In a complete change of direction professionally for myself and a relocation from one end of the country to the other, my family and I will be relocating from just outside Edinburgh to East Devon in late July. Reasons for moving are mostly personal, but principally to be closer to family and actually see some summer weather.
The sawmill will continue as it has, being run by the two chaps that work with me, and I will be operating a mini forwarder in Devon and the South West. I have chosen to buy a Logbullet mini forwarder from Finland.
The machine has a capacity of around 2 tonnes, permanent 8 wheel drive (and tracks for working on very soft or steep ground), a straight lift capacity of over 700kg and an ability to go almost anywhere without leaving a trace. The machine can work on bog and climb very steep slopes with the aid of floatation band tracks.
My plan is to do a variety of work, including purchasing and harvesting standing timber, contracting in for timber extraction, assisting tree surgeons (ideal for working on delicate sites, or where larger machines don't have access), footpath work and indeed anything else.
As well as the aforementioned lift and transport capacities, the machine is equipped with a winch and a tipping body with clamshell attachment.
The real beauty of these small forwarders is that there is no job too small. They are transported behind a normal van or 4x4, so incur no haulage costs. Even fully (or over) loaded they weigh less than 5 tonnes, which spread out over 8 large tyres means minimal impact. The track width is only 5ft, so access to extremely tight stands is easy.
I've got a forestry background, having spent three years doing self select hardwood thinning, and I've done some quite large elm harvesting jobs in the North of Scotland in the past.
We are planning to be based in the Culm Valley, somewhere around Cullompton. We'll be very close to the M5 and travelling up to an hour in any direction is no problem at all. I'm keen to hit the ground running in August, so please get in touch if you think you can use me and my machine. Introductory rates will apply for the first three months.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8cjSevoc_M