Palax or Farmi

[Dobster]

Not sure if it was yourself who texted me asking to hire my machine for 50t of larch/sitka.
Certainly wasn't me that quoted you the £240 though.  For a machine and 2 men that's a steal.  In sitka on an ideal set up and with 2 men 10t/day is pretty much what the wp36 will do.  On larch it'll do a bit more but there's so many variables that it's always better to quote about 10t/day, especially if there's travelling and in the winter here days are short of daylight.
If you're looking for a processor to travel with then the WP36 is really the only viable mobile option.  Most processors in the sub £15k bracket will do around 10-15t/day and to get anything more than this you're looking at a significant investment of over £20k. Always remember that with the bigger machines you get a lot more waste product.  My Farmi cuts fairly cleanly with the 4way splitter, but when using the 6 way the extra production it does is offset with the amount of waste wood it creates.
You're more than welcome to come and see mine in action if it helps you make your mind up on what one to go for.  I'm not a dealer so what you will see is what the machine does in the real world.  I  might add that instead of a bigger/faster machine my next investment will be a bigger shed to cope with the wood being produced 

Hi John
Thanks for your input on the Farmi, I may take you up on that offer as I’m up in North Argyll pretty regular. I’m an Engineer on CalMac small ferry fleet so always in or around Your neck of the woods.
The £240 was a quote I got from a local farmer who has a processor and that was for me helping but he could only commit a few days here n there.
I spoke to Stephen Cabrol at Riko who was very helpful and sent me some very detailed info on the 36.
I’ll maybe get in touch with yourself after the new year and pick your brains and maybe even strike a deal[emoji106]

[Billhook]

I am in Finland at the moment in a glass igloo looking at the Northern Lights. The hotel which owns the igloo has very friendly staff especially since I told them that I have owned a Palax Combi 600 since 1996 and also Fiskars X27 and other Fiskars tools, all of which have stood up to my abuse.  So I am hero at the bar tonight!

 

The Palax I bought second hand from Jas Wilson for £2500.  It was pto but I fitted a three phase motor which still allowed the pto to work without changing anything.

i also fitted a drawbar and removable wheels making it a very versatile machine

only one tiny fault in twenty two years that was repaired in ten minutes.  The time and work this machine has saved me is tremendous.

i operate it on my own with a Teleporter and home made log deck.  I do not think an extra man would make a great difference to output

The wood all goes into old one ton potato boxes

i have rarely used the pto as it is so quiet with the 3 phase

i would not entertain a chainsaw to cut the lengths as a good multitooth tungsten tip circular blade really is like a knife through butter and you can "feel" the blade through the wood.  Having said that I am only using timber from our own woods.

 

So knowing not much about the other machines my only advice is that Palax build good machines and that it is always a balance of the capital cost versus the throughput.  So while 15 or 20 k may buy a superior machine, how long will it take to make your money back?