# It's Only Money?



## 2dogs (Mar 4, 2011)

Now that I'm healthy again and I got my truck back I went to the gas station with it. Bad idea. Diesel was $4.30 per gallon!!! This will definately put a cramp in my style. Then I picked a new ignition modual for my Husqvarna 394...$92.50. I already spent nearly $300.00 for a rebuilt steering box this week. 

Some days I should just stay in bed.

I know I'm not the only one feeling the pressure at the pump. I hope any contracts anyone here has, have a separate rider for fuel.


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## Turkeyslayer (Mar 4, 2011)




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## Gologit (Mar 4, 2011)

Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch. :msp_biggrin:

And yes, there will be fuel surcharges when diesel hits a certain price. They'll be enacted _after_ we've suffered for a while. LOLOL...the formula is so complicated that I'm not sure anybody understands it including the bean counter who wrote it. What it amounts to is that we loggers get a little extra to offset increased fuel costs but not enough to actually cover the entire amount of the increase. It helps...and that's about all.

The company, in turn, increases the cost of their lumber when it goes to the wholesaler. Again, not enough to cover all the costs but enough to get by. The wholesaler passes on his increased costs to the retailer who in turn passes on the extra cost to the consumer. 

See a pattern here? We all take a hit and absorb some of the extra costs. We all tighten our belts a little and expect less net profit. Except for the oil companies, that is. Their net profits are still in the billions of dollars. That's obscene...and, worse than that, it's just plain wrong.

And, as long as I'm ranting...a major oil company just completed a huge new corporate building in the Bay Area. Huge as in many thousand square feet, three story building. It was built primarily with Canadian lumber and Chinese plywood.


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## Blakesmaster (Mar 4, 2011)

After 2 months of sitting around and drinking beer I did a job Monday morning. Total came to 200 bucks at the pump...to go to work. I looked at the attendant and said, " I coulda stayed home and got drunk for 10." Oh well.


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## atvguns (Mar 4, 2011)

Gologit said:


> Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch. :msp_biggrin:
> 
> And yes, there will be fuel surcharges when diesel hits a certain price. They'll be enacted _after_ we've suffered for a while. LOLOL...the formula is so complicated that I'm not sure anybody understands it including the bean counter who wrote it. What it amounts to is that we loggers get a little extra to offset increased fuel costs but not enough to actually cover the entire amount of the increase. It helps...and that's about all.
> 
> ...


 How does the farmer get tapped into this surcharge thing to offset some of his cost


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## Gologit (Mar 5, 2011)

atvguns said:


> How does the farmer get tapped into this surcharge thing to offset some of his cost


 
Dunno. The only kind of agriculture I know anything about is raising cows. We all know how that pays out.

How does a guy with timber land get paid for not growing trees? I'd like to get in on that program. :msp_rolleyes:

Hey, at least you can eat your crop.


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## redprospector (Mar 5, 2011)

2dogs said:


> Now that I'm healthy again and I got my truck back I went to the gas station with it. Bad idea. Diesel was $4.30 per gallon!!! This will definately put a cramp in my style. Then I picked a new ignition modual for my Husqvarna 394...$92.50. I already spent nearly $300.00 for a rebuilt steering box this week.
> 
> Some days I should just stay in bed.
> 
> I know I'm not the only one feeling the pressure at the pump. I hope any contracts anyone here has, have a separate rider for fuel.


 
I feel your pain. I went to get diesel on Tuesday.................$450.00!! Going back for more in the morning.
The skidder didn't burn much this week. It needed a new hydraulic pump...............$2495.00!! 
No seperate riders for fuel costs on this contract. I'll have to depend on the compasion of the State Forestry. Hahaha!
Oh well, like you said. It's only money. I'll be out of it soon, and I can quit worrying about it.

Andy


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## dingeryote (Mar 5, 2011)

atvguns said:


> How does the farmer get tapped into this surcharge thing to offset some of his cost


 
:msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol:

I just bought spring fuel. You figure out how it is the shiney shoes crowd can drop prices on our end, while jacking thier end with fuel excuses, lemme know.


Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## madhatte (Mar 5, 2011)

Oh snap. And we just sold a sale for _almost_ the recent historical high, firing up new hopes of financial recovery. This smells like dirty business. Fuel prices are so arbitrary.


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## lfnh (Mar 5, 2011)

dingeryote said:


> :msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol::msp_lol:
> 
> I just bought spring fuel. You figure out how it is the shiney shoes crowd can drop prices on our end, while jacking thier end with fuel excuses, lemme know.
> 
> ...


 
In three words: Excessive profit margin.


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## dingeryote (Mar 5, 2011)

madhatte said:


> Oh snap. And we just sold a sale for _almost_ the recent historical high, firing up new hopes of financial recovery. This smells like dirty business. Fuel prices are so arbitrary.


 
THAT is good to hear.

Good buddy of mine is a muckety muck in the hardwoods biz, and he's been less grumpy about the outlook lately. Not enough to talk about opening up any of the half dozen mills he closed, but getting out from under inventory kinda happy.

Folks spend money when they get a pay check, and there is a good chance another one is coming next week. 

Be nice to see the ball rolling again!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## lfnh (Mar 5, 2011)

Gologit said:


> Dunno. The only kind of agriculture I know anything about is raising cows. We all know how that pays out.
> How does a guy with timber land get paid for not growing trees? I'd like to get in on that program. :msp_rolleyes:
> 
> Hey, at least you can eat your crop.


 
Nowadays, negative cash flow for riparian violations on grazing permits.

But hey, lawyers gotta eat to.

btw, just took a quick look at the Vale Auction prices for choice steers. About a 25 cent uptick /lb from 10 years ago. Retail beef costs are 2-3 times what they were
10 years ago. Rancher's not getting any of that money.


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## lfnh (Mar 5, 2011)

dingeryote said:


> THAT is good to hear.
> 
> Good buddy of mine is a muckety muck in the hardwoods biz, and he's been less grumpy about the outlook lately. Not enough to talk about opening up any of the half dozen mills he closed, but getting out from under inventory kinda happy.
> 
> ...


 
Yup, cautiously optimistic about a recovery pickup. But, remember how the last fuel
hike killed the consumer spending in 45 days.


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## mdavlee (Mar 5, 2011)

I feel your pain on the diesel prices. I drive 30k or more each year traveling to work.


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## slowp (Mar 5, 2011)

Yes, there was an upturn of log truck traffic on our highway until the blizzards started. 

I've had calls from guys wanting to know how much snow is on their sale. The few units that are not in the Owl Romancing areas will probably start up soon. Even a very conservative mill is going to log if "the bubble" stays as it is now, or gets better. 

Gas is $3.72/gallon 20 miles to the east, $3.59 here. I better fill up today as it goes up on Mondays.


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## bitzer (Mar 5, 2011)

Gas and diesel are hovering around $3.50 here and steadily creeping. 

The american dream in action.


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## Gologit (Mar 5, 2011)

*Hey Bitzer...*

I saw on Bailey's site that you're looking for a tree height estimator. I have an old Biltmore stick that's gathering dust in the shop. PM me your address...you can have it.


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## ms290 (Mar 5, 2011)

well since im still in high school and such, i must drag along with a measly morsel of something that is supposed to be a pay check. when gas here hit 3.10 i almost died. now it 3.30 a gallon. i think the economy, well whats left of it is going to tank again.


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## bitzer (Mar 5, 2011)

Gologit said:


> I saw on Bailey's site that you're looking for a tree height estimator. I have an old Biltmore stick that's gathering dust in the shop. PM me your address...you can have it.


 
Hey Bob, 
Thanks for the offer! I have several city jobs coming up that could be outright felling jobs if I can be confident enough with the numbers. I'm pretty decent at guess-timating, but not good enough for houses and powerlines. I think I'd have a decent amount of space anyway, but numbers help justify it more. It would save a lot of time spiking and topping. I'll PM you later. I've got a busy day of chasing kids.


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## Gologit (Mar 5, 2011)

No problem, I don't use it and it's part of my on-going "clean up the shop" project. I found it in the woods years ago and brought it home. You're welcome to it.

