The Best Chainsaw Mills of 2024 for Cutting Lumber
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A chainsaw mill converts rough logs into useful boards and beams right where the tree was felled.
Processing logs using one of the best chainsaw mills is a cost-effective alternative to buying lumber, as store-bought wood is often expensive and can vary in quality considerably. A portable chainsaw sawmill provides complete control over beam and board sizes and allows for close monitoring of quality. As a smaller-scale alternative to larger portable sawmills, which are ideal for more frequent and serious sawing, chainsaw mills are also much more affordable.
Chainsaw log mills provide a versatile, portable, easy-to-use solution. Many portable lumber mills are also very affordable, particularly for those who already own a good chainsaw for felling or cutting firewood. Jarrod Rodgers is a sawyer and woodworker who owns Second Life Design, a custom woodworking business based in Rantoul, Illinois. He says, “The DIY aspect of a chainsaw mill is a big appeal, and I use my chainsaw mill in my driveway in the middle of town.” That said, the best chainsaw mills aren’t particularly common tools, so many people don’t understand which features are important.
This guide offers some helpful tips and suggestions while also providing a detailed look at some of the best chainsaw mill attachments available. In-depth market analysis and thorough product vetting were conducted to assemble this list of top picks.
- BEST OVERALL: Granberg G778 36-Inch Alaskan MKIV Chainsaw Mill
↓ Jump to Review - BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Zozen Portable Chainsaw Mill
↓ Jump to Review - BEST COMPACT: Carmyra 24-Inch Portable Chainsaw Mill
↓ Jump to Review - BEST FOR BEGINNERS: Timber Tuff TMW-56 Lumber Cutting Guide
↓ Jump to Review - BEST HEAVY-DUTY: Carmyra 48-Inch Chainsaw Mill
↓ Jump to Review - HONORABLE MENTION: Granberg G777 Alaskan Small Log Mill
↓ Jump to Review - ALSO CONSIDER: XRKJ 36-Inch Chainsaw Mill
↓ Jump to Review
Our Top Picks
Using the criteria above, we chose the following products as our top picks. These are some of the best chainsaw mills currently available on the market.
Best Overall
Granberg G778 36-Inch Alaskan MKIV Chainsaw Mill
Photo: Amazon
Product Specs
- Bar size: 20 inches to 36 inches
- Cutting capacity: ½ inch to 13 inches thick; 32 inches wide
- Weight: 20 pounds
What We Like
- High-quality tool that tops independent reviews
- Midrange model recognized for accuracy and durability
- For both left- and right-handed users
What We Don’t Like
- Higher price than similar-size competitors
- Assembly takes around 30 minutes
The Granberg Alaskan MKIV chainsaw mill takes top honors for its build quality, ease of use, and versatile functionality.
The sturdy construction combines heavy-duty zinc-plated steel and aircraft-grade aluminum. It takes around 30 minutes to assemble, but once assembled, clamping and adjustment are fast thanks to clearly marked depth scales. At only 20 pounds, it’s portable, too.
The Granberg Alaskan MKIV chainsaw mill is designed to take a maximum 36-inch chainsaw, and the manufacturer recommends a motor capacity of 70 cubic centimeters (cc) or better. It can take smaller chainsaws, but if you’re working with a smaller chainsaw, consider a lower-cost mill: the Granberg isn’t cheap. The bar clamp takes 3 to 4 inches from the cutting capacity, so using a 20-inch bar, for example, restricts the cut to around 16 inches.
Get the Granberg G778 chainsaw mill at Amazon, Northern Tool + Equipment, Walmart or Acme Tools.
Best Bang for the Buck
Zozen Portable Chainsaw Mill
Photo: Amazon
Product Specs
- Bar size: 14 inches to 36 inches
- Cutting capacity: ½ inch to 12 inches thick
- Weight: 19 pounds
What We Like
- Competitive price for beginners
- Easy to set up
- Convenient adjustable handle
What We Don’t Like
- Confusing instructions
- Could benefit from additional cross brace for stability
We chose the Zozen chainsaw mill as our best bang for the buck pick based on its competitive price point, solid construction, ease of use, and portability. It’s made of quality alloy and steel, and the bar is adjustable from 14 to 36 inches.
Included with the chainsaw mill are four felling wedges that serve to ensure a more precise cut when milling. The adjustable handle is convenient for allowing even pressure while moving through the log. It’s very lightweight at only 19 pounds, and the portable design allows for backyard milling or easy transportation to more remote locations when required.
Get the Zozen chainsaw mill at Amazon or Sawyer Supply.
Best Compact
Carmyra 24-Inch Portable Chainsaw Mill
Photo: Amazon
Product Specs
- Bar size: 14 inches to 24 inches
- Cutting capacity: ½ inch to 13 inches thick; 18½ inches wide
- Weight: 13 pounds
What We Like
- Compact dimensions are ideal for smaller chainsaws
- Capable of producing useful 18½-inch-wide boards
- Competitive price; ideal for low-volume users
What We Don’t Like
- Instructions are poor but videos are available
- Welding or component failures have occurred
The Carmyra chainsaw mill uses the same popular and effective design as many competitors. The manufacturer uses a combination of steel and aluminum, resulting in a good balance between strength and portability.
