When first introduced on a commercial basis about 25 years ago portable thin kerf band sawmills drew little attention from the commercial forest industry but the low cost of the units combined with their capacity to produce fine quality lumber, even when run by neophytes, led to enthusiastic acceptance of the new concept by hobbyists, farmers, and others wanting to saw relatively small quantities of inexpensive lumber to support personal needs. More importantly, the availability of this new technology provided a tool to profitably turn previously useless and worthless trees into valuable lumber with an initial investment less than the cost of a small tractor.

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org