4 Tips for Hauling Logs to Your Sawmill Bandsaw

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As a sawyer, you relish each opportunity to mill your own lumber. Whether you’re cutting fencing boards so you don’t have to pay lumber yard prices, milling gorgeous live-edge slabs for furniture building, or honing that choice timber you’ve been eyeing for your next woodworking project, there’s no better way to make your mark than with your sawmill bandsaw.

Sawmill Bandsaw

But, as experienced sawyers well know, milling your own lumber is easier said than done. From locating and accessing choice stands of timber to felling trees and hauling logs to your mill, there’s plenty of work to be done before you even turn on your bandsaw. This work isn’t always easy, either.

Still, there are a few things you can do to make the pre-milling process simpler and easier. Use these four tips from seasoned sawyers to take some of the strain out of your milling work.

Minimize Distance with a Portable Sawmill Bandsaw

There are several factors that influence the difficulty of hauling logs to your sawmill. Chief among them is the distance between the location of your logs and the mill itself. You don’t need a Ph.D. to understand why it takes less time and effort to haul logs across a shorter distance.

With that in mind, hobbyist sawyers tend to prefer portable bandsaw mills. A portable sawmill bandsaw is fairly easy to relocate closer to the site of your timber, and with the right trailer, you can even take your portable mill directly to the logs.

 Side-Load Logs with a Convertible ATV Log Trailer

When you do need to haul logs to your mill, rather than milling at the source, there are a couple of different ways to go about it. The first option involves utilizing a convertible trailer for your ATV or UTV.

One key point: We’re not talking about just any trailer, here. Specifically, the best ATV log trailer for the job will be a convertible model with a three-mode design that allows you to dump, load from the side, and load from the rear. You’ll want something with adequate capacity, so look for a trailer with a sturdy frame and a payload capacity of around 2,000 pounds.

Use a Strong Yet Nimble Log Arch

For areas where an ATV/UTV trailer may not be the best bet, or for smaller loads, you can’t go wrong with a well-built log arch. A log arch lets you get into even the most remote forested areas with minimal impact.

Look for quality and capability when shopping for a new log arch. You’ll definitely want something with offroad tires and a narrow stance. Powder-coated, heavy-duty steel tube frames give you all the strength you need. Look for a powerful winch with a 2,500-pound capacity and an eight-foot choker chain that will allow you to transport one large log or several smaller logs at a time.

 Get a Heavy-Duty Steel Log Loading Ramp Kit

Whether you decide that versatile off road utility trailers are the way to go for transporting logs, or you prefer a log arch, you’ll still have to load the logs onto your bandsaw mill. A ramp kit for your portable bandsaw mill can make this process much easier.

Though there are several options out there, the most practical, highest-quality kits include a pair of steel ramps as well as a manual hand crank winch with a 30-foot synthetic rope plus a winch post and mounting kit. The mounting kit even lets you conveniently store your ramps on the sawmill trailer when not in use or during transit.

 About Woodland Mills

 “Why are these new sawmills so expensive? We can just build our own, can’t we?” That’s what Josh Malcolm asked his childhood friend and fellow mechanical engineer Neil Bramley over a decade ago when Malcolm needed a portable sawmill to manage his acreage but couldn’t find a mill with the capability he needed at a justifiable price. The two went on to found Woodland Mills, which is now recognized as a global leader in the forestry industry. From the flagship HM126 portable bandsaw mill to the Multilander ATV log trailer, Woodland Mills combines innovative engineering, cost-effective manufacturing, and peerless customer service to deliver value through design to sawyers worldwide. Whether you’re after a rugged stump grinder, powerful 3 point wood chipper, or portable trailer for your bandsaw mill, you can count on Woodland Mills.

 Put a personal touch on each project with products from Woodland Mills at https://woodlandmills.com/

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