Anyone with a new firewood processor.

[mifirewoodguy]

I have a few question for anyone running a newer firewood processor. Timberwolf,Woodbine,Builtrite,Blockbuster,Cordking etc...

Just wondering if you've ran into anything that you might not have thought of before you made the purchase? Like cant use crooked logs? more maintanence than you had expected? Doesnt cut and split as fast as they claim?

Reason being is Im looking at buying one and want to be sure I cover all the bases before I put up the cash...
We're looking at doing approximately 1800 cord a year right now and will increase our production by about 25% each year for the next few yrs...Thanks...Lee

[Sawyerfortyish]

I have a multitek I have run since new in 1990. I have no complaints about the machine. People thought I was crazy paying 35g for it back then now for the same machine it's 108g. My bigest problem was finding enough wood to feed it to make them dang payments and have a little left over for me. All that behind me finding wood and stock piling it is still a problem. I run a sawmill full time and do firewood mornings and deliver evenings and don't get much home life.
With the economy the way it is nobody is clearing lots and logs are at a low(almost nobodys logging)firewood is worth more than timber and thats a first. I expect firewood to be hard to come by in volume next year.
To get back to your questions my machine has been very good to me and has not required much fixing unless I let someone else run it then it cost me. It will split what they claim per hour But the wood must be straight and 12-14" dia. If it isn't you lose some production. As for crooked logs my machine uses a grapple feed if the grapple can get a hold of the log it's going through the machine. If you can get enough wood and have the guts to spend a lot of money the way things are in the economy and can get financing the price for a cord is at a point you can make some money. Good luck to you

[Captain]

We've had a Built Rite 18 SCP-D for about 2 years.  Crooked, poorly trimmed logs are very slow and tedious.  We've still only got about 200 hours on the machine, but it sure make a one man (sometimes when I'm lucky one man and one woman (Mrs Captain)) firewood operation much more productive.

Maintainence has been what expected.   We've gone through a couple of bars and only about 4 chains.  We had a hydraulic hose failure for no reason, just developed a pin-hole on a hot day.  Otherwise all of the work on the machine had to do with some log handling accidents with the machine  >:(.

I do find that it is big enough for our needs, but we're only doing just short of 100 cords per year, very part time.

Captain

[beenthere]

Captain
Do you have a pic of that operating?   : :

[sawdust]

Chomper has awesome throughput, if you are working a max diameter log for the machine you have then you best make sure the branches are trimmed properly. If the machine says 14" then the twigs better not make it wider than that. If you can aim them up then you are OK. Spinning the log can be done with the cable but takes time. I can do 40 cords alone in a long day. The trees must be decked to get that kind of speed.

sawdust

ps. their aftersale service is not that great.