Portable saw mill

[inthelight2014]

I am having some land cleared and am having the Doug Fir sold. But I should be left with a considerable amount of ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak. I would like to have a guy come out with a portable saw mill and do the work. I found a guy to do it, but need to know the best equipment to use to load the logs for him.Maybe a tractor, skip loader, or log loader. This will probably be  about 16 hours work.

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, inthelight2014.

Depending upon the sawmill.  Many of the higher production sawmills have their own loader.

[thecfarm]

inthelight2014,welcome to the forum. Magicman,maybe he meant to get the logs to the sawmill. You could pile the logs up,or just pick one up at a time and get it close to the mill.
I do alot with my 40hp tractor. I may not pick some logs up in the air 8 feet and put it in 3rd gear,but it will do it.

[backwoods sawyer]

I always like to see some sort of equipment on site it realy don't matter a whole lot if it is a tractor with loader, skid steer, cat, selfloading log truck, 4x4 truck, excavator, other logging equipment, or even two guys with log rites :D Just what ever is availible.


 


 


 

Logs can either be decked up like these Oregon white oak where a forklift was used to place them in front of the mill. The other two are pondarosa pine and suegar pine layed out in front of the mill one used a cat the other used a tractor.
The redwood were positioned with just Pee-Vee's


  

  

Most mills have loading arms or loading ramps to load the log in the mill.

[dboyt]

This is what I like to see when I roll up to a job site:

Logs decked up neatly with the centers of the logs lined up.
Clean logs that were carried out of the woods instead of dragged through the mud.
Logs resting on poles on the ground so they'll stay out of the dirt and be easier to roll.
A good level area in which to work.
A PLAN: do you need blocking and stickers?
  If you want them cut first (directly from the mill to the stack), stage your ugliest logs to the front.
  If you want them cut last (load onto a trailer, then moved to a drying area), stage the ugly logs to the back.
Truck or trailer positioned to make offbearing as easy as possible.
LUNCH

Putting logs directly onto the mill with a loader requires a skilled operator.  I've had my mill pushed sideways several times, and logs dropped several feet onto the bed.  I prefer to use the mill to load the logs myself.

[LittleJohn]

I personally have a drey skidder (small scale loader attached to a trailer) for loading logs onto mill.  Only issue is if not on solid ground you may actaully slightly pound the mill into the ground when loading or even rotating LARGE logs.  I prefer to relevel the mill each morning before I start, cause it lets me know how my mill is sitting and gives me a chance to work out any kinks I might have from day before.