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My new to me gear

Started by Ken, April 16, 2011, 08:59:59 PM

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Ken

Upgrading to a what I hope will be a much more efficient operation for the type and quality of wood that we have here to harvest.  We already have our truck home and the trailer, forwarder and harvester should be landed within a few days.   

//www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13639/3432/IMG_0767%7E0.jpg [/img]

Only got the first couple of pics loaded before my computer went wonky so will have to try again
Lots of toys for working in the bush

Ken

Lots of toys for working in the bush

SwampDonkey

Prices must be improving some. ;D

Nice little fleet of hardware Ken.  :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

snowstorm

i expected to see the wide tires on the fowarder. mine is in 2 peases putting center pins in it. and the trans is apart in the harvester fixing an oil leak

thecfarm

The trees will run scared now. ;D  Good luck with all your new gear. Take some pictures when you are cutting. Like to see logging equipment.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

smwwoody

Full time Mill Manager
Cleereman head rig
Cooper Scragg
McDonugh gang saw
McDonugh edger
McDonugh resaw
TS end trim
Pendu slab recovery system
KJ4WXC

northwoods1

Nice  :) With that nice old cable machine you have it all makes the perfect set up as far as I'm concerned. Maybe not that truck though :D I've always wanted to stay in the woods and off the roads :D

SwampDonkey

Quote from: northwoods1 on April 17, 2011, 10:12:58 AM
I've always wanted to stay in the woods and off the roads :D

A truck comes in handy when you want to get paid and not have to rely on someone else to which you might pay upwards of $35/cord to haul it. Sure it costs to own and maintain one, but that's what business tax credits and CCA are for. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

treefarmer87

1994 Ford L9000
2004 Tigercat 718
1998 Barko 225
1999 John Deere 748G
FEC 1550 slasher
CTR 314 Delimber
Sthil 461
Sthil 250

Ken

Over the winter we have seen our first price increases in the past 6 years.  The softwood pulp market is relatively strong and I am hoping they will hold for the next while. 

I too am not overly convinced that trucking is a extremely viable venture however we need to be more self-sufficient.  Got caught with far too many loads in the woods again this year when the roads broke up.  Our trucking costs on average are 25-30% of the delivered price so it is significant.  In addition, with the new gear we will be looking to do at least a couple of loads/day and can't take the chance of relying on someone else to move.  Is it just me or are truckers the most independant group of service providers?   My dad who has had many trucks over the years turns 64 tomorrow so he is looking forward to a change from the seat of his old 230.  We are also looking for a float to ensure we can move to the next job as soon as we finish one.

We are planning to use the 225 to work away at the largest trees on a lot so we don't have to work the harvester harder than necessary.  Also when we are doing some thinning work we will be able to use the skidder to pull stuff to a trail where we can process it and move it to roadside.   Looking forward to the challenge. 
Lots of toys for working in the bush

snowstorm

so ken are you as happy as a kid on christmass morning? is that a prentice loader? sorta looks like it an sorta dosent. was starting to dry up here till we got 2"rain last nite

northwoods1

Quote from: SwampDonkey on April 17, 2011, 12:22:57 PM
Quote from: northwoods1 on April 17, 2011, 10:12:58 AM
I've always wanted to stay in the woods and off the roads :D

A truck comes in handy when you want to get paid and not have to rely on someone else to which you might pay upwards of $35/cord to haul it. Sure it costs to own and maintain one, but that's what business tax credits and CCA are for. ;)

Yah, uh huh... you should try it and let me know how it goes.

Grunex

Quote from: SwampDonkey on April 17, 2011, 12:22:57 PM
Quote from: northwoods1 on April 17, 2011, 10:12:58 AM
I've always wanted to stay in the woods and off the roads :D

A truck comes in handy when you want to get paid and not have to rely on someone else to which you might pay upwards of $35/cord to haul it. Sure it costs to own and maintain one, but that's what business tax credits and CCA are for. ;)

I've done a lot of my work without trucks and instead relying on custom haulers, man what a PITA that can be.  When your just starting out they don't like to take you seriously. 
www.grunexlandclearing.com
Maintaining America's Heartland one acre at a time.

