Tomatin Firewood

Hi everyone I have had my Tajfun 380 processor for nearly 2 years and there a few irritating niggles that keep cropping up and I was wondering if other owners experience similar problems or even these problems with different brand processors. I seem to get my chains to last but the processor seems to wear a bar out for literally every chain. Bar I use: Oregon 17 Inch Pro Lite. Anyone have any ideas, I try to ensure I am not pressuring bar when cutting and ensure chain is not too tight when fitted. Probably 100T per bar. Or is this just expected? My 8 way cutting blade keeps on getting stuck, almost on a daily basis. sawdust goes down it and compresses. I do try and wiggle it up and down but it does seem to get stuck very quickly/ easily. Its highly annoying as it means having to take bolts of bottom of processor every time. The tray that allows the brash, sawdust to fall down keeps on getting bent. We have just welded a strengthening beam along bottom so hopefully this one is sorted but would be curious if other folk are having same problem. Be interested to hear other people's thoughts?

I use an Oregon multicut chain for my processor and chainsaw and they are much tougher. Maybe worth getting a chain for cross cutting? The only problem with them is they are a bitch to sharpen, I use an Oregon chain sharpener which does the business, but rakers/ leaders are hard on the file. Hardwood including seasoned elm I reckon I was getting a good 10-15 tonnes cut in my processor. Chainsaw cross cutting around 10T / sharpen. Spitting some of the big bits that would not go into my processor on the other hand was a bitch!

Hi I cannot remember exactly what I was quoted , it was either £5,000 or £7,000 when I asked last year. Whichever I was like ok...... Almost as much as the processor! Anyway cannot afford that just for a log deck! It is a nice piece of kit especially if you doing a bit of contracting though. I am hoping to find something that is max £2,000 but does the business. Want one which can tie in with hydraulic which why I was wondering if different brand log decks are compatible.

Hi i have had tajfun 380 since Nov 2011, it has been pretty good, have done almost 2,000m3 with it so far. My drive shaft went the other day rather annoyingly so that and a few other things best part of £500 but on the whole pretty good. Does anyone know if you can use other brand log decks with this as I really need to get a log deck that can take a good few tonnes. Anyone have any suggestions? The trailer log deck that tajfun does is nice but far too expensive. Farmer Ben I would say if you have a loader, the log deck is the way to go. You may want to consider the sawdust extractor as well (i just use one of those old black bins ).

Timber that is felled on a commercial basis is done so by harvesters and chainsaws, forwarded, hauled, processed, stacked and delivered. New plantations (from clear fells) then have to be replanted. You should consider all the Carbon costs of all these processes. I do not agree that wood is carbon neutral, but it does have a lower footprint than oil. Importing kiln dried timber is only going to add to this carbon cost further and you cannot always be so sure that the chappy in Lithuania is sourcing their wood from sustainable forests (although I am sure they will tell you otherwise!). Personally I think this country depends far too much on imports and now look what has happened. China has bazzillions whilst in the UK we are stuck in the worst depression since the 1928. Manufacturing needs to be brought back to this country where ever possible, as it is providing our economy jobs which in turn improves our decaying infrastructure. I would much rather give my money to my competitor down the road, keeping the money in the local economy (as there is enough business for everyone) than to some faceless corporation overseas.

I have already had a quick read of commercial RHI eligibility and apparently over 3/4 of applications are rejected because they do not meet criteria. So whatever I do will have to be well planned. I am going to try and get a loan from Energy Saving Trust and go by their advice. I have already started getting my personal log shed ready, cutting and stacking 50cm logs! I will have to let everyone know how I get on.

Many thanks for that

Hi everyone I am thinking of putting in a log gasification boiler to heat my house. To do this I will need to put up a proper shed and have install from a MCS cert installer. I was thinking if I also make this shed my workshop/ office with a radiator in it, the boiler is heating 2 separate properties as well as being partially business (will need to get it rated). This way I should be eligible for RHI commercial not to mention no more ridiculous oil bills. My thought is whether I could also make a small kiln to fit maybe a pallet or 2 of wood in at time (which I can put in with my bobcat). Has anyone got experience of this sort of thing or is this a silly idea? Cheers James

Hi Tony it was Kinnoir Woodfuel I was using! Nice guy, think his accident last year may have given him a shake up and from what I have heard he has finished. I need to make my mind up over who else to choose, have had a few offers.

