Newbie woodland manager.... needs crew!

[guyd]

I have been offered the option of managing a small 100 acre hillside woodland of various tree types - from was-coppiced-then-forgotten to conifers that have been ignored, to nicely managed bits of oak.

 

The land is solid, and the going is good. Its hilly, but easily walkable. There is little undergrowth. There are a plethora of good, wide, well maintained tracks through it all.

 

I have a few acres to store the wood, and season it (I was thinking a little tarragon, maybe some paprika - what does the board suggest?) - about 4 miles as the crow flies from the site.

 

I need:-

-Bods to clamber about and chop trees down to thin the woodland to create decent timber for construction.

-Bods to limb it and burn the brush

-bod and big tractor trailer with grapple to stack it on trailer and take it to my land.

-Bod to process wood, and stack it for seasoning.

-All bods initially need to be contactors with own insurance etc - this will change if it appears to be workable.

 

Now - I have no idea what this lot will cost me - I know what I can sell the wood for, and how much Im paying for it - I need the figures in between to see if its a go-able business. I'm a fair man - but don't take fools or rip-off merchants well.

 

Interested? Location is near Minehead, West Somerset.

 

PM me for a phone number if you want a chat.

 

Guy

[Stephen Blair]

sounds good mate, pitty i am a bit far away. good oppertunity for someone.best of luck

[johnty]

I know a few guy's that might be intrested in working on the ground it depends on how much wongar you are willing to pay.

N Devons not to far is it?

E-mail me with some more info www.northdevontreeservices.co.uk or phone the mobile no on their not the home no.

[manofwood]

Hello please send me your no thanks Martin

[guyd]

Ok - I have had a bit of a chat with some characters from here - and have got a very rough figure of somthing like 20 tons of wood out per day, with a 4 man crew.

 

OK - so 4 men / day = 400 quid

 

Transport from side of forest track to 5 miles away (somerset - so can do this on a tractor) - £400 per 50 ton cord. This is a bit ott - but lets work on worst case eh?

 

so for 100 tons - thats 1600 quid on lads, 8000 to 'forward' it

 

Lets call it 10K in cost.

 

firewood retails at 50 -70 per 'load' (about 1/3 to half a ton) - lets be nice and say a half ton (it aint - but hey)

 

so 50 quid sale per half ton = 100 quid per ton. Cost is 100 per ton (10K / 100)

 

Um - how do you make money in this game?

[Steve Bullman]

you wont make money in firewood by paying guys £100 a day mate....sad but true unfortunately!

[Will Hinchliffe]

 

Transport from side of forest track to 5 miles away (somerset - so can do this on a tractor) - £400 per 50 ton cord. This is a bit ott - but lets work on worst case eh?

 

so for 100 tons - thats 1600 quid on lads, 8000 to 'forward' it

 

 

At £400 per 50 ton to move it I make it £800 To move 100 tons.

[johnty]

Ok - I have had a bit of a chat with some characters from here - and have got a very rough figure of somthing like 20 tons of wood out per day, with a 4 man crew.

 

OK - so 4 men / day = 400 quid

 

Transport from side of forest track to 5 miles away (somerset - so can do this on a tractor) - £400 per 50 ton cord. This is a bit ott - but lets work on worst case eh?

 

so for 100 tons - thats 1600 quid on lads, 8000 to 'forward' it

 

Lets call it 10K in cost.

 

firewood retails at 50 -70 per 'load' (about 1/3 to half a ton) - lets be nice and say a half ton (it aint - but hey)

 

so 50 quid sale per half ton = 100 quid per ton. Cost is 100 per ton (10K / 100)

 

Um - how do you make money in this game?

 

How about 2 guy's over a month to see how much they can get done on a trail basis, then work out your figures, Steve £100 PD for 1 hour travel each way providing your own saw's, fuel for truck and saw's PPE and using own vehical to travel, with guys that you know graft safely like 10 men, i dont think is too much.

Edited February 25, 2009 by johnty

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Ok - I have had a bit of a chat with some characters from here - and have got a very rough figure of somthing like 20 tons of wood out per day, with a 4 man crew.

 

Um - how do you make money in this game?

 

4 men to cut 20 tons per day???!!! Like Steve said, that won't make money. I was cutting 20 tons a day (i.e. 1 man) in small hardwoods when I first started. Work em harder!

[johnty]

4 men to cut 20 tons per day???!!! Like Steve said, that won't make money. I was cutting 20 tons a day (i.e. 1 man) in small hardwoods when I first started. Work em harder!

 

Same same i recon 15-20 ton per day per man thats a lot of tons of wood with a 3-4 man crew, that would double his proffit.

And yes graft bloody hard i didn't know there was any other way:confused1: