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What do you Buy/Charge for lumber??

Started by adam, May 29, 2009, 10:58:36 AM

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adam

Wanted to know how much people are buying logs for? And then what are the prices you guys are getting for the lumber?
I live in N.Y. state and loggers are selling for .25 per board foot. I'm thinking of getting .75 per board foot after cutting. Theres a much bigger operation about 10 miles away from me and he's only charging .55 BF( over 12" is .65) He is only cutting one day a week now and has laid off his workers. My mill is portable, and I'm going to charge $60 per hour to cut other peoples logs for them.

DanG

Welcome to the forum Adam, and congrats on becoming a mill owner. 8) 8)

There is no "one size fits all" answer to your question.  Log and lumber prices vary wildly according to market conditions.  Prices are in the dumper right now, having followed the housing industry down the tube.

The best advice I can offer is to dig into this forum and read all about it.  There are many pages of discussion at your fingertips, and plenty of experts to answer your more specific questions. ;)
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

woodmills1

get some logs with nails in them for free to start


take some old pines for free



notice the free part


on another post someone asked me what I put in my $60 per hr for profit


did I say get some logs for free=profit
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Banjo picker

Welcome to the forum Adam.  The info you are wanting --no one much wants to cough up. But I mainly cut RR ties, and I pay the logger for half the tie.  Tie logs have to be 12 inches inside the bark on the little end.  The last load I sold brought 26 dollars each-- logger got 13 dollars a log.  If there is anything  worth keeping off the sides I stack and sticker it --I  only pay for the cant, and i tell the logger that upfront.  Right now i would rather have a 12 to 13 inch log and just slab it.  If you are just going to saw by the hour, price of logs don't matter.  Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

adam

Quote from: DanG on May 29, 2009, 12:27:25 PM
Welcome to the forum Adam, and congrats on becoming a mill owner. 8) 8)

There is no "one size fits all" answer to your question.  Log and lumber prices vary wildly according to market conditions.  Prices are in the dumper right now, having followed the housing industry down the tube.

The best advice I can offer is to dig into this forum and read all about it.  There are many pages of discussion at your fingertips, and plenty of experts to answer your more specific questions. ;)
Thanks for the info Dan, I'll do some digging

adam

Quote from: woodmills1 on May 29, 2009, 08:45:16 PM
get some logs with nails in them for free to start


take some old pines for free



notice the free part


on another post someone asked me what I put in my $60 per hr for profit



did I say get some logs for free=profit
I have been getting free logs here and there, but my main source has been pines that I have been dowing on my property(20" - 30" round). Thnaks for the info

adam

Quote from: Banjo picker on May 29, 2009, 11:11:30 PM
Welcome to the forum Adam.  The info you are wanting --no one much wants to cough up. But I mainly cut RR ties, and I pay the logger for half the tie.  Tie logs have to be 12 inches inside the bark on the little end.  The last load I sold brought 26 dollars each-- logger got 13 dollars a log.  If there is anything  worth keeping off the sides I stack and sticker it --I  only pay for the cant, and i tell the logger that upfront.  Right now i would rather have a 12 to 13 inch log and just slab it.  If you are just going to saw by the hour, price of logs don't matter.  Tim
Thanks for the info Tim. Does your prices go up or down depending on the market??

Banjo picker

Yep , and down has been the trend here lately.

If you are going to buy logs,  you will need to give some thought to how you are going to unload them from the loggers truck.  I know of a circle mill that tried just dragging the logs off the back of the trucks with an undersized loader.  One load was all they would ever get, time is money to a logger and they won't come back if you can't unload them in a hurry.  I have a Prentice 210 C , I was leaving this morning when my main logger showed up with a load , i told him where to put them, cut him a check for this weeks logs, and when I got back I had 36 more logs to saw.  Just something to  think about--don't shoot yourself in the foot before you get started good.  Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

zopi

Have yet to pay for a log...scrounge em up for "treecycling.."

sure is nice to nail a board to something...and know the only cost is overhead....
Got Wood?
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thecfarm

There's a lot to grading logs.There are #1-2 and 3's and pallet grade and more.The #1's are worth the most.Most loggers sell to certain mills.They know they will get paid and get a good scale and don't have to teach anyone about grade.Some I would not trust to teach  ;) but others would treat you fine.Time is money to loggers,need room to turn around a truck,even a straight job can eat up some room to get into your yard. If you are planing on buying logs,than you have to sell the lumber.There are some that do this and do it good.But it can be hard to get into.The brochures make it sound easy to sell lumber,but it is not.I like your idea about sawing by the hour.That way if the logs are bad,or no help is there,you still get paid by the hour.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

DR_Buck

Before buying logs be sure to have a market to unload the lumber.  Otherwise you better invest in covered storage.  Air-dried and green lumber is hard to move unless you have an established customer base.  Also milling with a manual mill is a slow process.  If your portable operation is in an area where your competitors are using hydraulic mills the customers get more lumber produced per hour than with a manual mill.  This could have some impact on your $60 per hour rate.   But then as already mentioned, it's all in what your local market will bear.

Most of my milling is portable, sawing for woodworkers and home owners.   I saw on a board foot rate.  What you can get there is again a market issue.  Get as much as you can and the customers are willing to pay.   Don't short change yourself.

For stuff I mill at home, I get almost all of my logs free.  But hten again I go and get them.  This can be a real chore sometimes.  Check out around the forum, you'll find lots of post on how to move and load logs. 

My best lumber sales are of kiln dried lumber to woodworkers.   The air-dried lumber does not move at all in my area.   Advertising by word of mouth and through woodworking clubs and guilds is a good way to get known as the go-to-guy for lumber.

Bottom line is to work your market.  That's where the money comes from.  Don't get to broad in services you offer until you get a little experience under your belt.  Otherwise you can get quickley overwelmed  and overworked.   And don't be araid to say no.  I turn down almost as many jobs as I actually do.  Some are just not worth getting into.

Best of luck and keep us informed of your activities.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

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