Cost /economics of tree harvesters?!!!

[cornish wood burner]

When the time comes I will follow your approach - thanks for the insight into the process.

 

I think you said you stack your roundwood for 12 months then chip. Interest to hear the moisture level when chipped.

 

Up to 2 years if we can. MC is around 25% to 30% for round. Slabwood I have seen sub 20%

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

A little off topic but as a 'Ball park' figure what is the £ daily rate for a mega chipper and what tonnage is the throughput of chip size larch in an 8 hour day? Thanks

 

Ponsse Scorpion circa £420k plus £350k ish forwarder...

 

When the time comes I will follow your approach - thanks for the insight into the process.

 

I think you said you stack your roundwood for 12 months then chip. Interest to hear the moisture level when chipped.

 

Others will say, chip it green - not so hard on the chipper; then dry it in a drier...

[Johny Walker]

Ponsse Scorpion circa £420k plus £350k ish forwarder...

 

 

 

Others will say, chip it green - not so hard on the chipper; then dry it in a drier...

 

£350k for a forwarder makes the the harvester look cheap ,

[arboriculturist]

Ponsse Scorpion circa £420k plus £350k ish forwarder...

 

 

 

Others will say, chip it green - not so hard on the chipper; then dry it in a drier...

 

Sure, but those having it contract chipped, makes no difference.

 

A credible chip drying setup doesn't come cheap either, but would not rule one out.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

£350k for a forwarder makes the the harvester look cheap ,

 

That's a fair whacking 16t forwarder tho I think. Trouble is the agents know you're on the drip and have to work so have you by the nads; lowering the cut and extract rates all the time. Bang out of order imo. Euroforest - don't own a machine or anything; cutter has to have all the debt, all the grief, all the blame I wouldn't mind rocking the boat a bit with a woodmans charter.

Edited September 21, 2014 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[arboriculturist]

Up to 2 years if we can. MC is around 25% to 30% for round. Slabwood I have seen sub 20%

 

Ah, yes - remember your post now. So over 2 years approx 15% loss per year, that would be with stacks in a very open location?

 

Must be covered I suspect to achieve those low levels.

 

 

Forest Fuels don't sheet stacks and have suggested 30-35% after 12mths supplied as chip - I'm a little dubious.

[Brushcutter]

That's a fair whacking 16t forwarder tho I think. Trouble is the agents know you're on the drip and have to work so have you by the nads; lowering the cut and extract rates all the time. Bang out of order imo. Euroforest - don't own a machine or anything; cutter has to have all the debt, all the grief, all the blame I wouldn't mind rocking the boat a bit with a woodmans charter.

 

Dont forget your traffic light system now and all your FISA approved training. In final crop especially with a big harvester working 18hours a day you'll probally need 2 350k forwarders to keep up.

[cornish wood burner]

Ponsse Scorpion circa £420k plus £350k ish forwarder...

 

 

 

Others will say, chip it green - not so hard on the chipper; then dry it in a drier...

 

That's another way but not for us at the moment. Space, energy and capital outlay would be a significant amount.

We have started looking into burning our plant/peat waste and might dry some of that at some point. Looking at a shredder for that on Wednesday.

[arboriculturist]

That's a fair whacking 16t forwarder tho I think. Trouble is the agents know you're on the drip and have to work so have you by the nads; lowering the cut and extract rates all the time. Bang out of order imo. Euroforest - don't own a machine or anything; cutter has to have all the debt, all the grief, all the blame I wouldn't mind rocking the boat a bit with a woodmans charter.

 

That's a cunning 'business model' Euroforest have then!

[cornish wood burner]

Ah, yes - remember your post now. So over 2 years approx 15% loss per year, that would be with stacks in a very open location?

 

Must be covered I suspect to achieve those low levels.

 

 

Forest Fuels don't sheet stacks and have suggested 30-35% after 12mths supplied as chip - I'm a little dubious.

Windy site will do it. Depends on the species and size of course. Covering 6000 tonnes of round wood does not appeal to me and I am sure Dan feels the same. Wonder what the HSE would think about someone climbing around wood piles.