The Farming Express December | Page 6

How farmers are using sawmills to diversify Small mobile sawmills are unique in the marketplace due to their affordability and versatility. Thirty years ago, a method of sawing timber using only a narrow band saw blade was introduced by Wood-Mizer, bringing sawmilling capacity to the general public. Today, this sawmill concept has grown and is used in almost every country in the world. Small sawmills are popular both in developed and emerging market due to some basic benefits – they are affordable, they produce high quality lumber, and they require little energy. In the UK and Western Europe, these sawmills are popular among woodlot owners, woodworkers, farmers, and furniture makers who often find it a profitable and cost saving investment to add a sawmill to their enterprise. The Wood-Mizer LT15 is a popular entry-level model, but can also be used in daily timber production environments. It comprises a log bed and a powered bandsaw head that move down the log, cutting it into board by board each pass. Wood-Mizer also offers popular hydraulic and portable sawmill models, with the option of adding computerised setworks that can run calculations and automatically position the head for the following cut. For more information, visit www.woodmizer-europe.com