couple pics... post what your currently cutting

[mike_belben]

Im gonna take a guess and say theyd maybe be prone to balooning out over time or if a piece got canted in sideways.   ??

[coxy]

our last circular would do 36 inch diameter wood and had a 96 inch saw on it . In big wood that thing was crazy at how fast it would produce , in big wood cut 16 inches long a 6 1/2 full cord load was a average of 17 minutes

wow!! my mouth was wide open reading that post!!

what kind of processer was that the most I read about was 8-9 cord an hour that thing must have a second time cycle

[kiko]

Just some work pictures.

        

Removing control valve to replace with a unit I have already built up.


 
Before


 
After
 

[kiko]

This machine was nasty, one of the worst I have seen in a while.


 
Also check out the fuel cap lock!


 

[ehp]

that processor was made up north by a man that has made most likely the best machines you can buy , he has early machines that were made in the 80's that still are going and that's everyday producing . All the new processors drive the blade/saw by hydr. motor , that's a mistake , he drives the blade off the crank ,works very well and blade stays at a steady rpm. You can run a faster cycle time and burn less fuel as motor does not work as hard, the pump main job is just to run the splitter . Most machines today cannot cut much over 24 inch and most cannot cut that in diameter , 20 inch seems to be the limit on most , both processors we had cut 36 inch diameter and up north there is lots of low grade hard maple in the 30 to 36 inch diameter range , how can a machine produce that fast, do the math . a machine cutting 12 inch diameter produces so many cords now do the same amount of cuts per minute but in 36 inch diameter , that's how you produce wood . . But one thing is forsure those processors you will not pull behind a pickup, they are built very heavy . You need a real truck with a 5th wheel to move them. 

[ehp]

I have more than a few years playing with processors  ;D  , the cord king scares me , ya its fast BUT watch how much the frame flexes . The machine pretty much dances the whole time its working so how long is that going to last before welds start breaking , machines by me all have been patched up lots of times . Most processors are not really made to cut much bigger than 12 inch diameter and work proper . take the machine I just sold, a 2020 multitek, it was pretty slow but with a few upgrades it now is pretty fast for what it was . It worked best with 12 inch diameter wood . it was heavy built and did not move much when working . I get lots of pretty nasty oak here and the 2020 will split it pretty good , the other types not so well . if your cutting soft types of trees they all produce well and donot break much, stick them in nasty stuff and see how they make out , up north the worst was big yellow birch with twisted grain

[BargeMonkey]

I have more than a few years playing with processors  ;D  , the cord king scares me , ya its fast BUT watch how much the frame flexes . The machine pretty much dances the whole time its working so how long is that going to last before welds start breaking , machines by me all have been patched up lots of times . Most processors are not really made to cut much bigger than 12 inch diameter and work proper . take the machine I just sold, a 2020 multitek, it was pretty slow but with a few upgrades it now is pretty fast for what it was . It worked best with 12 inch diameter wood . it was heavy built and did not move much when working . I get lots of pretty nasty oak here and the 2020 will split it pretty good , the other types not so well . if your cutting soft types of trees they all produce well and donot break much, stick them in nasty stuff and see how they make out , up north the worst was big yellow birch with twisted grain

Between talking to you and 2 other local guys who both have cordkings kind of made my decision on that one. One guy sent me pictures of his splitter chamber with almost no time on it, it was torn up. I guess cord-king ate it to fix it. This bells has to be jacked way up, doesn't sway but you can tell the saw rocks a bit.

[BargeMonkey]

 Don't want to hear about pulpwood for a while, the last of it went to the road today. 

  

 
Wanted to use my own pine inside the building but just haven't had the time.


  

 


  

 
Back axle has always had issues and was dead when I bought the machine, finally puked the bearing, project for the week while it rains to swap new drive axles under the loader.

[BurkettvilleBob]

I was wondering about the store, looks like you're right on schedule!

[mike_belben]

I have always wondered why anyone would power the circle saw by hydraulic motor and generate all that extra heat and power loss.  Its not like you want to turn it off.  Shaft and belt it to the crank and keep that inertia working in your favor. 

[Bert]

Barge, I gotta ask. Can you not make more turning that pulp into firewood?  Even sawlogs- think you have a mill? Just curious what your thoughts are. I see tri axle loads of firewood in peoples yards I think i could saw into pallet cants or dunnage and want it. Likewise Id like to get a processor like yours but the "processor wood" can also be sawn on my mill so I dont. I sell veneer and high grade saw logs from my logging jobs, saw the in between, and manually (souped up splitter) process the tops for firewood. Is it just a production thing? More wood than you can value add by yourself?

