Low impact forestry services in Devon and the South West

[Big J]

Another from today.

 

125t went out on wagons today and it barely dented the 3.7m stack!

[Big J]

The largest tree felled on site so far. 36. 8m of usable product off this one. The first length (4.9m) was a pig to lift with the tractor as it was nearly 60cm at the top end.

[spuddog0507]

43 minutes ago, Big J said:

The largest tree felled on site so far. 36. 8m of usable product off this one. The first length (4.9m) was a pig to lift with the tractor as it was nearly 60cm at the top end.

looks nice timber that J , where on that beech at the moment and some timber in there i dont think we will lift in 2.5s and i can just see it getting disced up for firewood, a shame ,

[Big J]

17 minutes ago, spuddog0507 said:

looks nice timber that J , where on that beech at the moment and some timber in there i dont think we will lift in 2.5s and i can just see it getting disced up for firewood, a shame ,

Must be some size! That DF log was getting towards the limit for the tractor. We're 250m ASL and it seems fairly dense for DF. Had 4 loads of 3.7s go out today, and it barely dented the stack.

[scotspine1]

On 25/03/2019 at 21:42, Big J said:

I'm finding the little forwarder is working really well 

 

[Big J]

15 hours ago, MattyF said:

That’s quiet a claim with that set up! What is the trailer or the valtra 10t ? No offence but I would have to see weight tickets to believe it.

Sorry Matty, didn't see your post earlier. 

 

So it's a 9t trailer, but I think with 3.7s, it's not going much past 6t. When the logs are all stacked rideside by the forwarder (which I'm operating), the tractor can complete a run (average 500m to extraction point) in 30-40m. That means, including stoppages for fueling and breaks, you're on about 10t/hr. We tend to work 10hrs, and the chap on the tractor isn't quite up to speed yet so we've been doing up to 15 runs a day. Some runs have been 3m chip and 2.5m bar, so best day is around 75t so far.

 

The forwarder is incredibly fast for putting logs to the ride side. Just doing 1/2 loads (0.75 - 1t), you're zipping back and forth, never more than 50m and not having to pay much attention to slope and I can weave between the trees. 

 

As I said, we had 100t of 3.7s leave site today, and 24t of chip. Still about 160-170t of 3.7s left, 15t of chip, 15t of 2.5s, 10t of 4.9s and 50t of 5.5s. That's after 8 days of production and that's also with the tractor driver doing his first day last Monday (up to day 4 now). So around 380t in 8 days, but as I said, training the chap on the tractor.

 

* edit: and I only got 4 loads out today as I had to stay out the landing bay as lorries were in and I didn't have the tractor driver in today either.

Edited March 26, 2019 by Big J

[Khriss]

80 tonne of conifer out n stacked is no small achievement with such a set up. Dunno why other posts thought it unreal. Plus fact the stand ain't getting chewed up over its root plates means that crop gonna yield even more plus it under lines real Forestry work is profitable in UK. Having used a 10 ton Valtra forwarder in high stand broadleaf it ain't easy work an idiots need not apply for this. Just envious now but back to ecosurveying for today ;P K

[ESS]

Obviously we don't know the rate for the job as to how profitable it is, but if you were to look at the daily average and 2 machines / wages to achieve that I would say that is quite expensive extraction.

[Big J]

1 hour ago, ESS said:

Obviously we don't know the rate for the job as to how profitable it is, but if you were to look at the daily average and 2 machines / wages to achieve that I would say that is quite expensive extraction.

It isn't. Tractor driver on £12/hr (the rate he suggested) so he's only costing me roughly£1.80 per tonne, plus my time  

[ESS]

Not quite sure how you have arrived at £1.80, however there are machinery costs to build into the equation and your time as you put it.

Quick reckon up, with hand cutting costs it will be costing you 18-20 / tonne to actually do the job .