# Your thoughts on this firewood processor..



## genesis5521 (Dec 18, 2014)

Back in 2011 I posted a thread asking for opinions on the Hud-Son Wolverine Model M firewood processor ($8195). Here's a link to that post: http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...n-the-hud-son-wolverine-model-m-10-13.183625/

Well its 3 years later, and I'm still looking at firewood processors. Found this one, and the price seems reasonable (starting at $5995 US dollars). Watch the videos. http://www.range-road.ca/index.html

This is just for personal (not commercial) use. I burn around 10 cords a year. I'm pushing 70. While I thoroughly enjoy making firewood, this ol bod can't do what it once could. So I'm looking for a way to prolong my passion.


Your thoughts??????

Thanks Guys,

Don <><


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## ChoppyChoppy (Dec 18, 2014)

light duty. Yes it's a processor but it's not much better than a chainsaw and splitter.

commercial use I would plan on spending a minimum of 40k for something that will hold up.

home use, it's probably ok. I'm guessing that's your area, judging by your signature.

How much wood are you cutting?

Wrapping the winch cable around logs.... no no NO! Why doesn't he have tongs or a choker?


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## blackdogon57 (Dec 18, 2014)

If you were a homeowner wanting a machine to process a few cords a year and had money to waste maybe. If you are looking for a commercial unit I would suggest you keep looking. That machine is way to light duty, underpowered and does not have a live deck. If you want to take advantage of our weak dollar right now look at a company called Bells or just buy American made from a dealer up here and tow it back.


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## blades (Dec 18, 2014)

Don there is a processor mfg in Harford , WI. Wood beaver firewood processors. I have no affiliation with them just remembered that they are a local builder. 1-800-569-6813


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## PLAYINWOOD (Dec 19, 2014)

for a homeowner it will be fine


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## zogger (Dec 19, 2014)

I think just a nice new decent splitter with a log lift. Cutting isn't hard, it's dealing with what comes next that is. Save the extra money you would have spent on the processor and just buy in logs in the offseason, whenever the local loggers have the best deals. Have em dropped right where they will be stacked and where the splitter lives. Buy twice as much as you need for yourself, sell half every year once seasoned, try to make enough $$$ for the next load.


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## blades (Dec 19, 2014)

Been a tough road log load wise here in WI this year.


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## CRThomas (Dec 19, 2014)

genesis5521 said:


> Back in 2011 I posted a thread asking for opinions on the Hud-Son Wolverine Model M firewood processor ($8195). Here's a link to that post: http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...n-the-hud-son-wolverine-model-m-10-13.183625/
> 
> Well its 3 years later, and I'm still looking at firewood processors. Found this one, and the price seems reasonable (starting at $5995 US dollars). Watch the videos. http://www.range-road.ca/index.html
> 
> ...


 I have a Processer paid dearly for it it sets out back maybe used once every 2 months 99 percent of the time I use the chain saw and single splitter and I am a firewood sell so I have a high dollar piece of equipment setting behind the shop taking up space. Only use it in emergencys I go out run a couple logs thru it and I'm back on time. For your personnel wood a prcesser would be a waste of money I think. If I had the logs cut to length and ready one day from day light to dark I could split enough firewood for 10 family house holds. I went down to help my friend chunk and split a semi load in one day his is half as big as mine processer. The lady north of us she has $80.000.00 in her processer and she does 2 semi loads a day every 4 hours. You buy a processer you really need to do a lot of wood to come out a head I think.


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## blades (Dec 19, 2014)

Unless you have upgraded the splitter in your equipment list - that's your bottle neck. Those 4-7 ton electrics are S L O W even compared to a standard 15 or so ton box store rig. I do close to 20 cord a year with my single wedge splitter and it is twice as fast as the little 4 ton electric I have gathering dust.


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## genesis5521 (Dec 20, 2014)

OP here. The splitting part isn't my problem. I buy the permit to recover standing dead and downed trees in the national forest. It's the gathering part that is so time consuming and exhausting. I'm pushing 70 and I work alone. Carrying round after round from the forest back to my truck is a killer ~ at least for me. No mechanized equipment is allowed in the Forrest, so I can't drive my truck in to recover the tree I just bucked out. It takes me about 3 hours to split 1 full cord with my little Ryobi electric splitter which has an 8 second cycle time. But it's all the work required to get to the splitting that I'm trying to minimize. Us old farts just need a little help. For the cost of a firewood processor, I could buy a neck of a lot of already split firewood. But where's the fun in that! I might try to build some kind of manually operated log feed table to efficiently process purchased logs with my chain saw, and have the rounds fall in to my splitter. I've seen some setups like this on youtube.


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## blades (Dec 21, 2014)

I here ya on the getting rounds out manually part.


