What is driving sawmill purchase demand

[mike_belben]

way to go boomers.  

;D

[alan gage]

Things go around. It's not the first, nor will it be the last, time that people feel the need to buy a little land and live in the country. There's been a long trend of building big (Mcmansions) with modern painted furnishings. Now wood is coming back. And not just any wood. The uglier and more rustic the better. Hey, why not get a little sawmill and make our own? Or get a big sawmill and cash in on selling it to everyone else.

I wasn't alive then but it seems there was a similar movement after the suburbia boom in the middle of the last century. People are always rebelling against whatever they get tired of, and someday they'll get tired of this. 

It seemed to me this (increased sawmill sales) was all beginning before Covid hit but that in the last year it's really spiked, either due to higher demand, lower output from the factories, or both.

I'd still love to hear the sales numbers from some of the mill manufacturers. How much are sales up? Is it a dramatic amount or is the high demand mere perception because bottlenecks are slowing production?

Alan

[Ohioian]

Like a couple of individuals have stated, there are people like me who have worked for the past 40 plus years and retired early with a large 401k and no bills have some spare money to spend. 
 I purchased one in September as a hobby and to complete a couple of honey do items including a timber frame pavilion. "Happy wife happy life". 
  With 20 plus acres of mature hardwoods, I hate seeing good lumber to go waste due to wind storms or just falling down. 

[OH logger]

I'm in the camp of "there's gonna be plenty of good barely used low hour mills for sale cheap when this eventually blows over". At least that's what I'm waiting for anyways    Then I'll buy one and sell lumber when it's cheap. Lol that's my thing 🤔. Timing has never been my strong suit

[nativewolf]

I'm in the camp of "there's gonna be plenty of good barely used low hour mills for sale cheap when this eventually blows over". At least that's what I'm waiting for anyways    Then I'll buy one and sell lumber when it's cheap. Lol that's my thing 🤔. Timing has never been my strong suit

Oh you are the other guy they keep talking about.  One day we should meet and share stories.

[Southside]

Off topic a little, but to show the insanity of it all.  The county sent out the tax bills last week, in there was a two page note explaining how COVID has caused used vehicles to increase in value, so your year older, with more mileage vehicle has a higher tax bill due, because it's worth more. Can't make this stuff up.   

[bannerd]

At our local church a similar question was asked and many people are buying Saw Mills and Dump Trucks or "AG Things" to be more self sufficient. 

These are the questions that I remember people asking..

• Fear of losing my job because of Covid (not having a way to make money).
• Fear of losing my job because I don't want the COVID vaccine.. which the business I work for is borderline going to mandate.
• Fear of not making money to support my family
• Fear the Economy will collapse and the food market will die (That's why I bought a ton of farming equipment and a horse!).
• Fear the government will want more control and we will need to show ID to obtain food.
• Fear the constitution will be totally eroded and freedoms will be gone.
• Fear the...
• Fear the...

The list went on but at the end of the day the community is strong and I think together we can over come those fears.  In the mean time It seems to me we're not in a good spot and there is a massive amount of freedom being lost especially in the "Commercial/business" vector.  With no freedom or limited freedom it is really driving people to be more self sufficient.  Food bills are the number one expense most people with families face.  When you have a government that is Top heavy to begin with and hands out tax dollars by the margin.. it just adds to the top which will eventually cause total collapse.  Regardless a strong community in heart should pull through but there is a lot of fear and worry these days.

[diegokid]

We were looking at mills for a few reasons.
1.  Going to retire from my second career soon.
2.  Have 60 acres of land.
3.  Relatives who clear land who will provide more free lumber, well I have to go pick it up but have truck and trailer capable of that.
4.  Just like making stuff.

Anyway list goes on but will mostly be used for hobby stuff, friends family.  Have pretty much decided on woodland 130 with a trailer for options to move it around.  Biggest reason is wife of thirty years is on board with it too, that's the majority of the battle for most.

[VB-Milling]

Biggest reason is wife of thirty years is on board with it too, that's the majority of the battle for most.

When the wife is onboard, everything is just easier

[Tacotodd]

Happy wife, happy life!

[jpassardi]

I'm in the camp of "there's gonna be plenty of good barely used low hour mills for sale cheap when this eventually blows over". At least that's what I'm waiting for anyways    Then I'll buy one and sell lumber when it's cheap. Lol that's my thing 🤔. Timing has never been my strong suit

I have to say, I had the same thought - in a couple years there will be a surplus of used mills.

[ohiowoodchuck]

I'm in the camp of "there's gonna be plenty of good barely used low hour mills for sale cheap when this eventually blows over". At least that's what I'm waiting for anyways    Then I'll buy one and sell lumber when it's cheap. Lol that's my thing 🤔. Timing has never been my strong suit

Me either. I'm on the woodmizer waiting list. I'll try my hand with this little manual mill and in a couple years if the market is flooded I'll upgrade to a full hydraulic. I got plenty of wood. 

[Tacotodd]

 ;D

[LeeB]

I suspect the market may be flooded but not so sure the deals will be so great. Internet has changed the price of used items.

[ohiowoodchuck]

I suspect the market may be flooded but not so sure the deals will be so great. Internet has changed the price of used items.

You could be right. I've noticed that a lot here over the last 4-5 years with farm auctions. For what worn out used is bringing, it would be better to buy new. I saw two guys get into a bidding war and paid more for a two year old John Deere planter then what a new one costs. 

[TKehl]

My gut tells me there will be a glut of hobby mills for sale with low hours, but weathered or under a tattered tarp.  

I'm betting the higher end mills will hold more of their value long term though...

[alan gage]

I suspect the market may be flooded but not so sure the deals will be so great. Internet has changed the price of used items.

I think it cuts both ways. It's much harder to find something priced way below market value but it also levels the playing field by letting a person see what's available nationwide to keep someone from asking well over market value without good reason.
Either way if there are more mills than buyers prices will go down, just as now they're going up since there seems to be more buyers than mills.
Alan

[DocGP]

Being a new guy as I am, my small bit of humble advice to those on the waiting list is to order a few blades now.  So they will be waiting for the saw.  Browse the great info here and get a few different ones to try, or if you know, maybe a box or two, so you won't then be waiting on blades when the new baby arrives.

Doc

[Brad_bb]

I agree with Jeff, a lot of mill exposure on youtube and certain prepper shows.  Also, during the pandemic, many people had a lot more time on their hands and looking for something to do, and watching more of the aforementioned youtube etc.

[snobdds]

The average family of 4 received 12k in extra stimulus money for 2020, 2021.

It has to go somewhere...

[farmfromkansas]

Just checked the auction results for yesterdays Big Iron auction, they had a 17 model LT 40HD with a debarker, and it sold for 67,500.  Someone from California bought it. Hope the woodmizer company does not find out, price of mills could go crazy.

[mike_belben]

A fool and his money...

[Southside]

With those prices I might have to wax the 70 and take a promo video of her chewing through a few logs....

[Magicman]

I may have already mentioned it in this topic, but I have had several phone calls from folks wanting to buy my sawmill.  My selling price is firm @ $55K. 

[WV Sawmiller]

  Remember MM - 5% goes to the FF if the buyer saw it here. :D