How to estimate a log's weight

[Andrew L]

Help,

I have a 10ft (long) by 3ft (diameter) Atlantic Blue Cedar log that my landlord would like back at base to put through his processor.

We are a small company and don't have any heavy lifting gear.

Looking at hiring 2.8t excavator with grapple to lift onto a 3.5t trailer but not sure that machine will be big enough (hire company said max lift 0.9t only).

 

Tried the net and it looks as if similar species (white atlantic cedar) would be ~750kg, assuming I have got the measurements correct.

Apologies if this is a foolish question but I am trying to avoid getting the hire gear onsite to find it won't actually lift the log,,,

 

Cheers in advance

Andrew

 

[muttley9050]

Just parbuckle it on to the trailer with a winch. Much less hassle than hiring a machine.
Your Log is approximately 1.7m3 so if its green I would expect it to weigh about 1.1 tonnes.
A 3 ft cedar should be milled not logged.

[nepia]

+1 for parbuckling.  If you don't have a winch three guys with a rope each will roll that up sensible ramps:  don't forget to place chocks on the trailer bed to stop it rolling onto your feet when it comes off the top of the ramps!

[Andrew L]

I

16 minutes ago, muttley9050 said:

Just parbuckle it on to the trailer with a winch. Much less hassle than hiring a machine.
Your Log is approximately 1.7m3 so if its green I would expect it to weigh about 1.1 tonnes.
A 3 ft cedar should be milled not logged.

Thanks.  Yes it is to be milled into planks (sorry for not making that clear).

2x other smaller 10ft sections to go plus a lot of Poplar lumps to be shifted elsewhere on site.

[Rough Hewn]

Nearly all fresh cut wood weighs approx the same as water.
Your logs probably at least 2ton.
If freshly felled.
A tiny excavator won’t lift it.
You could parbuckle it,
But I would got someone who’s done it before in, as it can go wrong easily.
I hire a hiab/crane wagon and/or a big loader (6ton) to move logs.
[emoji106]

[Squaredy]

I agree with most of what has been said already.  My estimate of weight is 1.5 tons as the cedars are quite dry even when felled except the sapwood.  Good to hear it is being milled.

 

 You could use the digger you want to hire to push it up ramps rather than to lift it…. And then lift the smaller pieces.

[muttley9050]

No way a 1.7m3 cedar is 2 tonne.
Very few fresh cut logs weigh the same or more than water. Definately not cedar.

[Khriss]

Rollers, worked for the Egyptians   😉  K

[Puffingbilly413]

17 hours ago, Andrew L said:

Help,

I have a 10ft (long) by 3ft (diameter) Atlantic Blue Cedar log that my landlord would like back at base to put through his processor.

We are a small company and don't have any heavy lifting gear.

Looking at hiring 2.8t excavator with grapple to lift onto a 3.5t trailer but not sure that machine will be big enough (hire company said max lift 0.9t only).

 

Tried the net and it looks as if similar species (white atlantic cedar) would be ~750kg, assuming I have got the measurements correct.

Apologies if this is a foolish question but I am trying to avoid getting the hire gear onsite to find it won't actually lift the log,,,

 

Cheers in advance

Andrew

 

580kg per m cube according to

Wood Species Database | TRADA

WWW.TRADA.CO.UK

---

From abura to yew: Filter by use, colour, durability, density, availability and price to choose the right wood species for...

But on reflection having read other posts below I think that’s probs dry weight!

 

I've always worked on wet beech as being around the tonne mark per cube.

 

Appreciate your post as it got me thinking about parbuckling and there are some great links out there for people like us who might occasionally need to move heavier stuff but aren't set up for it with a crane or loader etc.  I liked this guy's one but there are loads more.

 

Edited August 21, 2021 by Puffingbilly413
Added a sentence

[spuddog0507]

Some varied weights coming up here, i think some of these are dried weight ? but from the blue book by the FC, from the sizes provided 10ft 3.1mtr x 3ft ,92mtr your log comes out at 2.06 cube and Cedar being 1.12 cube per tonne when fresh felled so i make that 1839kg give or take 25kg either way so your digger is a tonne short on lifting power,

most timbers are around the just over a cube per tonne except Oak @ .94, Beech @ .97, Elm @.97  and Scotts Pine @.98,,,