Short length wood extraction

[doobin]

James, you sound green (pun intended)

 

First off, I don't reckon you've got 100t of wood. Small diameter stuff, particularly if twisty, will look a lot but weigh F-all. Given the wildly optomistic amounts you hope to get on trailers (I've never seen an 18t capacity bale trailer even), it's clear that you need to gain more experience working with timber.

 

Secondly, get it into your head right now that every time you touch that wood it's money down the drain, however much 'fun' it might be to begin with.

 

I'll tell you now that if you insist on taking it back to the yard to process, you won't make a bean in real profit. Do it in the woods. What machinery have you got? List it for us and we can assist. The main consideration is what type of handling system were you planning on using at the yard? Bulk bags or loose?

 

And just in case you think I'm coming across as a know it all asshole, here's a tip which will mean you can actually make money. 75% of your logs won't need to be split, being hazel coppice. Invest in something to cut them quickly, ideally straight into a bag. A Portek type chainsaw bench is very cheap and quick but not the safest. An engine driven chop saw is probably best, if you can stretch to it. Some even have a little screw splitter on the side. When you cut your non-split logs, do them at 7-8" and market them for log burners, but bear in mind that there is probably an extra 10% of wood in there compared to 10-12" logs.

 

Good luck mate, you'll need it.

[renewablejohn]

I use 4 post stackable metal skillets originally from the car industry. Lifted with forwarding crane onto trailer then stacked back at the farm using fork lift. When you come to saw up skillet becomes log deck on fork lift.

[JamesWood]

Hi thanks for all the replies.

 

Yes steep learning curve this. The pickup and trailer has done us well for years was just looking for advice on other more efficient methods. We have no other equipment apart from chainsaws. Yes were handling our logs loose into bulk bags for delivery. I would normally cut all the wood off the stack as this allows allot of lengths to be cut at once. Plus because most of it is small diameter it doesnt need to be split. Seems quicker than a japa processor i have used elsewhere on small diameter material.

 

We are a copppicing business so firewood would ideally be a small part of our business as all our hazel products are far more lucrative in terms of work input. Ideally we would just be working coppice woodlands in good condition, unfortunately theres not much about here but lots of derelict stuff. However we are in the slow process of restoring allot of coppice in the area. This means that for the next 5-6 years there is going to be allot of awkward wood in non convenient sizes. We work with local community groups and have volunteer days in order to get as many people as possible out into the woods. This allows us to get coppice woods that are in no way profitable at the moment back into good management and actually be useful productive woodlands again. Anyway as a business model it is a work in progress but everyone's advice is very much appreciated. Lots to learn anyway!

 

Thanks again

 

James

[Logan]

Sounds like you're having a good go at it mate.

As has been said, it can be incredibly frustrating to find you've introduced another handling stage into the process, especially with the sizes you're dealing with.

 

And I agree that you might have overestimated the tonnage you can move as an average. With that distance and product the daily average might only be half what you've reckoned on.

 

Then again, if all 6 of you show up full of beans for a few days, and run at it...! :-)

 

All the best, John.

[TobyAllen]

Where are you based ?

It does sound like a good business, there is a lot of derelict coppice out there and it's prime for anyone game enough to bring it back.

 

Have you seen a branch logger ? Have a search on the threads here, they are made for your kind of set up and are pretty cheap.

[TobyAllen]

I forgot to add-

The basic rule of planning a work site is to look at the end product and work backwards.

[BCF]

Hi James,

I still coppice, I use a tractor with angle iron bolted to front of tractor and pallet lifter with extra long tines to rear, this makes manouvering around stools a lot easier without a trailer

[JamesWood]

Hi everyone,

 

Just finished moving nearly all the wood, its maxed out the yard space. Would have liked to have processed it in the woods and moved the chopped and split logs but we were running upto some deadlines for the extraction. So definitely try and do this next season as that would certainly be more efficient.

 

Its taken 15 days to move it all, 3 trips a day with the pickup and trailer. Hawthorn, ash, elm, hazel, birch, oak, holly, sycamore with some bits of spindle and field maple. Stack volume is roughly 280m3. Its in rows but close together as space was a major consideration, had to stack higher than we wanted too..

 

Just need to process it now..

 

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

James

 

Were in leeds by the way.. Anyone thats interested Leeds Coppice Workers | Sustainable woodland management in the Leeds AreaLeeds Coppice Workers | Sustainable woodland management in the Leeds Area

 

Website still a work in progress.

[AHPP]

Very impressed at your dedication to get that lot out but I imagine processing in the woods (maybe with a branchwood logger for the smaller stuff) would be much more efficient in future.

[ShooTa]

very tidy......that there is some nice pr0n