My Woodyard got real small after I starter cutting. With the space required for the log deck, a lumber stack or two, the waste wood and enough room to run the tractor. Budgeting space helps. Good vid! Thanks Troy
In the realm of chainsaws, you can get by with one high-quality saw that is big enough to fell/section the largest logs you anticipate dealing with. I definitely agree to avoid cheap saws (been there, done that, basically threw money away). I would suggest people stick with Husqvarna, Stihl, or Echo as probably the big three. To move from "bare minimum" to "better" I would add a second smaller saw. You probably don't really want to hassle with a 60-90 cc monster saw for limbing and working with smaller trees. Plus, having a backup saw to help free your main saw when (not if) you get it stuck can be a good idea. I actually have an old, cheap Homelite 16" saw that's been running flawlessly for 20 years now, and it is my go-to saw for felling small trees, clearing the working area around trees I'm felling, and limbing. Having a smaller saw at the mill to cut off material that is interfering with the mill is also handy. Don't forget wedges and an axe or hatchet for felling plus files to sharpen your saw chain, and a spare chain or two. (The list really is never-ending, isn't it!) Appreciate the video!
@The Night Life @Red Tool House - Homestead Or you could just have a second bar and chain. Remove the powerhead from the stuck bar, attach the back-up bar and chain and away you go. Wedges are also handy for unsticking chainsaws.
I spent more on my sawmill thanks to people like you that showed me the work involved in using a bandsaw mill! I also spent more on a tractor to be able to move larger logs since my property has 60ft southern pine that are 3ft in diameter at head height and some stay that size 20ft high! So they are quite heavy when I want to leave them 16' to 20' long! I also have two saws one 36" one 16" both Husqvarna because they so my budget was around $100k but half that was a new tractor! I am glad I spent more on hydraulic mill and newer tractor because its definitely a lot of work felling your own trees getting them cleaned up and moved to sawmill then milling them and stacking lumber to dry! But I have probably already recouped $10k of my investment of equipment in 1 year and I have at least 10 more years and just starting to mill for other people so should pay for it all in less than 5 years! I did buy all equipment without loans so I'm good either way im not suggesting to borrow money since that's counter productive! You definitely have to like the work because its not about money so if you don't like sawdust and sweat hire someone that does and save your back!
Purchased a Woodland Mills set up about 6 months ago, with a box of blades, extension rails, cant hook, spare parts and shipping it was almost $6K. already own a 60hp tractor with loader. I did purchase a cheap set of forks that helps with moving and loading logs and my Sthil 291 20" cost me $ 500. I only have 20 Ac with around 15 being Planted and natural growth Pine of around 40 /50 yrs old That should last me a while and I will be Picking up logs from other locations as opportunities come up. I have a 18 ft trailer I need to add a winch to. I figure by the time I frame and close in most of my 40 x 60 pole barn the Mill will be paid for its self. Hopefully as I go I can sell some Lumber as well to offset Blade cost and fund the purchase of a Blade sharpener system.
This was great! I must say that I was a bit surprised at just how much all the extras amounted to. It's funny, but just about any person could do similar video's on anything related to 'country living', starting a business or any hobby. Planting a garden, doing vehicle maintenance/repairs, reloading ammunition, building/flying Radio Controlled Airplanes, Golf.
The only thing I would add is a pickaroon. Might not be 100% needed in a bare bones operation, but your back will thank you. It’s great for dragging heavy slabs off the cant l, instead of picking them up when you can’t get your fingers under the newly cut edge..
On chainsaws, buy the best quality you can afford, but not the biggest. Massive macho saws that you don’t really need will wear you out quickly, no matter how ripped you are. If you’re only going to buy one saw, keep it modest. Or, as one other commenter said, consider having a small saw and a larger saw. You’ll be amazed how often you grab the smaller one. Do your research - the major brands (eg. Stihl, Husqvarna) have different series of saws for consumers (occasional cutting), “farm” (medium use”), and pro series for frequent use and/or a lifetime investment. There is a substantial difference in price - be realistic about what you really need. For first timers who want to buy one saw, the Stihl MS250 with an 18” bar is a very capable saw at a ridiculously good price. I have put hundreds of hours on mine and have never had an issue (and even bought one for my son!). If you can afford it, the Stihl MS261 with an 18” bar is one of the best all-purpose “pro” saws you can buy (yes, I have one of those too... and several others bigger and smaller). Husky has similar options. Do you really need a ridiculously long bar? No - how often will you cut a 24” log? A modest size saw with an 18” bar (or maybe 20” if you have a really mature forest) will probably cut 90% of your trees in one pass. And when it doesn’t, you can cut from two sides up to “36”!! I own 5 saws but use 3 of them for most my cutting. My little MS170 is in my hands 25-30% of the time for limbing and clearing brush and small trees. I am not a young man anymore and have arthritic hands, but I can work with that 170 all day!
