Elmsdown Forestry

Chestnut Firewood available at roadside can arrange haulage by 8 wheeler. Located Kent/Sussex border. If interested call or text Nick 07595290954

Give Ken Tongue a call 07970 060497 has big tractor based chipper say Nick gave you his number see what he can do.

Clarks do a blue stone for Oregon grinders and is a world of difference to the standard pink ones. No heat issues but do wear down quite quick. I use the Borazon discs on my auto grinder about 120£ each last quite well and sharpen out some serious damage without over heating, also do them for the Oregon’s.

Mervin Ellis would take a single load of log and he pays top money the following week of delivery. You would be best having it loaded on a flat trailer rather then sending it on 8 wheeler. I know a haulier with 8 wheeler from Sussex who might be able to help and he will have a flat trailer on the road in new year. Chip cut it too 2.8m and bang it to bedmax Andover, Chris King is the buyer top bloke but you will have to arrange haulage. You could also try Powell forestry he will buy roadside for simple easy movement. All this depends on if there’s a felling license in place. All has to be fc approved.

where abouts in southeast are you cutting? theres a strong market for Scot’s chip in the south. Would it not make saw log 50cm max butt down to 18cm under bark? Again strong market. haulier probably has a chip market for it and making a chunk on top for himself. if cutting by hand would imagine making anything from it will be hard if only going for chip.

Have a chat with Blair at Clark forest tomorrow see what grinders they are doing now. He got a lot of knowledge on what would suit the amount of chains you doing on a weekly basis. A mate got the portek and reckons it’s good for what it is.

Ive had both Oregon variants and the manual clamp lasted a lot longer and once your get used to it is just as quick. Make sure you get the blue cutting disc or the Borazon version from Clark forest as they don’t overheat the cutting tooth so you can still easily hand sharpen if needed. boredom still sets in so got this. IMG_5424.MP4

Doing a lot of die back with very experienced hand cutter. He walking away from some of the gear as way to dangerous and unpredictable. The one in the picture was 25m tall near a right of way and the top exploded on impact. All the ash we are coming across in the forestry sector are all suffering and becoming a serious hazard extremely quick.

Selling husky 576xp and 572xpg will be posting on arbtrader later. Both have minimal use and 20inch bars/chain. 572 only ever run on husky 2T fuel and 576 did little will pump fuel before changing. If interested before going on trader call 07595290954 Nick

You will struggle with standing in Kent at the minute ground is so wet nothing coming to market. Try Joe Visser on 07943 313365 he moves lots of firewood but price is on the up due to high demand and minimal stocks roadside.

As previously said poplar not ash.

Think you will find this ash is actually a Poplar!

7-8 ton with a small nisula 325h would probably be onto a winner. Slightly wider still low ground pressure and possibly put wider tracks on to help stabilise the base. Speak with molsons see what they offer with high ground clearance will help a lot, in the brands they offer someone must offer something.

A 1.5m centre spacing with a row out will give you a 3m rack which is about standard, hence all purpose built thinnings machines are <2.9m wide. Only time I’ve taken 2 rows is when it’s been spaced less than that, and has had very good results for the crop. I personally would not go as small with the machine I would rather have a slightly bigger base machine with a smaller head for what you want to do. Less strain on all the pumps, motors, pins etc etc. A lot of conversions for 1st thinnings are on 13-14ton bases for this reason and has more potential for related works down the line and has the stability when working the matrix. Bare in mind if you take 1 in 6 rows at 1.5m spacing that would leave a matrix of 6m how would you access the middle with the small machine if required to do so.

Look to Austria for some examples they use a lot of tractor bases for small heads. Nisula make some good small thinning machines and heads they use on valtras. There is a nisula 325h on a kobelco sk55 conversion on you tube not sure how it would handle second thinnings though. Nisula also make the N5 purpose built. When I looked at a conversion Kobelco seemed to be a very good option price and flow where good and Molsons had stock machines and have done conversions on other brands.

The ash butts I just sold will end up in Vietnam, that’s where they are all going if ending up in containers. They use them to make furniture or the carcasses and ship it into China where apparently it stays.

Hi, Handcutting in forestry is charged on piece rate per ton. Rates vary depending on area but average 20-25 per ton to roadside whatever is left is landowner profit. If site allows just fell the extract with forwarder/tractor trailer, handling it fewer times as possible. Only use the digger to maybe stack cut lengths into bigger piles aid forwarding.

Was in a hydraulic supplier last week and he asked if I run it, nope, his reply good is no good for pumps. If you want to change it’s a major operation, tanks pumps blocks pipes hoses all need to be Flushed as they won’t mix. Once that’s done apparently oil seals may need changing also. Avoid like the corona

Mainly East Sussex but haven’t any sites ready at present due to lack of experienced cutters. Currently there is a site Sevenoaks area of big overstood chestnut which would be ready to go soon if there’s cutters available.

Afternoon all, Im getting a lot of production handcutting work in and around Sussex and Kent if anyone is interested and has correct tickets, min cs31 ideally 32 or equivalent and efaw+f. Mainly be overstood coppice. Get in touch if interested ideally 2 cutters. Cheers Nick 07595290954

The only wet spot and I found it.

Have you suggested a tonnage rate? Crap rates don’t make him a cowboy conman, paying someone 10ton per forwarder that clearly holds more fills that comment more.

As a ex handcutter cant believe the piece rate for chestnut product is so low when the end product is going up in price. Should be a minimum of £15 ton cut stack and run the saw through the top in descent firewood chestnut fencing a good chunk more. A lot of mention of chip being low value but it isn’t, £32 roadside, ok ain’t great but 18-20 ton to cut 6-8 to extract and a token gesture to the land owner. As previously mentioned piece/tonnage rate is the only fair way to work. Over the years I’ve done day works and tonnage and always made more on tonnage with a decent rate and getting on with it. I’ve also employed guys on day works and doesn’t really work out unless it’s the big narly stuff I can’t do with the harvester. Unless the cutters are too notch and get there arse into it it will never pay for anyone no matter how it’s paid out. Margins are just too tight in forestry with the middle man being the top earner for doing the least amount of work. Decent hand cutters are a rare find and undervalued heavily with the skill and knowledge required to go home safe with a sensible income.