Small Saw Mills vs Store bought lumber

[Robert Olin]

I have some logs I'd like milled but, it seems like you can buy lumber cheaper at the lumber yard than you can have your own logs milled. Or am I missing something?

RO

[PeterD]

You may be missing economics of scale...

What may work, if your logs are acceptable (length, condition, knots, etc.) is to 'trade' or sell them to a smaller mill and buy lumber either from them or someone else.

Most mills are particular about what the logs look like (size is critical, too small they are pulpwood, too short and they don't give enough long lumber, odd-shaped usually gives poor lumber too...)

I think I'd do this: take some pictures of the logs (end and full shots) and take the images to a small mill, and ask them what they'd recommend.