Help, lots of it please.

[ashman]

Hi.

 

The owner of an estate i work on approached me today with a propostion.

 

He has approx 30 acres of standing popular, well 90 % is standing, 10% is windblown, snapped off at the base.

All the butts average 12" to 14" across. straight as a die and approx 60/70' tall

 

He has asked if i would be interested in doing a deal on it, i think he wants it totally cleared for a replanting scheme next year.

 

Now i have never had any dealings with popular before, so i need a few ideas ......

 

What is the value of the timber once it is roadside.

 

Is there a market for large amounts.

 

How much is it worth standing.

 

 

What i am looking to do, is make an offer on the timber standing, then cut, extract, store, and hopefully process it over the next few years.

 

I personally think popular is c**p wood and that is the reason i have never been involved in it before. But as i do all the work on this estate i am partly bound to do the job, or face loosing all the hardwood (oak and ash) i currently get.

 

Any help, suggestions or prices would be very gratefully recieved.

 

Many thanks, Rob.

[skyhuck]

Could be worth looking into getting it chipped for biomass, it sounds like the ideal size for chipping.

[Hodge]

Like skyhuck says it would be good for chipping, I know AW Jenkinsons are buying felled timber and chipping on site straight into the artic, they supply the chipper to. You need to speak to Steff Bateman at Jenkinsons.

[david c]

Hi.I also work on a Private Estate and have used Poplar quite a lot.

We use the hybrid TT32 spp which Bryant and May the match company planted in the late sixties.

We have sold the larger trees for coffin boards and the smaller trees go for pallets and haulage uses.

The poplar we use ourselves is good for fencing rails and trailer boards.

If it isn't in the ground it is good for years.

If you use it for wood stove logs,split it and leave it in an airy shed for six months and it will burn great.It will spit on an open fire.

Woodchip is also a good option and it makes good chips which soon dry.

it was a long time ago when we last sold any and if i remember right it went for 50p-£2.00 hoppus ft depending on size.

[ashman]

Thanks fella's, couple of good idea's to be looking into over the next few days.

 

Far too much timber involved for me to process in one go.

 

Out of interest i rung a few rounds off today from one to see what condition it was in, it actualy looked fine.

 

Will be good to see what interest there is in it and what sort of margins.

 

Regards, Rob.

[Big J]

If it were me, I would fell it all and process to firewood. A chap I was speaking to the other day at Scottish Native Woods said that a typically planted stand of hardwood can yield up to 80 tonne an acre. You might well have yourself 2400 tonnes of product there, and the way that things are going firewood wise, it might be the most profitable route to go down. After the number of threads that have popped up for cordwood, seasoned or green, I shouldn't think that you would have too much issue to sell at £25-30 a tonne?

 

Where abouts are you?

 

Jonathan

[ashman]

If it were me, I would fell it all and process to firewood. A chap I was speaking to the other day at Scottish Native Woods said that a typically planted stand of hardwood can yield up to 80 tonne an acre. You might well have yourself 2400 tonnes of product there, and the way that things are going firewood wise, it might be the most profitable route to go down. After the number of threads that have popped up for cordwood, seasoned or green, I shouldn't think that you would have too much issue to sell at £25-30 a tonne?

 

Where abouts are you?

 

Jonathan

 

 

Hi Jonathan.

 

I am based in bedfordshire.

 

That was my original thought, however i have never sold poplar before, i have always viewed it with suspicion, for this reason i have no idea on the value of a load of this, may be worth looking at advertising these loads seperatly from my usual round, i only know a few of my customers who have wood burners and they all seem to like the oak and ash i normally deal with.

They seem happy to pay for this so i am happy to deliver it !!

 

Going back to your post, i think the estimate of 80 ton per acre seems on first thought to be well over the top for what i am looking at, the timber seems very light, and although they are well established trees i would be very suprised if the numbers came in at that.

They are well spaced out, having said that i may well be wrong as i never put timber over a wiegh bridge ! i have only ever worked on volume untill now, lose cubic metres and cords.

On another note i have seen a member on here advertising oak for £30 a ton roadside, is poplar worth as much ? i would have siad deff not, just my opinion !

 

David c, posted that in the late 60's bryant and may planted a lot, not sure if these were part of it but they were certainly planted in the 50's and 60's.

 

One thought i have to deal with this amount of timber is to process it and bag it, i have a buyer local to me who buy in bulk, although the rates they usually offer are pretty poor it would enable me to shift it pretty quick.

 

Regards, Rob.

[Stephen Blair]

Hi.

 

But as i do all the work on this estate i am partly bound to do the job, or face loosing all the hardwood (oak and ash) i currently get.

 

QUOTE]

 

Is this part of a written contract or what you assume? Do you think if you don't make him a good offer you will loose the other work?

 

I would address this with him before considering any work on the poplar:001_smile:

[Dean O]

good post by Stephen

essential that it is worth your time especially when considering the size of the project - you may need some margin for error.

[Brushcutter]

Hi

 

Where abouts in Bedfordshire are you?

 

If you get a lot of other hardwood off the estate could you mix the poplar in and sell it roadside as mixed broadleaf firewood? As i've said in other posts i think it would be difficult to shift whole lorry loads of poplar for firewood, i maybe wrong though.

 

The smaller stuff would make good material for kinderling. If you want to shift it quick and all in one go chip it for biomass. Money is no where near what you'd for firewood but its quicker. working on 80t an acre chip half and half for firewood?