Tie Prices

[Horselog]

What's tie prices in your area?  Standard length and switch ties.  Are you having any trouble selling?  Quotas? Maybe just on switch ties?  Give us the lowdown.

[JB Griffin]

Quotas are common still, so that means it'll be hard to impossible to sell ties to those buyers that are imposing the quotas.
Prices vary greatly from region to region.

If your thinking about sawing ties I will give you some advice. Don't.  Unless you have the following items. ...

1) fully hyd band mill or a circle mill (not a belsaw).
2) roll cases, the more the better.
3) loader, must be capable of picking up and carrying at least 6k lbs and be reliable enough to use everyday all day.
4) help and or automation.

Without these you will break yourself down while you go broke (I know I saw me do it)

[4x4American]

^^^what he said

[paul case]

I have been getting $27.75 for 8'8'' 7x9.

PC

[4x4American]

I have been getting $27.75 for 8'8'' 7x9.

PC

Is that fob sawmill or delivered?

[ncsawyer]

I have been getting $27.75 for 8'8'' 7x9.

PC

What species?

[killamplanes]

26$ for 8'8 thats 7x9. If its rejected 6$. That's delivered. 1$ discount if picked up semi load minimum.  Oak, hickory, mainly no more soft maple, sycamore, hackberry, of course no cottonwood or pine. There's others but it take all day to write.

[Horselog]

I've cut ties in the past, and have several loaders, and am well aware of the handling challenges.  I'm curious what the variation is across regions, mainly whether there's quotas and price differential.  There's several places here buying them.  Anyone cutting many switch ties?

[paul case]

oak, hickory, or any other hardwood. fob my sawmill. LOaded on a truck. My buyer is real good to me and he will come and buy half a truckload at a time.

PC

[JB Griffin]

I've cut ties in the past, and have several loaders, and am well aware of the handling challenges.  I'm curious what the variation is across regions, mainly whether there's quotas and price differential.  There's several places here buying them.  Anyone cutting many switch ties?

Thats good, I have seen others think that sawing ties will make them rich. :D

Switch ties are special order only for us now. Don't get to saw many of um.

[YoungStump]

 Koppers seems to be looking to buy more ties again, my buyer was out a week ago or so to let me know the price had increased again and he would like to buy some ties from us. We haven't sawed any in about a year because they were getting a bit hard to sell and we started running low on blocking for pallets. I believe the price he quoted me for hardwood 7x9x8'6" was $29.25 delivered to Muncy Pa.

[4x4American]

^^pretty good hey!  I'm at $23.28 for 7x9x8'6" FOB sawmill.

[YoungStump]

 Where are yours going to 4x4?

[4x4American]

Stella Artois

[Resonator]

Enjoy responsibly. ;)

[YoungStump]

  :D you got a good trade deal worked out?

[JB Griffin]

Stella Artois

Lol.

[Southside]

Who was it that got into that mess when they were not treating ties, just painting them and such?  Maybe the replacement work for some of that is coming around?

[Kbeitz]

Koppers seems to be looking to buy more ties again, my buyer was out a week ago or so to let me know the price had increased again and he would like to buy some ties from us. We haven't sawed any in about a year because they were getting a bit hard to sell and we started running low on blocking for pallets. I believe the price he quoted me for hardwood 7x9x8'6" was $29.25 delivered to Muncy Pa.

Years ago I worked at the buildings now owned by Koppers. It was
then called Modecraft. They made barber chairs and beauty salon equipment.
I only live about 15 miles from there. I worked there around 1968.

[starmac]

Southside logger. What are the buyers treating them with. I worked a couple of years rebuilding englewood yard in Houston. southern pacific treated all of their own ties there. I was under the assumption back then that all railraod companies either did, or paid those with the creosote plants to do it for them.

[Southside]

Supposed to be creosote but there was a supplier that got busted for simply painting ties black, dipping them in oil, etc. It was a big case and I believe involved millions of ties.

[4x4American]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/railroad-sues-over-millions-rail-125912884.html

[starmac]

Sounds like some railroad bigshots had to be on the take here.

I worked for a company that rebuilt railroads and new sidings and terminals for several years.  Any guy would have to be flat out braindead to look at a tie that had been soaked in motor oil and think it was creosote, actually paint or about anything else too, not only is it visibly different it certainly is to the touch and The smell is WAY different and unmistakable.

[WDH]

That is pretty low down. 

[squirrel dog]

I don't cut to many ties but they seem to be coming back.  My buyer(koppers) called me last week and said he was raising prices a $1.00.  i figure they must be needing them now.