[mike_belben]

I can get 2x more money as firewood than pulp.  But its 2x more work and a lot longer wait for it.

[BargeMonkey]

Barge, I gotta ask. Can you not make more turning that pulp into firewood?  Even sawlogs- think you have a mill? Just curious what your thoughts are. I see tri axle loads of firewood in peoples yards I think i could saw into pallet cants or dunnage and want it. Likewise Id like to get a processor like yours but the "processor wood" can also be sawn on my mill so I dont. I sell veneer and high grade saw logs from my logging jobs, saw the in between, and manually (souped up splitter) process the tops for firewood. Is it just a production thing? More wood than you can value add by yourself?

That was hemlock, had the "look" and you could tell it was shaky. Yrs ago we would have sawed some of the top logs into dunnage or risers, unless it's good I'm not bringing it home.
Nothing goes to waste with us, if I can get a couple decent low grade HW sawlogs out of the firewood pile I do, what the log buyer from Wagner kicks out we saw into survey stakes. 

  

 
We had 3 sawmills at one time, 2 circle mills and a quality brand band mill set up as a resaw, wasn't efficient. Bought that Timberharvester around 2000 ? Funny how that mill looks identical to a cook mill  ???  😉 😂 We sell survey stakes by the thousands, those in that picture went down to JFK airport for a recent project, we supplied all the stakes for the Whitestone bridge project, its not bad if your set up for it. Added a new Meadows brand gangsaw purpose built 2yrs ago, slice into boards, those carts are modified and roll into the gangsaw, probably do 10-12 carts a week right now.

[Bert]

 I should have looked closer. Didnt realize it was hemlock.  :D Makes sense now. I appreciate the photo tours of your operations. Great to see you make it happen. We pretty much operate the same way, just on a much smaller scale.

[BargeMonkey]

I should have looked closer. Didnt realize it was hemlock.  :D Makes sense now. I appreciate the photo tours of your operations. Great to see you make it happen. We pretty much operate the same way, just on a much smaller scale.

We try, too many irons in too many fires unfortunately. This yr is odd, stake orders keep coming in, usually tapered off by now.

[BargeMonkey]

 

 
I started this job and then went 6-7miles away to cut a small job, wasn't a good choice. Started back in over there again yesterday, limber is 100% now. 😂


 
Sold my processor on Saturday, went to another local guy, been in the building a LONG time, figured it was going to be a pain to pull out.


 
Let's just say another local logger and I don't like each other, one of us is going to survive this yr in the firewood game and one is going to be choked out by force. 😂 unload another 5 trailers tomorrow.

[ehp]

Barge, play fair now  ;D, but if you need a hand text me the address and I can come and help

[BargeMonkey]

Barge, play fair now  ;D, but if you need a hand text me the address and I can come and help

I've got to get some pictures of my whole stake operation, Nathan is thinking about getting into it. Got to make a run out your way when things slow down. This guy has it coming, it's not friendly out this way sometimes, another guy I supply was almost choked out this winter, like they say about keeping friends and enemy's close. 😂

[mike_belben]

Ship it off to the hamptons.  Theyre only getting $700/cord!  :

https://hamptonsfirewood.com/mobile-hamptons-firewood.php

[barbender]

Barge, I wouldn't want to be in competition with you- you'd work me under the table!

[coxy]

Ship it off to the hamptons.  Theyre only getting $700/cord!  :

https://hamptonsfirewood.com/mobile-hamptons-firewood.php

700 seems like a lot but just think how much it costs to them to prep it there is a guy that does about the same thing he getting 500 a cord   told me after all expenses hes only making 90 a cord   he told me the biggest chunk goes to the court house for tickets  :D

[mike_belben]

I get $100/cd before expenses.  Our markets might be a little different

[coxy]

that's all you get is a 100 for a full cord of wood down there    its funny how different parts of the country is cheap on some things and expensive on others  ill send down some of the cheap skate NY people  for ya  :D :D

[mike_belben]

Delivered.. Ill stack it if i hafta. 

I could probably do $150 a cord if i was willing to do this "rick" crap.

Ricks are basically any old 4x8 row of wood.. But then one guy wants 24" row and the other wants 17.  One guy tips you, one gripes.  I hate ricks. 

Next year ill be more established and will get $150 a cord or not bother.   Alternative income streams will be more developed by then. 

Chippin away at it.  Just glad i can afford to work this cheap.  Most people cant.

[OH logger]

barge do you process outside now? I assume so since  the bells has a cab  ;D