Low impact forestry services in Devon and the South West

[Big J]

14 minutes ago, Matthew Storrs said:

I think if you asked a general cross section of the population where they think is drier- southwest or Northeast, most would instinctively say the southwest, they think of sunny beaches in summer etc. Unfortunately this is very skewed thinking. The southwest is a considerably wetter climate- just milder, take your pick which you’d prefer!!

 

The issue you get in East Scotland is the North Sea ruins the weather. Endless grey, cloudy days with wind, mist and quite low temperatures. 

 

Glad to leave it behind. 

[arboriculturist]

4 hours ago, Big J said:

And we are here! Exhausting 11 hour drive down on Friday with fully loaded van and trailer, along with my friend driving the 7.5t box lorry. 28-30c heat, no air conditioning and lost 3 hours to summer holiday traffic that actually started north of Manchester. 

 

Lorry unloaded and the weather has been gruesome since arriving. So much for moving south for sunnier climes! 

 

Couple of weeks getting the house completely sorted and then back to work in southern Scotland for a couple of weeks. I've two large contracts up there that could theoretically take up all my time, so might not even be working in Devon for the time being!

Well it's a step in the right direction!

 

I'm so short of timber here that I have been racking my brains for suitable woodland that could be managed with your 'Low Impact' machinery and give an attractive return to the Landowner.

 

All the local independent Contractors are being outbid by the big boys on anything worthwhile and all the hand cutters are selling to them also - unfortunately virtually none of it is available to the Firewood suppliers as it's mainly being hauled hundreds of miles for Biofuel in inefficient power stations.

 

Just emailed a fellow with a mixed hard/soft stand who wanted to sell the Wood to me - don't really want it but I will certainly take all the timber!

 

All a nice size for you and I can get an 8 wheeler and drag roadside a couple of fields away

 

He's had one of the national boys there on another stand and they left it devastated. Being a well qualified person from a Forestry management background he is no fool.

 

Fingers crossed on this one and i'm on the case looking for potential 'Low impact' sites that don't suit the local independent Contractors, as they must not be forgotten.

 

 

 

[Spruce Pirate]

9 hours ago, Big J said:

 

The issue you get in East Scotland is the North Sea ruins the weather. Endless grey, cloudy days with wind, mist and quite low temperatures. 

 

Glad to leave it behind. 

Always cold out east, but at least it's mostly dry - and the midges are nothing like as bad.  Wait until you get a good midge day down in Ae!

[wicklamulla]

On 29/07/2018 at 13:15, Big J said:

 

The issue you get in East Scotland is the North Sea ruins the weather. Endless grey, cloudy days with wind, mist and quite low temperatures. 

 

Glad to leave it behind. 

J check yer messages please.

[Big J]

Update:

 

Work has picked up quite substantially, and we're booked through to about May. Combination of work for the forwarder, processor and forestry tractor. 

 

Also have a Valtra N92 with roof mount Botex crane, as well as an Antonio Carrero 38bhp Alpine tractor to run a 3.2t Iglund winch. 

The site we are on at the moment is testing the tractor and the forwarder to the max. Steep inclines, heavy logs and a lot of rain!

 

 

Up to nearly 400 hrs on the Logbullet now. I've broken various bits of it, but I'm working it very hard. The manufacturer has been great with spares and taking onboard feedback with regards to improvements that could be made.

Edited February 6, 2019 by Big J

[HuntingHicap]

Pics please John?

[Big J]

I'm not good at taking photos when working, but a couple from today.

 

The first is the main extraction track within the stand and the second is the point in the field where this week's timber is being stacked as I can't get into the extraction point field for deep flat mud. I'll move it on with the tractor ?

[Yorkshire Brummie]

I'm not good at taking photos when working, but a couple from today.
 
The first is the main extraction track within the stand and the second is the point in the field where this week's timber is being stacked as I can't get into the extraction point field for deep flat mud. I'll move it on with the tractor [emoji2]

You weren’t joking when you said it was a tad muddy Big J! [emoji106]

[Big J]

1 minute ago, Yorkshire Brummie said:

You weren’t joking when you said it was a tad muddy Big J!

Yeah, not so low impact when you think about it! It's only the main drags that are bad. You can't easily tell where I've been in the stand. I'm going to be getting the ruts on the main track back filled when we are done. I've not been asked to, but I don't want to see tyre ruts in a woodland.

[IronMike]

Is that a winged creature flying above the timber stack mate?!