# Too Many Skidders!



## logging22 (Mar 30, 2010)

Well, thats what i think anyway. Only been using one for the job im on right now. The operator is top notch, but getting a little bit behind more every day. So, i decide to add one. Think that was a mistake. Now I cant keep up. Dont know what some of you guys cut a day, but for me 10k board ft a day is pretty good. Now its almost double that! Holy crap! Not sure i can keep up the pace. Money is nice though. Thoughts?


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## ryan_marine (Mar 30, 2010)

Hire another cutter. The problem I have is I am the cutter and the skidder operator. Doing around 4K per day and turning the tops in to fire wood is about all I can do. 

Ray


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## stihl sawing (Mar 31, 2010)

I bet you are working hard to keep up with two skidders and you're the only one with a saw.


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## 056 kid (Mar 31, 2010)

If your in respectable size timber you should be able to bury those skidders. I know they can drive faster in the flat, but you can run faster to.

I always liked watching 2 drivers scramble to get the timber moving, distance to the landing & skid road grade have alot to do with how hard or easy it is. if drags are taking 25 minutes to get to the landing the 2 skidders are gonna find darkness nippen them in the ass before all the timber gets on its way to the mill.


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## joesawer (Mar 31, 2010)

It depends entirely on how long the turns are.
There are ways to slow them down but I would not recommend it.
The thing to remember is that no matter how hard they are pushing you-It is your job to live to do it again another day!


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## ryan_marine (Mar 31, 2010)

Got to thinking about your problem. You start at daylight. Tell them to start at 9am. It will give you a little jump on them. LOL. 

Ray


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## 371groundie (Mar 31, 2010)

make the skidder guys limb the wood and focus on felling. if you get ahead of them, limb for awhile to help them catch up. this also puts the brush in the trail where it will get run over and laid down. or start yarding whole trees and chip the tops for biomass. 

there was a guy up here who cut for 6 skidders. but that was clearcutting and yarding whole trees so there was no limbing involved.


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## Oldtimer (Mar 31, 2010)

Do they saw up on the landing?

Maybe it's time to invest in iron...a loader/slasher/delimber takes 75% of the work out of logging...a decent used set up is around $40-50K...a lot of coin, but like the old time loggers keep telling me, in the logging racket you're only worth as much as your equipment.


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## logging22 (Mar 31, 2010)

056 kid said:


> If your in respectable size timber you should be able to bury those skidders. I know they can drive faster in the flat, but you can run faster to.
> 
> I always liked watching 2 drivers scramble to get the timber moving, distance to the landing & skid road grade have alot to do with how hard or easy it is. if drags are taking 25 minutes to get to the landing the 2 skidders are gonna find darkness nippen them in the ass before all the timber gets on its way to the mill.



The timber is good size. Average bout 25" dbh and bigger. The thing is, the ground. Nothing but steep grades everywhere. The skidders have chains, i dont. My fat but is having a time getting up and down. The rolling rocks are a bummer too. The distance to the landing isnt too bad. Average turn takes maybe 10 to 12 min. Two trees at a time. It worked out pretty good today. Another 20k feet and counting!! Bring on the CAD!!


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## logging22 (Mar 31, 2010)

371groundie said:


> make the skidder guys limb the wood and focus on felling. if you get ahead of them, limb for awhile to help them catch up. this also puts the brush in the trail where it will get run over and laid down. or start yarding whole trees and chip the tops for biomass.
> 
> there was a guy up here who cut for 6 skidders. but that was clearcutting and yarding whole trees so there was no limbing involved.



My skidder drivers dont get off the machine. Contract thing.


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## logging22 (Mar 31, 2010)

stihl sawing said:


> I bet you are working hard to keep up with two skidders and you're the only one with a saw.



Just hard enough to keep up!!


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## logging22 (Mar 31, 2010)

Oldtimer said:


> Do they saw up on the landing?
> 
> Maybe it's time to invest in iron...a loader/slasher/delimber takes 75% of the work out of logging...a decent used set up is around $40-50K...a lot of coin, but like the old time loggers keep telling me, in the logging racket you're only worth as much as your equipment.



