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wood processor

Started by ehp, September 27, 2015, 12:36:46 PM

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ehp

Last week was the first time I seen much of a change here in our log prices , my good saw log and veneer are the same as last winter but my pallet grade took a wicked of a hit , so much I'm thinking the pallet logs are worth more as wood ,so looking at buying a processor . I have had 2 processors before , pretty much the same and help building them, 96 in circular blade , 36 inch diameter on wood size , duetz 4 cyl on 1 , 6 cyl on the other . I liked those engines for this job . What I would like is any feed back on any of the new ones that are made like cord king, bell, CRD. cordking and bell are made about 4 or so hours from where I live so I can go look at them but the CRD I have never seen one of them run in person and seem to be alot less money . I want circular blade , not chainsaw bar type . Should cut at least 20 inch diameter , 24 inch would be better . But 20 inch would work . I got a good market to sell lots of firewood at a good price and they come and pick it up so no trucking in it for me . I'm not looking to go full time in firewood as of right now the saw logs still pay good but that could change here pretty fast but this would get rid of my pallet logs and I would go further up the tree and skid that for firewood , Has anyone ran any of these new machines and what did they think of them , CRD seems to be saying their the best for the cost but talk is cheap and any video on any of the 3 companies is all in a perfect world , wood perfect and straight  .

TeaW

hep, what are you doing with your firewood now? All the loggers here have good markets for firewood logs. We are a long way from the mills and nobody is sending low grade logs , as they are worth more as wood.
TeaW

ga jones

My good friend and the person who processes my wood just bought a CRD. It's a bar saw type. It's extremely well built and engendered.
380c timberjack c4 treefarmer international trucks jonsered saws. Sugi hara bars d31 komatsu 350 tj grapple

ehp

I lived most of my life in central Ontario, where I am now is pretty much a whole different type of logging as the timber is alot better grade than up north so I get very little firewood , In 2014 I think I sold 5 doubles of firewood logs for the year , So far this year I have not sold a single load. On my low grade logs which we call pallet here I get a normal worth close to $3,000 a double load from the mills . Last couple weeks that price has dropped alot and really donot see any reason for that mill to raise the price back to where it was , Now I hear there is a new mill pretty much ready to go but know nothing about it and lots of loggers out there looking to sell their stuff to anyone that will buy it . If I stay near where I live and log most of the time which is sand  you see very little cull trees , yes some rot on the stump but go up 4 feet or so and its sound , if I am on clay then I see cull trees but still nothing like up north . What I have been doing is giving the farmers the wood pieces I do get for free and that gives him something for his off shore workers to do when not busy but I do think cleaning the bush up better is better for the bush and a good selling card for this area . If I make the bush I cannot mark any tree smaller than 22 inches in diameter and still have to have a basal of 16 left any where in the bush that the tree by-law officer wants to take a reading in so I'm not going to see much wood other than the top part of the tree . If marked by a forester than I see some slash trees but still not alot at that . I'm just thinking about cleaning the bush up better and looking better , The price I was given to produce firewood at is dam good in my mind and I know could be done by just a chainsaw and splitter or maul but my days of doing that kind of work are long behind me , just to busted up for that . I know a chainsaw bar type processor would do the job as well but most of my time logging is on very fine sand and its just bloody murder on chainsaw chain and bars . In winter time its alot better and I have ran circular machines before and nothing like cutting a 1000 cord then sharpen compared to cut 1/3 of a cord and file the chain

ehp

then also is I donot sell much pallet , pallet is anything under 12 inch in diameter to 8 inch and I like to stay 10 inch to 12 inch in hardwood , Anything like popular, cottonwood, locust , softwood , white birch all go to the pallet mill as other mill does not cut these types of trees , In the month of Sept I sold a total of 2 double loads of pallet grade stuff , pretty much everything is grade sawlogs here but I still have alot of wood sitting in the tops and I'm buying the bush so why not make money off the tops as well

TeaW

 hep that is interesting and makes sense. We have much the same forestry bylaws here but most is marked by a forester and there are more firewood trees marked, we don't have the growth that you have there.The mills are farther away and it costs $125 or more /thousand to get them there .Thanks
TeaW

xalexjx

i'v looked at lots of processors and personally have it narrowed down to bells and built rite for best price and quality.
Logging and Processed Firewood

BargeMonkey

Quote from: xalexjx on September 27, 2015, 08:10:19 PM
i'v looked at lots of processors and personally have it narrowed down to bells and built rite for best price and quality.
I will 2nd that. Talked to John from Built-rite this yr @ Boonville, we are in no rush but going circle saw at somepoint. All depends how many cord an hr you want. With 4 cord an hr comes 1 more guy, lots of places to put the wood and chips, something to think about. I'm doing a cord on a built-rite in 35-45mins by my self, Barsaw and .80 chain.

millcreek40

I have seen all the processors run in booneville . They all claim 4 cord an hr . Have you looked at the wood they send up the conveyer??  It's not salable in my book. It all should be resplit. I have a multitek2040 & love it. It's a bar saw, I have cut wood up to 24". Seems everyone claims Daily maintenance with a chain. I have cut 70 full cord on the chain that is on the machine now without sharpining. It's a 3/4" chain.  Multitek grapple is awesome. You can process ANYTHING you drag out of the woods. Still can't do 4 cord an hr
Two 240A Timberjacks, Mack log truck, Multitek 2040 wood processor.

lopet

Cord King has been around for decades. Their first series didn't stand up any abuse , I think they made some improvements in the meantime.
Rumor has it that the guy who started Bell was working for Cord King or was even in partnership, but he had his own ideas and started his own business. Machines look built solid but are prized crazy, to me at least.
Don't know anything about CRD, but if I am not mistaken we have members here who run those machines.