Some things I would go for used/second hand. Some kind of trailer with crane for logs and then lumber, it's allso usefull for loading logs on the mill. But other than that, great video 👍🏽😎!
hey we get water in California, where just not allowed to touch it as LA needs their green grass lawns and golf course in the middle of a desert... However one thing you left out is space you need a lot of space to store to boards and to work safely, and that has to be factored in.
Hey Troy! Excellent, informative, and logical discussion of this topic, as I would always expect from you! 👍 My only take on this, is that if you're going to sink about 10 grand into the mill, for a decent one, plus the extra supplies, there's no way I would let it sit outside exposed to weather. I would be definitely putting it under an enclosure, so that maybe another cost factor. Keep up the great work and God bless! 🙏
That is what I have thought ever since I started watching this channel. Not free lumber very very low cost would make a lean-to cheap to make. Troy, when will you cover your mill? And your drying lumber too.
Cut 2 benches into a slope. One for the mill, the other a bit higher on the off operator side. Drag the log to the upper bench. Add a couple of sturdy planks and the log rolls on the level onto the mill.
nice list ... for basics .. one thing your forgetting is knowledge of creating boards ... before you waste 10 grand or more you really should know quarter sawn burl cuts ect and dimensional cutting factors a moisture meter is very very handy also. i would really put carport type system over the mill .. 6k and 2 years later you have rust damage.. every tool you get will have its own list of thing you need for that tool.. chain saws better have more then one imho.. and all the extras needed for that ..
i thing it will cost a little more than that. i thing you need 2 chain saws. i have 4 running saws 46, 41, 28 super and a electric one for triming. i am getting ready for my mill and will be putting roof over it i thing that is a real need for all sawmills. if you are going to saw really big logs over 30 inch wide and over 12 foot. you will need a good loader. plan out everything be fore you set your mill works best to load logs on one side put sawed lumber on other side and waste on one end in a rack of some kind. you will need to get to all sides. thanks for videos have learned a lot from your video's take care, be safe and well.
Something to also consider: Which brand of bandsaw mill are you going to buy? If you want to go with something made in China like the Norwood then the turnaround on your order will be fairly quick (adding however long it takes to get off the boat). However if you want to get a NEW Wood-Mizer or EZ boardwalk which are American Made, then the turnaround on your order is something like a year or more before shipping. The pandemic with the forced quarantines has put both companies behind on making the things, so their lists of orders has grown substantially. Another thing to consider is how inflation might play a role in getting a used mill, (if you are lucky enough to find one for sale). The Demand for these mills has gone up considerably what with lots of people having more time to start new hobbies/businesses.
Should make for a healthy used market. 1/2 of the people that will but will use a few times realize it's real work, how much support equipment you need, then sell it.
The question is do you want a real mill or a hobby mill. Baker, Cook and Woodmizer are real sawmills that cut good lumber. The others are all for those who are just kidding themselves.
@@hollawaylawoffice1122 Must have had smoke blown up my @@@ by a Woodmizer dealer a few months ago. Just checked with Norwood that they are originally a Canadian company, and that the fastest turnaround on a mill is about two weeks, (as of this posting).
I don’t know about Norwood, but Woodland Mills sure deceives the public eluding that they are Canadian made. The fact is they are a Canadian company selling equipment brought from China and then sold as Canadian.
Just because you left nothing out I will say a square and chalk line. Looks like the new sawmill location has nice new gravel. Your camera angles today didn't make it look as steep as usual. Looking forward to the new setup.
@@RedToolHouse For sure. We didn't think through loading the logs onto the mill very well. My good friend owns a tree service and has acres of wood he just wants gone, so the logs are already right there. Figured we would get away with some cant hooks and a ramp, boy were we wrong.
@@RedToolHouse We'll get it figured out. Naturally we had a ball bearing drop out of the assembly while we were putting together our LM30 as well. Because why wouldn't it 😆
One very important thing worth mentioning. Having a skillset. Felling trees is dangerous even if you know what your doing. No doubt you assumed only people with the skillset would be interested in your vid. But in today's world everyone is looking for more income streams, the tax man and regulators are making it mandatory.
