Wood Processing

[Woodworks]

1 hour ago, defender tipper said:

only experiance i have is watching a bloke faffing around trying to get logs through a Palax one day,looked like hard work compared to a sharp saw and a fast cycle splitter.

No way should it be slower than a sharp saw and splitter. Mind you owning a processor is only half the job. You need to keep them running spot on for good production.

 

To the OP as said hire someone in with some experience for few day and get to see what a processor can do. You can either start saving or stick with hiring. I process for a chap who owns nothing other than a truck for delivery. He borrows a tractor for processing days and we get through around 12 tonnes plus a day. Think it works out around £15 per cube for the processing so not expensive in the grand scheme of things

[Bustergasket]

No way should it be slower than a sharp saw and splitter. Mind you owning a processor is only half the job. You need to keep them running spot on for good production.
 
To the OP as said hire someone in with some experience for few day and get to see what a processor can do. You can either start saving or stick with hiring. I process for a chap who owns nothing other than a truck for delivery. He borrows a tractor for processing days and we get through around 12 tonnes plus a day. Think it works out around £15 per cube for the processing so not expensive in the grand scheme of things

It’s very true that the processor will need a fair amount of fettling to keep it spot on, i think £15 a cube is good value and definitely worth trying that before you shell out on kit [emoji106]

[defender tipper]

43 minutes ago, Woodworks said:

No way should it be slower than a sharp saw and splitter. Mind you owning a processor is only half the job. You need to keep them running spot on for good production.

 

To the OP as said hire someone in with some experience for few day and get to see what a processor can do. You can either start saving or stick with hiring. I process for a chap who owns nothing other than a truck for delivery. He borrows a tractor for processing days and we get through around 12 tonnes plus a day. Think it works out around £15 per cube for the processing so not expensive in the grand scheme of things       

No I wasnt thinking slower,but would need to be significatly faster to warrant costs,we are getting around 12m3 for a 8 hour day,cutting from the stack splitting then in a bag and put in the shed,thats me and a £80 chap,may I ask what m3 would come from 12T?

[Woodworks]

9 minutes ago, defender tipper said:

No I wasnt thinking slower,but would need to be significatly faster to warrant costs,we are getting around 12m3 for a 8 hour day,cutting from the stack splitting then in a bag and put in the shed,thats me and a £80 chap,may I ask what m3 would come from 12T?

I work on double but I think it depends how small you split the wood down also the density of the wood species. Smaller (split dimensions) the logs the lighter per cube. At least thats my explanation. I weigh a cube from time to time and never be up to half a tonne but others say they only get 1.6 cube per tonne so log size is my only explanation for the difference 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Woodworks

[gdh]

If the original poster has straight logs I would definitely hire a processor in, there's another thread here about costs but as an example I recently cut 175 bags for someone in four days. That would have taken a lot of time and effort by hand.

 

I think a processor is best long term and there are cheap processors out there but having more debts is never nice and then you have the worry of repairs etc so I can see where you're coming from. 

 

Maybe look at making/buying a sawbench and table at waist height so you can slide the logs through like a mini production line. If you can raise the splitter to the same height and have a bucket underneath it that will be one less job straight away. 

[gdh]

1 hour ago, Woodworks said:

I work on double but I think it depends how small you split the wood down also the density of the wood species. Smaller (split dimensions) the logs the lighter per cube. At least thats my explanation. I weigh a cube from time to time and never be up to half a tonne but others say they only get 1.6 cube per tonne so log size is my only explanation for the difference 

It's also going to depend on species - a ton of oak is physically smaller than a ton of ash, and how dry it is when buying in and weighing. 

[Lfservices]

5 hours ago, defender tipper said:

No I wasnt thinking slower,but would need to be significatly faster to warrant costs,we are getting around 12m3 for a 8 hour day,cutting from the stack splitting then in a bag and put in the shed,thats me and a £80 chap,may I ask what m3 would come from 12T?

What splitter do you use mate? 

[Lfservices]

3 hours ago, gdh said:

If the original poster has straight logs I would definitely hire a processor in, there's another thread here about costs but as an example I recently cut 175 bags for someone in four days. That would have taken a lot of time and effort by hand.

 

I think a processor is best long term and there are cheap processors out there but having more debts is never nice and then you have the worry of repairs etc so I can see where you're coming from. 

 

Maybe look at making/buying a sawbench and table at waist height so you can slide the logs through like a mini production line. If you can raise the splitter to the same height and have a bucket underneath it that will be one less job straight away. 

Most of the wood I get is either arb waste or wood I get from some small bits of land I manage in exchange for the wood. 

 

Got a nice load of ash dieback to fell so probably going to hire my mates processor for that as all pretty straight stuff 

[defender tipper]

My splitter is a OMA Italian machine,splits a cube bag in under 13mins

Best thing we have,thats a cube bag not a 0.7 builders bag.

its cutting the stuff thats holding me back i think

[Justme]

9 hours ago, defender tipper said:

No I wasnt thinking slower,but would need to be significatly faster to warrant costs,we are getting around 12m3 for a 8 hour day,cutting from the stack splitting then in a bag and put in the shed,thats me and a £80 chap,may I ask what m3 would come from 12T?

I can do 25m3 per day with one person helping & good wood.