The stick isn't dead on accurate but it will be close. If you need actual absolute measurement with no error there are better and more modern devices.


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## slowp (Mar 5, 2011)

I have been using a biltmore stick in the office to open or close the heating/cooling vent. It is located in the ceiling. :msp_smile: The vent is.


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## 2dogs (Mar 5, 2011)

A nice piece of reference equipment is a Forestry Suppliers clipboard with the 3 lumber scales on it. It has a bunch of other scales and conversions too.

Forestry Suppliers, Inc. Forester s Clipboard


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## Gologit (Mar 6, 2011)

2dogs said:


> A nice piece of reference equipment is a Forestry Suppliers clipboard with the 3 lumber scales on it. It has a bunch of other scales and conversions too.
> 
> Forestry Suppliers, Inc. Forester s Clipboard


 
Good stuff. Thanks.


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## RandyMac (Mar 6, 2011)

I blew my gas money on a saw last week, we were near $4 then, might be over that now.
I'm still wound up, the McCulloch was a local logging company saw and I knew the man who used it.


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## 2dogs (Mar 6, 2011)

RandyMac said:


> I blew my gas money on a saw last week, we were near $4 then, might be over that now.
> I'm still wound up, the McCulloch was a local logging company saw and I knew the man who used it.


 
That's it? That's the whole story? No model number, no pictures? No back story?


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## RandyMac (Mar 6, 2011)

A friend of mine came over to see if I could fix his saw, so we went to his place to check it out. On the bench was a nearly pristine PM800, Sean says it suddenly lost compression, won't start. I died a little, P&Cs are NLA and very spendy when found. It was a stuck open sissy valve, all three of us were greatly relieved. Behind some moldy looking relic class chainsaws, I spotted a big box of yellow parts, with a saw on top, with a very familiar profile. A McCulloch PM850, one of my favorite light falling saws. I cut some good timber with mine.

So while starting the clean-up, I tossed a few items in the wash tank. When I pulled the airbox cover out, I saw a paper tag on the backside of it, just before it desolved completely, I was able to read what was on it. Nope, not a part number, the name of a man that I once knew.
Not only did I get a chainsaw with local logging history, but someone I thought a great deal of, used it.
His name is John Steven or was anyways. He and his family were neighbors, we lived near Requa. He and his wife Ann fed us when our house was disfunctional, took us to their ranch when things were, well...some family stuff has no explaination.
I ran across John many times over the years, the first thing he asked was "are you working?" He worked for Simpson Timber for many years as a forester, but he started as a chokerman. I now work with his son, Bill. I am going to torture Bill with the saw and not let him have it. I might let him touch it though, maybe even let him hear it. The day I retire, I'm sawing Bill's desk in half with it, then he can have it.


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## 2dogs (Mar 6, 2011)

Now that is a good story! Thanks.


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## madhatte (Mar 6, 2011)

Ah, Simpson. I worked for them in the winter of 1996-7 doing survival surveys on the godawful windward side of Grisdale country. 

A few years earlier, though, as a punk teenager, some buddies and I made a big mess in the bathroom of their HQ building in Shelton. There was soap and towels and TP everywhere. We did it for the usual punk teenager reasons, and I'm pretty sure it was our laughing as we left that tipped somebody down the hall off to our lark. I was the last one out the door, and felt a tug on my ear right on the brink of freedom. One of the VP's or something led me back to the scene of our crime and made me clean the whole mess up, all the while sternly lecturing me on the Quality of the company I keep. When I left, thoroughly steamed, a half an hour or so later, the rest of the gang crept out from between cars nearby, skateboards in hand, and asked for all of the details. We had a good laugh and got back to the serious business of rolling down the street.


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## RandyMac (Mar 10, 2011)

I got a visit yesterday from Sean the Fed, he is laid off so I'm buying that PM800. I'm picking it up Saturday and looking at some chromed covers on McCullochs.

Still looking for that saw Bob, most are really beat here.


