Jon Betry’s a serious DIY homesteader with a self-sufficiency lifestyle. He’s on his third TimberKing sawmill. “Just couldn’t wear out the other two.”
“My TimberKing sawmill helps me reach my goal of self-reliance on my 180-acre homestead. My garden provides me a lot of our food; my solar array provides all of my power; my woods provide fuel to heat my home; my land produces Christmas trees and maple syrup we sell; and my TimberKing gives me materials I’ve used to build my timber frame barn, ‘hay loft’ apartment, sugar shack, garage, shop, and much more.
Why pay others when I can do it myself?
I’m a DIY guy and I like the challenge of solving problems and learning new things. I started out as a mechanic at my dad’s Ford dealership. I figure, why pay someone else to do what you can do yourself? And I like not having to wait for someone else to fix something for me. All this is very rewarding. For example, I can look at my barn and know I designed it, did the concrete work, all the carpentry, and drove every nail.
For me, owning a sawmill is a must. I used it to build my homestead outbuildings and many more projects. I cut all my own lumber with my TimberKing. And I use my Woodmaster Planer/Molder to turn my boards into finished lumber. I love being ‘efficiently self-sufficient’ and my TimberKing sawmill and Woodmaster planer are a big part of that lifestyle.
“I just couldn’t wear out my first 2 TimberKing sawmills”
I’m on my third TimberKing sawmill now! I started with a 1200 model when they still made them, then a 1220, and now I have the 1400. I just couldn’t wear out my first two; I only replaced belts and guide bearings occasionally. I put a lot of hours on them and sawed countless board feet of lumber. I sold the 1220 on Craigslist for almost what paid for it. I never had a problem selling a used TimberKing.
A friend had a TimberKing years ago. I took a look and did some research. I wanted something really solid and I liked how these mills are built with the 4-post head. There’s not much that can go wrong. They’re rock-solid and earn their keep many times over. Due to the quality, service, and resale value, I didn’t consider any other sawmill.
I’m retired now from 31 years teaching elementary school. I’ve been running TimberKing sawmills during my summers for many years, using them to build my 180-acre homestead in central Wisconsin. Now that I’m retired, I run my tree farm full-time. I named it ‘Relic Pine’ since 25 acres are a 60-year-old red pine plantation. And scattered through the property are old, relic red and white pines, each well over 100 years old.
Slabs, sawdust, lumber — “I use every part of the wood I saw”
The only wood I ever buy now is the occasional treated post and plywood. I use every part of the wood I mill. I use the slabs I cut to fire my maple syrup evaporator. I trade the sawdust to a farmer down the road for manure for my garden. And I build with all the lumber.
Doing things myself saves time and money. And I always want to stay busy – I’ve got to have a project going or I go crazy! During this pandemic, I’m as busy as ever. I can’t imagine being stuck indoors. I’m glad I’ve got plenty to do.
My homestead’s pretty well set up now and I want to make more products to sell. I make deer stands and apple presses. I saw the article on the TimberKing blog about the TimberKing owner who makes chicken coops and sells them for $1,300 apiece. That looks like a good idea.
I do some custom sawing for others – maybe 10 jobs a year. That pays for my blades and sharpening though I plan to get a TimberKing setter/sharpener.
The TimberKing company’s been great. I went to the factory and toured the shop. I met Will Johnson, the president, and talked to the guys who build the mills. Everybody I dealt with at the TimberKing factory was really helpful.
Turning a $10 log into $125 worth of building materials
If you have trees and like to build stuff, getting a TimberKing is a no-brainer. I know I’ve sawed at least $30,000 worth of lumber. It makes good financial sense. If I sell a log, I might get $10. But with my TimberKing, I can turn a 15” pine into $125 worth of building materials. This mill pays for itself very quickly.”
— Jon Betry, TimberKing Owner, Wittenberg WI
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