Wannabe Mill Owner needing help

[Buickal]

Hello All and my apologies if this post is not where it should be or how it should be. 

I have absolutely 0 experience with mills beyond watching YouTube videos.  My question is less about what mill to get but rather how to get into milling. I have about 600 acres of land that has planted pines and quite a lot of old growth hardwoods.  I love to build and fix things.  I am planning to build a smokehouse, a pole barn and a 8x10 shed for freezer, fridge, ice maker and general storage.  I'm probably comparable to a homesteader in many ways and think getting a mill and milling wood for my projects is better than buying wood.  

So what's my question exactly?  What do I need to know or think about to go down this path?  Is there a progression where I need to start with a small mill that won't be what I need but allows me to "learn"?  Do I just go for a mill that is big enough for what I will need and just learn on it?  Are there books I need to read or specific training I need?  Are there special mills that work better for the 0 experience beginner?  I want to do this right so I don't get discouraged and quit. I just don't know what I don't know. 

Thanks for any advice you could offer me based on your own experiences and journeys.  

[Stephen1]

Welcome the FF. The best advice is hang out here and reread a bunch of old posts , do some searches and see what you find. The info here goes back 20+ years. 
As with any project, you have to take the 1st step and then it just rolls along. 
More will be along to put in their 5cents worth. 

[Magicman]

Welcome Buickal.  Please add your location to your profile so that we will know and remember.  Questions such as yours can easily be region related.

I was sorta in your situation and bought a used mill that thankfully, at the time, was the biggest and most equipped mill on the market.  Bells and whistles on a sawmill do a lot more than just make sounds.  I would seriously consider used especially if you can locate a SuperHydraulic with a Diesel engine such as what I found.

Search for used sawmills and you will find several options.  I bought mine through Sawmill Exchange.

[Digger Don]

I don't have five cents worth of experience, but I'll throw in two cents worth. Go ahead and get something that will do what you want, in the long run. The lessons will be pretty much the same and you won't need to replace it in a few years. We started with a used Timberking B20 and are still learning how ignorant we are! As Stephan said, hang around here and don't be afraid to ask questions. Don

[thecfarm]

I am only a hobby mill owner. Not much help.
But I see you have a 67hp tractor.    That will get some logs out of the woods. I see from another post you have a grapple too.
I built a log deck to put my logs on. I bridge the gap with a piece of 4 inch X 3 foot piece of 1/4 inch flat stock. I don't trust myself loading logs onto the sawmill with the tractor. Drop a 500# log on the mill a few times and things will happen. I roll most of my logs on with a peavey.
Speaking of peavey, you need a cantdog or a peavey from Logrite. Sponsor on the bottom. Nice people, made in the USA.
Have fun sawing.

[Buickal]

Welcome Buickal.  Please add your location to your profile so that we will know and remember.  Questions such as yours can easily be region related.

I was sorta in your situation and bought a used mill that thankfully, at the time, was the biggest and most equipped mill on the market.  Bells and whistles on a sawmill do a lot more than just make sounds.  I would seriously consider used especially if you can locate a SuperHydraulic with a Diesel engine such as what I found.

Search for used sawmills and you will find several options.  I bought mine through Sawmill Exchange.

Thanks.  I edited my profile to show I am in Georgia.  I like the diesel suggestion as I want to get into making bio-diesel to increase my self sufficiency (I can make diesel using old oil but can't make gasoline).  

[Magicman]

I noticed at least one used sawmill in Georgia.

[Buickal]

I am only a hobby mill owner. Not much help.
But I see you have a 67hp tractor.    That will get some logs out of the woods. I see from another post you have a grapple too.
I built a log deck to put my logs on. I bridge the gap with a piece of 4 inch X 3 foot piece of 1/4 inch flat stock. I don't trust myself loading logs onto the sawmill with the tractor. Drop a 500# log on the mill a few times and things will happen. I roll most of my logs on with a peavey.
Speaking of peavey, you need a cantdog or a peavey from Logrite. Sponsor on the bottom. Nice people, made in the USA.
Have fun sawing.

