What can your logs actually earn?
Move the sliders to explore revenue, running cost and gross margin using our published M12-35A operating-cost model. The figures illustrate the selected inputs; they are not an earnings forecast.
500–1,000Board feet per hour1.180–2.360 m³/hour
US$26Running cost / 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³≈ US$11.02 / m³
50+Countries operating
Your operation
The defaults are illustrative example inputs, not typical or expected results. Adjust them to match your operation.
Production rate500 BF/hr / 1.180 m³/hr
250 BF/hr
0.590 m³/hrSlider maximum 1,000 BF/hr
2.360 m³/hr
0.590 m³/hrSlider maximum 1,000 BF/hr
2.360 m³/hr
Timber selling priceUS$2.00 / BF · US$847.55 / m³
Log costUS$500 / 1,000 BF (2.360 m³) · US$211.89 / m³
Own timber US$0
US$0 / m³US$1,200 / 1,000 BF (2.360 m³)
US$508.53 / m³
US$0 / m³US$1,200 / 1,000 BF (2.360 m³)
US$508.53 / m³
Log cost is an allowance per sawn-output volume in this model, not a price per cubic metre of solid round logs.
Operating time8 hrs × 260 days
2 hrs/day12 hrs/day
60 days/yr300 days/yr
Fuel priceUS$6.55 / US gal · US$1.73 / L
US$2.00 / US gal
US$0.53 / LUS$9.00 / US gal
US$2.38 / L
US$0.53 / LUS$9.00 / US gal
US$2.38 / L
$1,532,478
Per year · 1,040,000 BF / 2,454.127 m³ of sawn timber · 74% margin
Example scenario, not expected earnings or net profit. Assumes the selected output and selling price are achieved. Excludes the costs listed below.
Gross margin
Log cost
Machine running cost
Production1,040,000 BF / 2,454.127 m³
Timber sales value$2,080,000
Log cost–$520,000
Machine running cost–$27,522
Gross margin$1,532,478
Time to cover the machine
17 operating days
Enter your quoted sawmill price (US$):
Excludes labour, loader/forklift, freight, finance, land, taxes and overheads. Gross margin is not net profit.
See every assumption (PDF) →
Metric equivalents update beside the original US-unit inputs and outputs. Cubic metres refer to sawn-timber volume, not solid round-log volume. 1 BF = 0.002359737216 m³; 1 US gallon = 3.785411784 L. Metric values are rounded; all money amounts remain in US dollars unless explicitly labelled NZ$.
500
Board feet
per hour
per hour
1.180 m³ / hour
4,000
Board feet
per day
per day
9.439 m³ / day
88,000
Board feet
per month
per month
207.657 m³ / month
1,040,000
Board feet
per year
per year
2,454.127 m³ / year
US$26
Running cost
per 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³
per 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³
≈ US$11.02 / m³
Three numbers decide whether a sawmill makes money.
US$26
Running cost per 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³
Fuel, teeth, belts, bearings, filters, engine and gearbox reserves; everything, costed. At US$2.00/BF / US$847.55/m³ that's about 1.3% of sales value.
+Recovery
More sellable timber per log
The swing blade cuts both directions and sizes boards to the log, so more of every stem leaves the yard as product instead of slabwood.
US$2 → US$7 / BF
US$847.55 → US$2,966.43 / m³
Value added after the cut
The price presets illustrate US$2.00/BF / US$847.55/m³ for rough-sawn timber and US$5–US$7/BF / US$2,118.88–US$2,966.43/m³ for processed timber. Adjust the price to match your local market and account for any extra processing costs.
Example production equivalents: 500 BF/hr / 1.180 m³/hr; 4,000 BF/day / 9.439 m³/day; 88,000 BF/month / 207.657 m³/month; 1,040,000 BF/year / 2,454.127 m³/year. These use the original example inputs, not a production forecast.
The full running cost, per 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³.
