Log myself or hire someone?

[Dirtky]

Eastern Ky. I own a small excavation company and work for myself. In the process of buying 85 acres of land, about 40 of some of the biggest best timber I've ever saw, if it cuts good. If everything goes well and I get it, i will have it logged. I already have some  of the equipment I would need to log it myself, and what I don't have I could buy and keep for future projects.I'm just torn on logging it myself or hiring someone. I'm fully aware of the dangers of the woods and equipment breakdowns and all that. I have limited experience in the woods, not a professional by any means. I know a professional logger that does it everyday would be much more efficient, but I just hate to give someone 50% when I'm capable of doing it myself. What do you all recommend?

[doc henderson]

Welcome to the forum.  I would break down your goals.  Are you in a hurry?  Is a goal to make some money?  Do you plan to use the timber yourself?  Are you wanting the satisfaction of the harvest?  Are you just wanting the land cleared?  Are you busy at your day job and would you save enough to justify competing with excavation work, and use of time off?  If you make more excavating than you would make or save, then that is a consideration.  Lots of reasons to do it, and plenty to not.  If you damage yourself or your equipment in the process, then you are out of work as well for a bit.  If it is to be a limitied harvest, do you have the knowledge and skill to do it?  Just poking at some of the questions I would be asking myself.

[doc henderson]

The real logger forester guys will chime in soon.  

[Texas Ranger]

if your company is going well, work it and get a reliable logger to do the rest.  Check references, ask the state forest service for a list of loggers and or foresters.  A forester would mark and sell the  timber for you on a commission basis or a daily rate.  Regardless, mark the timber and tally.

Logging is dangerous for the pros,  what would your down time be if you got hurt.

[East ky logging]

If you log it yourself it will give you more flexibility in cutting when the market is doing better with certain species. Cutting and getting them on the landing is just part of it. Finding markets and cutting them up for the best grades and lengths depends on whether you make money or not. 

I don't know what you have for equipment but you'll about have to have a dozer with a winch here in east Kentucky and some way to load and transport them. That could be something that you could do if the excavation business slows down at times. 

[BargeMonkey]

Hire someone with half a brain to lay it on the ground, pay them reasonable and go on your way. Reasonably cheap skidder is 20k ish, good wood doesn't take long to justify it. 

[thecfarm]

You also have to stick to it. Can't log for a day and then take off on a job for a week and come back to logging. 
They want the logs fresh.

[Bert]

This is exactly how I got started. Had the timber and some equipment and basic skills. Find a buyer, see the spec and price sheets. Then go get it.

[230Dforme]

Good evening, the five or six experienced loggers that I knew who were killed in the woods, and the ones who were  injured and survived all vote no. Hire a reputable logger, he will earn his money and you can safely count yours.

[David B]

Oo, oo, I have half a brain! 

[BargeMonkey]

Yup it's dangerous. Check and see what classes are offered in your area, GOL, forestry education, BMPs, my wife's taking the logger rescue course this weekend. Proper equipment, PPE, the days of Joe-bob and the chainsaw are rapidly coming to an end on any larger timber sales here. I love how forester's are put on such a pedestal of holiness when it comes to selling a woodlot, no disrespect to the ones here but 80% of the ones I've dealt with can be bought and are typically slippery than the loggers cutting the wood, and they make sure they get their money. Forester flat out told me, "I work with the landowner 1, 2, maybe 3x, I work with you on a constant basis". Send it out to bid, what are you going to do when 4 people bid and 3 out of the 4 already talked it over ? You know what happens when a forester is way short 3-4x on a bid around here ? He doesn't sell jobs, Ive seen jobs with 30-50k+ ft over run, dont think someones not getting paid. Seen entire jobs walk off and the landowner didn't get a dime, took the game cameras and all. Log buyers are just as slippery, they are probably the worst. The landowner is almost always going to go with the biggest promise of money, deal with the mess later. I've had landowners literally watch me load the truck, ride to the mill with me, watch the check get cut, and go "Thats all it pays" ? Because their sisters cousins friend made 1mil bucks on her walnut job. Shady game your getting yourself into before the woods danger. Again, ask around I'm sure you can find someone qualified, insurance ? people love cash, send it.

[chep]

Buy a skidder/dozer. Sounds like you are machine savvy. 
Have someone qualified (references, cert, ins) cut it for you 
You will learn the process by following them through the woods and hooking onto the wood they have cut. 
Most contract cutters work by the bd ft, some work by the hr.  You'll feel like the better deal is by the bd ft but in that method there is no care for quality, just production. Pay a faller by the hr and you should get quality work done.  
Have them come in a couple days a week and you play pickup behind them. 
Money well spent in that situation, and your take home will be higher then if you just have a logger do the whole job. 

[customsawyer]

Look into your markets. If yours is low right now, like it is here, than I would put off logging it until the market turns around. I would vote for at least a good logger to get it on the ground. Lots of good wood can be ruined if it isn't cut off the stump right.