Tuesday, April 12, 2011

How Much Can You Profit From Your Portable Sawmill?


That's one of the biggest questions that new sawyers ask.  Exactly how much profit can be made.  Well, first it should be made clear that you will have certain expenses.  You'll have to replace your blades occasionally and you'll need fuel.  You may even want to hire an extra person or two to assist you.  However, even with those expenses, owning a portable sawmill can be a very profitable business venture.

You may have already heard a lot of grand stories about how much money you can make as a sawyer, but here are some simple facts using the the Accu-Trac 3651D 51hp Diesel portable sawmill as an example.

First of all, you can expect to only pay about $100 a day if you hire one helper at $12.50 per hour for 8 hours.  If you want to pay more than that then you'll have to factor that in.  Next, expect that you will be paying daily for gas and occasionally for new saw blades.  Prices will vary based on the region and the time.

As far as profits go, assume that you and your helper cut 2,500 board feet in an 8-hour day, which is not really a lot.  Also, assume that you can get $175.00 per thousand board feet for 1" boards or $150.00 per thousand board feet for 2" boards.  That means that, in a worst case scenario, you'd be making $375 a day and probably spending about $160 to $175 of that.  So, that's a pretty decent profit for one day.

If you'd like more information on how to make your portable sawmill experience more efficient, please visit us online at www.cookssaw.com.