Based on 500 BF/hr / 1.180 m³/hr, premium 20 ft / 6.10 m softwood logs at 31.5 in / 800 mm diameter, and fuel at US$6.55 per US gallon / US$1.73 per litre. Dimensions are rounded metric equivalents.
| Cost item | Basis | Per 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³Per-m³ equivalent below each amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | 3 L per m³ | US$12.26≈ US$5.20 / m³ |
| Insert teeth | Replaced every 20 m³ | US$5.75≈ US$2.44 / m³ |
| Bronze rollers | Every 200 hours | US$3.70≈ US$1.57 / m³ |
| Engine reserve | 2,000-hour life | US$2.00≈ US$0.85 / m³ |
| Gearbox reserve | 2,000-hour life | US$0.65≈ US$0.28 / m³ |
| Belts, ropes, struts, stone | 3–24 month intervals | US$0.81≈ US$0.34 / m³ |
| Filters, oil, blade, consumables | Annual / scheduled | US$0.89≈ US$0.38 / m³ |
| Total machine running cost | Labour & loader excluded | US$26.00≈ US$11.02 / m³ |
Why operators choose TurboSawmill
Simple, reliable design
Fewer moving parts and robust engineering; less to break, less to fix.
Low maintenance costs
Serviceable components with published intervals. No specialist mill technicians.
Low operating costs
US$26 per 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³ (approximately US$11.02 per m³), fuel and consumables included.
More sellable timber
Swing-blade recovery gets more product out of every log.
Proven worldwide
Commercial sawmilling in more than 50 countries.
Built for the long term
Designed to keep producing - and keep earning - for years.
Big mill capacity.
Small mill overhead.
The M12-35A bridges the gap between small portable mills and industrial operations. It delivers the output of a far larger mill without the capital cost, the infrastructure or the ongoing overhead.
Simple mechanical design keeps maintenance low and downtime short. Fewer moving parts, robust engineering and readily serviceable components mean more time producing timber and less time carrying out repairs.
Build your sawmill
Graphic shows an illustrative annual scenario only—not expected earnings or net profit. Example sawn output: 1,040,000 BF / 2,454.127 m³ per year.
US$1.5 million
Example scenario only
That calculated annual gross margin comes from the example inputs: 500 BF/hour / 1.180 m³/hour, 8 operating hours a day for 260 days, a log-cost allowance of US$500 per 1,000 BF / 2.360 m³ (US$211.89 per m³ of sawn output), and a timber selling price of US$2.00/BF / US$847.55/m³.
This is an arithmetic example, not typical earnings, an earnings forecast or net profit. It assumes the entered output is achieved throughout the selected operating time and all timber sells at the entered price. Labour, handling, drying and processing costs not included in the model, downtime, finance, tax and other overheads can materially reduce the result.
Back to the calculator10,500 BF / 24.777 m³ in 17 hours.
Full length
Live from the yard - 10,500 BF / 24.777 m³ in 17 hours
The M12-35A stainless-upgraded 2026 model
Staging the logs - ready for trial
Sawing ironbark - the world's hardest timber
From the yard - shorts
Let's go
Logs lined up - production underway
A clean, efficient workspace
Add wheels to roll from log to log
Half way through the job
Strapping the timber - ready for treatment
Own the machine.
Own your market.
Send us your log supply, species and local timber price. We'll build the model against your market and quote the machine that fits.
Planning estimates only. Figures are illustrative and depend on log quality, species, operator skill, site layout, material handling, maintenance and local market demand. The model assumes premium 20 ft / approximately 6.10 m softwood logs of approximately 31.5 in / 800 mm diameter, natural air drying with no kiln cost, and excludes labour, loader/forklift, off-bearer, grading, freight, finance, land, taxes and overheads. Not a promise or guarantee of performance. Fuel example: NZ$3.00/L ≈ US$1.73/L / US$6.55 per US gallon, using the original model’s dated exchange-rate assumption (NZD 1 = USD 0.57705, 26 July 2026); this is not a live exchange rate.