iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

firewood processor

Started by J-Bar, January 05, 2009, 08:33:48 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

J-Bar

Hey has anyone ever built a processor or used one have seen a few on the web and youtube but have never seen in person. Just wondering if they are time saving or just a alot of money. If anyone has built one I would love to see some pics or advice Thanks
L-4400 Kubota,Baker little buddy band mill,2-huskey saws,A great Miller 225 welder

Corley5

I've got a 14-12 Blockbuster and I'm very happy with it.  A chainsaw and a hydraulic splitter can't compare.  I've had guys tell me they could process wood just as fast by hand  ::)  The processor doesn't get tired as long as it has fuel, sharp chainsaws and a willing operator it'll go all day and process 3-4 face cords (1-1 1/3 standard cords) per hour with two guys.  It was well worth the money to me.  A more expensive, bigger model wouldn't do any better for my operation and would have been much more difficult to pay for.  My 2 cents  ;D :)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Jasperfield

J-Bar,

I've got a Blockbuster 15-20, and I really like it. In answer to your question; They are a lot of money and they save a lot of time.

I use a Bobcat 337 excavator with a Valby rotating log grapple to sort logs and load the live deck.

Time is your most valuable resource. You can neither buy it nor replace it.

gunman63

Depends what u are looking to do,  but to me worth there weight in gold, I have a Hakki eager beaver 1x37 , 1 guy it will do over a cord a hr, takes longer to keep wood on the deck, than cut it, need to build a bigger deck, 2 guys, one running it and one loading the deck will do 2-3 full cords a hour easy in hardwood, did a cord of dry pine the other day in 15 miniutes,  and the  conyvor  on it is a must.

thecfarm

Corley5,I always enjoy hearing them guys talk as I walk away.   ;)  Maybe they could for an hour or so,but not all day, day after day.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

stumper

I do not know what a processor with deliver.  Most I have talked to say in general a cord an hour, this includes loading the deck.

I know that I can buck a cord an hour and split a cord an hour pretty consistantly.  Including filing, and fueling.  I could cut faster but I measure each stick.  I find I need to measure as I have been lying to my wife for to long :D

That tells me a processor has twice the production as one man with a saw and a splitter.

In good wood I can split with an axe as quick, and I enjoy it more.

tw3006

i did firewood for 5 or 6 years with a saw and wood splitter, when i turned 18 i came across a good deal on a cord king so i bought it and after using it for 3-4 years it would be hard to go back to doing wood the "old way". Like one of the other guys says the most time consuming is delivery and loading the deck, i usually average 5 full measure cords a day, delivered, by myself. -Just my 2 pennies worth

FirewoodResource

I have watched promotional videos for firewood processors and the logs they use are always much straighter than the hardwood logs I typically cut into firewood in the real world. If I have nice straight logs like they are cutting up I sell them for saw logs. How do processors work on crooked logs?

hollywoodmfg

I used to haul logs out of a log yard that produced firewood there was a firewood processor there that i never seen run yet there was always two guys outside one with a chainsaw one with a woodsplitter??

Sawyerfortyish

I have a multitek with a grapple feed and if the log will fit under the grapple (23"dia) it's going through the machine I don't care if it is shapped like a horse shoe. In nice straight wood 12-16" I can do 2 plus cords an hour. Anyone that says they can keep up by hand thats willing to put there money where there mouth is come on I'll give you a head start and will see.

FirewoodResource

Working in mostly steep terrain in the west I would have to skid my logs a distance to get them to a landing where there would a semi flat spot with room for a processor. Cutting with a chainsaw I cut most of my wood close to where the tree fell so I don't have to drag the logs very far through the dirt as much and get them dirty. This is how I can keep my chain sharp without having to file it 387532 times a day. How do the processors do with dirty logs?

jpgreen

I was thinking about putting a simple rig together like this guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAckm2YdLEQ

A guy is selling my a conyeor about 1/2 that size for $100 so it won't cost me much,. I've got everything else.
-95 Wood-Mizer LT40HD 27 Hp Kawasaki water cooled engine-

thecfarm

How about a Chomper?


http://www.chomper.net/

They use a shear to cut the wood no chain or saw.But I think this has some pitfalls.Seems like someone on here has one and says it does not work well on dry wood,The greener the better.I saw one work once.Was driving by a church and I barely saw the top of it.I knew what it was.I turned around and lucky me there was a guy using it.I talked to him just for a few minutes
and he worked for the guy that owned it.He really like it and had very little trouble with it.Than I stood there and watched him use it for 15- 20 minutes.I was quite impressed with it.But all sellers can make anything look good with a video.
By the way,I put just processor into the FF search,it's on top of the page and got 14 pages.Probaly only about 4-5 pages is what you want,but check it out.


Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

gunman63

To me, and everyone has a diferent opinion, the chompers seem slow, but im sure work well on dirty wood. I dont get that much dirt wood  to run thru my processor, I wont buy  mud season wood to process.the crooked wood i just sort and run thru my outdoor boiler, sloves that problem. and if its to big to run thru my processor and nasty to work with for my boiler, i just pile it to the side and resell it for what i have in it, there is always some one that wants a cord or 2 or 8' to cut and split themselves, dont make much on it, but i get my money back out of it.

TeaW

I had a chomper for about 3 years , used it on the landing skidding to it and loading the truck.It worked like they said it would but I was never happy with the way the cut wood looked. There was no saw dust but the extra bark and splinters made up for that. It would really make a mess with some wood in the spring (Birch) peeling the bark off. I didn't like leaveing all the equipment in the bush so I started trucking the wood home, it worked better for me in the bush than as a yard machine so I sold it to a guy in Quebec , he had it for sale within a year.
TeaW

Thank You Sponsors!