Current timber prices for Ash

[spuddog0507]

39 minutes ago, Backpain said:

Everyone I speak to wants minimum £70 a ton + vat roadside for processor ready. Its mental

Sorry but i cant see why you think £70 a tonne is mental when you look at what work goes in to it , processor sized ash 4 trees per tonne fell, sned and cut in to 2.5 mtr lengths then stack, timber has been purchased standing say £20 per tonne cutter wants paying £20 per hour then £10 per tonne to get it to roadside dont leave much at £20 per tonne proffit , then compare the same said 4 trees in some ones back garden and they would be priced at what 6 7 8 £900 or may be more for dismantle and removal , about 4 months ago i was helping out a arb team for a few days when customer asked about the removal of a apple tree while they where there they quoted her £120 for what looked like about 10 mins work to me for 3 guys, so why not £70 per tonne ?, 

[gdh]

3 minutes ago, spuddog0507 said:

Sorry but i cant see why you think £70 a tonne is mental when you look at what work goes in to it , processor sized ash 4 trees per tonne fell, sned and cut in to 2.5 mtr lengths then stack, timber has been purchased standing say £20 per tonne cutter wants paying £20 per hour then £10 per tonne to get it to roadside dont leave much at £20 per tonne proffit , then compare the same said 4 trees in some ones back garden and they would be priced at what 6 7 8 £900 or may be more for dismantle and removal , about 4 months ago i was helping out a arb team for a few days when customer asked about the removal of a apple tree while they where there they quoted her £120 for what looked like about 10 mins work to me for 3 guys, so why not £70 per tonne ?, 

It's a worse price when you consider it's market demand not costs setting the price. Extraction is usually £30-35 a ton plus £20 standing so there's a big step to £70.

[openspaceman]

6 minutes ago, gdh said:

It's a worse price when you consider it's market demand not costs setting the price. Extraction is usually £30-35 a ton plus £20 standing so there's a big step to £70.

Last time I extracted hardwood pulp over 1km I got £4/tonne and that was 2006, I filled 2 artics daily with a 40 year old tractor, for £30/tonne  I'll come out of retirement.

[gdh]

8 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Last time I extracted hardwood pulp over 1km I got £4/tonne and that was 2006, I filled 2 artics daily with a 40 year old tractor, for £30/tonne  I'll come out of retirement.

I am talking about winching and extraction on banks but 2 artics a day is impressive on any land. How about we meet in the middle and I'll pay you £20

[Backpain]

Its mental because I used to pay £40 per ton no VAT and £200 to have it moved. At those rates we sold firewood at £70 a cubic meter and it made sense. Now I pay over £2k for a artic load and sell at £90 a cubic. There's no profit in it which every way you look at it, so that means no opportunity to invest in plant and expansion.  I actually feel sorry for the loggers and forresters they do all the hard work and the hauliers end up with all the coin.

And you are right, if you have all the kit to do tree work its very lucrative if you're willing to climb.

[spuddog0507]

11 minutes ago, Backpain said:

Its mental because I used to pay £40 per ton no VAT and £200 to have it moved. At those rates we sold firewood at £70 a cubic meter and it made sense. Now I pay over £2k for a artic load and sell at £90 a cubic. There's no profit in it which every way you look at it, so that means no opportunity to invest in plant and expansion.  I actually feel sorry for the loggers and forresters they do all the hard work and the hauliers end up with all the coin.

And you are right, if you have all the kit to do tree work its very lucrative if you're willing to climb.

when you was making money out of the firewood i was not making much out of the  timber, but today same amount of work and believe it or not i am starting to see a more healthier reward from the timber side and yes the hauliers do do well out of it if they are buying the timber then selling on, i now sell direct to mills and get them to arrange haulage, and the firewood we now sell to private punters in small loads 2,3,4, tonne as nearlly every man and his dog who have a stove has now got a really powerfull chainsaw from either B&Q or Aldi etc and one of them clarke elec log splitters that make is a bit easier than a axe but not as fast as a axe.