Random thoughts: Woodmizer is the gold standard, similar to JD tractors. Can you "make money" ? Some do. Most don't. To dink around on your farm, using your own logs, sawing lumber for your own use, yes, they can be useful. AS noted above, for anything more than dinking around, the mill is only one portion of the set up. To do ANY serious amount of sawing, need to include at least a 3/4 ton truck to safely move the full size mills, truck/trailer to haul logs and lumber, a "real" forklift or skid steer to move logs and packages of lumber, a kiln if you intend to use any of the lumber "indoors" for furniture, trim, gun cases, etc, multiple chain saws, blade sharpening equipment, multiple tool boxes on the truck above to store all of the tools and spare parts to maintain the mill, a strong back and a weak mind.
Old farmer joke... "How do you make a small fortune farming ???? Start off with a large fortune..." Substitute sawmilling for farming...
Have had two different Woodmizer sawmills. Nearly went broke trying to do it full time for a year. LOVE the work. But squeezing a profit out it? That's another story. Can be done. But takes the right person in the right situation. That wasn't me... Forestryforum.com has much good info...
