Best Portable Sawmill for the Money 2023: Top Picks Reviewed

Best Portable Sawmill for the Money You Can Buy in 2023: Review with a Buying Guide: Portable sawmills offer great value. You can do all the lumber work at home. Additionally, you can save a lot of money with them as well as earn some extra bucks. But finding the best portable sawmill for the money is challenging. There are many features of the sawmills that you need to consider. Besides, you may also get confused with numerous options.

You need not worry, as we are here to help. We have done a lot of research and tested multiple sawmills. Then finally narrowed down the list to five. Continue reading the article till the end to find out the five best portable chainsaw mills for the money.

Benefits of a Portable Sawmill

One of the most asked questions about buying a portable sawmill is worth the money. You can cut your woods from somewhere else too. But does owning a portable sawmill provide you with any benefit?

Well, you can not imagine how many benefits you can get from it. Some of the advantages of owning a portable sawmill are:

• Easy to Move

If you compare it with traditional sawmills, then the most common difference is transferability. You can move it anywhere you want easily when necessary. It may often happen that transferring the logs from the forest becomes tough. In such cases, you can take your portable sawmill to the location and do the job.

• Allows to Make Proper Use of Logs

Do you often get loaded with woods? Seeing the woods as waste is heartbreaking. Most of the time, they end up being firewood. But if you have a sawmill, you can use that to cut the woods. Then you can try making any necessary tools. This way, you can ensure the proper use of logs.

• Saves Money

Usually, portable sawmills come in a very affordable price range. Besides, there are many price options available too. So, you can purchase the one that fits your budget. Besides, lumbering woods from outside often costs higher. In such cases, having your own sawmill can save you a lot of money.

• You Can Make Extra Earnings

You may not have seen this coming, but portable sawmill owners often make extra money using their sawmill. Some make furniture when free and sell them. Similarly, many people help their neighbors to lumber woods and charge a small amount from them.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Portable Sawmill for the Money

You will need a good portable sawmill if you want to get all the benefits from your chainsaw mill. There are plentiful options available in the market today. But most of them are worthless. We already have listed the five best portable sawmills for the money to reduce your trouble. Additionally, the following considerations will help you select the best one from the list as per your requirements:

• Portability

As the name says, when you are purchasing a portable sawmill, you need something easy to carry. The best way to know about portability is to check its weight. Anything less than 20 pounds should be okay. If you are strong enough, you may go for 30 pounds.

• Build Quality

Woodworking is not any soft job. Hence, you need something made with tough materials. Most portable sawmills are made of aluminum and stainless steel. These should be enough for you. However, aircraft aluminum is said to provide better durability.

• Log Size

You also need to consider the size of the log you will cut. If you have small logs, do not go for the larger models. That’s because it will unnecessarily cost you higher.

• Budget

To talk about the cost, you may also consider the price of the portable sawmill. The good thing is there are different models that offer different pricing. You can purchase the one based on your budget. Now let’s find out what are the top five best portable sawmills for the money:

Top 5 Best Portable Sawmill for the Money to Buy In 2023

1. Carmyra Portable Chainsaw Mill

The first portable sawmill on the list is from Carmyra. In the case of performance, it is also top class. It does not only provide satisfactory results but also comes on quite a low budget.

Besides, the Carmyra Chainsaw Mill is very lightweight. It comes in only 7.5 kgs or approximately 16 pounds. Therefore if you can transfer it anywhere, you want quite comfortably. You probably will not need anyone else’s help to carry as the weight distribution is also great.

Though it is a lightweight model, it is highly durable too. The mill is made of high-quality aluminum and stainless steel. We also liked that you will get two options based on your requirements. You can either go for 14″ to 36″ or 14″ 48″ designs. Unless you really need it, we recommend you buy the first one as it costs quite less.

Overall, Carmyra is one of the best sawmills for the money. If you try this one, there is very little chance that you will be disappointed.

2. Zchoutrade Portable Chainsaw Mill

Zchoutrade portable sawmill is an excellent product with a basic design. Even if you are a new user of sawmills, you are unlikely to face any trouble with this one. You also do not need to worry about the portability as it is very lightweight.

