doobin
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Everything posted by doobin
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How does anyone make money extracting cordwood?
doobin replied to doobin's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
What bit of the above don't you understand Frankie? Highland Forestry- I thought as much! Combined Tree Services- please answer me this: Could three of you and a digger fell, section, stack timber and burn brash on .9 hectares of 26 year old chestnut coppice in six days? -
How does anyone make money extracting cordwood?
doobin replied to doobin's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Chaps, as stated in the original post the extraction is taken care of by a 3rd party with a forwarder at £5/ton. All we have to do is fell, section and stack, plus burn the brash. We're not interested in fannying about making gates, posts etc. It's purely for firewood. We could sell at the rails we could produce for £4 a pop. A big butt that would yield 4 rails (allowing for split aways) would be worth £16 once split and ended, or about £12 as firewood in a year with minimal hassle. No brainer, especially as we've only got weekends on it. The only products we sell are big strainers for my fencing contracts. So does the time scale seem about right to fell, section, burn brash and stack logs in piles for the forwarder? And if so, then back to the original question- how is it possible to make money by selling for £20/ton at roadside? -
How does anyone make money extracting cordwood?
doobin replied to doobin's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Most about 10" at the base. Some bigger, some smaller. It's 26 year old chestnut coppice. Could you do it in six days with three blokes and a digger? That's how quick you'd need to go to make £450/day, which would be the bare minimum of profitability. -
Two friends and I have a bit of a weekend project going- we're felling chestnut coppice for firewood. Setup is KISS- two cutters going like the clappers and me on the digger just about keeping up stacking the timber and throwing the brash onto piles. I hear chestnut can be bought roadside for £20/ton. Now, assuming I have 180 tons in 0.9 hectares (best case scenario I think?), that is worth £3600. Loose £900 for forwarding at £5/ton (fair price?) and you have 2700. Allow fifteen days to clear it (reasonable estimate? Or are we too slow?) and you're making £180/day. For three blokes and a digger! How the hell do you make money extracting cordwood for a living? I'll make money on it as firewood, but I was just wondering? Oh, almost forgot. Loose another £500 for the timber also!
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Never mind that, where do you get a pint for £2.50 these days?!
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Wrong. Plenty of third part apps free or cheap to handle just about any file. I keep my books up to date (I use spreadsheets) in the field on my iPod. If you want it to do things like this with it, then why not have a cheap £10 phone that doesn't matter if it falls out of a tree and breaks, and have an iPod as a PDA kept safe in the van? Works for me, I wouldn't be without it. Do all the lads timesheets, create bills for customers in the field, use it to hold contract spec sheets etc.
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Wheres the cheapest place to buy chainsaw files? In bulk if necessary. Cheers
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Diamond files- anyone use them? Are they any good/are they worth the money? I'm fed up of normal files- they only last a couple of sharpens before you have to start putting stupid pressure on them to make them cut!
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Very doubtful. Cut open some yesterday that was left behind by biomass contractors last year (not enough for a whole lorry).It was as wet as if it had just been cut.
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Hi chaps, Am in the process of changing my business insurance cover. As part of the assessment, the underwriters would like to know, and I quote "What safety precautions are taken when i) Climbing trees, ii) Felling trees, iii) Burning off-cuts" Firstly, we don't do any climbing, so no worries there. Does anyone know of any generic risk assessment type things for the second two (felling and burning), just so as I can make sure I've covered all bases? Thanks:thumbup1:
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We use a grapple- it lets you give the thing a good shake to get rid of most of the soil. Rhodys usually grow on sandy acid soil so this shakes easily off the shallow roots.
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How many loose cubic metres does a solid cubic metre make?
doobin replied to doobin's topic in Firewood forum
Lads, I'm trying to calculate potential profit from standing timber. You've all just rewritten this thread: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/23122-why-not-sell-cube-wood-novel-idea.html -
Agree 100% mate. You could have taken the words right out of my mouth. There's a reason why I'm 22 and run my own business with some nice kit. It's because I get up at five every morning and work my socks off! Re the idea- I'm not that bothered about it; it would only take off if done by one of the big companies. And a patent to keep them from finding a way around it would be big bucks. Just thought a few on here might be interested.
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Last year, I had a cracking idea. Went as far as looking at the ins and outs of getting a patent, then realised that I was somewhat lacking in money. Story of my life. Anyway, back in March of the year, a fellow in the US filed a patent for my idea. So I though I'd tell you all, so that when you buy a chainsaw equipped with this, you can tell everyone you know of the bloke who invented it! The idea is simple- fit the saw with an electric chainbrake, something akin to that used in the Stihl electric saws. This chainbrake is activated by a radio sensor in the bar. And this radio sensor is activated by current passing through wires woven in clothing, ropes etc. Bar gets within a pre-detirmined distance, chainbrake snaps on. No more cutting through ropes. All over safety gear no thicker than a T-shirt. Imagine the possibilities. Not difficult- the technologies already exist. Genius huh?
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I notice I am no longer a junior member, but a fully fledged Member. Result! Thanks for having me lads
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Been doing some research: Roni McDonald reckons: "why don't you all read a "code of practice for fuel wood merchants" published by the Forestry Commission and Timber Growers UK. 1m3 solid wood = approx 1 ton, split and loosely stacked, ie thrown, =1.8m3, ie 55% wood and 45% air. " On the other hand, JayVee says: "1 SOLID m3 = 1.54 STACKED m3 = 2.5 LOOSE m3" So who's closest to the money? Theres quite a difference between 1.8m3 and 2.5m3
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Hi chaps As above really. Any thoughts? Thanks.
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Different chains, different jobs, different settings. Low as you can on the main full chisel cross-cut saw, though I'm guessing you don't want to go much more than standard up a tree though (not a tree monkey myself)
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Bump! Anyone?
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Always shop around! I was quoted £810 inc VAT for a lift pump for my digger. Got one off eBay for £35! Then bought a second as spare.
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Good man, thanks for that.
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You can't. HTH
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If you'd taken the time to read the post properly, you'd see that the OP felled the tree- the lad was only instructed to cross-cut. Regardless of whether the lad had had instruction in cutting timber larger than the bar, he is showing a lack of extremely basic saw control in forcing the saw through the timber. A lack of saw control that his claimed experience should have prevented. All I can say is I hope you're not paying him too much. As others have said though, at least he gave it a go. The acid test is whether he's the sort of lad who only needs to be shown things once. If he's not, then I'd ditch him.
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Tungsten-Carbide Removable Boots/Tyre Studs
doobin replied to TRADITIONAL LOGGERS's topic in General chat
How thick a boot sole do you need to use the studs? Would they work OK on a quality welly (Muck book 'Humber')? Also, how many are needed per tyre and how quick do they wear on gritted roads (might be preferable to taking snow chains on and off) Very interested- been meaning to get something similar all year, of course it gets put off and put off until suddenly the snow comes and you need them!
