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Hudson Badger

Started by jordy806, March 05, 2018, 08:42:25 PM

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jordy806

 Hi folks, I have been looking into a firewood processor mostly for cutting and splitting my own firewood. I am also considering processing for other to help pay for the machine. I have cut and split wood for most of my life and enjoy it but am looking to make life a bit easier. I use about 20 face cord a year to heat my home. I have been looking at the Hudson Badger as it seems about right for my needs. Also I am only about 1 1/2 hr from them. I would like to hear about your experiences and opinions of these machines.

TKehl

No offense, but you may want to put a pencil to how much it would cost to buy firewood versus the cost of a processor.  For example, $520 would buy 4 full cords of cut, split, and delivered Oak which would last me the winter... with the no labor...

I penciled out buying a small processor to run the wood I use plus 20-50 full cord for sale and couldn't make it work with an acceptable return on labor.

The caveat is your location dictates firewood prices, and you didn't list your location...  Also depends on what you are willing to accept for your own labor.  
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

ButchC

The financial part will never make sense for the smaller machines. That is not a knock on Hud-Son  but just a fact of life and why the commercial processors spend 3 times that at minimum for a machine productive enough to pay out. Last I knew that was  a $16,000 machine which will, as the poster said purchase a big bunch of firewood. But you probably know all that and just want to  run your own wood without killing your back or bank account? I have been there ;D.  Probably the thing you most need to know is they are not productive and save little labor unless you add some support equipment.  You need to cut and trim the logs just so-so so they feed without a struggle. You need to align the logs with the chute, you need to get the wood away from it. A tractor with loader and conveyor will soon be high on the want list if you dont already have them. I highly recommend a trip to a logging show where you actually watch them run. It will open your eyes to many things that are not evident in the  factory supplied videos or scanning you tube.
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

jordy806

      I am well aware of the finances and worked all that out. I have tractors with loaders and trailers to move wood. Like I said I have cut wood all my life. What I am asking for is opinions of people who have actually had experience with the Hudson Badger firewood processor, just a simple question.

47sawdust

Look below at "similar topics".
Frequently a posted topic will tend to drift,it is all part of the conversational nature of the forum.If you expect a direct answer right off you will most likely not get it.Be patient,grits,rocks and old sayings and yooper night haven't been mentioned yet.It seems we all suffer from ADD.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

ButchC

Quote from: jordy806 on March 09, 2018, 01:13:01 AM
     I am well aware of the finances and worked all that out. I have tractors with loaders and trailers to move wood. Like I said I have cut wood all my life. What I am asking for is opinions of people who have actually had experience with the Hudson Badger firewood processor, just a simple question.
Cant argue with any of that, Apologies
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

Roxie


@jordy806 

I saw your reply and knew you must be new here.  We are not rude with other members.  We do not follow a "keep on topic" mentality.

If all you want is information without interaction, use the search function.  You aren't off to a good start. 

Say when

york

You need to go to the shows and check them all out...I do not like processors because your logs need to be straight-most of the junk i split is short mean stuff.
Albert

Tin Horse

Yes; the straighter the better. However I had a load of purchased nasty dirty mainly maple logs delivered in June. At the time I transitioned from a splitter to a Bell 1000 processor. The logs were about 9' long. I thought I'd be struggling to feed them and worse sharpening constantly. I was wrong on both counts. They fed well and still on the original chain. I do 30 bush cords a year. Light touch ups by hand on chain. 2 years now. 8)
Bell 1000 Wood Processor. Enercraft 30HTL, Case 580SL. Kioti 7320.

jordy806

Quote from: Roxie on March 13, 2018, 11:57:34 AM

@jordy806

I saw your reply and knew you must be new here.  We are not rude with other members.  We do not follow a "keep on topic" mentality.

If all you want is information without interaction, use the search function.  You aren't off to a good start.
Roxie, I am new here, but not to other forums.I read the similar topics and was looking for any updated information on that particular machine. I didnt think I would have to get into extensive explaination about finances first. I didn't ask about that. I am no less rude to others than they are to me.

barbender

Jordy, what you are maybe not understanding is that when you ask a question on this forum, the discussion that ensues is not just for your benefit. It is for the benefit of the whole forum and anyone else that is trying to learn about these subjects that may be reading.
Too many irons in the fire

Roxie

Quote from: jordy806 on March 14, 2018, 06:56:16 PMRoxie, I am new here, but not to other forums.
"Other forums" breed responses like yours and it doesn't raise your status one iota. 
Members commented on the price of the machine to give you a heads up.  If you don't want to talk finances, just ignore it, as you did the question about where you're located. 
Say when