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## zogger (Dec 21, 2014)

genesis5521 said:


> OP here. The splitting part isn't my problem. I buy the permit to recover standing dead and downed trees in the national forest. It's the gathering part that is so time consuming and exhausting. I'm pushing 70 and I work alone. Carrying round after round from the forest back to my truck is a killer ~ at least for me. No mechanized equipment is allowed in the Forrest, so I can't drive my truck in to recover the tree I just bucked out. It takes me about 3 hours to split 1 full cord with my little Ryobi electric splitter which has an 8 second cycle time. But it's all the work required to get to the splitting that I'm trying to minimize. Us old farts just need a little help. For the cost of a firewood processor, I could buy a neck of a lot of already split firewood. But where's the fun in that! I might try to build some kind of manually operated log feed table to efficiently process purchased logs with my chain saw, and have the rounds fall in to my splitter. I've seen some setups like this on youtube.



Yep, carrying the rounds out some distance sucks. We have had discussions on this in the past. I remember one option was one of those deer cart rigs, that's what they are designed for, going in and wheeling out stuff. There's a lot of human powered ones, I know you said no mechanized, so don't know what your badged authorities would consider mechanized though.


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## cantoo (Dec 21, 2014)

Why buy a processor at all then? The cheapest wood I have ever bought was a 3 full cord load of logs. $3oo cash and dumped in my yard. Only truck the guy had but if you bought several loads he gave a bit of a discount. Only needed a chainsaw and a splitter for a day each to process it. Now I have so much invested I have to have a pretty big pile at the end of the day to make it worth it to me. Some day I'm going to have to sell some to pay for crap.
For me I'm trying to keep the wood all at a working height instead of having to bend over to pick stuff up. I cut in the bush, buck into 12' lengths, load onto a wagon with the tractor, haul home, stack in a pile, then use loader forks to pick 3 or 4 logs, drive over to bucking area and buck to length. Push into a pile with the bucket to get ready to split. This is the 1st time I ready have to do any lifting or hand work to get the rounds up on the splitter. This is where I need to "improve" I want to load the rounds onto a wagon that is sloped toward the splitter so I just have to roll them onto the splitter table, no lifting. I did it using my dump truck and it worked great.
Dragging or hauling wood by hand isn't something I would do on a regular basis. I don't even like to stack it.


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## muddstopper (Dec 21, 2014)

After watching the videos in both threads, I saw a couple of things I liked about each model. The hudson had a winch setup to pull logs onto the deck of the processor, which I think is a must if your going to process log lengths. I didnt see any method other than lifting by hand on the Range Road. A strike against the rangeroad in my opinion. I liked the hydraulic saw on the Rangeroad, even tho it is manually operated. I think not having to lift a chain saw for every cut is a plus. Neither processor is more than a home owner unit and and both are limited in the size of round they can process. If those where my only choices, I would probably go with the Hudson simply because I can winch a log on the machine and use the winch to feed the log for each cut. Still dont like the whole gas powered chainsaw part of it. If one is handy with fabricating, I would probably save the money and buy the RangeRoad and simply add my own winch system to load the logs. Neither machine, even with modifications, would fill my needs simply because of the limits placed on round dia. For a 70yr old homeowner. I would want to eliminate as much lifting and manual work as possible and the rangeroader with a winch modification would be a better choice than the hudson with the gas powered chainsaw.

Those two machines are not the only options out there, Wallstein comes to mind. Altho I havent researched them, I think you might want to expand your list to at least include them in your options.


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## KindredSpiritzz (Dec 21, 2014)

boy i didnt like that hudson processor at all. You'd spend more time picking up and setting your saw down than you would working, not to mention working levers and messing with cable. Bet i could process more with just my saw and hydraulic splitter.


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## CRThomas (Dec 21, 2014)

blades said:


> Unless you have upgraded the splitter in your equipment list - that's your bottle neck. Those 4-7 ton electrics are S L O W even compared to a standard 15 or so ton box store rig. I do close to 20 cord a year with my single wedge splitter and it is twice as fast as the little 4 ton electric I have gathering dust.





blades said:


> Unless you have upgraded the splitter in your equipment list - that's your bottle neck. Those 4-7 ton electrics are S L O W even compared to a standard 15 or so ton box store rig. I do close to 20 cord a year with my single wedge splitter and it is twice as fast as the little 4 ton electric I have gathering dust.


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## FLRA_Dave (Dec 21, 2014)

I have the Wallenstein WP830 with the 6 way wedge and pivoting holder (though can't use it with my wrap style handle). I really like the winch to bring up the logs. I think it's rated around 22" max diameter. With the 6 way you can drop it all the way down for a 4 way and the 4 way will drop to a single wedge. The auto cycling action is great. The 22 gpm pump with the 4.5" cylinder moves fast enough. The out feed helps fill a truck or trailer.