Thanks.  Those are some really helpful suggestions that I haven't even thought about yet.  I have seen a lot of ads on FB lately for a Logox tool to roll logs but haven't even thought about one yet. 

[thecfarm]

Logrite will be better.    

[Old Greenhorn]

First, a hearty Hail and welcome to the forum! The knowledge you can acquire here will be very helpful as you go forward and you won't find it anywhere else.
I see that you joined in August and only have 29 minutes on the forum. Your question is one that is asked and explored often here, each time with a different twist for the individual person who asked. The good news, you can read all of these threads and gain a ton of knowledge and for for thought. You will find a search button on the top left of the page, use the one, not the one at the very top. Type into the search box "buy a sawmill" (including the quotes) and select the sawmills and milling board as the only one you search to keep it cleaner. A ton of great threads will show up.
Had you been reading along here daily since you joined, you would already know a lot about what running a sawmill means. We ALL have issues to solve, repairs to do, problems to diagnose (either on the mill or the logs/wood), and we all like to help each other, so this is where you get to see what a 'life in the day' is like and also get your eyes opened up to see things you hadn't considered. There are some extremely knowledgeable high end sawyers here doing amazing work, and there are a bunch of guys and gals like me that are only at it a few years, may be running manual mills, learning along, and getting by as they improve their skills and tools. You can learn from all that and ask questions if you don't understand a term or specifics of the conversation.

As far as your question goes, yeah, fill out some of your profile. You have done a good job of laying out your situation and desires, but as you are soon to learn, getting a sawmill is more about material handling than making lumber. You haven't mentioned anything about how you are going to get your logs cut down and to the mill. How will you load them? DO you have a way to handle the slabs? Sawdust? Where will you dry your lumber? Do you have any decent iron to make it happen? All this stuff has an effect on what you settle into for a mill.
Anybody with basic mechanical skills can learn to make good lumber provided they have the right mindset. As my Pop would say "your most valuable tool is the one between your ears".   Fixing, maintaining, and adjusting sawmills is just another part of owning one and will be a regular event. Don't worry, you may suffer a nit getting through some particular adjustment or repair the first time, but after that, it's easy every time.
My other suggestion is to become a regular reader here. Try to read all the posts in the "sawmills and milling" board at least. Whatever you can manage, once a day or a couple of times a week, early mornings, late evenings. Find a time that works for you and stick at it. Knowledge and understanding will come.
Settle in, ask questions, but also provide the surrounding information, use the search tool to do research that fits you and you will be off on a great adventure that may prove to be a game changer for you!

Best of luck.

[SawyerTed]

I'm a retired teacher.  Here's your homework...   I started with minimal experience too.

As already mentioned, you've come to the best online resource for learning to saw with a small portable sawmill. Read here as much as you can

Locate both portable and stationary mills in your area.  Ask if you can stop by when they are running - emphasize that you want to watch will stay out of the way.  Watch them run for a hour or so.  Think about what is going on, material handling, waste removal and observe sawing technique.  Some of it won't make sense to begin with.  Later it will or won't make sense and you'll learn why.  You might get to lend a hand off bearing and stacking lumber.  You will learn a lot there. 

THEN hire a sawyer and mill for at least half a day.  Have your logs - 8 or 10 - stages and ready to saw.  Help off bear.  Stack and place sticks in the lumber.  ASK a bunch of questions.

I did similar to above although I didn't find the Forestry Forum until after I ordered a mill. 

When I was shopping for my first mill, I was 55.  I showed my wife two videos- one of an LT15 and one of an LT35.  Her advice was get the LT 35 for the hydraulics.  I'm pretty sure I would have lost interest in the manual mill.  In retrospect I should have shown her a video of the LT50!

