This Heavy-Duty Harbor Freight Tool Feels Like Overkill, But DIYers Love It

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Harbor freight sells dozens of tools that that you won't find at home Depot. One such example is a gasoline-powered saw mill; while Home Depot offers some mills, like this $3,375 Grizzly Industrial model, it requires 14-amp 120V AC power to operate. Harbor Freight's Central Machinery Saw Mill is only available for purchase online, costs $2,499.99 (plus a $129.99 overweight freight charge), and easily operates away from the electric grid thanks to its integrated gasoline engine.

At first glance, the heavy-duty sawmill may appear to be overkill, but DIY lumber milling enthusiasts absolutely can't get enough of it — something its 4.6-star rating on the company's product page clearly proves. While the majority of users say this Harbor Freight sawmill is worth its price, there are some things you should know before buying one.

The first is that this saw mill is indeed almost universally lauded. Out of the 333 reviews currently posted on the product page, only 18 of them fall below a 4-star rating, with 97% of customers ultimately recommending the purchase of the sawmill. The second is that negative reviews do exist, of course; some of these report difficulty with setting up the product, while others mention poor quality components and a lack of replacement parts to repair the unit when things break or wear out. At least a couple of the 3-star reviews found flaws with the sawmill, but still say the tool offers decent value for its price.

The Central Machinery sawmill is shipped in a metal fabricated crate containing all of its various parts, hardware, and subassemblies in separate boxes. Assembly of the lower frame, which includes the rails upon which the saw will ride, is straightforward, though YouTuber Specific Love Creations found the written instructions for the remainder of the saw's assembly lacking; he reported having to rely heavily on the included illustrations.

In the video, the major subassembly, containing the gas engine, saw blade, drive and idler wheels, and a substantial amount of metal framing and sheet metal covers, proved too heavy to lift safely by hand. Instead, the video host devised a rolling A-frame gantry using wood and a chain hoist to lift the business part of the sawmill into place, indicating that users are likely to need a similar arrangement.

Ultimately, assembling the sawmill on a flat and level surface goes a long way toward making the setup easy. The engine starts with just a few pulls and runs smoothly in review videos. Adjusting the saw blade height is as simple as releasing the locking clamps and turning the handle to activate a system of cables and pulleys that supply mechanical advantage to lift and lower the blade. Once set to the desired height for any board thickness, you can re-engage the locking clamps. During operation, the log remains stationary; instead, the user pushes the sawmill's blade unit across the log by hand as it cuts.

Central Machinery uses Predator engines, one of the many private-label brands owned by Harbor Freight, to power its sawmills. The Predator 301cc gas engine generates 7 horsepower using the recommended 87+ octane unleaded gasoline. Its 4-stroke operation means there's no need to premix oil and gas, but you should make sure the oil level is topped off before each use and change it after each 20 hours of operation.

The mill's 0.048-inch-thick bandsaw-type blade measures 1.25 inches wide and 144 inches in total length. The blade rides on a set of roller guides and wheels; the engine powers one wheel, while the others provide support and tension. The sawmill has a maximum operating speed of 3,279 feet per minute and a shipping weight of 749.5 pounds.

The posted specifications indicate you can mill logs up to 20 inches in diameter with this sawmill. Off-grid enthusiast Bushradical, a YouTuber with nearly 1.2 million subscribers, reports being able to go significantly larger, successfully milling a 26-inch diameter log with the sawmill. However, it took some extra effort to fit it through the machine, like removing the push handle and trimming some excess from the log with a chainsaw. Ultimately, Bushradical calls the Harbor Freight Central Machinery sawmill "robust" and "extremely simple," but he does admits that some competitor sawmills offer a smoother cut.