VERY good point. Would hope someone doesn’t go out with zero experience and start cutting trees but there is a reason why there are so many warning labels on ladders these days.
I've got $20 bucks riding on one "sexy" comment this video. Thirty seconds into it now. 🤞 Edit: Seventeen minutes of tool talk and nothing was sexy!?! ☹️ Maybe next time.
My Woodyard got real small after I starter cutting. With the space required for the log deck, a lumber stack or two, the waste wood and enough room to run the tractor. Budgeting space helps. Good vid! Thanks Troy
Do not forget the most important thing--Your spouses support. And that is PRICELESS. !
OMG John that is what I said than scrolled down and saw your comment. LOL
Watching your videos make me wish I had more space and a younger back! LOL My wife and I enjoy your videos so much. Keep them coming!
In the realm of chainsaws, you can get by with one high-quality saw that is big enough to fell/section the largest logs you anticipate dealing with. I definitely agree to avoid cheap saws (been there, done that, basically threw money away). I would suggest people stick with Husqvarna, Stihl, or Echo as probably the big three. To move from "bare minimum" to "better" I would add a second smaller saw. You probably don't really want to hassle with a 60-90 cc monster saw for limbing and working with smaller trees. Plus, having a backup saw to help free your main saw when (not if) you get it stuck can be a good idea. I actually have an old, cheap Homelite 16" saw that's been running flawlessly for 20 years now, and it is my go-to saw for felling small trees, clearing the working area around trees I'm felling, and limbing. Having a smaller saw at the mill to cut off material that is interfering with the mill is also handy. Don't forget wedges and an axe or hatchet for felling plus files to sharpen your saw chain, and a spare chain or two. (The list really is never-ending, isn't it!) Appreciate the video!
Good additions for sure. Backup chainsaw is definitely handy
@The Night Life @Red Tool House - Homestead Or you could just have a second bar and chain. Remove the powerhead from the stuck bar, attach the back-up bar and chain and away you go. Wedges are also handy for unsticking chainsaws.
I spent more on my sawmill thanks to people like you that showed me the work involved in using a bandsaw mill! I also spent more on a tractor to be able to move larger logs since my property has 60ft southern pine that are 3ft in diameter at head height and some stay that size 20ft high! So they are quite heavy when I want to leave them 16' to 20' long! I also have two saws one 36" one 16" both Husqvarna because they so my budget was around $100k but half that was a new tractor! I am glad I spent more on hydraulic mill and newer tractor because its definitely a lot of work felling your own trees getting them cleaned up and moved to sawmill then milling them and stacking lumber to dry! But I have probably already recouped $10k of my investment of equipment in 1 year and I have at least 10 more years and just starting to mill for other people so should pay for it all in less than 5 years! I did buy all equipment without loans so I'm good either way im not suggesting to borrow money since that's counter productive! You definitely have to like the work because its not about money so if you don't like sawdust and sweat hire someone that does and save your back!
I love this video and I agree with it one thing I baught as an extra was a trailer with a winch to haul logs
Purchased a Woodland Mills set up about 6 months ago, with a box of blades, extension rails, cant hook, spare parts and shipping it was almost $6K. already own a 60hp tractor with loader. I did purchase a cheap set of forks that helps with moving and loading logs and my Sthil 291 20" cost me $ 500. I only have 20 Ac with around 15 being Planted and natural growth Pine of around 40 /50 yrs old That should last me a while and I will be Picking up logs from other locations as opportunities come up. I have a 18 ft trailer I need to add a winch to. I figure by the time I frame and close in most of my 40 x 60 pole barn the Mill will be paid for its self. Hopefully as I go I can sell some Lumber as well to offset Blade cost and fund the purchase of a Blade sharpener system.
This was great! I must say that I was a bit surprised at just how much all the extras amounted to. It's funny, but just about any person could do similar video's on anything related to 'country living', starting a business or any hobby. Planting a garden, doing vehicle maintenance/repairs, reloading ammunition, building/flying Radio Controlled Airplanes, Golf.
We are thinking about moving to WV. Such a beautiful looking place. Thanks for the video.
Love the vids! I just moved from Romney WV bc of the lack of jobs. Love WV though.
Think God their are a few good men left on this earth, thanks for what your family are doing.