[Buickal]

First, a hearty Hail and welcome to the forum! The knowledge you can acquire here will be very helpful as you go forward and you won't find it anywhere else.
I see that you joined in August and only have 29 minutes on the forum. Your question is one that is asked and explored often here, each time with a different twist for the individual person who asked. The good news, you can read all of these threads and gain a ton of knowledge and for for thought. You will find a search button on the top left of the page, use the one, not the one at the very top. Type into the search box "buy a sawmill" (including the quotes) and select the sawmills and milling board as the only one you search to keep it cleaner. A ton of great threads will show up.
Had you been reading along here daily since you joined, you would already know a lot about what running a sawmill means. We ALL have issues to solve, repairs to do, problems to diagnose (either on the mill or the logs/wood), and we all like to help each other, so this is where you get to see what a 'life in the day' is like and also get your eyes opened up to see things you hadn't considered. There are some extremely knowledgeable high end sawyers here doing amazing work, and there are a bunch of guys and gals like me that are only at it a few years, may be running manual mills, learning along, and getting by as they improve their skills and tools. You can learn from all that and ask questions if you don't understand a term or specifics of the conversation.

As far as your question goes, yeah, fill out some of your profile. You have done a good job of laying out your situation and desires, but as you are soon to learn, getting a sawmill is more about material handling than making lumber. You haven't mentioned anything about how you are going to get your logs cut down and to the mill. How will you load them? DO you have a way to handle the slabs? Sawdust? Where will you dry your lumber? Do you have any decent iron to make it happen? All this stuff has an effect on what you settle into for a mill.
Anybody with basic mechanical skills can learn to make good lumber provided they have the right mindset. As my Pop would say "your most valuable tool is the one between your ears".   Fixing, maintaining, and adjusting sawmills is just another part of owning one and will be a regular event. Don't worry, you may suffer a nit getting through some particular adjustment or repair the first time, but after that, it's easy every time.
My other suggestion is to become a regular reader here. Try to read all the posts in the "sawmills and milling" board at least. Whatever you can manage, once a day or a couple of times a week, early mornings, late evenings. Find a time that works for you and stick at it. Knowledge and understanding will come.
Settle in, ask questions, but also provide the surrounding information, use the search tool to do research that fits you and you will be off on a great adventure that may prove to be a game changer for you!

Best of luck.

Thanks for the welcome and the helpful advice.  I haven't even considered some of the other questions you have raised.  I did join in august but then got sidetracked with a few of life's unexpected cards it deals out.  I'm now back to focusing on the sawmill. There's so much to consider I find it a little overwhelming. I want to always make the perfect/right decision (but once cry once is what I have always heard).  I know that isn't always possible.  I had pretty much focused on getting a portable sawmill to get it to the logs and use the tractor to load the logs. Drying I haven't thought about.  I need to research drying as I know nothing about time to dry or differing methods.  I figured answering the question of how to start milling was step 1 but you have demonstrated how I need to think ahead. Thanks again. 

[Old Greenhorn]

That logox is a higher end ($$) homeowner/landowner tool designed for cutting firewood. I doubt you will ever see one in a loggers crummy. By the time you buy, mess with it, and realize you got the wrong tool for your work, then buy LogRite, you will have lost time and money.
Just look at the LogRite stuff and get the right tool sized for your logs. Now cant hook or peavey, that's the big question! I have both styles and am using 3 different sizes, 2 ultras and a standard.
It's funny, this is a basic tool, but even this can generate a lot of questions, opinions and discussion. There is always a lot to consider.

[Old Greenhorn]

There is a whole other board here on the forum that just covers drying and processing. You might want to add that to Ted's homework list and read over there too.

[moodnacreek]

With that much acreage you should set up a circle mill then you have something. There must be some near you. If you find one being run, that guy will know where others lie. They don't bring much money because they are a lot of work to set up and really need a roof. Frick would be a good choice as many parts are still made for them.

[TroyC]

Welcome!
You will find some great advice from a lot of knowledgeable folks on this site. At one time a lot of us were where you are.

SawyerTed is right-on, good advice. Sawing is tough work physically. Getting your logs out of the woods is tough work. Stacking and stickering is tough work.

You will be surprised how much space sawn lumber takes up. I have a manual mill and only saw for fun (Ha!) but 3-4 days of sawing will fill a large area that takes time to dry.

What part of Georgia are you located? You might find a sawyer close to you that you could visit and get an idea of what all is involved.

Used mills sell fast. A friend recently decided to sell his slightly used manual mill and it sold very quickly for a price he was happy with.

Do you have a budget for the mill and equipment? Always buy the best you can afford...... within reason. I went manual because I did not plan to need great production numbers. My mill suits me fine but you may need more capacity. You can drop 50K easily on a mill if you need it. You can't tell the difference between a board cut off a 5K mill vs a 50K mill if both operators do their job correctly. What you will notice is the larger stack of lumber and no back pain vs a smaller stack and need to take breaks and ibuprofen

Figure out the maximum length of lumber you'll need and look for a mill that will cut slightly longer or can be lengthened. In my case I needed 22' boards so I made a 10' extension.

I watched a lot of videos before purchasing also, and the videos are cool. However, what a video shows in 10-30 seconds might in reality take many hours to set up and prepare. Logs don't just walk up to the mill and jump on, so cutting a tree and loading on the mill might be a 3-4 hour job.

[Buickal]

Welcome!
You will find some great advice from a lot of knowledgeable folks on this site. At one time a lot of us were where you are.

SawyerTed is right-on, good advice. Sawing is tough work physically. Getting your logs out of the woods is tough work. Stacking and stickering is tough work.

You will be surprised how much space sawn lumber takes up. I have a manual mill and only saw for fun (Ha!) but 3-4 days of sawing will fill a large area that takes time to dry.

What part of Georgia are you located? You might find a sawyer close to you that you could visit and get an idea of what all is involved.

Used mills sell fast. A friend recently decided to sell his slightly used manual mill and it sold very quickly for a price he was happy with.

Do you have a budget for the mill and equipment? Always buy the best you can afford...... within reason. I went manual because I did not plan to need great production numbers. My mill suits me fine but you may need more capacity. You can drop 50K easily on a mill if you need it. You can't tell the difference between a board cut off a 5K mill vs a 50K mill if both operators do their job correctly. What you will notice is the larger stack of lumber and no back pain vs a smaller stack and need to take breaks and ibuprofen

Figure out the maximum length of lumber you'll need and look for a mill that will cut slightly longer or can be lengthened. In my case I needed 22' boards so I made a 10' extension.

I watched a lot of videos before purchasing also, and the videos are cool. However, what a video shows in 10-30 seconds might in reality take many hours to set up and prepare. Logs don't just walk up to the mill and jump on, so cutting a tree and loading on the mill might be a 3-4 hour job.

Thanks. Really appreciate the helpful advice.  I haven't even gotten to the point yet of figuring out a mill brand or model.  I think I want used to save up front investment but worry about a mill that's just not desirable or has problems.  I'm learning from responses that learning how to use a mill and which mill is right/what things are necessities versus luxuries is just the top of the iceberg from a need to know things standpoint.  I'm actually near Sandersville GA. I really don't even know how I could figure out what length boards I want to cut but guessed 20' should be more than enough.  I don't have a budget for a mill because I was hoping to figure out the need part and just buy something that had all the must haves at the best price I could find.   But I have no idea what the must haves are.  

[RetiredTech]

I don't have a lot of experience myself. What I can tell you is be careful. Once you scratch that itch it tends to fester.

[Magicman]

Try to avoid those quotes.  We can follow the conversation easier without them.

When I bought my used sawmill my wife's questions were; "With what?  You have never even seen a sawmill much less operate one?  Who are you gonna saw for?  How are you gonna pay for it?  etc." 

