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Starting mobile sawmill business

Started by TroutHunter, January 23, 2015, 08:13:56 PM

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TroutHunter

Hey there I am new to the forum and am looking for advice for possibly starting a mobile sawmill business.  I have had my eye on this type of business for a couple years now and have done some research as far as others in the area, types of species available, and offering milling as a service.  I am interested in the urban sawmill aspect of the business.  I live in northwest Montana, and this would be a side job type business to help pay for my mill.  I'm in my 30's and have a shift work type career so having a mill would just be for fun! I also have experience with running a LT40hd on and off for the past few years and am thinking of getting my own for my own personal projects.  Any advice would be great! 

customsawyer

Welcome to the forum. I say get the mill. I am thinking of what Happycamper said. May he rest in peace. If you get a chance do a search on his post.
Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
www.thecustomsawyer.com

HaroldSiefke

Where at in northwest Montana are you I use to live in Troy and Libby .... Troy being the most new that you can get. Looking at moving back that way if the property is right.. 8) I know there in Troy Chapel cedar does a lot of milling. I miss the area..good place to have a mill. Hal
Harold

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: customsawyer on January 23, 2015, 08:20:04 PM
Welcome to the forum. I say get the mill. I am thinking of what Happycamper said. May he rest in peace. If you get a chance do a search on his post.

x2
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

TroutHunter

Hey thanks guys, I'm wondering if there is other aspects of this mobile sawmill business I need to look at and account for before I jump right in.  I'm thinking about:  working with city's for urban milling, private homeowners with just a few trees, etc.  I have read quite a few articles about small sawmill businesses and it sounds like it feast for famine at times. 

FarmingSawyer

Expect famine during the winter up north for sure..... and as you start, the feasts can be short and quick. But if you love what you do and others do too, then you should do alright.
Thomas 8020, Stihl 039, Stihl 036, Homelite Super EZ, Case 385, Team of Drafts

WV Sawmiller

Trout,

    Welcome. I'm just starting out myself. Just about everything you need to know is here on the forum if you research far enough including business cards, contracts, pricing, insurance, sawing techniques, etc. Be sure you have the support equipment to handle the business. I assume you have an adequate truck to tow the mill but how will you move and turn the logs? In a rural environment you can expect the customer to have a tractor or other equipment but I doubt that is the case in town. Things I'd be concerned about would be how to cut in a confined area and handle close neighbors. How will you avoid or resolve complaints about the noise, sawdust, debris, etc.? Not impossible but I'm sure they will have to be addressed. Good luck. Be careful out there.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

slider

I was thinking the same thing about support equipment but that will come in time.Keep your day job,ease your way into it a little at a time and try not to go in debt.Build a customer base and enjoy what you are doing.If you don't have big payments when it gets slow then you can relax.One thing that's most important is to become a good sawyer and charge a fair price.That alone will get you repeat business.Good luck and keep us informed.al
al glenn

TroutHunter

Those are some good questions to think about, I have been involved with milling lumber with minimal equipment and it can be tough!  I have a good truck to pull the mill and a small chainsaw but that's all.  I'm starting from scratch, but that's ok I want to keep this fun and be able to accomplish my own projects as well, build a shop, cabin, etc.  I am thinking of providing more of a service type sawmill business that focuses on urban trees.  Keeping my business model small and payments low.  Anyone out there with that type of one man operation? 

TroutHunter

Quote from: slider on January 24, 2015, 09:30:49 AM
I was thinking the same thing about support equipment but that will come in time.Keep your day job,ease your way into it a little at a time and try not to go in debt.Build a customer base and enjoy what you are doing.If you don't have big payments when it gets slow then you can relax.One thing that's most important is to become a good sawyer and charge a fair price.That alone will get you repeat business.Good luck and keep us informed.al


Thanks for the advice, I enjoy my day job and want to just do sawing for a side business.  I agree to start off slow and become a good sawyer first.

Chuck White

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, TroutHunter.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

hunz

I say go for it as well. Start off with an older hydraulic mill until you can see how business will go. If things pick up for you and seem steady, then bring on a newer mill and support equipment. Your location is vastly different than mine, but that doesn't mean there isn't just as much opportunity. Good luck!
Dream as if you'll saw forever; saw as if you'll die today.



2006 Woodmizer LT40D51RA, Husqvarna 372xp, Takeuchi TL140

Joe Hillmann

If you are thinking of doing urban milling you may want to think abut getting a small mill that can be maneuvered into place by hand by one or two people.  That way if you are at a place where equipment isn't available to move the logs to the mill you can move the mill to each log.  Another thing to think about is a log arch for maneuvering logs in tight places or without powered equipment.

Gasawyer

Welcome to the forum!    If you like LT 40 hyd. there are several super hydraulic diesel mills for sale now around 20k with low hours. Good luck with your endevor.
Woodmizer LT-40hdd super hyd.,Lucas 618,Lucas 823dsm,Alaskian chainsaw mill 6',many chainsaws large and small,NH L555 skidsteer, Int. TD-9,JD500 backhoe, and International grapple truck.

dean herring

GaSawyer, are any of the mills you were talking about for sale any where close to me here in north La. Thanks.
Failure is not an option  3D Lumber

hunz

Quote from: Gasawyer on January 24, 2015, 06:45:27 PM
Welcome to the forum!    If you like LT 40 hyd. there are several super hydraulic diesel mills for sale now around 20k with low hours. Good luck with your endevor.

