On site milling

[Lee Winger]

Does anyone out there actually turn an annual profit from on-site milling? everyone I know who has owned a sawmill be it a big Woodmizer type or an Alaskan style set-up hasn't really made any money from the venture........

 

Is there money in milling?

[Andy Collins]

From those few I know, you can earn a living from milling, but like most other trades jobs, you wont get rich/retire young

[tommer9]

I find that milling is very profitable. Been milling larch recently, and i reckon that i have made something like a 400% return on the wood, after costs. Milling on site i can make the same if not more money than tree surgery, with the same if not less outlay, and i am about £20/hr cheaper than the next man.

I reckon its a good earner.

[Will Hinchliffe]

Its so time consuming to do it on-site with an Alaskan mill. I would think you would get a better profit if you could move and stack up any sawable timber and then get someone in with a woodmizer when you have enough for them to make a day of it.

[treedave]

Where's Woodmad when you need him? - off for a well earned jaunt!. I think the best way to make money at it is by selling the timber on (bit of a longer return on the money though) as opposed to a straight service for cash. Both will make money, but neither will make you rich, the toys required to make it a 1 man job are expensive.

 

Depends on how many folk around you and the number of people wanting more than firewood from their beloved tree(s).

[woodmad]

Yep, a break indeed!!

 

Well its about supply and demand, which is down to marketing..

 

With my set up there was the following break down of income;

 

1) On site milling, charged by the hour depending onwhta was supplied. Less outlay than tree surgery for more income, but your not doin this every day

2) Milling in my yard for other people- people like treedave bring timberto be milled and charged by the hour

3) Milling my own timber and selling it on, form green oak beams to seasoned elm. Its like a savings account, the more thats in the more it earns, but its a trickle.

4) Hiring of other equipmnet to tree surgeons such as mog and crane

5)Making outdoor furniture, sheds, play areas and whatever, nieche but lots of potential.

 

All in all the above made a nice little business, but as pointed out, its a lot of kit for one man, but better than having staff( been there done that..)All for sale if you want to get going?! You could even buy the name and website...

I enjoyed the variety, couldnt just mill all day every day..

 

I made a comfortable living.

 

Just on site milling with a pick up and mizer would be very nice, good money, low stress, but there is a lot of competiton now so you may need to travel a bit and get the rates right.

[firewoodman]

are you thinking of doing this lee???

 

i had a lucas mill

 

all i'll say is do your research, then do some more, get some experience off/with someone who already does it, then make your decission

[tommer9]

Thats about the way i see it. On site milling with an alaskan....in fact ANY milling with an alaskan is, for me, to time consuming and wasteful for an inferior finish. The best money from milling i have found (in nearly 12 years of having mills) is to turn up on site to find a loading machine supplied, and wood spotlessly clean and debarked. That way it is possible to make lots of money with minimal expenditure....pretty much just fuel.

 

Of course it is not uncommon to get to a job and find the timber full of nails.........

[Lee Winger]

are you thinking of doing this lee???

 

i had a lucas mill

 

all i'll say is do your research, then do some more, get some experience off/with someone who already does it, then make your decission

 

No way.......................

[Rob D]

I think there's very few out there who manage to earn good money just by timber milling.... it's more that you do say logs as well or tree work.

 

The only way to make money out of an Alaskan is to be able to dry, make and market products that you make out of the wood. One good day milling will give you enough timber to make stuff for the other four days.

 

I charge £400-00 a day for me the Peterson and alaskans. Over 10 miles then they'd be mileage on top of that but I wouldn't want to be doing contract milling each day.... maybe a day a fortnight max.