Looking for the best way to turn logs into lumber? You will need a new chainsaw mill, as well as the right chainsaw and somebody to assist you, to help you convert a chopped-down tree into wood that you can use for housing, furniture and much more.
A chainsaw mill is a kind of sawmill that allows you to cut trees into the right sized lumber you need. A chainsaw mill has two rails, which can help you adjust the thickness of your lumber, so you can cut wood into pieces long or short, thick or thin, wide or narrow.
3 Best Chainsaw Mill – Comparison
| IMAGE | NAME | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Granberg MK-IV Alaskan |
| Check Price |
 | Carmyra Portable Chainsaw Mill 48″ |
| Check Price |
 | Zchoutrade Portable Chainsaw Mill |
| Check Price |
A chainsaw mill is meant to eliminate a bulk of your workload by cutting straight, even lines with your chainsaw and get the right dimensions of lumber every time. Chainsaw mills can also be portable, and will allow you to take the site to the log, rather than take the log to the sight.
Buying and learning how to use a chainsaw mill, in addition to having access to trees that you can use, will save you a lot of money, short or long term. If you work with wood for a living, it will be better worth it for you financially to cut your own lumber instead of buying lumber from a third party, or hiring a lumberjack to make this lumber for you.
Most portable chainsaw mills are made of steel and/or aluminum frames and are used along with platforms, benches, or other surfaces to help support the log that you are making into lumber. Portable chainsaw mills are mostly ideal for people who need lumber for personal projects, whereas larger mills are more suitable for commercial, factory use.
We have reviewed the ten best portable chainsaw mills for your consideration, and we will determine which is the best one to buy for your woodworking and carpentry projects. Without further ado, here are ten of the best chainsaw mills that you can purchase.
10 Best Chainsaw Mills – Review
1. Granberg Chain Saw Mill G777
There are a number of chainsaw mills from Granberg that we will be looking at, but this first one is their G777 model. This is a great mill to use for small and personal projects. This mill is very inexpensive and a very cost-efficient means of creating lumber fast and easy.
The G777 is small, light, and easy to carry and store. It can fit bars that are 20 inches or less. It will certainly fit bars approximately two and a half inches in width, but some bars might be a little too narrow for mounting. The size of lumber you can make span from beams that are half an inch wide to beams that are 13 inches wide.
This chainsaw mill does attach to your chainsaw without a drilling bar required. The first thing that you have to be aware of is that this mill will not work with corded or battery-powered chainsaws. You will need one that is powered by gas; one with a 60cc engine or more to be precise. A chainsaw mill does require a decent amount of power to be operational.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you need a sharp ripping chain to use with this chainsaw mill. A chain that is too dull will easily get snagged in the wood. This chainsaw mill also does not include any guide rails, either.
Truth be told, this is a good mill to have if either you are on a very strict budget or would like a spare mill to have, but there are too many limitations to this mill to be considered the best chainsaw mill in 2021.
- This mill is very affordable.
- This mill is light and easy to carry.
- This mill is limited to gas chainsaws only.
- This mill only works with powerful chainsaws.
2. Granberg MK-IV Alaskan Chainsaw Mill
This next mill from Granberg is better for professional woodworkers, and it is also great for beginners as well. It is portable, and made of steel and aluminum. This is heavier than the G777 model.
The MK-IV can make lumber from half an inch to 13 inches wide, just like the G777. The length of lumber that you can make, however, is much better. You can make beams up to 32 inches long and 13 inches deep.
Also like the G777, you do not need a drilling bar in order to clamp the mill onto the saw. This mill can be used to cut wood from as soft as cedar to as hard as oak. As you use this mill, you get less vibration and rumbling with your chainsaw.
Since there is not much support for the log as you cut using this mill, your saw can flop around at the beginning and end of your cuts. When the saw starts up, the whole frame needs to rest on the log. This is not an issue that one would experience with other chainsaw mills. This is one thing that you must be very careful with when using this mill.
- This mill can create very long pieces of lumber.
- This mill does not allow the chainsaw to rumble.
- This mill is of great quality.
- Chainsaws are a little tricky to use with this mill.
3. Carmyra Portable Chainsaw Mill 48″
Carmyra is not as known as Granberg in the woodworking industry, but it certainly is gaining traction, thanks to is growing reputation for high-quality products. But how do their chainsaw mills fare in comparison?
Carmyra’s portable mill is capable of turning cedar, oak and walnut logs into quality pieces of lumber. The mill also can create lumber as long as 48 inches and as wide as 13 inches. You are able to cut lumber that is even longer than the Granberg MK-IV.
