The bandsaw saw mill available at Harbor Freight is part of the Central Machinery brand, which deals primarily in large-scale, heavy-duty machinery. This includes workshop devices like disc sanders, dust collectors, parts washers, and of course, a variety of different band saws. The brand also offers larger, towable devices for outdoor work like a compact backhoe and an electric log splitter.
The Central Machinery bandsaw saw mill is “portable” in the sense that it can be broken down and rebuilt elsewhere relatively quickly, as well as fitted onto a sufficiently large tow cart for transportation. It’s still a massive device, however, weighing over 700 lbs. The way it works is you place a log or board onto the built-in rack and activate the cutting mechanism. The mechanism slowly rolls down the rack, cutting the log with its blade, until it reaches the end and completes the split.
The cutting mechanism uses a 144-inch-long blade, propelled forward by a 301cc gas-powered engine, cutting through objects at 3,279 FPM. The rack and mechanism are large enough to accommodate a log up to 20 inches in diameter or a board up to 20 inches in width. While it’s not a full-scale lumber mill, a device like this is still really only intended for professional usage, such as for those with woodworking or tree removal businesses. It also requires a decent amount of assembly and manual movement, so it should only be used by individuals with woodworking training.
