How to Choose a Mobile Sawmill

Buying a portable sawmill is an important decision. First and foremost, you should buy from a company you can trust. Next, look at the performance functions. A sawmill's performance depends on FOUR key areas: power, design, operation, and log handling.

For mobile sawyers, portability is important, allowing you to take your sawmill wherever your customer needs. In this case, a petrol or diesel engine is ideal. Wood-Mizer offers excellent engines from famous manufacturers like KOHLER or KUBOTA. These engines match the strict emission requirements and perform well in different climates worldwide.

Electric motor sawmills provide the best results for stationary applications. Electricity is generally cheaper than gasoline and diesel, and electric sawmills are less expensive to purchase, more affordable to operate, and easier to maintain. They are also quieter, cleaner, and have a longer life.

A battery powered mobile sawmill is another power option, which appeared in Europe in 2024 when Wood-Mizer launched the industry's first battery-powered mobile sawmill, the LT15CLASSIC WIDE. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack provides up to 8 hours of sawing and recharges quickly with the included charger. 

Wood-Mizer is the only sawmill manufacturer that gives you a choice between a monorail or twin rail sawmill design.

Wood-Mizer has been the only sawmill manufacturer of the monorail cantilever design since 1982, holding several patents on this technology, producing and delivering over 100,000 sawmills of this design worldwide. Wood-Mizer's open side of the cantilever sawhead allows for minimal leveling during set-up, easy off-bearing with the trapezoid bed, and sawing of odd-shaped logs.

Wood-Mizer's open side of the cantilever saw head provides several benefits: 

1. Since the saw head moves along a straight monorail, it produces high-quality cuts and straight, smooth boards, even if the machine is installed on an uneven surface, for example, in a forest;
2. No particular platform or foundation is required for the monorail sawmill operation; 
3. When the mobile sawmill arrives on site, minimal bed leveling and alignment are required to start cutting; 
4. The finished board is easy to remove from the bed, thanks to easy accessdue to the trapezoidal shape of the bed; 
5. The open side of the saw head allows you to mill odd-shaped logs, such as curved, bulging, or large-diameter logs. 

Wood-Mizer LT series machines - LT15, LT20, LT40, and LT70 - are available in mobile versions with homologation and certified in EC for transportation by public roads. The LT mobile sawmills are equipped with a transport kit consisting of a chassis, a tow bar, lighting equipment, a fence, and height-adjustable supports for leveling the machine on site. After the sawyer has towed the sawmill to the job site with his vehicle, he only needs 20 minutes to adjust the machine and start cutting, even if the mill is installed on an uneven surface.

LX sawmills feature a rigid xFRAME sawhead tower that travels on twin parallel hardened steel bars and holds the saw head, engine, and operator control console. LX sawmills saw wider and deeper than standard model monorail sawmills, but leveling the bed on the ground is more complex. Moreover, the LX Series machines have a segmented bed positioned low to the ground, eliminating the possibility of installing hydraulic functions for loading logs. The LX sawmills are mainly used for stationary applications with log loading utilizing a forklift.

In 2024, the only model in the LX series available in a mobile version is the LX50. The models LX50START and LX50SUPER are among the most inexpensive band sawmills on the market, with the possibility of purchasing from the Wood-Mizer European factory through the online store and free delivery to EU countries. The LX50 is the only LX series that, in addition to the 4 kW or 5.5 kW electric motor, is available with the option of a Kohler 9 hp or 14 HP gasoline engine, as well as a transport kit that allows this compact machine to be towed on private roads (not suitable for transport on public roads). Beginners, farms, and small companies that need to cut logs up to 66cm in diameter choose the LX50 for its rugged design, ease of operation, high cut quality, and low cost. 

There are three main things to look for when determining the sawmill operation: Cutting Length, Feed System, and Operator Control Location.

The LT series (LT20, LT40, LT70) have a choice of three bed lengths to cut logs up to:
•       S – 4.8 m 
•       M – 6.1 m – standard board length in industry 
•       L – 8.4 m – suitable for the production of building materials, e.g. for roof structures 

If there is a need to cut longer logs than the bed length allows, in the LT series, it is possible to install additional bed extensions in the following lengths: 
•       0.5 m 
•       0.9 m 
•       1.8 m 
•       3.6 m 
•       7.2 m 

The LX Series and the LT15 sawmill have a segmented bed. You select the cutting length by ordering the number of segments you require. If you need to cut longer logs than your LX or LT15 sawmill allows, you buy and install another bed segment.

The choice of feed system guarantees the cutting performance. 

•    Push Manual Feed. With the push feed system, you can quickly move the sawhead through the cut while keeping a steady pace.

•    Crank Manual Feed. The crank feed system features a hand crank that you turn, allowing the head to travel smoothly down the track.

•    Electric Feed. The advanced electric feed system uses an electric motor to power the head through the log automatically.

During sawing, the operator controls the machine from the control panel. The location of the control panel affects the quality of the operator's work, that is, how good the view of the sawing area is, how comfortable the operator feels, how quickly he gets tired, and how attentively he decreases.

1.    Walk-along. In this working position, the operator walks next to the sawing head along the sawmill bed, individually cutting the logs into boards. This working position allows you to closely monitor the cut quality, any obstacles in the log, cutting speed, and blade performance. This type of control panel is standard for all models of Wood-Mizer mobile sawmills.

2.    Ride-along. The seat moves with the control panel, providing the same visibility but without the need to walk along the sawmill. This option is available for LT40 and LT70 sawmills.

3.    Remote Control. All control functions are located on a separate control panel. Typically, this console type is used on stationary LT40 and LT70 sawmills in workshops producing standard lumber. The remote control creates comfort and ensures low operator fatigue.

4.    Wireless Remote Control. Suitable for mobile LT40 and LT70 sawmills, this control panel offers more flexibility. The operator puts this remote control on his belt and, together with it, can be located next to the machine in any position convenient for him. 

If you're not afraid of physical labor and have the time to load manually and position logs on the bed, Wood-Mizer offers its sawmills equipped with the necessary devices for manual log loading. These can be ramps for rolling logs onto the frame using cant hooks or a manual winch. In addition, the sawmill bed with manual log loading has side supports and a central log clamp. The main advantage of manual log loading is that it is an inexpensive solution compared to a hydraulic system, which provides speed, convenience, and the ability for the operator to work alone without an assistant.

Hydraulics on Wood-Mizer LT20, LT40, and LT70 mobile sawmills safely, efficiently, and quickly load, rotate, level, and clamp a heavy log onto the sawmill bed to choose the optimal position for producing quality lumber. 

By default, the sawmill hydraulic system has at least three hydraulic devices: 
•       Side supports 
•       Central clamp 
•       Toe board rollers that level the log end to compensate for its taper and get the maximum boards out of the log. 

You can select and add the following hydraulic features that may be useful and even necessary for some types of cutting: 
•       Log loader – Loading arms quickly lift the log from the ground and unload it onto the bed. 
•       Log turner – Wood-Mizer produces several types of this device, which allows you to rotate the log on the bed quickly. 
•       Hold-down clamps – Used when sawing crooked logs, holding the ends of the log and pressing them down onto the bed. 
•       A power roller – Used when sawing long logs; it allows you to move the log along the bed. 

The 1.8 m, 3.6 m, and 7.2 m bed extensions used on hydraulic sawmills also have hydraulic functions - side supports, toe board rollers, and clamps. 

Wood-Mizer specialists at your local Wood-Mizer office are ready to answer your questions and help you choose the mobile sawmill that best suits your plans, needs, and budget.

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