Cutting quality grade walnut ?

[trecher2]

Hello all I'm trying to come up with a way to bid cutting and skidding on high dollar trees. There are 6 walnut trees 28" bdh about 12+ feet straight to the first limb, nice stuff, plus another 40 walnut trees scheduled to be harvested that are good quality on this cut. How do you guys recommend I bid this ? I'm thinking 125.00 to 150.00 an hour for skidder and feller. Any advise.

[RHP Logging]

Are these yard trees? I wouldn't consider 12' to the first limb a great tree. I'm sure you will get a decent butt log. Come up with a set price to pay per board foot. That way the guy gets paid on what he does not how long he is there. Otherwise I would think 120-150 per hour is reasonable as long as the guy knows what he's doing. Cutting walnut for grade isn't just hacking away at the stump. Get someone who knows what he is doing and he will most likely have a set price in mind for you.

[trecher2]

RHP I guess I didn't spell that out right, i'm doing the cutting and thinking ill bid it 225/250m and see what happens. I'm thinking about three days to complete cutting. I lined up 4 bidders so far and offered to truck it for the landowner if needed. I hope this works out in my experience its hard to backup the precived value of a cut like this. I was very concervative on my description of these trees but as usual the buyers will let us know.

[paul case]

Only thing I know is that anyone near me does walnut and grade oak for half. No guess work or fuss. It s just split the money. The buyer usually provides the trucking on walnut here as t would go to a different mill than the oak.

PC

[killamplanes]

Scale the tree standing, figure price by ft give land owner 50-65%. And write up contract and give him a check. If he doesn't do that go on share 50/50 or 60 him 40 u. That's how we do it here everyday. But sounds to me like landowner hiring you to do cutting, skidding hauling. I don't do that kind of work but value you time rather it's cottonwood or walnut time is time..

[trecher2]

Update, first landing of walnut was 15800 bf tree length sold for $ 30000. scale sheet showed 4000 bf scribner veneer, LO was not to happy but I think we did good. "Walnut" tuff to live up to its "perceived" value.  Next landing is in the works.

[nativewolf]

How did the price get worked out with the landowner?

[Hans2017]

It is tough to manage Landowner expectations on walnut. Always have people filling there heads with ideas. My standard reply to the landowner when his "buddy" knows how much they are worth is please have your Buddy bring his check book as we want as many landing bids as possible.  In reading your post I gathered that it was a total of 52 trees so average yield a close to 300 bft. Per tree. Did they give a break down on the Veneer or just a lump,sum bid.

[Aidas Survila]

I think 140-170 will be reasonable. If you  previously work for him then you can less to 150 I think.

[ehp]

Walnut is by far the most screwed up price tree we have here , Saw logs would average $1500 to $2000/1000, veneer goes crazy after that . $10,000 per tree standing I have seen here but lots of walnut trees sell for less than $500 per tree standing

[tule peak timber]

Talk about crazy,,,asking price is $65,000

 

[nativewolf]

Tule, is that claro? 

I've got an black walnut that's been down a few years that is not too much shy of that.  Actually it is 20' from base to the crotch.  However, some of your walnut out there is just massive, they seem to love that med CA climate.

[tule peak timber]

Yes that is a Claro. 10 X 15 feet along with a crazy price. Another set I did buy at 45000lbs, and I won't say how much.........

  I am paying 2 1/2 -3-1/2 $ per Bf for English and smaller Claro. Right now walnut is hot with a lot of people buying.  Rob

 

[nativewolf]

Slabbing or ?

[tule peak timber]

Slabs , furniture, flooring,art pieces, cabinets, maybe gunstocks ,and resale.......Walnut is hot ....at least right now. Just got off the phone with a log broker dealing 170 tasty trees. We shall see. I only deal in the Ca walnuts and nothing in Eastern " juglans nigra". It would appear the markets are quite different , as are the trees. I've got a guy that wants me to start cutting high end gunstocks and burls in some pretty spendy specialty walnut-  again we shall see.  Rob

[nativewolf]

Tule, had to look up your work.  Nice!  So you use a lucas for slabbing?  Or do you use the lucas for everything? 

Thanks for sharing those pictures.  We just don't see black walnut growing to the size of some of those logs, big ones, yes.  That big...no I don't think so. 

Another question- that's an awful lot of cookies.  All for small tables and such?  Do you have any issues with them cracking? 

[tule peak timber]

We have a Lucas dedicated slabber and an Lt 70 wide. The cookie business has been really busy with weddings and such.I use cookies for everything from wall paneling to furniture .I'm just getting ready to do a Mesquite cookie kitchen island .Attached is a pic of a cookie bar top coming along. Back to the subject of walnut prices,,,,escalating prices and competition for logs is making me a little nervous.  Rob

  

 

[nativewolf]

Time to look at something lower end, like some old growth Redwood  :D

Very interesting cookies for the bar top. 

[Jeff]

tule peak timber, one of my dreams before I die is to somehow find a way to visit the Redwoods, But man, you are making it difficult, because I'm not sure now that I might rather visit you!  :D

[tule peak timber]

The door is always open, the beer cold and the BBQ hot......

[WDH]

Cold beer and BBQ  ???.  Get ready for the stampede.

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Sounds like Tule just invited the Forum to a West Coast Stampede!

He hinted that he would put Jake and MM to shame and might even rival the Annual Official FF Pig Roast!

[nativewolf]

I think he's leading you on about the bbq, you'll get there and the only thing his serving are roasted rack of lamb and shiitake mushrooms with sweet potatoes on the side.   On wooden plates.  With wine instead of beer.  Bait and switch you know.

Which sounds pretty darn excellent!

[tule peak timber]

You guys are making me hungry, so when ? 8)

[trecher2]

Ok next landing is sold, I cut 18500 bf doyal and she sold for 46600.00. I really worked hard for the LO on the bids and cutting it properly. It's not all that easy to harvest walnut they have beat me up a little, no visible stumps until you step on one I guess that's how it's done tho. No complaints however just another day at work I guess. Meeting with the new owner of the logs tomorrow to buck and forward them to the landing. More to come.