The only thing I would add is a pickaroon. Might not be 100% needed in a bare bones operation, but your back will thank you. It’s great for dragging heavy slabs off the cant l, instead of picking them up when you can’t get your fingers under the newly cut edge..
Thank you, brother, for sharing your knowledge with us. I guess you could call it a form of ministry. 😇
Amazing
I worked hurricane Katrina in McComb MS!
31 days there restoring power.
You worked way harder than I did! We were there doe a week
On chainsaws, buy the best quality you can afford, but not the biggest. Massive macho saws that you don’t really need will wear you out quickly, no matter how ripped you are. If you’re only going to buy one saw, keep it modest. Or, as one other commenter said, consider having a small saw and a larger saw. You’ll be amazed how often you grab the smaller one.
Do your research - the major brands (eg. Stihl, Husqvarna) have different series of saws for consumers (occasional cutting), “farm” (medium use”), and pro series for frequent use and/or a lifetime investment. There is a substantial difference in price - be realistic about what you really need. For first timers who want to buy one saw, the Stihl MS250 with an 18” bar is a very capable saw at a ridiculously good price. I have put hundreds of hours on mine and have never had an issue (and even bought one for my son!). If you can afford it, the Stihl MS261 with an 18” bar is one of the best all-purpose “pro” saws you can buy (yes, I have one of those too... and several others bigger and smaller). Husky has similar options.
Do you really need a ridiculously long bar? No - how often will you cut a 24” log? A modest size saw with an 18” bar (or maybe 20” if you have a really mature forest) will probably cut 90% of your trees in one pass. And when it doesn’t, you can cut from two sides up to “36”!!
I own 5 saws but use 3 of them for most my cutting. My little MS170 is in my hands 25-30% of the time for limbing and clearing brush and small trees. I am not a young man anymore and have arthritic hands, but I can work with that 170 all day!
Some things I would go for used/second hand. Some kind of trailer with crane for logs and then lumber, it's allso usefull for loading logs on the mill. But other than that, great video 👍🏽😎!
A real sawmill $80,000
Log deck infeeder $14,000
Board edger $16,000
60 cobalt blades $5,000
50hp tractor w/loader $35,000
Cat Claw sharpener and setter $3,500
Stihl chainsaw $700
Chop saw $500
Banding tool & supplies $300
HD trailer w/7k axles $5,000
Diesel, oil, misc tools etc. $2,500
Money to buy logs $5,000
That's for a real sawmill setup.
Makes perfect sense for the small farm. That is more than I have invested in my 100 acres of land
hey we get water in California, where just not allowed to touch it as LA needs their green grass lawns and golf course in the middle of a desert... However one thing you left out is space you need a lot of space to store to boards and to work safely, and that has to be factored in.
Yes! Underestimating your setup would be a big issue!
Great subject.
Dang, then I remember how old I am. Maybe in my next life.
I'm old enough to retire but still milling lumber. Wish I could afford to retire.
Hey Troy! Excellent, informative, and logical discussion of this topic, as I would always expect from you! 👍
My only take on this, is that if you're going to sink about 10 grand into the mill, for a decent one, plus the extra supplies, there's no way I would let it sit outside exposed to weather. I would be definitely putting it under an enclosure, so that maybe another cost factor. Keep up the great work and God bless! 🙏
That is what I have thought ever since I started watching this channel. Not free lumber very very low cost would make a lean-to cheap to make. Troy, when will you cover your mill? And your drying lumber too.
Née site location was excavated several weeks ago. We detailed it on the channel. These new location will have a shelter.
Cut 2 benches into a slope. One for the mill, the other a bit higher on the off operator side. Drag the log to the upper bench.
Add a couple of sturdy planks and the log rolls on the level onto the mill.
I have always wanted to try that on our slope but drainage concerns and too much slope always kept me from trying it
nice list ... for basics .. one thing your forgetting is knowledge of creating boards ... before you waste 10 grand or more you really should know quarter sawn burl cuts ect and dimensional cutting factors a moisture meter is very very handy also. i would really put carport type system over the mill .. 6k and 2 years later you have rust damage.. every tool you get will have its own list of thing you need for that tool.. chain saws better have more then one imho.. and all the extras needed for that ..
i thing it will cost a little more than that. i thing you need 2 chain saws. i have 4 running saws 46, 41, 28 super and a electric one for triming. i am getting ready for my mill and will be putting roof over it i thing that is a real need for all sawmills. if you are going to saw really big logs over 30 inch wide and over 12 foot. you will need a good loader. plan out everything be fore you set your mill works best to load logs on one side put sawed lumber on other side and waste on one end in a rack of some kind. you will need to get to all sides. thanks for videos have learned a lot from your video's take care, be safe and well.
