The 5 Best Portable Sawmills

Large portable industrial saw cutting planks

Getty Images / Colby Lysne

Portable sawmill manufacturers with good mills are thriving and do-it-yourself sawmilling for lumber is on the rise. If you have energy enough to saw your own, here are the most popular mills sold in North America. 

These excellent companies were chosen because of their popularity and because they are respected by seasoned portable sawmill operators as well as because they each have Internet sales with great descriptions of their products.

Below are links to manufacturers that represent the very best in portable sawmilling products. These mills are designed to fit nearly every pocketbook, include many model options, and have accessories that enhance the mill readily available. Every company has a proven reputation for quality and each sells throughout the U.S. and Canada.

It is generally understood that the less expensive the mill, the lower the production output, and most smaller mills can actually be purchased online. New portable sawmills from these companies can range in price from less than $1,000 like the Norwood PortaMill Chainsaw or thousands of dollars like the LumberMate Sawmill depending on the amount of production you need.

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TimberKing Sawmills

Founded in 1929 under the name "Belsaw," TimberKing has been manufacturing quality products for nearly a century, and the strength and durability of their American-made quality sawmills are unmatched in the United States.

TimberKing is one of the largest portable sawmill manufacturers in the United States and offers three different models to serve three very different needs: the 1220 mill is suited to small, occasional cutting projects on the farm or at a hunting or fishing camp; the 1600 has more productive capacity with features like hydraulic power feed, hydraulic blade, and available hydraulic log loaders; the B-20 is the choice for using a mill as part of a full-time business venture.

No matter which model you buy, though, TimberKing sawmills come with a 3-year warranty and a 30-days-no-questions-asked return policy — so there's no risk in trying out one of these powerful machines before fully committing to the purchase!

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Wood-Mizer Sawmills

WOOD-MIZER is one of the largest sellers of portable sawmills in the United States and has operated out of Indianapolis, Indiana for over 20 years, manufacturing thousands of personal and portable sawmills to people all over the world.

Their claim: No other company can match Wood-Mizer's selection of mills. They offer two small personal sized mills for small weekend jobs, four professional sized mills for increased production using larger logs, and industrial-strength bandsaw mills that can match circular saws in productivity.

Engineered for quality and performance, the products of this relatively young company are comprehensive and well-reviewed. From stationary to portable, standard to wide, the selection of models in Wood-Mizer's collection is second to none.

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Norwood Sawmills

Not only does Norwood Sawmills offer an excellent website with helpful sawmilling references and video, but they also are a fine vendor for purchasing anything associated with small sawmilling. They even offer a free book for the beginner called "The Ultimate Guide to Portable Sawmills."

Their claim: Each and every Norwood portable sawmill are quality-built in the USA and Canada. The Company emphasizes that you should "never expect an import from China, Taiwan or Poland. You can be assured that every single custom-fabricated component in every Norwood is precision-made in the United States and Canadian facilities. They are never assembled out of foreign-made parts and easily customized to handle post-purchase hydraulic upgrading and increased portability."

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Hud-Son Sawmills

Hud-Son Forest Equipment, Inc. is located in Barneveld, New York and has one of the largest dealer-distributor networks in North America with decades of experience in the manufacturing of sawmill and wood processing equipment.

Hud-Son specializes in portable sawmills, bandmills, and sawmilling equipment and offers reasonable consumer loans for financing the purchase of these industrial-grade machines. According to its website, Hud-Son manufactures "quality, affordable portable sawmills and wood processing equipment" with competent dealers who work hard at helping you get the sawmill up and running.

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Enercraft/Baker Sawmills

Canadian company ENERCRAFT/BAKER has more than 27 years of combined experience in the manufacturing of sawmill equipment. Through continuous improvements to the equipment, Enercaft is a leader in the industry for both portable band sawmills and band resaws.

Enercraft sawmills are built to last, with many of their older models still in use by businesses and homeowners today.

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Nix, Steve. "The 5 Best Portable Sawmills." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/the-best-north-american-portable-sawmills-1343284. Nix, Steve. (2020, August 28). The 5 Best Portable Sawmills. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-best-north-american-portable-sawmills-1343284 Nix, Steve. "The 5 Best Portable Sawmills." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-best-north-american-portable-sawmills-1343284 (accessed March 28, 2024).