I find I do charge my battery a fair bit, particulary being in the Highlands! I bought an ex- demo model just nearly 2 years ago and it has had heavy use. A few bits of mesh starting to go but nothing major. I think they are awesome trailers and well worth their money. As Hazzy said they are great for reversing, mine is 10ft x 5ft so fractionally narrower than the Hilux. Sometimes I find it easier to reverse in than get out! I will probably trade my trailer in for a new one in 2 years before it loses too much value.

My main expenses are raw material, fuel and machinery expenses. I think having free resource is great, that is half the battle. If you provide a quality product word will quickly spread and you can build your own customer base.

Hi Graham, where are you based? I would be looking for either 600 of the smaller bags or I am even wondering if it is worth getting the larger bags?

He did 300 bags delivered for £450 cash. The net bags were on the smaller side, see my website - kindling pic for details. Sorry cannot remember exact dimensions. I think the killer will be delivery so that is why I thought it would probably suit someone more local. Last season I sold 600 bags (sold out) in my second season so if I find the right supplier and price am sure this could be really built up.

Hi there, The chap who normally does my kindling no longer appears to be trading which is a shame , so I am looking for a new wholesale supplier. Anyone in the area able to provide me? I am looking for stock from the end of July onwards. Let me know if you can help James

Selling the coal does not really slow me down as I just put the bag/s in back of pickup. But to only make around £1.5 a bag does start to make you think whether it is worth the bother.

Hi Everyone, I am looking for around 100 T or so of hardwood. Am based around 17 miles south of Inverness (conifer country!). Ideally stuff that can go through a processor and reasonably priced! Let me know if you can help out?

I started doing Fergus 25kg bags of coal as a little extra last year but the margins on it were very small. Does anyone on here do coal and if so have any tips to source the stuff a bit cheaper!

My 2 best purchases last year were: Army waterproof jacket and Bobcat. I almost bought a second tractor for handling wood. So glad I didn't! My Bobcat can lift a ton, it turns like a tank so can stack in tight spots, can stack as high as 3 m3 pallets on one another. It loads my trailer up in no time and great for lifting wood from stacks. All in all awesome, I would be lost without it now!

When I do big piles of logs in shed the wood was already dry so did not really have mould problems

Great setup you have there. I do not have any production pictures yet as it is generally me processing! I use my Bobcat for loading my trailer and for taking timber form stacks. I would love to get a timber trailer and a proper log deck rather than lifting deck (to speed things up), as well as another shed for storing all my pallets hardwood 1m3 bags in, but I need to pay off all my original purchases first! Majority of my wood is softwood which I process onto concrete floor and use bobcat move wood around my shed (shed has lots of holes knocked in it to allow the glen winds through). I try to always rotate my stock alway giving customer wood from oldest heap. All my hardwood process in to bags on pallets and then tip into my tipping trailer. I try to keep my physical handling minimal. In the summer before I purchased the BobcatI would tip the wood into shed with trailer and then my farmer friend would come in with JCB and bulldoze for me!

As far as I am aware RHI domestic is still on. Contrary to my concerns that log gasification would not be included, I gather that they will be supported as long as they cannot burn fossil fuels. I guess nobody will know if RHI domestic will appear until June, but with the way our economy is at the moment would not be surprised if government back tracks. All we can do is pray.

From 1st September - 31st December 2012 I sold 576 CM softwood and 82 CM Hardwood, with some occasional help from a friend. Not added up January yet but still keeping busy! Am quite pleased with this as only started up in November 2011. Although still very much paying for all my machinery!

Many thanks everyone, it is stacked volume, not solid volume. He was wanting £50 a cube roadside. I said I would not want to pay more than £50/T delivered which he seems ok with as long as haulage not too much. My only worry is because it is fresh cut whether I will get around 1.5-2 cubic meters / T of birch. For instance if I only get 1 cubic meter of processed birch for every tonne or stacked cubic meter @£50, I think it may be a bit pricey as I still need to process, deliver and pay myself a wage. I guess it is all down to experience!