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4 Reasons Why You Want To Assemble Your Own Portable Sawmill

4 Reasons Why You Want To Assemble Your Own Portable Sawmill

1. Know your mill inside and out

When shopping for his first sawmill, Logan Wittmer from Woodsmith Magazine had two requirements. First, it had to handle some large logs. Second, it needed to be a portable mill. But there was an unexpected benefit that sold Logan on a Norwood… he had to assemble it himself. “By the time you get it all assembled, you basically know the mill inside and out,” says Logan, “so if there is ever an issue with it, I assembled the thing, I will easily be able to figure it out.” This may be the most important benefit to assembling your own mill. You don’t need to rely on an authorized repairman or dealer – you’ll be able to make adjustments and maintain your mill yourself. And with lifetime support, the Norwood Team is behind you every step of the way.

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2. Add attachments now or later

If knowing every part of the mill wasn’t enough, there was also the fact Norwood mills can be upgraded anytime. “The Norwood mill is sold a la carte,” Logan says, “you can purchase the [LumberPro HD36] mill, as I did, and then down the road you can add hydraulics to it.” In fact, this isn’t limited to the hydraulic options on the HD36. Attachments and accessories can be added anytime to your Norwood sawmill as your needs expand. Every Norwood bandsaw mill is engineered to evolve over time, alongside you. And it is because you’ve assembled your mill yourself that you’ll have the skills and knowhow to add attachments yourself. However, if you choose a pre-assembled mill, you may be limiting your options. Most other sawmills force you to choose your accessories and attachments up front, with no option to upgrade later. Why get stuck with a mill you can’t upgrade as your needs grow? Your mill should be as flexible and hardworking as you are.

3. Assembly is probably easier than you think

People are often surprised how easy assembling a Norwood mill can be. And Logan was no exception. “The assembly went together really quite well, honestly, better than I was expecting,” says Logan, “Everything went together very nicely.” Most Norwood owners seem to agree with Logan. We ensure every box is clearly marked, and every step is detailed your manual. All you need is a little time. “I think you could probably get it together in a solid weekend,” says Logan. It took him about a week to assemble his mill, but he was only working an hour or two at a time.

4. You will save money money

There is one last benefit, and it is a big one: you’ll save money. Assembling your own mill means no hidden costs in the price. You’re getting the cheapest possible price, instead of paying high prices for someone else to do the work. The experience building your mill has proven priceless for many sawyers – why let someone else gain that incredible experience? Plus, you can save money on shipping costs. Norwood sawmills are sent on pallets, which is cheaper and easier to ship than pre-assembled mills. In fact, we can ship a mill on pallets almost anywhere a tractor-trailer can reach! This can all mean hundreds of dollars back in your pocket.

Still not convinced? Don’t take our word for it. Check out Logan’s assembly video, below. He shows every step along the way.

Have questions? Let us know! Our sawyers can answer any questions you have about finding (and assembling) your dream mill.

Give us a call at 1-800-567-0404 to learn more!