This chainsaw mills works with any kind of chainsaw, no matter if it is corded, battery-powered, or running on gas. This mill does not need a drilling bar in order to attach to your saw.
This is one of the least expensive chainsaw mills in this review that you can buy. While not the least expensive on this list, you can consider that you are getting more than what you are paying for.
- This mill works with almost any kind of chainsaw.
- This mill can create very long pieces of lumber.
- This mill is very affordable.
- This mill is of great quality.
- This mill comes from an unknown manufacturer.
4. Granberg MK-III Alaskan Chainsaw Mill
In many ways, Granberg’s MK-III is very similar to their MK-IV. This is known to be a great, heavy-duty mill for when you need to cut large logs or large quantities of lumber. Because it is a heavy-duty chainsaw mill, it’s steel and aluminum parts of of solid quality and will last quite a long time.
A big way that this chainsaw mill helps many woodworkers is its 30-inch rails that can support any trees and longs regardless of size and shape. If you have logs that are just too heavy for you to handle, they are not too heavy for the MK-III by any means.
This mill can make lumber that is up to 13 inches wide and 27 inches long. In comparison, the MK-IV is capable of making longer boards from wood. Oak, walnut, and cedarwood can work greatly with this mill, in addition to many other wood types that can be turned into lumber. This mill can easily be adjusted to make different sized cuts.
Like the MK-IV, this mill clamps onto your chainsaw with great ease without needing to drill it on with a separate bar. The thing to consider about this mill is that you need a chainsaw that is powerful, as it is primarily used for cutting large lumber.
- This mill can handle large, heavy logs.
- This mill does not allow the chainsaw to rumble.
- This mill is of great quality.
- This mill is expensive.
- This mill only works with powerful chainsaws.
5. Zchoutrade Portable Chainsaw Mill
This mill from Zchoutrade is a portable, affordable, and powerful mill that weighs slightly less than other heavy duty mills in this review. This mill is made from quality aluminum and steel. Like the other chainsaw mills thus far, it does not require a drilling bar in order to attach to your chainsaw of choice.
This chainsaw mill is capable of cutting planks of wood from half an inch to 13 inches wide. The maximum length for lumber is 36 inches long, or three feet. It can be used to cut various different types of wood from walnut to cedar to oak.
The instructions are concise, but not that easy to read. Everything is on one page, and shows off all the included parts and where they are supposed to go, along with numbers. It would have not been asking for much to have provided a step-by-step guide.
There is hardly any information about this company. While the materials that they have created are built nicely, they do not have a website that you can visit online. We are not even sure if Zchoutrade is even a company, or even if it was really a product that they made themselves. You can only buy this item on popular third party online marketplaces.
- This mill is very affordable.
- This mill is of great quality.
- This mill can create very long pieces of lumber.
- This mill is hard to assemble.
- This mill comes from an unknown manufacturer.
6. Logosol Big Mill Timberjig
The Logosol Timberjig is the lightest, smallest and most portable mill thus far in this review, weighing less than ten pounds and occupying just over six inches in width. This is a great mill to buy for people who do not like using large, heavy tools. This also is a mill that fits within most budget ranges of woodworkers.
This is one of the most simplest attachments for chainsaws that you can get on the market today. You can mill logs without having to position them on a flat surface, so if you wanted to cut it from on the ground where it lays, you can do so.
Using this mill is easy to use, but it will take time in order to master it. The accuracy all depends on how skilled and careful you are with it, and mastering this type of mill job takes some time.
According to Logosol, there is no limit to the size of logs you can cut, but it is suitable for logs up to 20 inches in length.
This mill works with almost any chainsaw with no trouble to be expected. It is however recommended to only use chainsaws with 70cc engines or higher. Do not expect a cheap chainsaw you already own to work well with the Timberjig.
The one chainsaw that this mill is not compatible with the Husqvarna 3120XP unless costly adjustments are made to the chainsaw or mill. It also will not attach to Stihl 088 or MS 880 without a couple of M10 extension nuts.
- This mill is very affordable.
- This mill works with almost any kind of chainsaw.
- This mill is light and easy to carry.
- This mill can create very long pieces of lumber.
- This mill is of great quality.
- This mill only works with powerful chainsaws.
7. WOGODO Chainsaw Mill
Wogodo is another entity that only does business on third party online marketplaces. Without any information about these companies, buying from them is a real uncertainty. They may make a great product, but judging from their insufficient online presence, you would not be sure of that unless you were to actually buy from them.
This chainsaw mill can be used to cut lumber from logs that are up to 36 inches in diameter. You can create boards from wood ranging from half of an inch to 12 inches in thickness.