ButchC

Quote from: Roxie on March 15, 2018, 06:39:42 AM
Quote from: jordy806 on March 14, 2018, 06:56:16 PMRoxie, I am new here, but not to other forums.
"Other forums" breed responses like yours and it doesn't raise your status one iota.  
Members commented on the price of the machine to give you a heads up.  If you don't want to talk finances, just ignore it, as you did the question about where you're located.
Thumbs up,
I came here from other places to escape the know it alls (politely speaking) and insider groups that dominate other places.  Good bunch of helpful people here if you give them half a chance to do so.
Peterson JP swing mill
Morbark chipper
Shop built firewood processor
Case W11B
Many chainsaws, axes, hatchets,mauls,
Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

TKehl

Jordy, my reply was not intended to be rude, nor do I troll.

I get a reputation as a contrarian because when I see things that don't seem to align, I ask questions.

It seems the smaller end of the processor market is a very niche thing.  Most people gravitate toward a big processor as a business, hire a medium/big processor to run through a log pile, build a homemade processor, buy firewood, or process by hand.  The smaller ones just don't have the throughput to justify the cost in my analysis. 
 
I process the 8 cord (bush cord? 4*4*8 ) we use and a few to sell by hand, but I'm also putting together a simple homemade processor.  I think I'll have $2k in it when complete, but it will significantly reduce the bending and manual labor portion.  Design is based on a forum member who uses it to cut a ridiculous amount of firewood.  (At least a good size barn full.)
 
I'm not saying that Hudson isn't good.  I've looked pretty hard at Hudson products and may buy some when I'm ready and can justify purchase.  There are probably people on the site that have a Badger, but I can't think of anyone offhand.  I'm just questioning the economics before someone plunks down the purchase price of a new car when things said imply that money matters on their purchase (processing for others to defray cost).
 
In the end though, if you like it, want it, and have the money, then go for it. 
 
As a peace offering (and to show I'm really not trying to be a ****), here are the only relevant Hudson Badger references I can find on the forum.  (One includes 11 pages worth of other discussion about processors.)
 
http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=74630.msg1149746#msg1149746
http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=72970.msg1103669#msg1103669
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

hedgerow

About three years ago I went threw the same process as Jordy is going threw. I burn 10 to 20 full cords of wood a year and my help pool for doing that was drying up. I cut wood on my own land to clean up farms we have purchased over the years. I cut most of my trees down with a bobcat and a hyd saw on it and brush it out. I mostly save hedge and locust logs for fire wood and the rest goes to the brush pile and gets burned. I started looking at processors and wanted to spent $10,000 to $20,000 max. I looked at all of the smaller processors in my price range and they all had the same problem they weren't going to cut the wood I needed cut 24" to 36".There were a lot of used smaller ones for sale at that time as I think most people buy them and try to produce firewood to sell and it doesn't work. If you have nice long smaller sized logs I think you can save body and make firewood. Jordy good luck on the quest.

dgdubya

Jordy,

Hope it's not too late. I HAVE A HUD-SON BADGER! Bought it used about six or seven years ago. Will never go back to a regular splitter and chainsaw. Sometimes I harvest my own wood, sometimes buy a log load, usually do both. I go through about 24-26 face cords a year. Is it cost effective? I don't know, I'm not in business. What I can tell you is that I can process an entire log load in about 10-12 hours, as in all my wood in a full day. That's hustling and I usually take longer but it's also because of the way I have things set up. The machine does everything it's supposed to, oh, and I have the conveyor with it.

It saves me time and my back. No more humping blocked wood onto a splitter, picking up the split pieces and stacking them. I grab a log or two with my tractor, drop them in line with the Badger. It skids them, cuts, splits, and deposits everything in a large pen I built. I spend more time moving the wood to split than actually splitting it, but that's because of my set up and not wanting to turn my yard into total mess. If I skid directly off the log pile, it takes much less time.

Use long logs, 18 -20 feet is perfect. It can handle 18" but I like to keep it to 14" or so primarily because I have a 4-way wedge and a small tractor. Twisted wood can be tricky, short pieces are annoying because you have to keep grabbing new wood to pull the bits into the machine.

I too, thought about doing some processing on the side to make a few extra bucks but never did. I really don't have the time and I'm not sure it's cost effective for the person who'd hire me. If I was cutting and selling wood I harvested on my land that would be one thing, maybe, but I envisioned splitting for people who bought wood but didn't want to deal with the splitting themselves. Silly me... lol

Hope this helps and actually answers your question. Feel free to ping me on the side.

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