My self I am hiring all  the big stuff out to " big brother " and just run medium and smaller wood through my block buster.
That works for me and I don't need to know how many cords  somebody has to pound through a 120K machine to make the payments. 
Make sure you know how to fall properly when you fall and as to not hurt anyone around you.
Also remember, it's not the fall what hurts, its the sudden stop. !!

ga jones

Another guy I sell firewood to has a built rite. No where near the quality of the CRD. Imo
380c timberjack c4 treefarmer international trucks jonsered saws. Sugi hara bars d31 komatsu 350 tj grapple

ehp

machines I had before did a 12 bush cord load cut 12 inches long in just over 2 hours and did 2 loads a day , 6 days a week so been around processors alot . Ran processors for about 14 years up north and really didnot want much to do with this down here but I think and feel the time is coming that I might have to start again . Yes I could build another one but hardly have time to do anything else so am looking at something already built . Cordking and Bell are right across from each other in Perth Ontario where they are made . I read that lots of guys have switched from cordking or bell to CRD machines but thats on the internet so I'm not 110% that is what really is going on

North River Energy

I think you'll find there is a less steel in the CRD superstructure. Lighter frame, lower fabricating cost etc.

ehp

All of these machines to me seem lighter than what I had built but I most times over build stuff , yep never break but very heavy but they last . Where I live now the wood is not as hard as up north, faster growing plus not on rock so alot less mineral in the wood so am thinking I should be able to get by with not as strong of a machine . Very little big nasty yellow birch and not alot of hard maple either . Mainly it would be white ash, beech, soft maple

millcreek40

There are used Multitek machines out there.  I know where there is a nice used one for 37k. The grapple is the key unless you can sort all of your wood. You can run the crooked tops with no trouble . I also haul logs to another guy with a processor. If it's not straight he gets out his chainsaw. If I can grab it with the grapple I can process it . The other guy also has a friend with a cord king that he has ran a few times, he tells me when I am ready to sell mine to let him know. He says the cord king may be faster but the grapple is the way to go. I was looking at timberwolf because there made 45 mins from my house. Than I went and watched a  multitek . My  decision was made with no regrets . Best of luck on what ever one you choose . Any one of them beats a splitter
Two 240A Timberjacks, Mack log truck, Multitek 2040 wood processor.

4x4American

The cord kings are priced pretty insane if you ask me!
Boy, back in my day..

ehp

all the top machines are pretty costly , $100,000 is a down payment in most cases

millcreek40

I asked  the salesman at booneville how much the new 2040  multitek with conveyor cost with the circle saw. 154 k. You better split a lot of wood!!
Two 240A Timberjacks, Mack log truck, Multitek 2040 wood processor.

Ken

I won't bash any particular supplier online but if you pm me I could give you a bit of feedback on a couple of the brands you are looking at.  A local firewood supplier who has been buying my hardwood recently purchased a new machine and is less than pleased.
Lots of toys for working in the bush

ehp

I honestly hope the drop in log prices was just a speed bump in the road as I cut by myself , hard to get any good workers in my area , they all want the huge money but want to drink coffee at Tim Hortons which does me very little good mainly cause I donot drink coffee LOL . I'm just thinking a head mainly for next summer but need to skid the wood this winter and if I do do that a chainsaw type would work as wood would be clean . I live in Canada so take that $154 grand and times that by 1.5 before I get it here so I'm looking at at least $231,000 , Not a smart move on my part to spend that much on a machine in a bussiness that is very cut throat

ehp

OK have been super busy but does any one have or know any problems with a multitek 2020 machine , got a guy up here with one and it needs to sell so I think a pretty good deal and it comes with a 30 ft conveyer . Its running 3/4 inch bar and chain .

North River Energy

Shuttle grapple feed and independent conveyor?
Depending on the model year, the 2020 might be the the 'original' machine design. 
How many hours on the clock?
I think the local guy has that model, and it has made him a lot of money over the years.

BargeMonkey

They cut alot of wood. The guy I just bought some equipment from has a 2040 multitek and does a cord in 30-40 mins in crooked wood.

ehp

its a 2004 year model, yes it uses the grapple feed and has a independent conveyor. , Once I look at it I will know more 

North River Energy

If it's the one I think it is, and fully functional, would definitely consider that machine at that price before a new machine from other vendors.

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