This 24-inch model is particularly suitable for those who only need to mill small to medium-size logs. As is common, the clamp reduces the overall cutting width, in this case by approximately 4½ inches. This results in a maximum cut of little more than 18 inches. While it’s smaller than many competitors, the Carmyra still produces planks that are useful for a wide variety of projects. For those who mill lumber infrequently or need relatively low lumber volumes, the 24-inch Carmyra is a good choice at a competitive price.
Get the Carmyra 24-inch chainsaw mill at Amazon.
Best for Beginners
Timber Tuff TMW-56 Lumber Cutting Guide
Photo: Amazon
Product Specs
- Bar size: Any
- Cutting capacity: See description below
- Weight: 3½ pounds
What We Like
- Heavy-duty steel and powder-coated construction
- Store-bought lumber as a guide
- Costs considerably less than competitors
- Can accept any size chainsaw
What We Don’t Like
- No preset depth guide
- Cut takes time to set up
- Slow operation
- Not suited to high-productivity environments
The Timber Tuff TMW-56 is called a cutting guide rather than a chainsaw mill because it operates slightly differently. Nevertheless, it produces similar results, and its cutting capacity is limited only by the size of the chainsaw used.
The heavy-duty steel guide is designed to run along a piece of store-bought lumber, such as a 2×2, 2×4, or 2×6. The user simply nails or screws the store-bought board to a log, bolts the chainsaw bar to the Timber Tuff, and runs the guide along the board. Cutting widths are defined by where users position the board for each cut.
While setting up each cut takes a little more time and care than other types of chainsaw mills, it is light, simple, effective, and comes at a very low cost.
Get the Timber Tuff chainsaw mill at Amazon, Lowe’s, Tractor Supply Co., Target, or Grainger.
Best Heavy-Duty
Carmyra 48-Inch Chainsaw Mill
Photo: Amazon
Product Specs
- Bar size: 14 inches to 48 inches
- Cutting capacity: ½ inch to 13 inches thick; 43½ inches wide
- Weight: 16½ pounds
What We Like
- Steel and aluminum construction
- Design scaled up for heavy-duty milling capacities
- Competitively priced and capable of high productivity
What We Don’t Like
- Instructions are poor
- Reports of missing parts
- Will not fit some small chainsaws
Those needing to saw large logs will want to take a closer look at this 48-inch Carmyra chainsaw mill. Even with some width loss due to the clamping mechanism, it can still saw boards up to an impressive 43½ inches wide. Like its smaller counterparts, it also has the versatility to mill thicknesses from just ½ inch up to 13 inches.
The design is popular and well proven. It uses a combination of steel for toughness and durability with aluminum to keep the weight manageable. Despite the heavy-duty nature of this chainsaw mill, it weighs only 16½ pounds.
Although rated for chainsaws as small as 14 inches, some bars are too narrow to accommodate the clamp. However, in reality, those with small chainsaws have no need for a mill this large.
Get the Carmyra 48-inch chainsaw mill at Amazon.
Honorable Mention
Granberg G777 Alaskan Small Log Mill
Photo: Amazon
Product Specs
- Bar size: 16 inches to 20 inches
- Cutting capacity: ½ inch to 13 inches thick; 18 inches wide
- Weight: 10 pounds
What We Like
- Compact mill from a quality brand
- Lightweight for milling in the field
- Improved end brackets are stronger
What We Don’t Like
- Single-sided design lacks stability
- First cut impacts subsequent boards
Granberg classifies its G777 as a small-log chainsaw mill. While capacities aren’t equal to the Alaskan MKIV, the G777 is a quality tool that offers versatility in cutting depth. It’s also more compact and lighter than the Alaskan MKIV, making it ideal for field use when more modest log sizes are available.
The G777 tracks across the board’s surface like other horizontal mills, but it’s only supported on one side. As a result, users should take care when setting up the first cut. Subsequent cuts also require focus to maintain accuracy, though most users should acclimate to the tool quickly.
Get the Granberg G777 chainsaw mill at Amazon, Northern Tool + Equipment, or Acme Tools.
Also Consider
XRKJ 36-Inch Chainsaw Mill
Photo: Amazon
Product Specs
- Bar size: 12 inches to 36 inches
- Cutting capacity: ½ inch to 13 inches thick; 32 inches wide
- Weight: 16 pounds
What We Like
- Affordable and well-proven design
- Competitive capacities with range of chainsaw sizes
- Good choice for milling lumber infrequently
What We Don’t Like
- Not intended for regular heavy-duty use
- Buyers report that build quality can vary considerably
Featuring a design similar to the Granberg Alaskan MKIV, the XRKJ is a low-cost horizontal chainsaw mill that’s constructed from quality materials. For the occasional user, it also offers good value for the money.
Steel and aluminum construction means that it’s not only strong but also lightweight. Unfortunately, build quality seems to vary, which might make assembly frustrating. Although the minimum bar size is listed as 12 inches, the resulting maximum cut is only around 8 inches. Additionally, chainsaws of that size are unlikely to provide sufficient power, so a 20-inch chainsaw is the smallest practical size.
Get the XRKJ chainsaw mill at Amazon.
Jump to Our Top Picks
How We Chose the Best Chainsaw Mills
As the owner of a large property, I have considerable experience with chainsaws. I am also an engineer by profession, so I have a good understanding of the structure and function of chainsaw mills. When selecting our top picks, I used the following criteria:
- Build quality: Chainsaw mills aren’t likely to be treated with a great deal of care, so a p