Very informative video, Troy. Thanks.
You left out a very big one. A good woman to help, and bring you coffee and a snack. PRICELESS. LOL
It not a bad idea to reach out to someone ,who had experience at what you are doing.
Something to also consider: Which brand of bandsaw mill are you going to buy? If you want to go with something made in China like the Norwood then the turnaround on your order will be fairly quick (adding however long it takes to get off the boat). However if you want to get a NEW Wood-Mizer or EZ boardwalk which are American Made, then the turnaround on your order is something like a year or more before shipping. The pandemic with the forced quarantines has put both companies behind on making the things, so their lists of orders has grown substantially. Another thing to consider is how inflation might play a role in getting a used mill, (if you are lucky enough to find one for sale). The Demand for these mills has gone up considerably what with lots of people having more time to start new hobbies/businesses.
Should make for a healthy used market. 1/2 of the people that will but will use a few times realize it's real work, how much support equipment you need, then sell it.
Made in China? Norwood? Where did you hear that? Canada and USA is what they advertise ? I have a Norwood.
The question is do you want a real mill or a hobby mill. Baker, Cook and Woodmizer are real sawmills that cut good lumber. The others are all for those who are just kidding themselves.
@@hollawaylawoffice1122 Must have had smoke blown up my @@@ by a Woodmizer dealer a few months ago. Just checked with Norwood that they are originally a Canadian company, and that the fastest turnaround on a mill is about two weeks, (as of this posting).
I don’t know about Norwood, but Woodland Mills sure deceives the public eluding that they are Canadian made.
The fact is they are a Canadian company selling equipment brought from China and then sold as Canadian.
Thank you for the video
Loved the information. Keep it up!
Just because you left nothing out I will say a square and chalk line. Looks like the new sawmill location has nice new gravel. Your camera angles today didn't make it look as steep as usual. Looking forward to the new setup.
Yes! Quickest $800 I have spent in a while!
Thinking about a Norwood mill (HD38)...can you recommend the basic attachments needed? Thx....Gary
Wish this came out before we bought our mill....
Did you run into unexpected expenses?
@@RedToolHouse For sure. We didn't think through loading the logs onto the mill very well. My good friend owns a tree service and has acres of wood he just wants gone, so the logs are already right there. Figured we would get away with some cant hooks and a ramp, boy were we wrong.
Yeah, when you are sawing mature trees it sure is tough to do anything by hand.
@@RedToolHouse We'll get it figured out. Naturally we had a ball bearing drop out of the assembly while we were putting together our LM30 as well. Because why wouldn't it 😆
@@RedToolHouse Thanks for your videos BTW.
Troy it was a long time ago that you damaged a blade by hitting the log rest.
The big thing is that you need a helper. All of us are not as fortunate to have a good helper like you. Just saying
LOL @ "I have safety equipment in my side-by-side..." so it's kept safe?
Hello Troy, do you have any more info from your contact at TP about getting timbers graded for log homes?
One very important thing worth mentioning. Having a skillset. Felling trees is dangerous even if you know what your doing. No doubt you assumed only people with the skillset would be interested in your vid. But in today's world everyone is looking for more income streams, the tax man and regulators are making it mandatory.
VERY good point. Would hope someone doesn’t go out with zero experience and start cutting trees but there is a reason why there are so many warning labels on ladders these days.
Troy, I think your estimate was very low.
I spy a few loads of new rock
Still chainsaws are best if you are being paid by the hour. They are slow. You get paid more for cutting less wood.
Mine still outruns me!
I've got $20 bucks riding on one "sexy" comment this video. Thirty seconds into it now. 🤞
Edit: Seventeen minutes of tool talk and nothing was sexy!?! ☹️
Maybe next time.
Hello, how about 17 minutes of narrator sexy?
@@RedToolHouse Well, I'm a guy so.....🤷♂️. 😅
Fully understand! We will stick with sexy design and build stuff
Oak is still heavy after curing. Oops, there goes your theory of, "a whole bunch of water surrounded by bark.". Hardwood is more dense, Troy!
Live oak is lighter than white oak when dry. It has way more water than the other oaks do
But you didn't specify, did you?
Btw, whiskey barrel makers claim the white oaks are an endangered species.🧐