My favorite Chainsaw Mill – Logosol F2 Walk Through

In this video I’m going to be going over the very impressive Logosol chainsaw mill.

I love milling. I fell in love with it after building my bandsaw mill, but to have a piece of equipment that’s this put together, well thought out, and accurate, makes me giddy. Let me take you through it’s features, my experience on using it, and why I wanted a chainsaw mill when I already have a giant bandsaw mill. 

Actually, let me start there. If you haven’t been following my channel, I built a giant bandsaw mill that has a large cutting capacity. It is a tank and wonderful to have such a big piece of equipment in my arsenal however, it is definitely not portable.

I have to always bring the logs to it and I’ve sometimes found that to be a challenge so one of the biggest advantages to a chainsaw mill is that it can travel to the log(s). 

I’ve used a few chainsaw mills on the market. I made a video on using the Grandburg last year and that is worlds and above better than using a home made rig such as a ladder.

But it’s only a portable flat referencing surface whereas this Logosol is an all in one milling machine. 

It’s durable and stable, meaning accurate. It’s holds the log off the ground for easy milling, it has a built in lift system, it doesn’t rust, it’s dirt repellent so there is zero maintenance, and on top of all of that….it’s portable. Do you see why I’m giddy? 

Logsol is a Swedish company and I attended an annual conference of theirs last year where I first got to see the equipment and put my hands on it. And just a side note, if you’re impressed with this unit, just wait until you see their other mills like the bandsaw mill or their wide slabber….they are all this well thought out and functional. 

One huge advantage to a chain sawmill over a band sawmill is it’s portable. This F2 Logosol can be dissembled so that the entire unit can fit into the back of a truck or even in the back of an SUV. This way, when I get a call about logs but they are in a location where getting a truck and trailer isn’t an option, I can park in front and carry the mill to the spot with the logs.

Or more commonly, if I get a call about several good logs but hours away…..instead of having to make multiple trips to get the logs back home on a trailer, I can load this up, spend the day slabbing on site then just stack the trailer full of cut slabs to bring home. 

The entire unit is made with aluminum which not drastically cuts down on the weight but it also means you can leave it outside indefinitely without it rusting.

So no need to pack it up or cover it up after a day of milling. Dirt doesn’t stick to it either, so you can easily wipe it off, grab your chainsaw and head in for the day. I’ve currently had my mill sitting out for months now and it looks just as beautiful as the day I first got it. 

Now lets talk about features. Oooooh this mill is slick. Being around tools and equipment for a minute now, I can certainly appreciate a well thought out tool that not only does what it’s suppose to do accurately, but is also easy to use, and bonus points if you can make it look this sharp and beautiful at the same time.

This mill comes in different length options but I opted for the shortest length which is 4 meters (or 13 feet). The longest is 6 meters or just under 20’. But it’s worth noting and again acknowledging Logosol for their thought process, that the F2 is built with a smart module system that allows for different extensions so there are multiple options for extending the wings up to 2 additional meters.

So you could keep it at it’s full length, or you could keep it at it’s most compact size then quickly add on an extension should you catch a big tree. 

For holding down material, the mill comes with a really savvy cam locking system on a sliding track system so that you have plenty of flexibility, no matter where the log end lands, to slide the clamp up against it, tighten it on the track, then lever over the cam lock to hold it securely in place. 

One of my favorite features is adjusting for the depth of cut. Both of the legs, or all if you have the third on, have a ruler attached so that it is extremely simple to not only keep the log level from end to end, resulting in a straight cut, but also to set up for whatever thickness of slab you want.

You adjust the height by turning the handles on each leg which is lifted up by way of a ratcheting system. Every time you hear a click, the log has been lifted 1/4”. So after making a cut, if I want a 2” slab, I turn the handle 8 clicks, then listen for 8 clicks on the other then start on the next cut. I personally love the sound association, it is quick, easy, and accurate, but if you lose track of clicks then of course looking at the ruler to set the depth is another way of easily doing it. 

For the chainsaw: there is a light weight saw carriage that comes with the mill that very quickly attaches to your chainsaw and allows it to slides effortlessly along the track in a very smooth and straight fashion.

There is also an attachment that can be added which will reach out and hold onto the end of the bar to give it more stability to make a straight cut.

