How many are left?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I don't see how it's lost,if you can use a saw, then all you do is cut down the tree, cut the branches off it and cut It to the size you have been told depending on diameters. The individual will get better with practice.

Humans learned how to do things from scratch, so for others to learn even if the last tradesman in the world has pegged it, we have plenty of books and videos and buttons on a screen to learn from, then once again, the individual will learn:biggrin:

 

What's lost is not chainsaw operation, but hand cutters knowledge in a timber crop environment imo. I am fortunate enough to work with a couple of true woodman who have been in the woods all their lives. With that comes the wisdom to assess whether the job is small enough for hand cutting i.e typically less than 1000m3, how the terrain dictates the extraction, who best to sell that wood to, what best priced product can be eeked out of the stick lying in front of you, have I got a lorry load of 3.7s or 2.2s?, can I dog-leg the rack?, what's the spec from the buyer ie minimum top diameter per product, how swept is stuff, how not to trash the tracks, trim on the logs or not, red or green logs if still done, stacking area for lorry driver?, the list goes on and on; this is woodland and forestry contractor knowledge that I think the perception of a "wood-cutter" should pertain to.

[elfinwood saws]

What's lost is not chainsaw operation, but hand cutters knowledge in a timber crop environment imo. I am fortunate enough to work with a couple of true woodman who have been in the woods all their lives. With that comes the wisdom to assess whether the job is small enough for hand cutting i.e typically less than 1000m3, how the terrain dictates the extraction, who best to sell that wood to, what best priced product can be eeked out of the stick lying in front of you, have I got a lorry load of 3.7s or 2.2s?, can I dog-leg the rack?, what's the spec from the buyer ie minimum top diameter per product, how swept is stuff, how not to trash the tracks, trim on the logs or not, red or green logs if still done, stacking area for lorry driver?, the list goes on and on; this is woodland and forestry contractor knowledge that I think the perception of a "wood-cutter" should pertain to.

There is a lot of skill and knowledge to be a hand cutter and hard work. Hand cutters for us make 150/160 pounds a day on hardwood thinning if they get their heads down and work.

[elfinwood saws]

Seen a few hand cutters, as Stephen Blair says can use a saw and cut down a tree, that will never make money hand cutting in the woods .

[Andy Collins]

Sometimes it's about having a balance between machine harvesting and manual. I've done some decent plots where I was hand-cutting 60cm+ timber and the harvester comes in to fell the -60cms, the edge trees and the wide hardwoods that the machine would struggle with. This averaged out around £10 a ton two years ago, some trees warranted more, some a lot less. In a long day, you can earn good (for forestry type work) money. In fact it's so profitable that a company from Lincs sold up his property back home, moved himself his business, and staff down here to take on the large volume of work that going begging. It does seem that many in this area don't see what's before their very eyes, yet whine that there is no work out there.

[daddyola50]

been cutting 23 years now i made better money 15 years ago than most jobs now, with fuel costs etc.. its getting worse. i see young lads come and go after they don't make a wage , they think they know it all when i fact they know very little about a job that takes years to hone your skill to do the job safely and quickly and make it look right when you have finished . i have worked with many older cutters in the past and watched and learned a lot from them. i would like to pass the knowledge on but find the young lads don't think they can learn from an older cutter these days which is strange, they take a course and that's it they are a cutter and let loose on a wood its a shame really.

[Stu]

£7.50 a ton for hardwood atm mostly cutting birch, £6 a ton for softwood sawlogs, chip etc, 50p for a softood strainer and 20p for a softwood stake is what id get payed if i was on piece rate atm, but i choose a day rate of £75 just to make sure im making money cause on the sites im on lately it would be hard to make your money, having to spend two tanks cutting hazel just so you can fell the timber and i pay or everything.

[timberbear]

Been cutting by hand now for about twenty years, it is hard but can't think of a more rewarding job. All the woodlands I manage are steep sided hardwood mainly ash, oak, beech and sycamore. There's nothing better than starting a new hundred acre wood which hasn't been touched since the war, first few days getting everything hung up and winched down to create the space to start thinning. It's a great leaning curve for new starters to learn there trade. They'd often take the mick when you get a sixty footy leggy ash hung up with your first fell, but they soon learn the hard way! They soon give you a shout for help and I go and get my lunch and shout what to do whilst I eat and laugh my head off. There's nothing better than seeing a young cock sure lad broken at the end of the day, and they still think I'm too old. Infact one of the lads told me its time to retire so he can have my job, sent him for a sky hook to get a hanger out!

My biggest problem is my wrist and back are slowly giving up so I'm actually thinking of doing a forwarder course and moving north! Do you think ten years on a Riko alpine would put me in good sted?

[Brushcutter]

Been cutting by hand now for about twenty years, it is hard but can't think of a more rewarding job. All the woodlands I manage are steep sided hardwood mainly ash, oak, beech and sycamore. There's nothing better than starting a new hundred acre wood which hasn't been touched since the war, first few days getting everything hung up and winched down to create the space to start thinning. It's a great leaning curve for new starters to learn there trade. They'd often take the mick when you get a sixty footy leggy ash hung up with your first fell, but they soon learn the hard way! They soon give you a shout for help and I go and get my lunch and shout what to do whilst I eat and laugh my head off. There's nothing better than seeing a young cock sure lad broken at the end of the day, and they still think I'm too old. Infact one of the lads told me its time to retire so he can have my job, sent him for a sky hook to get a hanger out!

My biggest problem is my wrist and back are slowly giving up so I'm actually thinking of doing a forwarder course and moving north! Do you think ten years on a Riko alpine would put me in good sted?

 

Proper forwarders are nice. If you have wrist problems the joysticks might give you problems. You know anyone with one so you could have a go?

 

If its any help i had 3 years almost on Botex trailers before going to custom built machines. The cranes were so much faster and smoother it was is all those years counted for nothing. Driving again was a different steering in the middle and the terrain it will handle.