# Cutting Poplar...couple pics.



## Oldtimer (Nov 29, 2012)

2 different poplar hitches from today.


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## ShaneLogs (Nov 29, 2012)

Right on! Looks good, Oldtimer!


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## Rick Alger (Nov 29, 2012)

Is that headed for Shelburne?


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## Slamm (Nov 29, 2012)

What are you getting BDF for the poplar? Grade and Blocking?

You need to get a swing boom to bunch the hitches for that big skidder, LOL.

Sam


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## Steve NW WI (Nov 30, 2012)

Waitta minnit...Aren't bars longer than 16" illegal that far east? 

Just kidding. Nice pics.


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## Oldtimer (Nov 30, 2012)

Rick Alger said:


> Is that headed for Shelburne?


I really don't know. It's a matter of who pays more and who's too far away. Trucker has to balance price and trucking costs /efficiency.



Slamm said:


> What are you getting BDF for the poplar? Grade and Blocking?
> 
> You need to get a swing boom to bunch the hitches for that big skidder, LOL.
> 
> Sam



It's pulp. Think I was told $24 a ton on the landing...but I have to ask again.

Not sure what "grade and blocking" means!

I don't have much trouble gathering hitches with it, I take stems 2-3 at a time and drop them up the trail until I get 8-9 in line, then drive over and pick them up on the way out.


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## Oldtimer (Dec 2, 2012)

Couple more of the woods. I'll take more and better pictures this week.

View attachment 265188

View attachment 265189


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## mingo (Dec 3, 2012)

I sold a couple of loads of poplar to New Page in Rumford last summer cut 12 and 16 foot got 27 a ton.


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## Slamm (Dec 3, 2012)

Oldtimer said:


> It's pulp. Think I was told $24 a ton on the landing...but I have to ask again.
> 
> Not sure what "grade and blocking" means!
> 
> I don't have much trouble gathering hitches with it, I take stems 2-3 at a time and drop them up the trail until I get 8-9 in line, then drive over and pick them up on the way out.



OIC, was just wondering, I sold my last poplar for .45-.50 cents per board foot for grade and .30 for rough logs.

Sometimes we only get .24 for the blocking/rough logs.

Sam


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## Oldtimer (Dec 6, 2012)

One of today's hitches. That top one is pretty large for a NH poplar. That's a 576XP with a 24" bar on the log beside it. They generally don't live long enough to get much bigger. Most of these I am cutting are just starting to rot, some worse than others.

View attachment 265980


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## Dave Boyt (Dec 11, 2012)

Ok, I'll bite (and show my ignorance). How do you manage to keep your chain saw perched atop a log when you're skidding it out??? My luck, I'd either lose it, or a log would roll over and crush it. Thanks for the pics.


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## Slamm (Dec 11, 2012)

Dave Boyt said:


> Ok, I'll bite (and show my ignorance). How do you manage to keep your chain saw perched atop a log when you're skidding it out??? My luck, I'd either lose it, or a log would roll over and crush it. Thanks for the pics.



Superglue.

Sam


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## Dave Boyt (Dec 11, 2012)

Slamm said:


> Superglue.
> 
> Sam



Tried it... couldn't get the saw off the log when I got back to the landing. Thanks a bunch! Judging from your avitar, you must be an expert at using superglue.


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## Oldtimer (Dec 11, 2012)

Dave Boyt said:


> Ok, I'll bite (and show my ignorance). How do you manage to keep your chain saw perched atop a log when you're skidding it out??? My luck, I'd either lose it, or a log would roll over and crush it. Thanks for the pics.



It's a Husqvarna. So mean, so tough, it just bites in and holds on like a Pit-Bull.


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## northmanlogging (Dec 12, 2012)

My pit bulls when I was a kid where very lovable... farted allot though... liked to bite the neighbor kids, but only after they kicked them... and they usually let go pretty quick usually.


