Need help making a tie business plan.

dgdrls · June 17, 2014, 05:58:44 AM

Strunk, good luck with your meetings, let us know how you fare.

Best
DGDrls

schakey · June 17, 2014, 06:14:11 AM

My neighbor in Wv used to cut ties on a super40,him and one or two helpers could cut up to 40 ties a day but he always got a late start because of other things he had to do on the farm.He did not depend on the ties for a living. His tie buyer would take any amount you would bring in. At that time
ties was bringing $22.50. I don't know what the market is now in that area but next time I talk with him I will find out. Good luck and sure hope things work out for you. 8)

Ohio_Bill · June 18, 2014, 07:05:09 AM

Why not get a load of logs and cut some on your norwood? I cut many loads on my LT 15. You could get a idea of what % of the logs will make ties. Most buyers will take 20.

strunk57 · June 19, 2014, 11:31:50 AM

I went yesterday and looked at a LT40hd super, had debarker and lubemizer. it also comes with 2saw Corley edger, cutoff saw, sharpener, setter, and a few roller tables. I think the price is a good deal. Hopeully everything will work out.

BTW this was my first time seein a woodmizer work in person. I have to have one now lol. tie business or not.

I also met with my tie buyer for around an hour, looked at a bunch of goods and bads. its not as bad as I thought.
met with the pallet guy this morning and every thing went good there.

Still yet to find a grade buyer to complete my plan, hopefully this will come together within the next couple days.

Quote from: Ohio_Bill on June 18, 2014, 07:05:09 AM
Why not get a load of logs and cut some on your norwood? I cut many loads on my LT 15. You could get a idea of what % of the logs will make ties. Most buyers will take 20.

Bill I don't have the equipment to unload a truck or move the logs... too much work. If I had a loader I would already be cutting them.

dgdrls · June 19, 2014, 07:12:02 PM

Sounds like things went well, does this mean the Little Norwood will go up for sale?

DGDrls

strunk57 · June 19, 2014, 08:50:30 PM

Quote from: dgdrls on June 19, 2014, 07:12:02 PM
Sounds like things went well, does this mean the Little Norwood will go up for sale?

DGDrls

Not sure yet. Not right away. but if things go well then maybe.

Ron Wenrich · June 19, 2014, 08:57:33 PM

You do have a loader in the plans, I hope. We used a JD 540. We could unload trucks and load them PDQ. The bigger the machine, the less time it takes to do the task. I worked around a medium sized Bobcat, and it was too small.

strunk57 · June 19, 2014, 09:22:36 PM

Quote from: Ron Wenrich on June 19, 2014, 08:57:33 PM
You do have a loader in the plans, I hope. We used a JD 540. We could unload trucks and load them PDQ. The bigger the machine, the less time it takes to do the task. I worked around a medium sized Bobcat, and it was too small.

absolutely there is one there, but will have a bobcat also.

Banjo picker · June 19, 2014, 10:16:16 PM

Hello strunk, I have been following this thread for several days...computer has been in the shop, and I don't like posting on my phone, but any way....I cut ties on a Cooks ac 36 for a year or so. One of my sons helped me, we did alright. We got 50 a few times, and I do mean a few....The first thing we did after the first day or so was to stop and build some roller tables. I used my tractor for a loader, that was a mistake. It will only pick up 5 ties at a time...you need to be able to get 20 or 25 at a time as has already been said. I unloaded with a Prentice 210 C , I got a good deal on a nice ole loader and I plan on keeping it around....Like Ron said get a loader that can unload a truck pdq....I made it with the knuckle boom a wheel loader would be faster, but I can use the Prentice in to woods loading logs if I need to....Keep in mind that the tie market is fickle... One day my main buyer called and said...cut what logs you have bought and bring me what you have , but don't buy any more logs....It was over just that quick....He told me that they were going to keep buying for a while from people that they had set up....(They owed the buyer money for equipment) ....There was another yard not too far away from me, but when the demand went down...price went down and the specks got tougher.....There is a pallet mill less than 5 miles away, but you cant make it selling primarly to a pallet mill....If you can sell all your slabs cutting 50 a day you will be doing something I couldn't.... I had a small mountain on them, I finally burned them after they were no longer acceptable for fire wood...

There is a pict. of one of my roller tables...We built 3...slabs went on the first one ...ties on the other two...needed two more. Banjo

Ron Wenrich · June 20, 2014, 05:26:08 AM

We used a similar setup, but we didn't use the ramp. We simply built our lumber stacks right next to the rolls. We also used a 6x6 for the runners to stack on. We also built a rack out of a couple of old log bunks we had on our flatbed trailers. We used them before they bought log trailers. Welded them up so it could hold a cord of wood. We tried selling the slabs, but production got too far ahead of sales, and we ended up burning them and bought a chipper.

If you're a decent welder, you can make a set of rolls out of angle and 4" or 6" pipe. You won't need as many rolls, and they'll last a long time.

strunk57 · June 22, 2014, 01:05:45 AM

Quote from: Banjo picker on June 19, 2014, 10:16:16 PM
Hello strunk, I have been following this thread for several days...computer has been in the shop, and I don't like posting on my phone, but any way....I cut ties on a Cooks ac 36 for a year or so. One of my sons helped me, we did alright. We got 50 a few times, and I do mean a few....The first thing we did after the first day or so was to stop and build some roller tables. I used my tractor for a loader, that was a mistake. It will only pick up 5 ties at a time...you need to be able to get 20 or 25 at a time as has already been said. I unloaded with a Prentice 210 C , I got a good deal on a nice ole loader and I plan on keeping it around....Like Ron said get a loader that can unload a truck pdq....I made it with the knuckle boom a wheel loader would be faster, but I can use the Prentice in to woods loading logs if I need to....Keep in mind that the tie market is fickle... One day my main buyer called and said...cut what logs you have bought and bring me what you have , but don't buy any more logs....It was over just that quick....He told me that they were going to keep buying for a while from people that they had set up....(They owed the buyer money for equipment) ....There was another yard not too far away from me, but when the demand went down...price went down and the specks got tougher.....There is a pallet mill less than 5 miles away, but you cant make it selling primarly to a pallet mill....If you can sell all your slabs cutting 50 a day you will be doing something I couldn't.... I had a small mountain on them, I finally burned them after they were no longer acceptable for fire wood...

There is a pict. of one of my roller tables...We built 3...slabs went on the first one ...ties on the other two...needed two more. Banjo

Thanks for the pic banjo, that looks like it would be fast to drop down and move on.