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## Gologit (Mar 10, 2011)

RandyMac said:


> I got a visit yesterday from Sean the Fed, he is laid off so I'm buying that PM800. I'm picking it up Saturday and looking at some chromed covers on McCullochs.
> 
> Still looking for that saw Bob, most are really beat here.


 
Thanks. I'll leave it to your judgement. PM ya later.


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## Joe46 (Mar 10, 2011)

Spent a lot of time goofing around on Simpson timber land in the mid 60's. Had a friend that worked for them. He lived at both Grisdale and Govey back then. Used to visit on the weekends. Since he was a little older he could buy beer. Would then go do a bunch of harmless shenanigans on the log roads. Harmless in the fact that I'm still alive to talk about it.:msp_lol:


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## madhatte (Mar 10, 2011)

Joe46 said:


> Would then go do a bunch of harmless shenanigans on the log roads. Harmless in the fact that I'm still alive to talk about it.



Oh yeah! Used to do our best to get lost in the Doty Triangle, go out the 1000 line at the far end of Lincoln Creek and try to find Raymond. Came out just about everywhere else unless we found Brooklyn first. Burned up a lot of gas that way but it sure was fun!

Note: we considered the use of maps to be cheating. If you couldn't do it by sense of smell, it didn't count.


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## coastalfaller (Mar 10, 2011)

RandyMac said:


> A friend of mine came over to see if I could fix his saw, so we went to his place to check it out. On the bench was a nearly pristine PM800, Sean says it suddenly lost compression, won't start. I died a little, P&Cs are NLA and very spendy when found. It was a stuck open sissy valve, all three of us were greatly relieved. Behind some moldy looking relic class chainsaws, I spotted a big box of yellow parts, with a saw on top, with a very familiar profile. A McCulloch PM850, one of my favorite light falling saws. I cut some good timber with mine.
> 
> So while starting the clean-up, I tossed a few items in the wash tank. When I pulled the airbox cover out, I saw a paper tag on the backside of it, just before it desolved completely, I was able to read what was on it. Nope, not a part number, the name of a man that I once knew.
> Not only did I get a chainsaw with local logging history, but someone I thought a great deal of, used it.
> ...


 
Great story, Randy. I love that kind of stuff. 
PS. I knew a guy who sawed his boss's desk in half after his cheque was late.......again! LOL!


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## paccity (Mar 10, 2011)

madhatte said:


> Oh yeah! Used to do our best to get lost in the Doty Triangle, go out the 1000 line at the far end of Lincoln Creek and try to find Raymond. Came out just about everywhere else unless we found Brooklyn first. Burned up a lot of gas that way but it sure was fun!
> 
> Note: we considered the use of maps to be cheating. If you couldn't do it by sense of smell, it didn't count.


 
maps? don't need no stinkin maps.


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## paccity (Mar 10, 2011)

boondocking in the hills is very relaxing. getting harder to range far due to all the gates. sometimes it's good to have the combo.


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## madhatte (Mar 10, 2011)

paccity said:


> boondocking in the hills is very relaxing. getting harder to range far due to all the gates. sometimes it's good to have the combo.



Arrgh, and the gates are all because of car batteries and refrigerators. If people would just stop dumping illegally...

Yeah I know, farts in the wind. 

Fun fact: over 90% of the dump sites I find have either children's toys, children's clothes, or diaper debris among the rest of the junk. That tells me that the sort of people who dump illegally will teach their kids to dump illegally, too. I am not pleased by this development.


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## paccity (Mar 10, 2011)

ya, same prob here, one area inparticular has a small town that used to be ok borders a lot of acses 1.no cops2. methheads. sometimes it's good to know people so you can still get in. i hate methheads!


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## madhatte (Mar 10, 2011)

No kidding. Tweekers ruin everything. They're like a plague of locusts.


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## bobsreturn (Mar 11, 2011)

*only money*

while our prime minister tours your country . our gas {petrol here] is around $1.50 per litre ! 4.5 litres per gallon . so think you guys have a good deal . If any of you guys can run on water we have had about 4 feet so far this year .Sure will get those trees growing . cheers from cairns queensland Bob


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