Im in big hardwood. Not really an option for a delimber. Would like to have a slasher saw for the loader so i wouldnt have to mark every tree.


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## jnl502 (Mar 31, 2010)

if u need some help to ease the pressure i would be glad to come help out till things slowed down a bit LOL! just need a place to park the 36' camper
jnl


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## logging22 (Mar 31, 2010)

jnl502 said:


> if u need some help to ease the pressure i would be glad to come help out till things slowed down a bit LOL! just need a place to park the 36' camper
> jnl



Park the thing right on the landing bro! Plenty of room. Bring COCO too.


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## jnl502 (Mar 31, 2010)

how's the pay and how about a sign on bonus?jnl


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## logging22 (Mar 31, 2010)

jnl502 said:


> how's the pay and how about a sign on bonus?jnl



Pay is what you make it, and a sign on bonus is...........what is a sign on bonus?


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## RVALUE (Mar 31, 2010)

jnl502 said:


> how's the pay and how about a sign on bonus?jnl



I thought that I thought of everything, but that is priceless.


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## jnl502 (Mar 31, 2010)

RVALUE said:


> I thought that I thought of everything, but that is priceless.



just wanted to know where i stand before i start. how long will u be at that site Less?


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## joesawer (Apr 1, 2010)

logging22 said:


> The timber is good size. Average bout 25" dbh and bigger. The thing is, the ground. Nothing but steep grades everywhere. The skidders have chains, i dont. My fat but is having a time getting up and down. The rolling rocks are a bummer too. The distance to the landing isnt too bad. Average turn takes maybe 10 to 12 min. Two trees at a time. It worked out pretty good today. Another 20k feet and counting!! Bring on the CAD!!





Time for some caulks!

If you are getting 4 25"+ dbh trees every twelve minutes all day long you are flying!


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## RVALUE (Apr 1, 2010)

joesawer said:


> Time for some caulks!
> 
> If you are getting 4 25"+ dbh trees every twelve minutes all day long you are flying!



I'd hate to mis-spell that post.....


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## Stihl Hyde (Apr 1, 2010)

:hmm3grin2orange:


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## logging22 (Apr 1, 2010)

joesawer said:


> Time for some caulks!
> 
> If you are getting 4 25"+ dbh trees every twelve minutes all day long you are flying!



Had over a hundred trees on the ground to start with. Catching me quickly. Thats the problem. When they catch me, then what? Get rid of a driver? Hire a cutter? Good cutters are hard to find these days.


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## Hddnis (Apr 2, 2010)

Sounds like a nice problem to have. Stay safe, don't get too rushed, you got to live to enjoy all that dough you're making.



Mr. HE


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## floyd (Apr 2, 2010)

Why can't they work 4 days/wk you work 5days/wk? 

Some work ..or no work. Depends on how the job market is.


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## 056 kid (Apr 2, 2010)

logging22 said:


> Had over a hundred trees on the ground to start with. Catching me quickly. Thats the problem. When they catch me, then what? Get rid of a driver? Hire a cutter? Good cutters are hard to find these days.



When they catch you, make them help. if they dont wanna, send them down the road..


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## Oldtimer (Apr 2, 2010)

Maybe I was wrong aboot the loader/slasher/delimber...

Maybe a Tigercat 845 is what you want.

IN GEORGIA.. but trucking is reasonable..


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## logging22 (Apr 3, 2010)

floyd said:


> Why can't they work 4 days/wk you work 5days/wk?
> 
> Some work ..or no work. Depends on how the job market is.



I work 6 and most of the time 7 days a week, weather permitting. This winter was awful, so im really trying to catch up.


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## logging22 (Apr 3, 2010)

056 kid said:


> When they catch you, make them help. if they dont wanna, send them down the road..



They help. Cant send them down the road. One of the skidder drivers is the owner of the mill im contracted to! He is really good guy. Actually fell about 2 acres for me thursday. Cant complain.


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## logging22 (Apr 3, 2010)

Hddnis said:


> Sounds like a nice problem to have. Stay safe, don't get too rushed, you got to live to enjoy all that dough you're making.
> 
> 
> 
> Mr. HE



You are right about that. But the only thing im spending it on is more saws!!! Darn cad!!


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