gensetsteve

Sorry Jon I will get on the cider and perk myself up

I think its worth having a stash of logs so I can get my logging fix and supply my house. I spoke to a log seller nr Newbury who sells a 1000 tonnes a year and he calls this silly season and goes off on holiday until end of November I am thinking process alot less and jack the price to £120 a cube in December if it drops cold. I have people around me doing 3 cu metres for £160 probably green pop and willow but some people feel the price not the quality.

I am thinking you have alot of chopping to do but then your seasons are different to ours. Thats alot of logs

Realist dave. £60 is top money for a load of logs after all what is a load of logs ? . I have wife and children to support so need to earn a wage. I cant run it as a hobby business in my autumn years just yet

I dont see any competition to Aspen. If there was there may be a bit of a race to get established. Can this not be purchased from shell. While there is no competition in the uk the price will be high. The only time the cost of fuel comes down is when demand drops so if it takes off so will the price.

I enjoy producing logs for easy going friendly folk. But the more I look at the process and the figures the less sense it makes as we go on. Especially buying in cord wood. With pellets and chip all subsidised with grants it is making logs an expensive fuel. Logs take along time to season. the end product is more difficult to load and the sizes are more difficult to control. The customer accepts his heating bill will be £1200 for the year but only wants to spend £60 on his load of logs. The cost of log processing equipment is getting so expensive the cost of large chippers looks more reasonable. It takes hours to convert an arctic load of timber in to pellets or chip rather than days to turn into logs. I doubt chip customers run at you with a moisture meter screaming theres birch in there

Diesels have got very electronic and expensive to repair. Built to a price and required to produce large BHP from relatively small cc's . Unless you do mega miles I would buy a petrol. Lower fuel cost, cleaner to fill, cheaper to buy, often cheaper to tax,

One of the reasons I like my plate is the amazing array of different reactions from people. Some see it as a bit of fun others completely loose the plot. Often choking on their cigarette. a packet a day £7 £2500 a year. My plate £250 in 1994 you pays your money you takes your choice.

so does that mean flat out on the firewood to make up for it

Thats why I bought BI6 GEN by the time they find out I have had my fun also looks good on an old, late model service van

bought this for peanuts in 1994

I think you are spot on with all of this. They dont put bigger stuff through as it does not split evenly and high lights half of what you process will need to be fed back in again. We only have 325 chain on ours and we produce 3 cu metres of sawdust a day so I would imagine you could double that with 404 chain. I suppose we need to remember the people demonstrating have may be an hour or twos experience with each machine and they have an ordience. Do you ever find your processor goes like the clappers for hours as soon as someone comes in the yard to watch it all falls apart.

their is a very good market for small logs. I think about a third of our customers would like granny logs. I have worked out its people fitting log burners in small fire places. Also new build super insulated houses only need a 4kw stove and they have to open the windows.

their is a very good market for small logs. I think about a third of our customers would like granny logs. I have worked out its people fitting log burners in small fire places. Also new build super insulated houses only need a 4kw stove and they have to open the windows.

We have a couple of poly tunnels good results and often in only a few weeks. good place to work but not in summer. I have a large tunnel with concrete floor and tip my vent bags out a few weeks before sending them out. I use a bobcat and can turn a tipper round in 4 mins on a saturday which is when most want their logs delivered.

We have a couple of poly tunnels good results and often in only a few weeks. good place to work but not in summer. I have a large tunnel with concrete floor and tip my vent bags out a few weeks before sending them out. I use a bobcat and can turn a tipper round in 4 mins on a saturday which is when most want their logs delivered.

I would say when I bought our processor 5 years ago I was underwelmed. Not perfect and not as fast as I thought. But it was second hand and only £3000 . It broke down on a regular basis and often cost £400 in parts. But the last 2.5 years its been fairly trouble free and at times with the right wood has done 6 cu metres in an hour. I think it takes a fair while before you get in tune with the different models. Long term I would say excellent buy and with the new parts and the increaseing cost of new kit still worth 3k. If I decide to get back into logs again I would buy one that could handle 16in possibly a dalen. I think you will grow to love your Posch but you need the right wood under 4" almost a waste of time, over 10" hard work. Arb waste a nightmare good luck with your machine

I would say when I bought our processor 5 years ago I was underwelmed. Not perfect and not as fast as I thought. But it was second hand and only £3000 . It broke down on a regular basis and often cost £400 in parts. But the last 2.5 years its been fairly trouble free and at times with the right wood has done 6 cu metres in an hour. I think it takes a fair while before you get in tune with the different models. Long term I would say excellent buy and with the new parts and the increaseing cost of new kit still worth 3k. If I decide to get back into logs again I would buy one that could handle 16in possibly a dalen. I think you will grow to love your Posch but you need the right wood under 4" almost a waste of time, over 10" hard work. Arb waste a nightmare good luck with your machine

Dave you are supposed to be the optomist I am supposed to be the pessamist or are we becoming realists:001_smile: there is another way of looking at it is you are better working and breaking even than doing nothing and making a loss. I think half the country is treading water waiting for the upturn

Dave you are supposed to be the optomist I am supposed to be the pessamist or are we becoming realists:001_smile: there is another way of looking at it is you are better working and breaking even than doing nothing and making a loss. I think half the country is treading water waiting for the upturn

Would be great to supply you but we are in Hampshire and its collection only I am afraid.

Would be great to supply you but we are in Hampshire and its collection only I am afraid.

I would agree with most of that. I would say from experience I get 1.5 - 1.6 cu metres of loose logs form green hard wood even less from oak. I would say to earn £25 per hour is realistic any less and those little extras we forget start to erode it away as Dave Martin points out. I would also say you can scale it up if you wanted to by using more efficient machines ie you should be able to do a 40 hour week with out killing your body with the right kit. so processing 16 cu a day then a day to deliver means 1 cu an hour. 40 cu a week = £1000 45 weeks = 45k a year = 1200 tonnes of timber or full time logging

I would agree with most of that. I would say from experience I get 1.5 - 1.6 cu metres of loose logs form green hard wood even less from oak. I would say to earn £25 per hour is realistic any less and those little extras we forget start to erode it away as Dave Martin points out. I would also say you can scale it up if you wanted to by using more efficient machines ie you should be able to do a 40 hour week with out killing your body with the right kit. so processing 16 cu a day then a day to deliver means 1 cu an hour. 40 cu a week = £1000 45 weeks = 45k a year = 1200 tonnes of timber or full time logging

Hi Marcus I think it was johns idea but it was a good one. I often see mint Kubota lighting sets for a third of the money of a genset. Normally the single phase alt has burnt out but you can just buy a new 3 ph one for £800 and fit it straight on. I sent this to another member a day or so ago and it seems relevant to yourself. 6 Kva may be a bit small will give a kettle and heater but thats it. 10 kva may be better. I would try and avoid the 3000 rpm air cooled stuff The old air cooled lister 1500 rpm would be good for you. If it was for me I would try and search out one of the old 650 rpm listers with the big flywheels. Failing that I like the 1500 rpm Kubotas. Avoid at all cost Lister alpha watercooled engines, Lombardini, ruggerini and anything chinese. A good silent 1500 rpm 10 kva used will probably still set you back £3000 We dont really get involved with sets under 30kva but the fuel consumption will be around 4-5 litres an hour rather than 1-3 for a 10 kva Hope this helps I sent this to someone recently and seems fairly relevant to yourself