SwampDonkey

I have not ever hauled wood, but I have seen many $1800, 16 cord loads go down the road with the trucker taking $600 of it to go 30-40 miles. The thing is, they get a lot less hauling for forest companies and a lot more dirt road mileage. Most woodlots would be under a mile. And as far as some forest roads go, I would not blame the trucker for not even showing up. I could never be a trucker, it's no easy life and hard on the body. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

amberwood

Ken. Good luck with the new gear. We are 12mths into the same leap from cable and chainsaw to processor. You had better get the spanners out and open an account with the hose doctor. They eat them.

I know what you mean on the trucking. We were left high and dry for 6 weeks with a dribble of trucks, whilst unable to find a driver for our own. Finally found a keen owner driver, now winter is around the corner.


DTR
MS460 Magnum
MS250
DAF CF85-430
ASV RC-85 track loader

clww

Nice NEW gear there, Ken 8) 8) 8)
Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

redneck

nice tools,   that stuff will be great on those rainny and cold days

have you got lots of work linned up?   
208 timberjack 353 detroit, case 580 super K backhoe, homemade bandmill, 357xp, 372xpg

Autocar

Very nice equipment, and I agree you have to own your own trucks. I ve been down that road where they lay till they get time. Now I cut them and there on the truck going home with me at night. I sleep alot better now  :)
Bill

chevytaHOE5674

Of the hundreds of loggers we buy logs from, i can name on one hand the guys who also do the trucking. With the cost of a truck, maintenance, insurance, fuel, plates, etc you have to be running the truck non stop to make money. And if your working in the woods its hard to also drive a truck....

Luckily we have dozens of great truckers in the area to keep the market competitively priced as well as get the product moved in a very timely fashion.

snowstorm

Quote from: northwoods1 on April 17, 2011, 09:39:05 PM
Quote from: SwampDonkey on April 17, 2011, 12:22:57 PM
Quote from: northwoods1 on April 17, 2011, 10:12:58 AM
I've always wanted to stay in the woods and off the roads :D

A truck comes in handy when you want to get paid and not have to rely on someone else to which you might pay upwards of $35/cord to haul it. Sure it costs to own and maintain one, but that's what business tax credits and CCA are for. ;)

Yah, uh huh... you should try it and let me know how it goes.
knowing ken i think he will ok running his own truck. isnt his father going to drive it. with what hes got for gear should be able to load that trailer twice a day

SwampDonkey

All the larger producers up here on woodlots have had their own trucks for years. Ken is just stepping up.  When they have slow times on their own logging operations they can haul for others and forest companies. :) Just the same, hauling rates on company ground is different than on private I can guarrantee it. Ken is a director at a marketing board, so he sees the numbers, and I to have worked at one for years and seen the numbers as well. The boards have provided a service to the truckers for getting them paid, they handle all the wood money, so the trucking comes right off the cheque. No screwing around chasing their money. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Ken

We have had our own trucks at various times with mixed results.    As I mentioned before Dad is now 64 and has many years of driving log trucks under his belt.  I will devote a bit of time to operating the truck but it will be very limited in between running for parts, running the other gear on occasion and doing block layout for the thinning crew.  Spending some time with the family is also very high on my priority list!

I have built the business plan on a couple of loads/day which should be very achievable and manageable.  We don't have a great deal invested in the truck and trailer so we should be able to keep the truck well maintained and road worthy without drawing too much away from the harvesting side .  In addition having the truck will allow us to independantly float the machinery from job to job.  Although the price roadside is generally much better in the private sector we need to have the ability to be very mobile as most jobs are relatively small.  When a machine is done on one job it needs to be moved asap.  On average we only harvest 3-500 cord on any particular job before moving on.  Just the nature of the wood basket available.

The porter will be landed here tomorrow and the harvester should be here late Friday or early Saturday.  The official operating season is here so let the games begin 8) 8)

Cheers
Ken

Lots of toys for working in the bush

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