Today sawmills have started to use automatic methods for log grading. The methods used are either optical or gamma‐ray scanners. However, the signals from these scanners are too coarse for accurate log grading and for good control of the sawing process at the single log level. The objective of the present study was to determine the grading accuracy of a log‐scanner with two industrial X‐ray sources. The grading accuracy was compared with the accuracy of manual grading. The results showed that the manual grading of logs and boards is difficult. The accuracy of manual grading was low and the automatic grading systems were more reliable than manual ones. Possibilities for improving the automatic grading systems are discussed.