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## tawilson (Dec 21, 2014)

Maybe a dump trailer would be a better investment. I load mine up with rounds and back it up to the splitter. No bending over. Keep raising the bed and the rounds keep coming to you.


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## TIMberbear (Dec 21, 2014)

Hud-Son also has a Wolverine model with a Hyd. operated saw. Ive been eyeballing that thing for a while. The Wallenstein has a saw pivot but your still having to use a gas saw to buck it up. I think the Hud-Son wolverine model you are looking for is the A model. The one where you run your saw is the M model. I have no affiliation to them, Like I sais ive just been looking around myself. Good luck in your search because the market is full of em.


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## lknchoppers (Dec 22, 2014)

genesis5521 said:


> OP here. The splitting part isn't my problem. I buy the permit to recover standing dead and downed trees in the national forest. It's the gathering part that is so time consuming and exhausting. I'm pushing 70 and I work alone. Carrying round after round from the forest back to my truck is a killer ~ at least for me. No mechanized equipment is allowed in the Forrest, so I can't drive my truck in to recover the tree I just bucked out. It takes me about 3 hours to split 1 full cord with my little Ryobi electric splitter which has an 8 second cycle time. But it's all the work required to get to the splitting that I'm trying to minimize. Us old farts just need a little help. For the cost of a firewood processor, I could buy a neck of a lot of already split firewood. But where's the fun in that! I might try to build some kind of manually operated log feed table to efficiently process purchased logs with my chain saw, and have the rounds fall in to my splitter. I've seen some setups like this on youtube.




You are working way too hard for your wood. Spend your time finding easy access wood. I personally would think you would benefit from a nice splitter with a log lift and an adjustable 4 way that adjusts on the fly. Save the money you pay for that permit. If you can't use power equipment to haul it or drive right up, to it forget about the National Forest. Work smarter not harder.


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## genesis5521 (Dec 22, 2014)

OP here. I live almost in the national forest. The permit is only $20 for (4) full cords of wood. I can buy three permits a year for a total of 12 full cords of wood. That's pretty cheap firewood. But there just isn't any "easy" to retrieve wood in the forest. Starting next year, I'll probably start buying truckloads of logs.


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## mountainmandan (Dec 23, 2014)

This has nothing to do with processors, but I too buy wood from the Forrest Service, and we have the same rules. So I bend them a little by using a heavy duty pulley, strap it to a tree, and use it as a redirect to pull logs up to the road with my truck. So one end is connected to a strap on the log I want, the other end is connected to my truck, and the pulley to change the angle so I can keep my truck on the road per the rules. Works great on some logs, some you just have to use a wheelbarrow.
Dan


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## genesis5521 (Dec 23, 2014)

mountainmandan said:


> This has nothing to do with processors, but I too buy wood from the Forrest Service, and we have the same rules. So I bend them a little by using a heavy duty pulley, strap it to a tree, and use it as a redirect to pull logs up to the road with my truck. So one end is connected to a strap on the log I want, the other end is connected to my truck, and the pulley to change the angle so I can keep my truck on the road per the rules. Works great on some logs, some you just have to use a wheelbarrow.
> Dan



OP here. I've thought of trying this. It would be a lot of work to constantly re-position the anchor points to re-direct the tree. But at least it isn't "grunt" work.

Don <><


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## zogger (Dec 23, 2014)

genesis5521 said:


> OP here. I've thought of trying this. It would be a lot of work to constantly re-position the anchor points to re-direct the tree. But at least it isn't "grunt" work.
> 
> Don <><



Have you tried a deer cart yet? You could always resell it if it doesn't work.


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## ponyexpress976 (Dec 24, 2014)

Would the rules permit doing the same with a winch cable rather than having to drive the truck? 2" receivers at each end of the truck and the winch in a cradle. Using a synthetic braided rope would give you the same pull as a steel cable, longer range than moving the truck and be a heck of a lot lighter.


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## genesis5521 (Dec 24, 2014)

zogger said:


> Have you tried a deer cart yet? You could always resell it if it doesn't work.


I take a heavy duty (800 lb capacity) wagon with me. I've used it a few times, and BOY did it help! But usually the terrain is just to rough for anything with wheels.


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## genesis5521 (Dec 24, 2014)

ponyexpress976 said:


> Would the rules permit doing the same with a winch cable rather than having to drive the truck? 2" receivers at each end of the truck and the winch in a cradle. Using a synthetic braided rope would give you the same pull as a steel cable, longer range than moving the truck and be a heck of a lot lighter.


If I continue to get wood from the forest, I'm gonna try some kind of winch. Cutting the downed tree in to 4 or 8 foot sections would make winching around obstacles easier.


