softwood prices @ roadside

[Chris Sheppard]

Went to have a look at a job yesterday which was made up of a good volume of hardwood thinnings but also some Pine to clearfell, which at a glance should give some decent sawlogs, some pallet/strainers, dunnage and chip/softwood firewood.

 

Now, I'm first to admit I'm a bit rusty on softwood prices - There's already interest in the sawlogs, dunnage and chip but need to be sure we're not selling ourselves too cheap.

 

fairly happy with the chip but what would you consdier fair for dunnage and logs ( say 2.5's for the logs - up to around 18" top)

[Busy Daddy]

Hey Chris i would be interested in any firewood you can get including willow and poplar

I have an outlet for softwood biomass close to you around 300t per year if you are interested

[Highland Forestry]

I'd want something like £25 a ton minimum at roadside Chris

[Brushcutter]

25-30 quid a tonne would be what i would be looking for.

[dangerous brian]

I pay 30 quid a cubic meter delivered so road side should be nearer the 20 mark.

[Chris Sheppard]

Cheers guys, sounds like if anything we're maybe a bit on the high side with the sawlogs - was kinda hoping they'd gone up a bit since previously

 

Should have said, we're most likely just pricing for fell and extract but are helping the Landowner on marketing the softwood (he's keeping most of the hardwood and the rest has already got buyer lined up).

 

Was sure last load of sawlogs we sent off were getting on for £40 per tonne roadside, but to be fair that was pre-recession when demand was good.

 

Would have a load or two of 24ft logs to try and find, was thinking they'd be worth a bit more as they'd be a bit more effort and better quality?

 

Guessing dunnage isn't going to be that much though.

[RPA]

Interesting thread as i have just been offered about 3 acre of thinning/clearfell mainly larch/spruce (basically do the work for the return from timber).

Never really done any of this type of work as we are mostly domestic stuff. If I worked out timber volume and equated that to min £20/t roadside would that be a safe price?

Anyone know any good leaflet/books that explaining timber spec for cutting ie strainers/saw logs/etc size and spec.

 

Sorry chris, don't want to derail thread!

p.s. splitter going well

[Chris Sheppard]

Interesting thread as i have just been offered about 3 acre of thinning/clearfell mainly larch/spruce (basically do the work for the return from timber).

Never really done any of this type of work as we are mostly domestic stuff. If I worked out timber volume and equated that to min £20/t roadside would that be a safe price?

Anyone know any good leaflet/books that explaining timber spec for cutting ie strainers/saw logs/etc size and spec.

 

Sorry chris, don't want to derail thread!

p.s. splitter going well

 

I'm hoping the thread will keep growing

 

Spec wise, I've found in the past that some places have very slightly different spec and what one will take, other's might not (i.e so Xinches of deflection across the length of a sawlog) - If you can get even just something like an email back from the customer with the spec on then there's no come back - if you've cut it to their spec you've done your end of the job.

 

In theory, unless it's a pig of a job, you should do well doing it for the timber if it's big enough to have been put in for clearfell.

 

Price wise, from a felling/extraction point of view, I look at the average size of timber, take into account how hairy it is and what I think I can get on the floor, crosscut and stacked in a day (or on the floor and snedded if we're skidding) add a bit of a contingency on and then do similar for the extraction and then work backwards.

 

Rich, if you need a hand with the cutting let me know