On a side note... Oldtimer yer werk sure is different than what we do out here on the west coast, still looks like loggin though. 

The wifey/war dept. suggested a sort of east coast, west coast exchange logger deal. Should be funny to watch...


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## Oldtimer (Dec 12, 2012)

Pics of load number 2 sent out today....


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## lmbrman (Dec 31, 2012)

nice timber and pics OT

is there much market out your way for stuff that is nicer than pulp? Some of that stuff looks decent?

happy near year, stay safe.

-dave


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## gsg (Dec 31, 2012)

Hey OT, how many gallons of diesel does your skidder burn in a day?


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## Oldtimer (Dec 31, 2012)

gsg said:


> Hey OT, how many gallons of diesel does your skidder burn in a day?



If I really use it steady, and use the throttle like I don't give a dang about it, it uses 15 gallons in an 8 hour day easily. But, on average, working alone and not being a thrash and slash guy...I put in about 7 gallons a day...5 gallons one day, 10 the next, and so on like that.


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## Oldtimer (Dec 31, 2012)

gsg said:


> Hey OT, how many gallons of diesel does your skidder burn in a day?



There is a market, but it's not paying enough to bother trying to sort the best of it...there isn't that much that would be good enough. Most every one has a bit of rot started. It's good that it's being cut now. In 5 years half would have been down and rotting.


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## Steve NW WI (Jan 1, 2013)

Oldtimer said:


> If I really use it steady, and use the throttle like I don't give a dang about it, it uses 15 gallons in an 8 hour day easily. But, on average, working alone and not being a thrash and slash guy...I put in about 7 gallons a day...5 gallons one day, 10 the next, and so on like that.



Can I ASSume you're cutting and skidding? That rig being used to it's fullest should be burning 5-8 gallons per hour.


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## Oldtimer (Jan 1, 2013)

Steve NW WI said:


> Can I ASSume you're cutting and skidding? That rig being used to it's fullest should be burning 5-8 gallons per hour.


I am cutting and limbing every stick myself, yes.
Pulling bunched wood, WFO like most hired drivers would use it, yes, it would eat 5 gallons an hour easy. Most guys will run it WFO in 2nd gear rather than go up 2 and let it chug..Myself, I set the hand throttle @1/3 or so and use the transmission to go faster or reduce for hills...I only use the foot throttle when that 1/3 isn't cutting it...just add a bit and them let it back to the pre-set. Saves a lot of fuel. I also shut it down when I am chopping..I usually run out a tank or two just dropping, then gather hitches and limb them on the trail. I also tend to drop 3 hitches on the landing before I saw up.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 1, 2013)

I would think it would make a mess to limb all those trees in the middle of the trail... and be a bit of a pain in the butt. Different wood though... I like to spend a day or two dumping and limbing, then come back and skid everything out, makes less of a headache. Sometimes its spend the morning falling and after lunch skidding, call the self loader for the next morning rinse and repeat as necessary


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## Steve NW WI (Jan 1, 2013)

Oldtimer said:


> I am cutting and limbing every stick myself, yes.
> Pulling bunched wood, WFO like most hired drivers would use it, yes, it would eat 5 gallons an hour easy. Most guys will run it WFO in 2nd gear rather than go up 2 and let it chug..Myself, I set the hand throttle @1/3 or so and use the transmission to go faster or reduce for hills...I only use the foot throttle when that 1/3 isn't cutting it...just add a bit and them let it back to the pre-set. Saves a lot of fuel. I also shut it down when I am chopping..I usually run out a tank or two just dropping, then gather hitches and limb them on the trail. I also tend to drop 3 hitches on the landing before I saw up.



I hear ya on saving fuel where you can. I'm just used to farm machinery, running my buddy's 450HP 4x4 tractor on the big disk will eat 20+ gallons an hour...pretty cheap per acre though. The little 4 cyl Perkins in my tractor will burn about 4g/h at full load, I can run all day on 10 gallons doing lighter work, only 70hp though.


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