Terms & Conditions for a gang of cutters

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Got a LOT of larch to cut;

 

Going rate for a cutter per hour / day self employed basis?

 

Any other foibles I should be concerned about?

 

I'd cut it on my own but I'm not a harvester!

[Andy Collins]

Is there enough volume to get in a harvester, far more efficient. Is it 1st thinns, approx 10quid a ton, or day rate approx 120 per man.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Those figures were current a long time ago. Shame rates for professional cutters do not increase and it's no surprise young people leave the woods.

 

With the price of fuel £200 a long working day would be more viable. I am sure "Climbers" would not work for the same rates.

[slack ma girdle]

Watch out for them pesky larch hairs.

[Andy Collins]

Those figures were current a long time ago. Shame rates for professional cutters do not increase and it's no surprise young people leave the woods.

 

With the price of fuel £200 a long working day would be more viable. I am sure "Climbers" would not work for the same rates.

 

Agreed, I can have a far easier day doing arb work for invariably more money, but there's a glut of labour out there which drives down the prices.

Would you pay 200 a day?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

£200 a day? Good climbers get £120/day down here...???

 

Looks like I'm on my own then.

 

Volume is minimum 1000m3...

[Brushcutter]

Phytophtora ramorum job is it?

 

As Andy says it's worth considering a harvester if you can get one in. Seeing what they can do in a day compared to a gang is an amazing site to watch, if slighly sad from a cutters point of view.

 

As for a gang the rising cost of motoring to get to the job and the cost of kit/fuel is going to be putting the day rate of a cutter up.

 

I used 10 litres of fuel yesterday at 1.35. So thats £13.50 plus another £15 quid or so for the trip to and from site. Taking into acount insurances for trucks and pl. tax and machinery costs it cost a lot so tradinoal loggers idea of £200 quid a day isn't far off.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Devon must be the third world! Good cutters were on £80-£100 18 months ago; what the hell?! Good point re fuel cost tho.

[Brushcutter]

I try to get between 80-100 quid a day depending on what i'm doing.

 

Thought of paying by the stump rather than a day rate? Thought of getting some fresh CS31 cutters? Depends on the finish you want, might not be the best idea if saw logs with nice sqaure ends are required:001_tt2:

[ashman]

I charge £150 a day round here, shortage of good quality experienced cutters if you ask me.

 

Rob.