, decks and patios. Popular with hobby farm owners and small-scale commercial business owners alike the HM126 is considered one of the best budget-friendly mills on the market.

Woodland Mills HM122 Trailer Mounted

If you want greater mobility then you could do an HM122 on a trailer. For customers looking for an entry level mill, the HM122 delivers everything they need. Sometimes the logs aren’t where the sawmill is, so in 2016, we introduced the off-road Bushlander® trailer, to bring your sawmill to the logs instead of bringing the logs to the sawmill. We also offer a patented folding trailer extension, keeping the setup compact and portable when off-road.

Specifications

• • 22" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 20" Max Cut Width

  • 7 or 9.5 HP engine options

  • Gas & Go Auto Lube

  • Power Head compatible

With a mill capable of cutting 22" diameter logs, you can go to-and-from log piles milling up logs for yourself or for customers. This can be great if you run a small tree care company or paid milling service, or for large rural acreage owners who want to haul their sawmill across their land. If you spend a bit more to get the 9.5 HP engine then you can get in and out of the brush or a job site even faster to get to your next milling opportunity.

What are the best Portable Sawmills under $4,000?

Woodland Mills SE126 Portable Sawmill

An excellent option for beginner sawyers that streamlines the portable sawmill to only the essential features. The SE126 offers a great balance for many sawyers, large enough for beams, slabs, and structural lumber, while still being easy to operate. By focusing on core features while maintaining the technology we've refined over more than 15 years of making sawmills, we've made a package that's affordable without sacrificing function.

Specifications

• • 26" Log diameter capacity

  • 24" Max Cut Width

  • 13 HP engine

The SE126 is designed to provide a capable capacity for milling the most common sizes of logs you might have on your property, while also offering an affordable package that any landowner can fit in their budget. When it comes to the best size for cost, consider if the SE126 is right for you.

Woodland Mills HM122 Portable Sawmill

When it comes to trusted performance and reliability you can't go wrong with the HM122, designed to deliver everything for sawyers on a budget. We’re always inspired by what HM122 owners create with our smallest HM-model sawmill, whether it's doing fence posts for their farm or milling lumber for cabins or sheds on their property. While it isn't the largest sawmill on the market, it has a ton of versatility and customizability thanks to compatibility with a wide range of accessories.

Specifications

• • 22" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 20" Max Cut Width

  • 7 or 9.5 HP engine options

  • Gas & Go Auto Lube

  • Power Head compatible

The HM122 was one of the earliest models of Woodland Mills sawmill and is one of the most popular models available on the market. This small but efficient machine is great for those with smaller logs, but is still used by dedicated sawyers who have put hundreds of hours on their machines. For a cheaper option the 7 HP engine will save you a bit of money over going for the max horsepower, and will only cost you a little more time while you're milling.

What are the best Portable Sawmills under $3,000?

Woodland Mills SE122 Portable Sawmill

Small, streamlined and affordable, the SE122 is Woodland Mills' most cost effective portable sawmill. Based on the same technology as the HM122 sawmill, the SE122 delivers its core milling capability in a simplified design to make for a package that any landowner can afford. Well suited for hobby projects around the homestead, the SE122 gives any property owners the chance to mill their own lumber.

Specifications

• • 22" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 20" Cut Width

  • 8.5 HP engine

This is a great option if you want a bit more capacity than Woodland Mills' smallest sawmills, but still want to keep budget in mind. The 8.5 HP motor does the job well and you can always tack on an extra track extension if you want to add a bit more length for longer logs.

Woodland Mills SE118 Portable Sawmill

This is the smallest, most affordable portable sawmill offered by Woodland Mills, designed for landowners who want a simple, budget-friendly way to start milling their own lumber. Our goal when engineering the SE118 was to focus on dependable performance while streamlining it to only the must-have features that won't break the bank.

Specifications

• • 18" Log Diameter Capacity

  • 16" Max Cut Width

  • 7 HP engine

Excellent for sawyers looking for an affordable way to do small projects, DIY builds, hobby work or property maintenance, the SE118 is a tightly designed package with all the essential features you need to start milling your own lumber.

What are some ways of saving money with my portable sawmill?

If you're price-conscious customer looking for ways to mill your own lumber affordably, there's a number of ways to reduce your total costs and recoup your investment.

One of the easiest ways to save money is to sharpen your own blades. From factory new a blade can be sharpened up to five times, letting you get the most out of your sawmill blades. Blade sharpeners like the RCS30 PRO can put new life in your blades and save you money in the long term.

You can also work to try and acquire free logs. Try asking neighbors and friends if they have any trees or logs they don't need or ask around at your local tree care companies to see if you can purchase any of their felled trees for a cheap price.