Junior Peterson (JP) – Small Sawmill, Big Features

A small sawmill packed with BIG features and unbeatable versatility

hobby sawmilling

The Junior Peterson (JP) is the perfect swingblade sawmill designed for part time sawmilling.

Ideal for customers who are wanting to cut their own lumber for home and farm projects, the Junior Peterson Portable Sawmill is competitively priced, solid in structure, productive and portable. It is a small sawmill compared to others in Peterson’s range, and the ‘ease of use’ design means that even if you haven’t operated a sawmill before, you will soon gain confidence operating the Junior Peterson.

With many of the features of the larger Peterson models, the Junior Peterson is a great option for those seeking a lower price point.

This small sawmill is lightweight, can be transported on the deck of a pick up or on a trailer, is simple for one person to use and the JP produces top quality dimensional lumber straight off the mill. You can also cut weather boards/tapered siding without the need to purchase an extra attachment!

Ted Isaacs (above left) was the first person in the world to purchase a Junior Peterson, known as the small sawmill with big features! Ted loves his new hobby mill and uses it for various projects around his farm. “I am tickled with my portable sawmill, especially for the price. It does everything I need!”


Features

Tapered Boards/Weatherboards
One of the great features of the JP is the ability to cut angled boards, often referred to as lap siding, bevel siding, splay cut or clapboard. Unlike our larger mills that need an attachment, the JP is equipped and ready to go! Variation in angles is allowed to ensure you can change the thickness, width, and pitch of the siding you require.

Double Cutting with ease
A unique feature of all Peterson Portable Sawmills, is the ease of double cutting timber slabs by a single operator. A double cut is the joining of two horizontal cuts together to obtain a wider board or slab using both sides of the blade.

Single Point Sizing
On all ASM and WPF and JP frames, the system allows the operator to lower all four corners of the mill equally from one position meaning more accurate boards. The manual single point winch system may be upgraded to electric on the WPF.

Rigid Track System
The Peterson JP, WPF, ASM and DWS have all been designed with a track system which allows for unlimited track extensions (extensions available as optional extras). Perfect for a job like when Jeff Sincell milled a 40′ log on his WPF.

Positive Lock
Peterson’s left/right sizing system is run by chain and sprocket, with a turning handle and lock. So that means it will only move when you unlock it, and you can position the sizing very accurately to within 1mm. No slippage, and top accuracy for every board.

Durable, Low Maintenance Blades
Peterson blades last for 2-6 years with normal use and maintenance. However, some swing blade sawmill owners have been using the same blades for over 10 years! To decrease downtime, the Peterson blade can be sharpened while it is still on the mill; in less than 10 minutes, and without having to remove any guards. For your convenience the sharpener is pre-set to fit your blade size which makes for much more productive sawmilling.

Elevated Engine Position
Peterson mount the sawmill engines higher than other manufacturers for two reasons: firstly, to ensure the air filter intake is further away from the sawdust output. This prevents sawdust build up and overheating of the motor. And secondly, to allow the ability of double-cutting to full depth, without the motor and gearbox restricting the opposite side of the blade.

Junior Peterson Small Sawmill Slabber

Peterson Milling Tip

Use the Junior Peterson Portable Sawmill to produce one full width slab from every log you cut! Simply measure the desired depth of slab that you want to get from the middle of your log, mill down to your start point then turn the log over 180º. Your log will automatically be level to the bottom of your slab. Now you just need to sawmill dimensional lumber from the top of the log until you create the flat face of the top of your slab!

Swap the saw blade for the optional planer blade for a planed surface, quickly sand the slab with the optional sander disc, apply some lacquer and you have yourself a stunning table top, bench top or bar leaner.


Comparisons


Specifications

Blade Size (Radius)6″
Blade Quantity
2
Motor Options
Briggs & Stratton 13.5hp
Vanguard 14hp
Electric 3 Phase 7.5kw
Maximum Standard Cut
6″ x 6″ (152mm x 152mm)
Maximum Double Cut
4″ x 12″ (102mm x 305mm)
Log diameter (Standard)*
3′ (914.4mm)
Log length (Standard)*
13′ (4m)
Supplied Track Length
19′ (5.7m)
Maximum Track Length
Unlimited
Hi/Lo Tracks
No
Electric Winch
No
Planer Blade
Optional
Sander Disk Kit
Optional
Clip on-slabber
Optional
Tapered Board Attachment
Yes
Tachometer
Optional
Microkerf Blade Kit
Optional
Giant Frame Upgrade
Optional
Weight
661lbs (300kg approx.)
Materials
Mild Steel
Average production**
1,600bft per day (4m3 per day)

* Extendable with upgrade
** Production numbers may vary due to species and size of cut


Accessories

Petersons have a range of portable sawmill accessories that are available for purchase at any time (model dependent). Our range of accessories have been designed to help increase production and add value to the lumber that comes off your mill.

Micro-Kerf Blade
With the development of the MicroKerf blade, Petersons are now able to offer a thinner kerf blade that still has all the benefits of circular saw technology. This ultra thin blade can reduce the kerf to a tiny 4mm, and is the first of its kind in the portable sawmilling market. It minimizes the wastage of valuable wood and maximizes the amount of quality, useable timber produced from each log.

Clip On Slabber Chainsaw Mill
The ultimate in portable sawmill accessories. Petersons’ Clip On Slabber chainsaw mill is a popular accessory for millers who want dimensional lumber AND a slab or two from the same log. When milling down to a suitable slab, simply swap the swing blade for the Clip On Slabber to get your slab then swap back and finish milling dimensional lumber!

Planer Blade and Sanding Disc Kit
A Peterson Wood Planer Blade is an integral tool for dressing wide beams and slabs cut with your WPF and/or Clip On Slabber. The Wood Planer Blade is mounted in place of your standard mill blade to skim over the surface of your timber for planed results. Purchase with the Peterson sander disc for a complete finish to bring your timber to the finish you desire, saving hours of hand sanding or extra machinery.


JP In Action

Click the ‘Playlist’ link in the top right corner to select a JP video:


JP Owners' Stories

"Once word got out about what I do, demand just snowballed”

Horst Puff had been managing a BP gas station on an Austrian Autobahn for some time when in 2009, he got itchy feet. This lead him to settle in Nova Scotia where he became a full time owner operator long haul trucker. Since owning his JP, Horst has sold his truck and is now solely focussed on making a living with wood.

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A stepping stone for young millers

New Zealand is home to many small farm forestry blocks and on Zane’s family block, they grow Pine, Gum and Lusitanica trees. This enabled Zane to turn his passion for trees in to more than just a hobby. He purchased a chainsaw mill and entered the world of milling, cutting slabs for future sale.

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Homesteading is a lifestyle choice

Robert served on missions abroad to North Korea, China, Iraq, the UK, and India, plus a few other United States Secret Service missions he isn’t at liberty to talk about. After nearly 24 years serving in the army, Robert retired and started thinking about creating a simpler, more fulfilling life in the woods for his family.

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The kid who never grew up

Addicted to the outdoors, Ted enjoys gardening, building projects, and hotrods but had no previous experience with any type of sawmill. But that didn’t stop this old timer being a kid at heart and trying something completely new. Getting to know the Junior Peterson has been an education, and also lots of fun for Ted.

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LOOKING FOR OUR PRICING?

Petersons export worldwide from our factory in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Encountering fluctuating freight, raw materials, currencies and export costs, therefore we have tailored pricelists pertaining to each country. We also have over 40 different mill options to suit all applications, so it often helps to call and speak to us about your particular needs.
If you would like to recieve a copy of our digital Info Pack and Price List, please click here.