good deal?

[The Warden Grand]

I was recently contacted by the owner of a 4.7 ha scots pine plantation which was planted c26 years ago the planting is in rows at 1.2-1.5 centres and has never been thinned. He wants the plantation thinned by C35% (no time scale) and has offered me all the timber for £2000. The access is superb with decent roads throughout. Anyone advise on if this is a good deal? Although on the other hand he’s a really good bloke and I wouldn’t want to rip him off either.

 

Cheers.

[daveindales]

I presume it's going for firewood. Unless your really desperate, I would avoid it. Its going to cost you £2000, plus Fuel and your time. Then you have to split the stuff and sell it (pine)

 

If he offered to pay you to thin it, then thats a different matter.

 

Just my opinion.

Edited November 26, 2012 by daveindales

[Charlieh]

Its difficult to say really,

 

Are you using the timber as this may make it a better deal,

If your selling it, will anyone local to you take scots?

what are you doing the harvesting with?

Whats the average volume per tree?

 

26yr old un thinned scots sounds like a fair bit of hard work for a very small diameter low value timber.

 

Is the thinning a restructuring thin for a woodland grant (which means your going to get very good at taking down hung up trees if its being hand cut) or is it a silvicultural thin so you will be cutting racks, in which case taking out every 3rd rack seems very heavy handed for a first thinning operation?

 

If its a restructuring thinning what are you forwarding with as you would need something very nimble to work in the woodland

 

if its Rack thinning is 2.4-3mtrs a wide enough gap to get your forwarder up?

 

Sorry for so many questions but to give a detailed response especially where finance is the issue as many details as possible are required.

[The Warden Grand]

Thanks for that.

Yeah it would be for firewood and I have an outlet.

 

Cheers

[Dean O]

Daft question but If you have an outlet and you know how much you can earn per ton or per cube once its out of the wood then if you measure the volume that 1/3rd of the plantation will be you can work out the rest from that with regards to transport etc.

Then its just factoring in something for time fuel saws etc to see if its worthwhile.

 

Just trying to get my head around mensuration myself at the mo so I'm not saying its easy but surely the most accurate way for you to get an answer.

[The Warden Grand]

Thanks for that.

I'll give it a go - god help me ...

[Charlieh]

working on some (very rough) assumptions:

 

26 years at yield class 10 (would normally be higher but its missed a thinning) gives us 260t/ha

 

4.7ha x 260t = 1222tons / 3 = 407t to be thinned

 

£2000/407t = £4.90/t standing

[The Warden Grand]

Not as rough as mine I bet.

 

Thanks very much for that.