Had ago in this today

[HGBMX]

Things are getting bad in the south I would say, so many people buying machines and so little blocks left to cut. We cut 3000ton off the Isle of wight over Christmas and that is almost the island done. No one seems to be replanting anymore. Scotland is on a different level to what we have down here. They seem to replant a lot and still have a lot to cut but I'm sure there is a few people up there wondering what's going to happen in the next few years.

 

 

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[TimberCutterDartmoor]

driving the harvester boring and stressful.

 

+1

 

I've done 100s of hours in 1270D. Much more keen on Ponsse Beaver.

 

why's that then? Genuinely interested...

 

I drive forwarders and harvesters and live in the south of England. In 5 years time I can see alot of contractors selling up or going to Scotland

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in as little as 5 years?

[AlexB]

I'm not so sure this is all correct. Lately I've seen some pretty impressive ccf in the lakes managed by the FC. Their hands are tied by their policy created by non forestry professionals to return all paws sites to native species.

 

Thinning in my part of the world is 80% of the timber production.

 

All of the clearfells have been or are being prepared for restocking. With a fairly divers species of conifer.

 

However the nt, rspb and other over funded bunny rubbers with their heathland restoration and birch/willow/hawthorn planting is wasting thousands of productive ha of land to support wildlife which ultimately prefers restock thicket and is ultimately going to evolve it's way to extinction any way.....

 

Though it does have some major faults we should be grateful we have public support in the forest sector to be able to experiment and try other options which may not be possible in private industry.

 

 

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[HGBMX]

+1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

why's that then? Genuinely interested...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in as little as 5 years?

 

 

A few contractors down here are saying the same thing. Just so many people buying machines and under cutting people on cut and extraction rates. I know of a contractor who has just taken on a 2500t job for £4 a ton! How can you compete with that?

 

 

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[TimberCutterDartmoor]

A few contractors down here are saying the same thing. Just so many people buying machines and under cutting people on cut and extraction rates. I know of a contractor who has just taken on a 2500t job for £4 a ton! How can you compete with that?

 

 

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you can't! £9 is bad enough.

[HGBMX]

you can't! £9 is bad enough.

 

 

Exactly this is the problem we are having down here. £4 a ton is crazy might Aswell just stay at home.

 

 

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[Brushcutter]

+1

 

 

 

why's that then? Genuinely interested...

 

As a fat man the cab size of the ponnse is much better. I also liked the fancy leveling suspension on big rear wheels. I found the merc engine much easier to work with and the hydraulics seemed much better to work with in a maintenance sense.

 

The big big plus for me is that you sit behind the crane with the engine so if you make the crane fall over you should stay upright. The frame break was better although the 1270 I drove ad a rubbish one.

 

 

I preferred ponnse opti to timbermatic it's much easier to calibrate and adjust calibrations. The head has an automatic chain tensioner unlike the Deere.

[Wood wasp]

Pretty horrific rates quoted there and I would say unsustainable for the contractor.

 

Excluding the native woodlands there's not much planting going on in Scotland so I wouldn't look to here as saviour of forestry industry. FC themselves are now diversifying into farming (honestly!) amongst other things and they'll quote all sort of reasons why they're doing this. Can really be summed up as desperate case of trying to raise profile with the urban public in preparation for the next privatisation attempt.

 

Unfortunately managing the nations forest estate for ongoing timber production still isn't on the list of priorities.

 

The attitude towards growing commercial timber by FC and associated quangos/charities is a typical example of why this country is in such a debt ridden mess. Instead of creating industry which will generate it's own investment, along with substantial employment, the relentless cry is for more funding to take land out of production and basically go to waste with no end crop.

 

The nation's national debt now increases at nearly £6,000 per second and we pay £1b (billion) on debt interest alone each week. From memory that's about the same as budgets for defence and education.

 

Bit of a tangent from number of trees planted but ultimately everything is linked

[luftwaffe]

Well said and spot on.

[HGBMX]

Pretty horrific rates quoted there and I would say unsustainable for the contractor.

 

Excluding the native woodlands there's not much planting going on in Scotland so I wouldn't look to here as saviour of forestry industry. FC themselves are now diversifying into farming (honestly!) amongst other things and they'll quote all sort of reasons why they're doing this. Can really be summed up as desperate case of trying to raise profile with the urban public in preparation for the next privatisation attempt.

 

Unfortunately managing the nations forest estate for ongoing timber production still isn't on the list of priorities.

 

The attitude towards growing commercial timber by FC and associated quangos/charities is a typical example of why this country is in such a debt ridden mess. Instead of creating industry which will generate it's own investment, along with substantial employment, the relentless cry is for more funding to take land out of production and basically go to waste with no end crop.

 

The nation's national debt now increases at nearly £6,000 per second and we pay £1b (billion) on debt interest alone each week. From memory that's about the same as budgets for defence and education.

 

Bit of a tangent from number of trees planted but ultimately everything is linked

 

 

Exactly that! Why can't we learn from other country's about forest management and timber production and specially now as all these "Eco" stuff comes up on new built houses and such things. Surely it would open their eyes to what they could have and make money out of instead of turning a blind eye to it and try something else.

 

 

 

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