Felling day rate

[Ledburyjosh]

Hi,

 

What are companies charging out cutters for forestry work at?

The scenario is an estate with a plantation being felled for their biomass. Our job is to fell and sned what they ask, using our kit etc so brought in as a contractor.

 

I've predominately an Arb background and would say for that £250 per man seems a normalish starting point for that. 

Is that the same for Forestry or more/less?

 

Ta

[Whoppa Choppa]

Absolutely not cost effective unless you're talking oversize hardwood or less than 200 ton in the job. Mechanise the job. Bollocks to hand felling. Even bigger bollocks to tree surgeons doing it. There aren't any snedding knives on a harvester. Snedding 🤮 

[Pete Mctree]

Arbs are usually slow and very inefficient in the woods. (There are always exceptions, but very few). I would pay a top cutter £250 and most arbs would struggle to earn £150.

[gdh]

I think £250 is top money in forestry. £150-200 is probably more realistic and seems to be the going rate locally (mid-Wales).

[Donnie]

I'm a year in, got a thread on here showing what I do and I'm on around 200 (hopefully going up) for local work and up to an extra 50 per day for further afield. 
 

Only do clearfells and felling to harvesters on steep ground/high leading. 
 

I'd be wary of asking 250 a day doing big trees if you are from an arb background. I work with two great cutters from arb backgrounds and they say it is completely different. 
 

Need to produce a fair bit to justify 250 I'd say. Quite easily run out of fuel on big trees before 8 hours is up but I work for a bigger company and can get away with doing 5-6 litres in a day and calling it good. (Still plenty cutting at that)

Edited October 4, 2023 by JDon

[Ledburyjosh]

12 hours ago, Whoppa Choppa said:

Absolutely not cost effective unless you're talking oversize hardwood or less than 200 ton in the job. Mechanise the job. Bollocks to hand felling. Even bigger bollocks to tree surgeons doing it. There aren't any snedding knives on a harvester. Snedding 🤮 

Not needed for this job. They're after 1-200 ton a year to feed the estate boiler

[Ledburyjosh]

10 hours ago, gdh said:

I think £250 is top money in forestry. £150-200 is probably more realistic and seems to be the going rate locally (mid-Wales).

And is that what is paid to the cutters or charged to the customer?

[Will C]

£15 a cube peace work round here, a reasonable cutter should do 10-12 cube a day in hardwood thinning for firewood I have done 15 cube days in a really nice block but I’m a bit older and more grown up now so don’t bust my gut for a extra couple of ton any more. 

[gdh]

51 minutes ago, Ledburyjosh said:

And is that what is paid to the cutters or charged to the customer?

That's to the customer, although it's the same thing for me as they're self employed.

[Donnie]

9 hours ago, gdh said:

That's to the customer, although it's the same thing for me as they're self employed.

I'm guessing you own a harvester, do you not add the cost of a cutter and a little more on to the job?

 

Also what would you expect out of a cutter on 250 a day in Sitka/outside edge trees? I.E how many per shift etc. 

 

I got you and @Pete Mctree mixed up I think. 

Edited October 5, 2023 by JDon