One man log splitting service

[Donnie]

Well then, another idea in my head (becoming all I think about these days) but I've seen a lot of guys advertising on FB etc for a log splitting service and taking down windblown trees etc and logging up for firewood on a day rate. 
 

 

Knowing most of this forum is mainly arborists and trees surgeons I thought I'd ask if there is sometimes scope for a man to follow behind a tree surgery gang and processor logs for customers? For example if tree surgeons are too busy/not wanting that kind of work. 
 

Forestry cutter so know my way around a saw but only asking as I'd have to buy a good quality road towable splitter. 
 

Looks to me locally guys are charging 30 an hour for log splitting and discing. 

[Ty Korrigan]

I advertised for someone to do this for my clients either with own machine or using mine.

No takers.

So now I lend my clients my own machine and let them get in with it.

It's what the French call a 'geste commercial' or commercial gesture, deal sweetener, quite popular too.

It's an E.U homoglated machine similar to a Rock 22t

Not actually road tow but locally I get away with doing so.

 

[spuddog0507]

Only thing you can do is try, different parts of the country will be way different from yours,, please correct me but are you SW Scotland ?. I tried this about 10 Yr ago and TBH I got one enquiry,, this was advertised in a small tool hire shop as well, the guy in the shop said he got asked if he had a log splitter regularly and would just point the add out on the wall,, 

The splitter I made is quit quick and I can get 2 IBC crates split in an hr if it's reasonable timber and its behind me in rings,, I think the biggest issue is most potential customes can't visage what you could do in half or a full day,,

Then again areas will matter as well, where I am most people will be just average working people but go 35 mile down the Rd and your on the outskirts of Manchester with loads of professional pen pushers/office people, now that would be different but it's them people who would have a stove fitted and just use it over the Christmas holidays as they won't get there hands dirty pushing a button on the boiler,, I think it's just a try it and see what happens,,, 

[Donnie]

1 hour ago, spuddog0507 said:

Only thing you can do is try, different parts of the country will be way different from yours,, please correct me but are you SW Scotland ?. I tried this about 10 Yr ago and TBH I got one enquiry,, this was advertised in a small tool hire shop as well, the guy in the shop said he got asked if he had a log splitter regularly and would just point the add out on the wall,, 

The splitter I made is quit quick and I can get 2 IBC crates split in an hr if it's reasonable timber and its behind me in rings,, I think the biggest issue is most potential customes can't visage what you could do in half or a full day,,

Then again areas will matter as well, where I am most people will be just average working people but go 35 mile down the Rd and your on the outskirts of Manchester with loads of professional pen pushers/office people, now that would be different but it's them people who would have a stove fitted and just use it over the Christmas holidays as they won't get there hands dirty pushing a button on the boiler,, I think it's just a try it and see what happens,,, 

Aye that's me but travel all over for work so doing 150 miles a day is no big deal for me. 
 

I've also thought into stump grinding as well as I've looked in the rock machinery grinders for only 2000 pound. 
 

Heard the money in stump grinding is actually pretty good hopefully someone can weigh in on that. 
 

Always looking for other ways to make money and keep myself busy if it ever goes quiet in the woods. 
 

 

SGR-33 Stump Grinder

ROCKMACHINERY.CO.UK

---

Our new stump grinder has finally arrived ! The SGR-33 features an almost total redesign following feedback and...

 

 

I've no real experience in stump grinding but this is the one I was looking at. 

Edited October 7, 2023 by JDon

[Dan Maynard]

There is money in stumps, but the problem for you there would be most firms own their own small grinder so the ones you could sensibly do with that one are likely not up for grabs.

 

Where people like me hire in is bigger or multiple stumps, but then you're into much more money for the machine and if it's not out regularly not earning it's keep.

[dangb93]

3 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

There is money in stumps, but the problem for you there would be most firms own their own small grinder so the ones you could sensibly do with that one are likely not up for grabs.

 

Spot on. Plus many companies have decent medium sized machines as well these days...

All though if you invested in a decent machine, you may be able to make it pay if you had enough saturday work coming in - it is possible to turn-over up to 1k on a good day with a bigger machine. Two or three days a month and that will cover your finance, maintenance, insurance as well as giving you a good cut. 

Edited October 7, 2023 by dangb93

[Donnie]

46 minutes ago, dangb93 said:

Spot on. Plus many companies have decent medium sized machines as well these days...

All though if you invested in a decent machine, you may be able to make it pay if you had enough saturday work coming in - it is possible to turn-over up to 1k on a good day with a bigger machine. Two or three days a month and that will cover your finance, maintenance, insurance as well as giving you a good cut. 

What would you class as a decent machine?

[Steven P]

Have you spoken to any local firms? It is getting more common as far as I can tell customers are asking for the logs to be left - either to sell on or to use themselves. So talk to the local firms and they might be able to sell your services onwards if there is a local demand

[spuddog0507]

6 hours ago, JDon said:

Aye that's me but travel all over for work so doing 150 miles a day is no big deal for me. 
 

I've also thought into stump grinding as well as I've looked in the rock machinery grinders for only 2000 pound. 
 

Heard the money in stump grinding is actually pretty good hopefully someone can weigh in on that. 
 

Always looking for other ways to make money and keep myself busy if it ever goes quiet in the woods. 
 

 

SGR-33 Stump Grinder

ROCKMACHINERY.CO.UK

---

Our new stump grinder has finally arrived ! The SGR-33 features an almost total redesign following feedback and...

 

 

I've no real experience in stump grinding but this is the one I was looking at. 

Stump gringing I know very little about TBH, only thing I know is hire shop up Rd has one and it seems to be out often,, and lad next door but one drives one but that's about 600hp strapped to it,, 

[doobin]

16 hours ago, JDon said:

What would you class as a decent machine?

£40k plus I’d say. 
 

what about a compact tractor? Cheap ish to buy (but stick to secondhand quality, not new Chinese or Indian) and attachments secondhand are cheap. 
 

My £8k secondhand alpine with a £2k rock machinery grinder makes a tasty 38hp grinding combo and puts me level with people who have £40k in finance for the same kind of output. It’s still a tractor for all other tractor tasks. 
 

I only got into tractors a couple of years ago but already up to three and they go out almost as much as my diggers. Probably only £15k invested in attachments and there’s not much I can’t do, from chain trenching to cut and collect to stump grinding.