National Forest Thinnings for sale

[Iain H]

Do you supply into the biomass market? We have a 75kw boiler running a log dryer and get through a fair amount of timber. Maybe people only have them if they are self sufficient in timber? First thinnings through a bilke at maximum length makes good boiler fuel and is so fast it is the most efficient way to process it into a saleable product.

[woodworm]

I have been contracting for 9 years now and built up over time. Main work has always been tree planting and follow up maintenance but have been involved with firewood and thinning work for 5 years now. Started with small vimek minimaster then farma 6 ton trailer then got a grant towards the vimek 606. Mainly do thinning for our own use as firewood. Like you say there is not much profit in selling timber at roadside! I own all my kit so no worries with repayments and smaller kit doesn't cost so much to run for instance the forwarder will do a full day on 25 litres of diesel. Like i say it is a trial to see how things work out and it may well bite me but nothing ventured nothing gained! It will revolve around getting a fair price for processed logs straight out of the wood to wholesale market or to biomass boiler market. Massive potential in the National Forest over the next few years. Do you run a harvester? I have not seen a machine that could cope with hardwood first thinnings?

 

 

Iain

Speak to Martyn Neve, Even Forestry. He has a Moipu head on a harvester and that's exactly what he is doing with it. Awesome bit of kit

07860 859633

Tell him Mike on the 931 told you to call.

[Logsnstuff]

Landowner received a grant for ride widening and coppicing work which has covered some of the cost. It is a trial and as such i will not know the full economics of it until the job is finished. Assuming we can the equivalent of 8 cube of split logs per day i think the system will work. I have based that on extracting the equivalent of 60 cube of split logs a day and we can process 40 cube of logs per day with the bilke so £31.25 per cube cost in a log. All depends on what we can get cut in a day.

 

when the value of the timber in the round at roadside is about £40 a cube think you need to rework your figures.

 

softwood clearfell up here around 300 tons landowner was quoted £10k + all the timber

[Iain H]

when the value of the timber in the round at roadside is about £40 a cube think you need to rework your figures.

 

softwood clearfell up here around 300 tons landowner was quoted £10k + all the timber

 

I am working on a cubic meter of loose logs

[Logsnstuff]

I am working on a cubic meter of loose logs

 

yes I know but the price you posted was less than buying a cube of cord at roadside you priced in labour diesel insurance etc but not for the cord to process £50 £60 per ton + the vat which is about 1.5m3 before you can even start to produce logs if it's to be a viable business.

[Iain H]

yes I know but the price you posted was less than buying a cube of cord at roadside you priced in labour diesel insurance etc but not for the cord to process £50 £60 per ton + the vat which is about 1.5m3 before you can even start to produce logs if it's to be a viable business.

 

I have agreed to pay landowner by the cube if the job will stand it, so all costs are fixed relative to the end value of a cubic meter of logs. Weight will be irrelevant. Prices are based on contract cost so my profit margin is included. Don't get me wrong it will probably not be cost effective but we decided to give it a try. Really depends if we can find wholesale buyers for the logs direct from the wood. If the site was closer to home it would mean i could sell the logs at retail but it is to far to transport.