I have been hunting a low hour diesel lt-40 super for over 2 months now to no avail in the 20k range. If you do happen to know where I can find the mills you are talking about, please PM me ASAP. I just sold my lt-35 3 days ago, and have jobs lined up that need to be started. Woodmizer in 3 locations said that I am looking for a needle in 1000 haystacks......we'll see
Dream as if you'll saw forever; saw as if you'll die today.



2006 Woodmizer LT40D51RA, Husqvarna 372xp, Takeuchi TL140

Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, TroutHunter.   8)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

TroutHunter

Quote from: Magicman on January 24, 2015, 10:06:17 PM
Welcome to the Forestry Forum, TroutHunter.   8)


Thanks, you seem to be on here quite a bit, any advice for starting an urban sawmill service?

Andries

I'm nowhere close to MM's experience and business savy, but here's some initial thinking . . . .
We've been urban tree milling for six years - my son is on the tree service side and I do the milling and marketing.
Some points to consider:
* arborists and tree removal people don't get paid 'tll the job is done and the site is clean.
* being a sawyer/wood milling is perhaps more work related to material handling that actual milling.
* the first two points equal: you may need equipment to remove the downed trees quickly without leaving tire ruts on fancy lawns and find a site that you can do your milling, drying and selling finished product.
* the further you can take your tree to finished product the more money you can make.
We have a small Gehl loader that can take a 2000 lb log from between houses and place them on a logging trailer. The same loader then loads logs on the mill, lifts slabs and stickered lumber off the mill and onto drying racks.
A clever guy on this forum once said:"if I have to choose between hydraulics on a loader or a mill - go with the loader first."

Your avatar photo shows a truck and a river drift boat behind it, no? That's one of my bigger markets - wooden boat material. The builders love air-dried bur oak, it bends very nicely and takes a lot of water to start decaying.
Good luck!
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

ohwc

Urban harvesting is a very small market so part time would work. In about 50% of my urban jobs you can not get a band mill in or the log out.

Magicman

I don't know if my business is urban or rural, but it is almost 100% portable.

Business cards.

Set up at your local feed/seed store and saw for a couple of days.  Do more talking than sawing, and give the store owner the lumber.

Do sawing demo's at your county fair, etc.

Website and Facebook.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

TroutHunter

Quote from: Andries on January 25, 2015, 12:00:20 AM
I'm nowhere close to MM's experience and business savy, but here's some initial thinking . . . .
We've been urban tree milling for six years - my son is on the tree service side and I do the milling and marketing.
Some points to consider:
* arborists and tree removal people don't get paid 'tll the job is done and the site is clean.
* being a sawyer/wood milling is perhaps more work related to material handling that actual milling.
* the first two points equal: you may need equipment to remove the downed trees quickly without leaving tire ruts on fancy lawns and find a site that you can do your milling, drying and selling finished product.
* the further you can take your tree to finished product the more money you can make.
We have a small Gehl loader that can take a 2000 lb log from between houses and place them on a logging trailer. The same loader then loads logs on the mill, lifts slabs and stickered lumber off the mill and onto drying racks.
A clever guy on this forum once said:"if I have to choose between hydraulics on a loader or a mill - go with the loader first."

Your avatar photo shows a truck and a river drift boat behind it, no? That's one of my bigger markets - wooden boat material. The builders love air-dried bur oak, it bends very nicely and takes a lot of water to start decaying.
Good luck!

I have been thinking that same thing, you really need both loader and hydraulics, thanks for the advice!

TroutHunter

Quote from: Magicman on January 25, 2015, 09:00:29 AM
I don't know if my business is urban or rural, but it is almost 100% portable.

Business cards.

Set up at your local feed/seed store and saw for a couple of days.  Do more talking than sawing, and give the store owner the lumber.

Do sawing demo's at your county fair, etc.

Website and Facebook.

MM, I would have to do both rural and urban since I live near three small towns and one city of 30,000.  This would be part time for me, I'm thinking sawing two to three days a month for others and when I have time and logs to saw for myself.  I would keep my day job which is shift work so I have a lot of time off at times during the month.  I'm confident in the marketing end, I am mostly wondering if I would be busy enough to make the payment on a mill, I understand a lot of factors are addd in, amount of payment, what I would charge, etc.  I also want to keep this fun since it's part time.

Joe Hillmann

Quote from: TroutHunter on January 25, 2015, 11:04:22 AM

I have been thinking that same thing, you really need both loader and hydraulics, thanks for the advice!

If you have a loader you then need a trailer large enough to haul it and then you need to take at least four loaded trips to every job you need the loader and mill for.  Two to get the stuff there and two to get it home.  That isn't such a big deal on larger jobs but on small jobs you may end up spending more time moving equipment than you do sawing.

Magicman

Yup, I could not classify as rural or urban because I never know.  I go to wherever the logs are and I have actually set up on the sidewalk in front of a home.

I just looked at a job this afternoon where I will set up on the butt log, saw it, and move up to each additional log.  Whatever the customer has, I will accommodate him.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

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