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My leg work has paid off maybe!

Started by logman81, August 07, 2013, 01:20:53 PM

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logman81

Well after weeks of no work I finally may have a lot to cut thanks to my wife. So went to look at it last night, small in size only five acres but with some of the biggest and nicest timber I've seen in a log time. From what I gathered when walking the land it is a old growth forest that has never been logged. A mix of oak, maple white pine, yellow pine and a few others. Some of the oaks and maples are pretty big, two feet plus at DBH and straight and with minimal defects. I'm a little nervous about cutting these bigger trees because they have to be cut and bucked the right way to Maximize the profit. How do you decide what the logs should be bucked at? I don't want to cut a pallet log that should have been a prime log. I do have the sawlog bulletin and will probly sell the good grade logs to hull forest products but there are so many different categories of logs. I'm used to cutting firewood grade and white pine and pallet grade but not this nice of timber. Thier is also a neighbor that has even more land with the same untouched timber that wants thier timber cut. Feel free to give any tips or suggestions.
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moosehunter

Can you get the logs tree length to the landing and let your buyer decide how to cut them?
"And the days that I keep my gratitude
Higher than my expectations
Well, I have really good days".    Ray Wylie Hubbard

logman81

Yes the farmer has a big field I can use as a landing.
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bill m

Moosehunter has the best suggestion. Also unless they are paying top dollar for pallet you might as well keep and sell it as firewood.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

PaYoungBuck

Just a thought but around here when selling logs we can pull them out tree length and have potential buyers come in and bid on them. Like you said you don't wanna cut something 8ft for pallet would that should have been left 25ft for veneer.

Autocar

Good advice from all, let the top bid buyer mark them off.
Bill

Ed_K

If your selling to Hull,call them and get a cut list.They'll have diferent cut lengths by species and how much trim.Not many mill buying pine right now,but hardwood is wide open.
Ed K

logman81

Those are some very good tips guys I think it will be in my best interest to cut them as long as I can and skid them tree length to the field were I can have log buyers come in and bid on them. I may sell the hardwood to hull it will depend on who bids the highest. The local mill will buy the pine and softwood pulp.
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logman81

Do you think that is the best way to cut and sell the logs? Also I'm thinking about working out a % split with the land owner. He basically told me he is not looking to get rich on it, would just like some compensation and a little firewood from it. The land is very flat very little underbrush and dry and it is a short skid to a open field I can use as a landing. In your opinion what would be a fare split keep in mined it is just me and one cable skidder.
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Ed_K

I look up what the latest stumpage report from Umass has and pay the land owner that price.If I get some veneer I'll split it with them.My last 3 jobs were a 50/50 split tho.Are hardwood price going up any down you way?I'm suprised that y/birch is paying better than r/oak now.
Ed K

logman81

I was thinking about starting with an offer of 30-70 split? If that didn't work I would go 40-60. Pricing around here are close to the same and holding steady but soft wood pulp has gone up a little. Tree length firewood is up as well. I think what I'll wind up doing is cutting and skidding tree length and calling the mills and let them make the decisions on how the logs should be bucked and let the highest bid win.
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beenthere

logman81

Your "thinking" is a bit puzzling to me. If you are talking about splitting the wood you log, how are you going to measure the wood and how do you plan to decide which wood is yours and which is not?

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

logman81

What I meant was splitting the profits from the sale of the logs with the landowner and give him his share of the fire wood that he wants.
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logman81

Well I'm going to call the land owner tomorrow and throw my proposal at him and see what happens.
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beenthere

What if the landowner gets in touch with a forester?    ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

logman81

He won't he don't want to bother doing that for such s small sale.
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thecfarm

If it's good cutting 50/50 would be the only way that I would let you do it on my land. If the trees are not that big,40/60 would be the lowest I would go.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Nemologger

Yeah, lay a few out and have the buyer mark them that should give you a good idea of how they want them.
Clean and Sober

mad murdock

Seems to me if the wood is that prime, a little research into specialty markets could really boost your bottom line. I would be looking at export markets as well as aviation type end users(propeller manufacturers) like sensenich, or even Kaman Aerospace there in Connecticut. They use quite a bit of high grade yellow birch and maybe hard maple for rotor blade spars, and other bits. It pays to do your research. Even if some markets don't take raw logs, if the wood is top grade and tight grained, you may make out way better working with another FF member to mill grade cants or spec'ed sizes of CVG boards. Might make the difference between 1600/mbf and 5000 or more.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

timberlinetree

I took a log bucking class one time and really helped out.big wood and your own job u want to cut  for quality not quantity u will make more.u will also have lots of chunks left over on the  landing that will need to be split into fire wood or pushed back into the woods so his field will be cleared and won't be unsightly job. Clean up is never fun.it's amazing  less wood on the truck and more chunks on the ground means more money.good luck cuttn the big ones.
I've met Vets who have lived but still lost their lives... Thank a Vet

Family man and loving it :)

MJD

I have to agree with timberlinetree, my 1st few jobs I pulled tree length and had the buyer mark the cuts and the $ I got for the logs was 20% less than when I learned how to buck for grade. I dont no if it was because the buyer had to put work into the logs or because he knew i did not no what i was doing. It would be in your favor to learn log grades. If I was going to do a split 50/50 or what ever I would seal the deal with the land owner with him understanding you will bring buyers in to give bids while the trees are still standing to get the best offer for his timber. jmho.

David-L

I would pursue the markets and offer a 50/50 split as the last thing you want is a disgruntled land owner trashing your business cause he's not happy when said and done. I have done it both ways and also live in a small town and the unhappy ones still have some nice timber standing. Those were in my younger foolish days when it was all about the green back, now I am grateful to be just out there paying the bills. Good luck and I dream of these kind of jobs your about to embark on.

                                                    David
In two days from now, tomorrow will be yesterday.

bill m

Why not cut it by the thousand? I'm not sure of the rates in your area but if the timber is that nice try for about $180 to $200 / M, maybe even more. That way you can not loose. Those trees may look good on the stump but what happens if they don't open up very good and you have to start cutting blocks off to get to good wood? Doing this on splits you could loose a lot of money in a hurry. Doing it by the M you can loose volume this way and some $$ but on splits and loosing grade you can loose $$$.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

logman81

I see your point Bill m and it's a good one it makes better sence to do it that way.
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logman81

Price report for my area is between 70-275mbf. White oak 40-100mbf.
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