By Deanna Bunten, Wood-Mizer
June 10, 2025
Dare to Compare: Understanding a bandsaw mill compared to a swing blade sawmill.
Many swing blade sawmill companies come out swinging – saying their machine is superior. In the spirit of fairness, the first thing to know is that many Wood-Mizer bandsaw customers also own and operate a swing blade sawmill. You know you are serious about a Wood Life when you own both! Owning both types of mills provides flexibility, convenience, and overall more productivity. However, from our perspective, there is beauty in Wood-Mizer bandsaw sawmills that cannot be matched. Here’s what we mean by that:
THE BEAUTY OF BLADES
Wide Slabs and Live Edge Timber in One Pass
Nothing says natural beauty like sawing a stunning wide slab with the convenience of a bandsaw mill. In one simple pass, with no extra equipment, you can make a slab cut and have an impressive wide, live edge slab for a tabletop, bench top, countertop, bar top, or accent piece. The best slabs often come from high value timber so using a Wood-Mizer bandsaw will ensure you get a high-quality, highly precise cut.
Bandsaw-milled Lumber Redefines the Meaning of Rough Sawn
Experience a straight, clean, smooth cut right off the mill with a bandsaw sawmill. With its precision-thin blade moving in a single, fluid motion, you get a superior surface finish from the very first pass. Whether you’re working with prized hardwoods or character-rich logs, a Wood-Mizer bandsaw mill showcases the wood’s true beauty with minimal surface marks, tearing, and rough texture – saving you time at every step.
Thin Kerf is Still King
Getting more boards from your timber is not only smart but also sustainably minded. This is possible with a Wood-Mizer bandsaw mill because of the thinness of the blade. In fact, you get 30% more boards from one log when you saw with bandsaw blades compared to a circle blade. More boards and less waste is responsibility at its best.
LOG HANDLING IS A BEAUTIFUL THING
Sawmilling on a Sawmill Bed is a Game Changer
Enjoy full control over the log. You are never stuck with a stationary log and the innovative sawmill bed design makes rotating, leveling, and securing the log extremely friendly. Make your first cut, rotate the log 180 degrees and you have a flat, stable base for the remainder of your sawing. You will not have to worry about the log shifting or sinking. A secure log is always good when sawing.
Go for the Grain with Beauty in Every Turn
When it comes to stunning boards, capturing the grain pattern and avoiding defects is critical. This is only possible by rotating the log for optimal cuts and premium boards. Any sawing technique is possible on a Wood-Mizer. Plain Sawing, Quarter or Rift Sawing, Cant Sawing, and Grade Sawing are all possible thanks to the log handling capabilities of a Wood-Mizer sawmill. PS - Of course, you can cut dimensional lumber, too!
Saw with Confidence—Stress-Free Logs, Beautiful Results
Let a log’s natural beauty unfold the stability and grace that comes with the ability to rotate the log and cut from multiple sides which helps reduce stress in the wood and lessens warping, cupping, or twisting. Saw stress free with a Wood-Mizer bandsaw.
LIVE FREE WITH PORTABILITY AND SIMPLE SETUP
Unmatched Maneuverability Means More Freedom
Wood-Mizer trailer-mounted sawmills are road-ready. With a heavy-duty single axle, the mill easily tows right behind your vehicle through congested cities or along a forest road. Drop it from the hitch, rough level, and get ready to saw with unmatched efficiency and productivity.
Go for the Grain with Beauty in Every Turn
In competitions over the years, Wood-Mizer was set up and sawing in 40 seconds. How? The beauty is in the sawmill design. Only rough leveling is needed because the mill’s unique cantilever and monorail design will saw straight even on uneven terrain so you can saw anywhere. It’s a beautiful thing!
Simple Set Up Thanks to the Cantilever and Monorail Design
The famous cantilever and monorail sawmill design means the cutting head is open on one side and travels the length of the log along a single rugged track. The open side of the sawmill head makes sawing odd shaped logs, large knots, and curved logs possible. The monorail gives way to the trapezoid bed shape that takes the back bending out of offbearing and makes blade changes easier.Let a log’s natural beauty unfold the stability and grace that comes with the ability to rotate the log and cut from multiple sides which helps reduce stress in the wood and lessens warping, cupping, or twisting. Saw stress free with a Wood-Mizer bandsaw.
In conclusion, bandsaw mills and swing blade sawmills have their place in the timber sawing industry. Of course, we are a bit biased and believe the Wood-Mizer bandsaw truly shines with its ability to create stunning wide slabs, its sustainable thin kerf, and its flexible log handling capabilities. The freedom of portability and simple setup further enhance its appeal. Furthermore, when you choose Wood-Mizer you get a company that can grow with you. Our line of resaws, edgers, material handling and more make us a one stop shop. Live the Wood Life ® with Wood-Mizer and saw your Australian timber into something awesome.