Of course when you’re milling, it’s important to have the bar of the chainsaw cutting through the wood straight. If it tilts then you’ll end up with a tapered cut on your slab, which is not only a waste but also causes more work when you go to use the slab. So on your set up, it’s important to have the wings flat and straight, since that is the reference for the carriage, but it’s also important to have the bar stabilized. Then if those two things are good, you’ll just need to focus on the feel/sound of the cut and adjust your pace to either speed up or slow down. 

Since I mentioned set up, lets cover that real quick. The mill comes in a few different boxes with all of the components clearly labeled and laid out.

It might look like a lot when first opening up everything and getting started, but the assembly instructions are by far some of the best I’ve worked with so it came together very easy.

I was continuously impressed with the smart solutions for joining things together, adding stability but keeping it lightweight, and how all the parts fit together like a glove. 

It is a great sign that as I was assembling, I got a buzzed excitement about how well it’s going to work, purely based off the level of quality and obvious attention to detail, that came through by handling these parts. 

To use the mill, you place the log on the bed, spanning the two legs, clamp it down with the cam locks, then make your face cut which gives you a top flat plane.

I would personally lift the chainsaw carriage up on the wings and get it set into the tracks, then start the engine in place. For moving the carriage you can either move it manually by pushing it or the mill comes with a winch system that can be installed which goes from the carriage to the end of the wing and back so that you can crank on the handle to feed it through the cut.

After making it to the end of the cut, you can remove the log then slide the saw back to the start position before using the lift system to raise the log up to the slabs thickness. 

Of course the speed of cut will be vary depending on the saw you have, the diameter, length, and hardness of wood you’re cutting but here I was cutting Texas Mesquite which is one of the hardest woods on the Janka Hardness scale and it was taking me just at a minute to make a cut. So not very much time at all to go through this entire log. 

Now I think it’s incredible that the mill can handle such a long log, but if you’re like me and also have some short stock, a simple work around is to make a quick and cheap jig out of 2x4s or 2x6s to lay in between the two legs. This will cradle the log so it won’t roll away but also allow it to span between the mill’s legs. This jig is simple enough to set into place but then I just toss it to the side until it’s needed again. 

Now for comparisons. I mentioned the Grandburg system earlier. That system is a little bit less expensive and will provide you a portable flat reference to cut slabs from. However, it doesn’t come with a way of holding the log stable, or up off the ground.

Once you get into milling, you’ll quickly realize how important log holding can be. It is light weight and definitely portable but now that I’ve been using this all in one Logosol F2 for the past few months, I can’t imagine going back to anything else. And that’s why if you’re serious about milling as a side gig or even a full time gig, then I definitely recommend Logosol. It’s at a convinent height. It’s light weight, portable, and I love love love that I can leave it set up out in the woods without it rusting or causing problems.

All I have to do is tote the saw in after I’m done, then carry it back out when I’m ready to go again. 

If you’ve been following along with my story then you’ll know that I’ll be selling slabs at my new commercial building called The Wood Shed, so if you’re interested, then yes these slabs will be for sale. And yes, I am interested if you’re in the area and have logs to slab up.

But also, Logosol is a Swedish company that so far has a distributor on the East coast and the West coast but nothing in Central. However, I have been so impressed by this piece of equipment as well as the company themselves that I will be stocking inventory of the F2 Chainsaw mill at The Wood Shed as well. So if you would like to see the mill in person prior to purchasing one, please feel free to drop in. I’ll be happy to walk you through the unit in person. 

 I am so proud to be partnering with the best milling brand on the market:

• Find Logosol’s US Store here: https://bit.ly/3bjHtYb
• Find Logosol on the East coast here: https://bit.ly/3beZSW0
• and on the West coast here: https://bit.ly/2WjhWtX

I will also have inventory at The Wood Shed that can be purchased once Covid-19 has passed and I can open my doors.

Find out more about The Wood Shed here: https://youtu.be/l3Rm8avK6kM

If you are considering getting into milling or are in milling and was hoping to learn about the F2, then I hope this video was helpful. I’ll see you on whatever I’m working on next.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up at the top of this page for my newsletter so you don’t miss new projects!

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