How I use a swing blade sawmill: I love my Lucas Mill 

Thank you!

Hundred percent agree. Mine will also do 22'. Haven't ever tried a slab with it. Bandsaw is nice for slabs and siding. You lose a lot of siding due to the kerf size but becomes much less relevant on dimensional lumber

Glad to hear! They are a ton of fun to use and there are very few things as satisfying as using lumber you just cut yourself. Enjoy!

Thanks. Every log is like opening a Christmas present. Sometimes they are just what you want and sometimes you wish you could regift them😃

The thing I like is you only have to move the log once. There's more waste than a band saw when your cutting siding but that's the only down side I've come across so far. Having any mill is better than not having a mill.😃 Take care!

@Remote & restless ya that's it, other mills you're rolling the log constantly.

Thanks for stopping by. Having a sawmill is definitely a game changer!

You definitely have to pay attention, but that's usually a good idea anyways when you are working around a 24" saw blade😃

I haven't used anything yet. All my lumber to this point has just gone into building my shop. I plan on drying my lumber I use to build my house in a solar kiln partly to eliminate insects

@@remoteandrestless The reason I ask is because it would be a great pity to have to build twice and repeat all the hard work after a few years. Store bought preservatives are expensive. Used Engine oil thinned with diesel preserves external timbers(fence posts etc.Its a bit smelly for household use). For household timbers,linseed oil, borax and boric acid apparently works well and is cost effective. You can find more info online. Great work and congrats on living free!

@apb71 I'll definitely look into it. The hemlock has to be treated with care because it rots easily. The cedar is a lot more resistant to rot and insects but not nearly as strong

With this size mill 8 inch boards are the max although you can cut up to an 8x16 beam

Bandsaw has a much smaller kerf so you produce less sawdust than my mill. You can also cut wide slabs or posts with a bandsaw mill. Max size I can cut is 8x16. Advantages is that it only has 6 teeth to sharpen, doesn't produce wavy lumber when blade is less than sharp and you can set it up around a log so theoretically you wouldn't need any type of tractor to cut lumber and then you move the log a board at a time. Both mills have their advantages and place, but for me the swing mill is a better choice. Thanks for the question

@@remoteandrestless How reasonable do you think it would be to do like you just said and regularly set your mill up around logs where they're felled instead of bringing the logs to the mill, particularly on slightly rolling ground? I have a small tractor, but I don't have a front end loader. I can move logs up to about 12" in diameter well enough, but I don't have a good way to move larger logs. I'm debating between buying an 8" swing blade mill that I would take to pretty much all larger logs I'd have to saw and buying a bandsaw mill plus a log arch to facilitate moving larger logs. I'd be very interested in any thoughts you'd be willing to share on the trade-offs. Thanks!

@melissabrown5320 I have never actually done it but the setup process is pretty simple. Terrain would matter a little but the biggest issue would be having a clear space around the fallen log. It would definitely make doing larger logs feasible with light equipment.

@@remoteandrestless Thanks very much!

@melissabrown5320 best of luck! I really enjoy my swing blade. Each type of saw has areas where they excel