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## jwade (Dec 24, 2014)

FLRA_Dave said:


> I have the Wallenstein WP830 with the 6 way wedge and pivoting holder (though can't use it with my wrap style handle). I really like the winch to bring up the logs. I think it's rated around 22" max diameter. With the 6 way you can drop it all the way down for a 4 way and the 4 way will drop to a single wedge. The auto cycling action is great. The 22 gpm pump with the 4.5" cylinder moves fast enough. The out feed helps fill a truck or trailer.
> 
> View attachment 388488


i really like that set up dave.looks abiut perfect for a home owner or someone selling 30 or 40 cords a year. how long have you had that machine an how much do you process on average.


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## FLRA_Dave (Dec 24, 2014)

jwade said:


> i really like that set up dave.looks abiut perfect for a home owner or someone selling 30 or 40 cords a year. how long have you had that machine an how much do you process on average.


I've only had it for about month. I've only put about 3 cord through it. With a standard hydraulic splitter I've done about 35-40 cord this year.


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## nathon918 (Dec 24, 2014)

FLRA_Dave said:


> I have the Wallenstein WP830 with the 6 way wedge and pivoting holder (though can't use it with my wrap style handle). I really like the winch to bring up the logs. I think it's rated around 22" max diameter. With the 6 way you can drop it all the way down for a 4 way and the 4 way will drop to a single wedge. The auto cycling action is great. The 22 gpm pump with the 4.5" cylinder moves fast enough. The out feed helps fill a truck or trailer.
> 
> View attachment 388488


is that a conveyor or just a chute...the splitter pushes the splits up the chute?? ive been thinking about making something similar just wondering how well it works?


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## FLRA_Dave (Dec 24, 2014)

nathon918 said:


> is that a conveyor or just a chute...the splitter pushes the splits up the chute?? ive been thinking about making something similar just wondering how well it works?


It's just a chute. It works very well. I want to add onto it or put some openings in it to let most of the trash fall through.


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## Rockjock (Dec 25, 2014)

This is the unit a friend of mine bought for his business it is about 10k US$ but I have used it with him and it makes short work of his cutting. He and his partner are about your age and neither of them is wore out after using it. Many options.


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## genesis5521 (Dec 26, 2014)

Rockjock said:


> This is the unit a friend of mine bought for his business it is about 10k US$ but I have used it with him and it makes short work of his cutting. He and his partner are about your age and neither of them is wore out after using it. Many options.
> 
> OP here. I was checking out this unit a few years back. Back then it was around 8 grand for just the basic unit. I like this machine!


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## Rockjock (Dec 26, 2014)

Genesis It is very well made I can tell you that much. He has been using it quite a bit and it works very well. The sawdust is thrown on the landing where the logs are stacked and the wood kept clean. As I said they use it for a business and both gents put in a full day but have since added a conveyor belt and can load a small dump truck in no time. His is fitted with a 20 inch bar and chain .050 72 dl and it really does a good job on the hardwood they cut and split.


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## benp (Dec 27, 2014)

Rockjock said:


> This is the unit a friend of mine bought for his business it is about 10k US$ but I have used it with him and it makes short work of his cutting. He and his partner are about your age and neither of them is wore out after using it. Many options.




That is slick!!!!

Here's another video that was at the video collage of related items at the end. I think its from the manufacturer.


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## GL0B0TREE (Dec 28, 2014)

genesis5521 said:


> Back in 2011 I posted a thread asking for opinions on the Hud-Son Wolverine Model M firewood processor ($8195). Here's a link to that post: http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...n-the-hud-son-wolverine-model-m-10-13.183625/
> 
> Well its 3 years later, and I'm still looking at firewood processors. Found this one, and the price seems reasonable (starting at $5995 US dollars). Watch the videos. http://www.range-road.ca/index.html
> 
> ...


Dear Don,
was giving it some thought, what about e jackass or a horse with a cart/sleigh, ??


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## Rockjock (Dec 28, 2014)

GL0B0TREE said:


> Dear Don,
> was giving it some thought, what about e jackass or a horse with a cart/sleigh, ??




The firewood processor would be cheaper in the long run. Also the only thing that comes out of the processor is split firewood and saw dust. the horse/ass have a different by-product! LOL


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## GL0B0TREE (Dec 28, 2014)

the carrying part would be taken away from our friend "op", the forest don't care too much about manure


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## Rockjock (Dec 28, 2014)

GL0B0TREE said:


> the carrying part would be taken away from our friend "op", the forest don't care too much about manure




That's true. There are some local outfits here that haul the logs out by horse. I have often thought to try that with my mare. She is the right breed, Percheron but do not have the right harnesses LOL


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## zogger (Dec 28, 2014)

If ya got the loot, the inclination and can get the logs delivered for what is acceptable to you, well..why not get one? 

Of course, once you do a load and have mountains of splits easy..you'll get tempted to get another load, then another, stockpile it away for years in advance, and sell some.

Whoops, need some sort of loader now and a dump trailer..more toys, win/win!


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