Wood processor recommendations, entry level

[mudfarmer]

That crooked cut and last piece falling is definitely something I noticed on the Halverson videos.A couple of the operators seemed to have a few tricks to combat it and I can't explain further but not sure it would work on fixed position machine.

[Big_eddy]

Any processor will make short work of a pile of logs at a landing, but in your case the real challenge is not going to be cutting and splitting, but getting the wood out of the bush. None of the equipment you mentioned is well suited to harvesting logs.

So give some thought to how you plan to work. Are you going to cut and drag trees for a week or two to a central location, and then cut and split for the next week. Or do you plan to fell, cut and split one or two trees at a time?

I take the latter approach. My 24hp compact tractor struggles hauling logs, so I cut and block in the woods, then haul out blocks to the splitter in the yard using either tractor and firewood trailer or the gator. Split straight onto the pile or into the dump trailer.  So a saw, some way to haul blocks and a splitter suit me best. (I've tried splitting in the woods too, but that adds an extra handling step, tossing splits into the firewood trailer, then stacking them on the woodpile. )

We also process 60+ cord of purchased logs into firewood, and without a substantial tractor to load with, a processor is not an option. 10,12 or 16' logs need a heavy tractor, with counterweight or loaded tires. I can lift and move one with my 855 Deere, but I'm not lifting them up to processor deck height or traversing bumpy ground with it. No way!!!!

I also doubt your Kubota will lift an IBC tote loaded with splits. I can lift 1/2 face cord to full height stacked on the bucket, but an IBC tote holds about 3/4 face cord and more importantly the center of gravity is much further out. I've watched several videos of people with larger tractors fail to lift an IBC, or to be able to lift but not curl to control. 

[Hilltop366]

I was wondering about how the logs were going to get out of the wood too, thinking a small power trailer with a log loader would be the easiest with a small tractor the loader would be handy around the processing area too.

I was thinking the other day that a ideal setup without a processor would be to have a way to block the logs into a live bottom bin that feeds a conveyer to a vertical splitter then either stack off of the splitter or conveyer to truck/pile/bin. 

[Corley5]

Do you have a market for processed firewood? Can you sell green fresh cut? Seasoning is an additional investment. Is there demand in your locale for more firewood?

[Stephen1]

I build racks for my firewood operation
IBC totes around me are to much money in my area
I also buy 1/3 , 1/2 and 1/4 cord bags
I charge for the bag and I no longer deliver.
It's pick-up at the mill only
I make more money not delivering and selling in small quantities
I don't have a processor yet but will at some point and a Easton made axis type splitter

What the bags do you buy Bruno? Do you process your sawmill cutoffs and sell?

[Bruno of NH]

I buy the 1/2 and 1/4 cord bags on Amazon 
Big bags from Fox Forestry in Maine 
I do process the hardwood from the mill operation 
It sells fast 

[gaspasser]

I want to thank all of you for the great advice and suggestions. Great ideas for moving ahead with my clearing/thinning.  I just want to put the wood to good use and not waste it. Selling firewood would be a side gig only and I would stop after I finished my clearing project. I considered a processor because my single wedge 30T splitter is slow and would be a rate limiting step. With all the advice I've gotten here however, sounds like I should put more emphasis on harvesting equipment as what I have won't cut it (pun intended). So I am upgrading to 60 hp tractor and looking into a logging arch (e.g. Logrite). Instead of a processor, I could build an elevated wooden log deck and load up the heavy stuff with my mini-ex. Then buck up with a chainsaw and drag/rollover rounds to splitter. Looking into 4 way, 6 way or box wedge splitters as a way to speed things up. Eastonmade or Timber Wolfe seem to be the names I see the most. Long lead times though. Would appreciate any thoughts or recs on splitters. Thanks again all!

[mudfarmer]

Heads up, you can buy 4 way splitter heads that are built to drop onto your existing splitter wedge from a variety of manufacturers. I got one on sale somewhere that was not meant for my splitter and just modified it to fit. The one for my TW is similar and made in a way so that depending on if it's "right side up" or "upside down" you get a different height for a little adjustment of the horizontal wedge. Searching the internet for "four way splitter head" brings up a variety of options. It won't improve ram cycle times or anything but you won't have to wait a year to get it either.

[Southside]

An older cable skidder would put you money ahead of running a new 60 HP tractor in the woods. Ag tractors are meant to run in open fields and have a lot of hoses, filters, and other exposed, expensive, components under them that love to hook up on sticks, stumps, and everything else in the woods. Something to consider. 

[mudfarmer]

Re-reading the original, if it's logs under 16" dbh and you are planning to use an arch just skip the tractor upgrade entirely. You don't need a 60hp tractor to pull an arch with one 16" log. I have not used an arch but am not sure how you could be productive with one trying to do high volume work like firewood thinning.

Do you have trails and then a way to get the log to the trails (winch?) Driving a tractor with arch to every tree sounds like a bad time.