The Wogodo mill is made from high quality, yet hollow aluminum and steel parts. These materials are light in weight, yet and strong and durable. You can be sure that this is a chainsaw mill that is built to last. This is a fairly large mill, so while it is fairly light, it still can be rather clumsy to carry around.
- This mill is light and easy to carry.
- This mill is of great quality.
- This mill comes from an unknown manufacturer.
8. Alaskan Mark-IV Chainsaw Mill
There is a 2nd version to the Granberg Alaskan Mark-IV, and it is a 24-inch version. Opposed to the 36-inch version. If you want everything great that the Mark-IV offers and do not want to spend the most money on it or do not need to cut big logs, you can buy the 24-inch version and save money.
There is no drilling bar necessary to attach this mill to your chainsaw of choice. This mill can cut cedar, oak, walnut and many other types of wood with ease. Do not expect your chainsaw to shake violently as it is being used in conjunction with your chainsaw mill. Granberg chainsaw mills have a great reputation of not allowing your chainsaw to chain while in use.
Like it’s 36-inch version, this less expensive version also comes with wobble action on your saw at the beginning and end of your cutting. This is due to the log not being capable of supporting the frame, based on the design of the chainsaw mill.
- This mill is very affordable.
- This mill is of great quality.
- This mill does not allow the chainsaw to rumble.
- Chainsaws are a little tricky to use with this mill.
9. Hud-Son Sawyer Portable Bandmill Chainsaw
Hud-Son is a family run business in Barneveld, New York. They specialize in manufacturing industrial quality mills, processors and other machinery that is suitable for factories and businesses that create their own wood products or resources.
This Hud-Son chainsaw mill is classified as a portable chainsaw mill, despite its industrial quality, seven horsepower, and immense asking price. This mill costs thousands of dollars, so you can only expect this mill to be used by woodworking businesses each and every day.
This is known as a “homesteader sawmill”. This mill has its own track for logs to go on as you cut them into lumber. Professionals are capable of using this mill to cut logs into lumber at a fast rate.
This mill does not require you to use a chainsaw; it comes with its own blades, so that you are always ready to cut the log in its track.
This mill weighs 450 pounds, and with all that comes with it, it is no surprise that a lot is required in order for this machine to create multiple pieces of lumber per minute.
Another caveat is that this mill ships unassembled, so you will have to build it yourself. For an industrial mill instead of a personal mill, that is easier said than done.
Unless you run your own business where you need lumber constantly made, this is not something that you buy for personal use and for home-based projects.
- This mill can cut logs at a fast rate.
- This mill does not require a chainsaw.
- This mill has a lot of horsepower.
- This mill can handle large, heavy logs.
- This mill is of great quality.
- This mill is expensive.
- This mill is extremely heavy.
- This mill is hard to assemble.
- This mill takes up a lot of space.
10. OlogyMart Portable Chain Saw Mill
OlogyMart is yet another unknown name in the woodworking industry. They do have a website, but it is unfinished as of this writing. They sell various products in different industries, including portable chainsaw mills.
This mill is made of ferroalloy. Ferroalloy is a material used in the production of steel. In this case, “ferroalloy” is another way of saying “not quite steel”. How long this product will last is rather uncertain at the moment.
This mill attaches directly to the chainsaw’s bar, so a drilling car is not necessary. You can cut a number of types of wood with this mill, and can create pieces of lumber for up to 24 inches in length.
This is a rather large portable mill, and while it is of adequate weight, it can be quite clumsy to carry around. The price of this mill is not groundbreaking by any means either, so it’s not something to go out of your way to buy, especially with no unique features or any known advantages of other mills in this review.
- N/A
- This mill is expensive.
- This mill is made of low-quality metals.
- This mill comes from an unknown manufacturer.
- This mill takes up a lot of space.
Final Verdict:
The chainsaw mill that we recommend to consumers the most is the Logosol Timberjig.There are many chainsaw mills that are great products in this review. Even so, they pretty much all do the same things, and offer nothing really different or unique. The Timberjig from Logosol is not just any chainsaw mill.
It is designed to be smaller, lighter, and can be used pretty much anywhere. You can use this with most chainsaws, cut almost any kind of wood, and do tasks almost anywhere. You can chop down a tree in the forest and create lumber right on the spot without having to pick up the log and transport it to a bench or other surface.
This mill is set at a reasonable price, and assembly is fairly easy and straightforward. Every mill in this review requires you to build it, and this is the easiest mill to assemble and get running in no time.
It does not matter if you are a beginner or an expert at milling lumber, anyone that needs to create wooden boards will find using the Timberjig to be easy, enjoyable and fun. This mill can truly change the way that you look at sawmilling, even if it is just a mill that is designed for personal use.
