processor or large splitter?

[chopper brown]

Help and advice would be really appreciated.

 

Have 300-350ton of hardwood logs to do a year. Currently using a timber crane, tractor mounted vertical splitter and chainsaw to process the wood.

 

My tree surgery business is in it's 3rd year and is becoming quite busy so I would like to be more productive on the logs.

 

Do I buy a processor or go for a large horizontal splitter and bench saw?

 

The timber ranges from big to small and arb waste so not all wood will go through a processor.

 

£10000 if tractor and crane is sold or £5000 if I keep the tractor. Not a great deal of money so do I persist and save until next year?

 

Cheers Jim

[gensetsteve]

What percentage will be over 15"

[JimE]

I would suggest splitter to make 1m long billets, and a sawbench to cut to log size.

Processors are not ideal for arb waste as it is usually shorter lengths and larger sizes.

Saw and splitter that run off the tractor will fit within £5k+vat.

[timberluver]

I agree with Jim as above. A conveyor would also be a useful addition. I am sure a splitter, saw bench and conveyor could be bought for around your budget.

[Stephen Blair]

What are You wanting to gain from your spend?

Make more money, make life easier, both ?

[chopper brown]

Thanks for your reply's.

 

It would probably be a 50/50 mix of processor grade to oversized timber.

 

I am leaning towards a large horizontal splitter with the aim to billet and then cut to length with a circular saw. The only other thing I was thinking was whether or not it would be worth getting a small processor for the suitable timber and then just ringing and splitting the remaining timber.

[Mitch]

We have riko 16t horizontal road tow splitter, and riko saw bench and conveyor , one lad on splitter one on saw bench bag every 20 mins ish

[chopper brown]

I am looking to up production really as I've always quietened off at winter but currently i'm flat out.

 

Was thinking billets as I have no sheds just an open yard and thought I could make on when I'm not busy and stock pile as much as possible.

 

Was looking at the riko and ryetec stuff but money is obviously the decider.

[Chris Sheppard]

Reckon you're not far off the price of the basic PTO Farmi processor without selling the tractor, and if you've already got a decent vertical splitter and are going to have approx 150T of processor sized stuff this first year, I'd be giving the processor some thought.

 

The beauty of the Farmi is that it works well as a small splitter too so even if your vertical splitter wont do 1m lengths, you can break rings a bit smaller and then bung them through the 4 way on the farmi and benefit from the elevator too.

 

Handles wobbly branch wood pretty well too as they have a big throat width.

 

For handling arb waste, in my experience, a big tonnage Vertical splitter with 1m stroke and removable table is the most versatile. Being big tonnage it will work on the fast speed for most of the time but still have power in reserve. No table for billeting, no table for breaking man sized rings on the floor to make them lighter, table in for manageble chunks.

[Arbtech Tree Services]

For handling arb waste, in my experience, a big tonnage Vertical splitter with 1m stroke.........

 

Sorry for the derail, at what point does 'big tonnage' start? Would i struggle with 12T for arb waste? Looking at the Riko/Balfor one.

 

Many thanks,

 

Steve.