Anyone ever rent out their saw?

fred in montana · January 31, 2011, 07:24:25 AM

I was wondering if anyone rented out a portable sawmill? It seems like there would be a good demand and they are as easy to operate as any other equipment I have rented.

Cedarman · January 31, 2011, 07:38:55 AM

One big dropped log makes a good mill into a bad mill.
Renters do not always treat others property like their own.
Even if the renter paid all damages, you will not be able to saw for a good bit while mill is repaired or replaced.
I like to sleep at night.
Just my personal feelings on the matter.

Brad_S. · January 31, 2011, 07:41:15 AM

I wouldn't even consider it. Had many requests to over the years but absolutely no way.
I don't think they are easy to operate at all....at least not correctly.
Even if the renter was qualified, the liability insurance alone would be a deal buster.

bandmiller2 · January 31, 2011, 07:44:33 AM

Fred,pretty much only if you go with the mill.Their quite easy to run but theirs a learning curve we don't think of it because we've done it so much.A long term rental to someone who knows what he's doing is anouther story.Frank C.

Bibbyman · January 31, 2011, 08:25:13 AM

:D

SwampDonkey · January 31, 2011, 08:28:31 AM

Ask the boss about loaning saw and man. Then not bringing the saw home. ;)

When someone takes a torch to your mill.

bugdust · January 31, 2011, 08:35:11 AM

Nope, not ole Bugdust. If anyone tears up this mill, it's me.

r.man · January 31, 2011, 08:44:33 AM

I agree with all the arguments that have been posted and I think they apply to almost any piece of expensive machinery. That being said expensive machinery with a learning curve gets rented out every day. I would not expect or advise a sawmill owner to rent just the machine, but that is what a rent-all, or sometimes a dealer does. Do any sawmill dealers rent out saws?

Magicman · January 31, 2011, 08:51:26 AM

NO way!! My Son is the only person that I will even let operate my mill. I have had others to ask. :-\

Chuck White · January 31, 2011, 09:09:16 AM

There are only 2 people in this area I would even consider renting or loaning my mill to!

Those 2 are my FIL & a cousin. They both own WoodMizer LT40's.

Quite a few years back, a guy I know leased a sawmill from a dealer. I think it was a TimberKing!

Jeff · January 31, 2011, 09:30:25 AM

Donk, I never loaned it to them, I sawed for them at the end of the year, and they offered to store it. Can't imagine what might have happened if they had tried to run it. This was a friend.

I would never rent my mill, but there are a certain few I would lend it to.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · January 31, 2011, 09:34:08 AM

Take my wife.....but leave my dog, mill and fishing boat alone!

Jeff · January 31, 2011, 09:39:01 AM

That's one of those comments where ya don't know if it was very brave or very foolish. ;)

redbeard · January 31, 2011, 10:04:27 AM

I think if rental yards saw a market in them they would be renting them like equipment but i believe no matter what mill was tough enough it would be a maintnense nightmere for the mechanics. What would be cheaper you sawing for home owner or home owner renting mill?

terrifictimbersllc · January 31, 2011, 10:12:19 AM

From an old post in the Chainsaw forum....

Quote from: Bibbyman on April 29, 2010, 03:23:35 pm
I've had people actually ask if they could borrow our sawmill!

I told them if they were willing to put down a $50,000 deposit.

:D :D :D

Bandmill Bandit · January 31, 2011, 10:59:45 AM

I rent my saw out all the time but they have to rent me too. Its a package deal.
The truck that pulls it is driven by me or it don't get hooked up and the guy that has the key around his neck is me.
with out me the mill don't move or run.

Had one guy ask me if he could rent it and I said yes. $30,000 refundable deposit and he could pick it up AFTER the check cleared and then sawing price was 30 cents a board foot plus any damage or repairs + blades. Mine is an LT40HDG28 so i cant ask for a 50K deposit like bibbyman. :D

He came back about a week later and asked me to come saw 12 MBF of pine 4/4 x 6 x 12 for flooring and panelling. ;D

SwampDonkey · January 31, 2011, 11:25:46 AM

Quote from: Jeff on January 31, 2011, 09:30:25 AM
Donk, I never loaned it to them, I sawed for them at the end of the year, and they offered to store it. Can't imagine what might have happened if they had tried to run it. This was a friend.

I would never rent my mill, but there are a certain few I would lend it to.

That's why I said "loaning mill and man" With all the additional problems that popped up, I'm not sure it wasn't test driven. :D

Jeff · January 31, 2011, 11:28:35 AM

I doubt if you ever will see a rental sawmill at a rental place. The word sawmill makes insurance companies get out the high capacity ink pen.

argyle1 · January 31, 2011, 11:48:57 AM

nope--I wouldn't, nor my dog, nor my huntin' rifle

Dodgy Loner · January 31, 2011, 11:53:13 AM

I definitely don't believe that portable sawmills are easy enough to operate to justify a rental market. There are plenty of things that go wrong with an experienced operator. I can't imagine the mayhem that would ensue if you were to rent one to a novice. People tend to take the time to do things the right way when they spend thousands of dollars on a shiny new mill. That's generally not the case when they're paying by the hour to rent it.

Bibbyman · January 31, 2011, 12:05:50 PM

We were doing a lot of sawing of walnut for a broker for a number of years. Got to where he'd send in many truck loads of walnut logs and then he'd sort through them on our lot. Some he'd ship back out and some he'd lay out for buyers to come and bid on them. The rest we sawed.

He rented our Terex to do the sorting and paid $50/hr as I remember. That was pretty good return but he had his son run it. I often complained as to how hard he ran the Terex with no positive results. Seems like if something was going to give out, it did it while he was running it. One time the toggle switch on the joystick busted out. Another time a hydraulic connection sprung a leak. A log fell wrong and busted the headlight and housing, bent the fender and mount. There were others I can't remember in detail.

SwampDonkey · January 31, 2011, 12:19:49 PM

There is one site I found on the net that makes casual mention of sawmill rentals. Well, their idea of a rental seems different than mine. From what I see there, they actually mean hiring out the man and his sawmill, not renting it to use yourself. I slight difference. :D ;)

magone · January 31, 2011, 12:22:06 PM

We rented out our lucas once. We set it up and gave them a run down on the mill. But it was to some guys that we deal with and trust them. Other than that I don't think we would let the general public use it.

Kansas · January 31, 2011, 12:46:30 PM

No way to the general public. One thing is I think its easy to forget how often you wind up fixing or tweaking a bandmill. Might just be a simple adjustment. But rarely do you get through the day that you don't have to do at least some little thing to it. Its not like renting a skidsteer or a car. Occasionally one of the help wants to cut something up for himself on the weekend, and that's fine. But they are around them all week, and have run them. They know how to tweak.

Tom · January 31, 2011, 01:04:55 PM

It has always amazed me, how many people think of sawmills as being in the same category as grubhoes and bulldozers.

Sawyer's tools are to be used with finesse'. Those that aren't, are soon sent to the dump.

I liken the request to "Borrow" my sawmill as to borrowing my Great Granddaddy's pocket knife. You'd have to be a Husband-in-law to borrow my wife too.