[Andries]

Once you've figured how to get the tree to the yard, here's what we came up with:
elevated table w. rollers:

attached Stihl 038 with30"? bar, maybe 36":

From right to left, loader to the table, blocked wood into IBC tote, loader to splitter, from splitter into final drying totes for 2 seasons of drying;

OHIO= only handle it once.
Credit for table idea: Mike Belben. 
However you set it up right - you'll wonder why you intentionally suffered for all those years . . . . 

[Andries]

Oh, don't mind the photos w. snow on the ground.
Just tryin' to help my Southern Friends get through a mid-summer hot spell.
They might not see this as they're all hugging their AC's.
:D

[gaspasser]

Fantastic pics with great ideas. Thank you.  Getting older and hate bending over to buck up on the ground. Elevating pile would keep me uptight and spare the Ole back. Appreciate you sharing setup. 

[gaspasser]

Oh and Andries. We are quite used to snow on the ground here in NH. We have 8 months of winter followed by 4 months of poor sledding ...  ;)

[gaspasser]

Southside and mudfarmer... thanks for advice. Need the tractor anyway for snow blowing on steep, long driveway and loader/pallet forks for beekeeping operations. Right on about snag points and expensive tractor parts dangling. I'll be clearing some roads first and will use a pto winch and arch for the rougher terrain. Lots to learn yet. Appreciate the help gents. 

[Wlmedley]

I've got a log arch and a small MF tractor and bring 12' logs up to 24" diameter out of the woods with no problem.Live mud farmer said it's one at a time but if you have good trails and the ground isn't real steep you can get several out in a days time.

[barbender]

I think a 3 point skidding winch on your tractor will serve you better, and be way more productive than an arch. Plus it will keep you from having to drive to everything like you would need to with an arch.

[gaspasser]

Thanks guys. How much is dragging a log through the mud a factor? Wss thinking arch would keep logs cleaner than dragging. Or is that not an issue? I do have a " skidding cone" that fits over front of log  to reduce digging in...

[Southside]

If it's muddy enough to cause a problem, you won't be skidding with a farm tractor anyway.

[Wlmedley]

Cutting the logs into firewood wouldn't be as much of a problem as cutting into lumber as long as you're good at sharpening chainsaw chain.

[gaspasser]

Cutting the logs into firewood wouldn't be as much of a problem as cutting into lumber as long as you're good at sharpening chainsaw chain.

I hand file chain when refueling and keep several spare chains handy. Also I have 3  husqvarna saws so alternate between saws. My saws have a habit of not wanting to restart after being hot, so I rotate them to allow them to cool. 

[gaspasser]

If it's muddy enough to cause a problem, you won't be skidding with a farm tractor anyway.

Good point. Probably best to wait for winter. Better cutting and skidding conditions and drier logs.. 

[stavebuyer]

Tractor and winch works;


 
These dead Ash came off a bluff and across a good-sized stream. Winch was the only option. Luckily the bark was mostly loose, so I was able to peel it off before blocking.




 



Winched logs will get "dirty", even if its dry. By the time you figure in the double handling, extra filing, cleaning up, and hauling off the mess you make at a central location; I think at the end of the day I get about as much done with the little Kubota UTV. Maybe I just enjoy riding around in my woods more than filing chains and cleaning up debris from the field or log yard. Processing where the trees fall in the woods leaves all the junk dispersed and I get to work in the shade.  



 


3pt Carry-all works too especially for larger rounds as you can set it on the ground and let the tractor do the lifting. Tractor is not quite as nimble as the UTV but the loader for moving brush is mighty handy at times.



 

End of the day there isn't much money in firewood logging. I would use what equipment I had and spend the sales money on whatever "toys" make the job easier for your particular circumstances. No way to buy all the equipment to make the logging, hauling, and processing efficient in a part time TSI scenario. 

My advice is to attack it with the stuff you have on hand and add things like grapples, winches, dump trailers that have mixed uses. Have fun!

[mudfarmer]

Well said stavebuyer. gaspasser look up cutterboy on here in the firewood section. He gets more done than most folks with his tractor and 3pt carry-all, no front end loader, bucking the trees where they fall. You can do the same with atv+Trailer, utv bed, small tractor+trailer, a 3pt carry all, etc. like SB's pics

[Big_eddy]

As I said earlier, I'm in the "cut blocks in the woods" camp when harvesting from our land. Sometimes with the tractor and a bin, sometimes the tractor and firewood trailer, and sometimes the gator. I split at the house straight onto the pile or toss into trailer. I've posted pictures in the firewood thread.
I'm honestly think it would take me longer to winch and drag whole logs all they way out of the woods. And my way they are already blocked up when they get home.  And there is a log of good burnable (although not sellable) wood in the limbs that I cut up for our use. I'd hate to try to drag limbs out, so it would go to waste otherwise.