The second you’ve committed to which platform you’ll choose, bandsaw or circular saw, you’ll suddenly realize there are now many more options that must be chosen. One of the biggest decisions, and hardest to later change, will be engine type and power output.Currently the most common power plants available are single and two-cylinder four stroke gasoline engines ranging from 10hp up to 25hp. Some companies do offer a single cylinder two stroke diesel option on some mill models.Electric models are also available if you’ll be installing your mill near a power supply.
When looking at power plant options consider blade width, production speed, hardwoods, longevity and NOISE!
You’ll want to take your time considering where you plan to saw (altitude reduces power) as well as noise (urban nor suburban milling might restrict decibels allowed) before making your selection.
Out top chose the 14HP Kohler on our mill for it’s excellent cost/value/power/efficiency balance. We can saw large logs, at higher altitudes (above 5000′ above seal level) and maintenance costs are very low. Noise is acceptable and we aren’t anticipating excessively high hours of operation over it’s lifetime.