The sawmill allows bars with 14″ to 36″. That should be enough for most home woodworkers. Take it to the woods and do your desired job comfortably. Unlike most other sawmills, the instructions provided with this one are also pretty clear.

You can cut lumber woods as low as 0.5 inches thick. There are many more options available too. Hence, no matter what you want to do with the wood, you can have a perfect size. Overall, it is one of the best chainsaw mills for beginners.

3. VUE Chainsaw Mill with Chainsaw Sharpener File Kit

The VUE portable sawmill is an excellent product for light jobs. It allows chainsaw bars 14 to 24 inches. The output is outstanding. Do you think about the durability of such a small sawmill? Well, good quality aluminum and galvanized make it pretty strong.

Our expert team especially liked its unique design. It enables the sawmill to offer better safety and comfort. A glass shield prevents wood chips from flying around and poking someone. The rubber coat on the handle makes it comfortable to hold.

Moreover, the price is quite low. You can purchase it for around a hundred dollars. But the output you will receive is worth more than that. Overall, it is excellent for light woodworks.

4. HiHydro Portable Chainsaw Mill

The HiHydro portable sawmill is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel. You can understand from that how tough the tool will be. So, in the case of toughness and durability, it is top class.

If you ask about the portability, it is only 7 pounds approximately. It is the lightest one that we tested. However, the weight will vary based on which version you purchase. HiHydro offers several options based on the size you require.

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The assembling process is quite easy, though some people complain about the user manual. It is the same for most sawmills. Overall it is a light and an excellent sawmill you can consider buying.

5. Hihone Chainsaw Mill, Portable

The portable sawmill from Hihone can be another great option for you. If you are worried about the durability of your sawmill, then this will not disappoint you. That’s because it is made of pure aircraft aluminum and stainless steel. It makes this sawmill bear a lot of pressure and bumps.

Apart from durability, another most important thing is portability. And the good news is, you can easily take it in the woods to do any work. It weighs only 13.5 kg or roughly 30 pounds. Well, it may not be the lightest, but it should not be a problem to carry.

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The assembly process is quite easy too. Try to use a bar with a size of at least 20 inches. Also, having a ripping chain will save you more time while working. Overall, Hihone did a pretty good job here.

Final Words: Our Recommendation

These were five of the best portable sawmills. Match every product with your requirements following our buying guide in the beginning. Then you can find the best portable sawmill for the money for your home. Our experts have two final recommendations for the people who are still confused.

Best for Small Woodwork

HiHydro Portable Chainsaw Mill Planking Milling from 14″ to 36″ Guide Bar Wood Lumber Cutting Sawmill Aluminum Steel Chainsaw Mills for Builders and Woodworkers (14”-36”)

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HiHydro is one of the lightest portable sawmills. Anyone can carry it around. But the result it provides is amazing. If you do not require heavy work, we highly recommend you purchase this one.

Overall Best Portable Sawmill

Carmyra Portable Chainsaw Mill 36 Inches Planking Milling Bar Size 14 Inches to 36 Inches

• High Quality Steel and Aluminum Construction
• Cut Cedar, Walnut and Oak into High Quality Lumber
• High-Quality Mill Cuts Beams or Lumber from 0.5“ ”To 13“ Thick and 36” Wide
• Attaches to saw without drilling bar
• Lower pr

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If we talk about overall performance, then Carmyra is on the top. It is lightweight and made of high-quality ingredients. Besides, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee too. Hence, if it fits your requirements, there is no alternative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Portable Sawmill a Good Investment?

A portable sawmill can offer you excellent output. You can do many woodworking projects. It will not only save you money but also help you to earn some. So, a portable sawmill can be a profitable investment.

What should I look for When buying a Portable Sawmill?

When buying a portable sawmill, check its weight to know if you can carry it alone. Then also, check the size of logs it allows you to lumber.

Is it Cheaper to Mill your own Lumber?

When you mill your lumber from outside, they would want to make a profit for the work they do. But when you do it on your own, no extra cost is required. So you can say that it is indeed cheaper to mill your own lumber. Read more about What to look out for before buying Best Wet Tile Saw Under $300?

How much is a Good Portable Sawmill?

Portable sawmills are available in different price ranges. You can get them for around $100 only. However, a good sawmill will cost something around $150 to $300.