My answer to each of them was "I don't know".  I was 59 years old and broke.  The sawmill paid for itself the first year and this is my 22nd year of sawing.  My original plan was to saw and sell but now for 21 years, I only portable saw.

[rusticretreater]

I start just about every major project by making lists in my notebook. 

Harvesting of the logs and management of the brush and branches.  Most folks only use the trunk of a tree up to the fork for good lumber.  The crown of the tree doesn't look like much but when you get it on the ground, there is a lot to clean up and process.

Transporting the logs.  Winches, skidding tongs, chains, straps, log arches, grapples.  One solution does not work for all situations and terrain.

Siting of everything.  A suitable location for the milling shed, nearby log yard, drying area or building, drying kiln.  All need access, suitable space.  Try to find an area that drains well or you spend a lot of time in the mud.

Storage of the logs.  Cleaning up 600 acres, you will quickly accumulate a huge inventory of logs.  Space to store them, movement, easy path to the mill.

Long term storage of wood.  You need racks, pallets, forks or a forklift.

The mill itself.  A good base or foundation.  Then immediately start working to get at least the mill head under cover. 

The lists serve to keep you from forgetting things, allow you to view each area of operation with needs defined.  But you also look to the future.  Ok, I build a lean-to to store lumber in. What if you need another one? or two?  Things evolve.  Site plans, ideas.

The interesting thing about all of this is that everything can be done outside if needed. You just need a bunch of tarps to keep things dry.

The notebook is a great thing to take along if you have to go someplace where you know you will be bored out of your mind.  Doctors appt, family functions, trips.

[thecfarm]

I really don't even know how I could figure out what length boards I want to cut but guessed 20' should be more than enough.    . 

Just so you know mills cut 16 feet, extensions needed after that. Or some fancy siding back a forth.   

[beenthere]

My take on the OP is you have 600 acres to get your logs from, and want to build several buildings. To my way of thinking, you do not want to have a sawmill to tie you down and keeping you too busy to build.
Take the few suggestions to have logs sawn by someone else until you see your way to needing a sawmill. Just my thought.

[TroyC]

OK, Sandersville looks like about an hour north of me. I'm about 15 miles south of Dublin. There is a possibility I'll be up to Dublin late this week, and I'll be up for sure around April 10 for a week or so. We can pull my mill out and give you some exercise if you want to visit. I'm a hobby sawyer so not real fancy and have nowhere the experience most people on the Forum have. I bought my mill to be able to cut trees from my property just for my own use. I learned how to do that but I also learned it is a lot more work than what it looked like on the YouTube videos.

My recommendation would be to get an idea of how much lumber you think you will need and how much time you can devote to milling it. That will steer you towards spending 10K, 30K, or 50K+ on the mill you should consider. A hydraulic mill is really slick and will cut a tremendous amount of wood fast.  If money is not a factor, by all means go for the latest and best. If you have more youth/strength than money, go down from there to find something that fits your budget and requirements. As mentioned, many mills will do up to 16'. Cutting a 22' 2x10 gets serious not only for the size of the log but also simply that the lumber is heavy.

As others have mentioned, you'll need support equipment: tractor, grapple, forks, covered storage area, skidding capability to retrieve logs, log arch, trailers, several chainsaws, blades, sharpening equipment, etc. You may find that for much less than the investment in time and money that you can hire a portable sawyer a couple times a year to fill your storage area.

[thecfarm]

Depends on how much you will use your mill.
I have a manual mill. 
Takes time to cut the trees, bring them out of the woods, cut the lumber and then build. I also clean up the tops of the trees too. 
The above sentence will eat up A LOT of time.
Reason I bought a manual mill it sits sometimes for more then a year before I use it again. There are no switches to rust and not work while it is sitting there. Just a simple mill with a Honda motor. The motor is the only problem I have when sitting for a year.

[Digger Don]

This may be premature, but when you get the mill, be sure to set it up so the prevailing wind is at your back. Sawmills create dust. Wind blows it in your face. Or, away from you. Away is much better. Don