andy cobb

With the bilke do you have to process it while it's still green or does it not matter too much? also what size diameter is the real world maximum?

There is a hell of a lotta sense in that but it doesn't account for human nature, after a few weeks felling I long for a week processing. After a week processing I'm longing for the woods again. Once you've got sap in your veins your screwed.

I'm running an old Palax and managed to do 10 cube in a day with no log deck and cutting timber to length myself, taking copious smoking breaks etc. Mixture of 3" to 12" was f*%#ed next day

Often thought about an 8 tonner with a shear on, but dismissed it as being to niche for my area. going to look at a shear head for the forwarding trailer for next season but would like to see one working on real world trees first.

Yeah I can see why you wouldn't be able to compete with a harvesting crew on that scale. i only fell about 200 ton a year and it's nearly all sites that aren't suitable for a harvester. ive seen what the other guys near me are buying in and it's nearly all 2-3 foot diameter beach and Knarly ash usually with rot down the middle circa £50 ton delivered.

I agree we all have to start somewhere, but round my area maybe 2 new guys will set up every year ( especially after a cold winter ) charge rock bottom prices, then realise it's not making money and move on to something else, but by then 2 more are starting up and the whole cycle restarts . All the while prices seem to be stagnant, and it's bloody annoying when customers compare an established, long term reliable operation with the local pikey selling fresh cut logs.

Out of interest how many of you buy your timber standing and how many buy in by the wagon load. i don't think I could make it work financially if I had to buy in good quality stock, it would mean I had to increase turn over to make the same amount and be at the mercy of a mild winter.

The problem is we're all competing against all the farmers sons with a chainsaw and a few fallen trees that keep the price down because they already have the machinery and sheds, and don't have to make a living from it just a bit of beer money. ive started putting my prices up to new customers this year, but thinking of doing a voucher system for next winter where if a new customer orders a load they get charged £20 more but with a voucher to redeem £20 from their next load. Thinking it might weed out the customers who only want my logs until there cheap farmer supply is restocked.

Down to about last 16 ton of really dry ( sub20 % ) billets, but ran a few that we processed in September through the processor just to see what they were like and syc was coming out about 22 and ash about 29. hopefully will have enough dry stock but thinking that if next years billets are mid 20% at the end of the stack they should be even drier at the beginning of the stack having had a bit longer to dry. should add that the timber we billeted in September had been sat on a windy hillside for 8 months, unfortunately we don't have a magical machine that drys while it splits!

I send mine in after about 150 ton for sharpening. I'm running an old Palax rocking table processor so I think I feel it sooner when it starts to loose its edge. im running eddesso blades as there about half the price of Swedex but maybe not quite as long lasting. as for sharpening costs, it depends how many teeth need replacing. Can be anything from 20 quid for a quick sharpen to 85 for a dozen teeth glued on

Looking at putting some new wire rope on the winch and an online supplier has suggested 6x37 instead of the 6x19 we're currently running. just wondering if anybody is using it, is it more flexible? Longer lasting? Stronger? is fibre core OK as long as it's soaked in oil before use to keep moisture out. Don't want to fork out a few hundred quid just to find out it kinks up real easily.

Ooo that's harsh!

Eww. Is he a Spider-Man apprentice?

I don't know about anybody else but it would take a tug boat and a boughton to make my arse move in reverse at the point of "release"!!

Matthew has basically hit the nail on the head for the older zetors. I run a 7245 and as he says brakes are horrendous plus they are very slow. Good points are , cheap parts, virtually no fancy electronics to go wrong, can be fixed n field with basic tools, compressor and centrifugal oil filter. if they have improved the brakes and fitted high speed transmission I think zetors make good forestry tractors. oh and the cabs are big enough for 3 plus saws which is always handy. not sure if same' s have true four wheel braking, which would be a bonus. Maybe Matthew knows?