Firewood Processing, go big or go home.

[Curlycherry1]

My brother runs a firewood operation in Upstate NY and I was there last week so I got some pics of the thing. He has a Timberwolf processor that has 26K hours on the clock. It was recently rebuilt because the steel beam for splitting was worn completly through. He also tweaked some other functions and got it running in prime shape. He bought the processor new about 9 years ago. The processor is tucked under a canteleavered roof of a barn so it stays dry while processing. Here is the processor in its position.

Here is a look inside the "sugar shack". This is the brains of the operation and the operator(s) can stand in here out of the weather. In the winter the walls are sealed up so it can be heated to above freezing. Last week he was into big wood so he was running the 6 way wedge on it. He recently also added a single little wood splitter off to the side. That way a helper when not filling the log deck with the tractor can be in the sugar shack splitting the bigger pieces that escape the 6 way wedge. With the `20" logs he was working last week each pass generates some flat pieces that need to be whacked in half. With a helper on the small splitter the operation is about 40-50% faster than just a single operator.

You can see the little splitter in this pic and see how it drops right into the conveyor.

Here is an end view of the barn. There is a place for the tractor but it was currently filled with junk. The processor is on the left under the cantaleavered roof. The tank is the diesel tank and the processor is plumbed right to the tank. Never a need to ever fill the tank on the processor. It just sucks fuel out of the tank and the fuel company fills the tank every few weeks. Bar oil is also plumbed directly out of barrels but that is inside and I did not get pictures of that.

I will continue with more pictures below.

 

[Beefie]

Keep the pics coming Curly. We like pics. What a awsome setup you guys have.

Beefie

 

[Curlycherry1]

There is a "road" next to the process and all the logs that is made out of road grindings. It is about 2' thick and can support any size truck that comes in. He has friends in the town that needed a place to dump the road grindings and so he got a steady supply years ago and now has a great road that is about 1500' long. Here is a view looking North up the road from the processor:

Here is a view looking South. The logs are piled on both sides of the road here to a height of about 30'. The forground pile is new logs just coming in so that pile is not full height yet.

Here is a view looking down from on top of the pile. That is a Kubota 7040 way down there looking kind of small.

Here is a look at the logs from a distance. The front small pile is beach logs that need to be processed quickly because they rot fast if left in log form.

 

[komatsuvarna]

Keep the pics coming Curly. We like pics. What a awsome setup you guys have.

Beefie

+1 26k hours!!!!!! That baby has split ALOT of wood.

 

[Curlycherry1]

The wood comes right out of the sugar shack via conveyor and directly onto the old tired yard truck. This truck has seen better days but it gets the job done.

Here is what two people can generate in 15 minutes not bad for a couple of old geezers.

Here is the boss settling into his favorite spot in the sawdust pile at the beginning of his shift. He curls up there and sleeps the entire shift. If only we could get that job.

Here are the guards of the operation. NOTHING happens on the property without their alert signal going out for the whole world to hear. NOTHING escapes them.

 

[Curlycherry1]

So what does it all accomplish. Piles and piles and piles of firewood everywhere. He is selling more than 1500 cords per year but we will not admit how much becuase the town does not want him getting bigger in his operation. So no official number goes out here. He stacks the wood so it will dry with no mold. Views of the piles. I also can't show photos of all of it because the town might do the math and get cranky. You also saw in the North view looking up the road (see above) piles of firewood on both sides of the road. He has a lot of wood around.

So there it is a big operation running full out making firewood, lots and lots of firewood.

Rep gladly accepted. :greenchainsaw:

 

[Curlycherry1]

+1 26k hours!!!!!! That baby has split ALOT of wood.

Good maintainence has kept the 40 Hp Deere diesel in good shape. Lots of other stuff has broken over the years and as I said the beam got worn out where the ram travels. 3/4" Of steel worn completely out in 9 years! A local welder cut the top half of the beam out and replaced it with a 1.5" thick top piece and it is solid as a rock and should last 20+ years.

 

[komatsuvarna]

1500+ cords a year!!!! If you add it all up over 9 years time at 1500 cords a year, that would be 9.91 acres of wood stacked 4 foot high.:jawdrop::jawdrop::jawdrop: Thats alot of firewood. Nice operation.

 

[STLfirewood]

Very nice thanks for the pictures.

Scott

 

[indiansprings]

What a fantastic operation, that's a wood business. I can only dream of doing that kind of production. That is impressive, 26K hours on the processor is unreal. Great post, keep the pictures coming.

 

[CWME]

That is really cool! Thanks for posting the pictures!!

Who is the lucky guy that gets to stack 1500 cords of wood a year?? That must take an Army.

 

[DJ4wd]

Wow thats sweet!
I imagine myself doing that around retirement time, loader and multi step procesor. Something to keep me hopping once my body wants to slow down lol

 

[Circle B MN]

Very impressive setup...

 

[ropensaddle]

I can easily see how a person could get there,it is the only way to make enough at it. I thought I would make part year income with my TW6 and can but no way is it equal to tree work when busy. I would be one sore sog if I did 1500 cords on my tw6 lmfao I did around 30 last year but got the machine in late summer. I have about ten split but been too busy for firewood!

 

[wvlogger]

wow what a setup

 

[Dalmatian90]

Nice.

 

[Curlycherry1]

That is really cool! Thanks for posting the pictures!!

Who is the lucky guy that gets to stack 1500 cords of wood a year?? That must take an Army.

Right now my brother has a guy that comes by and spends a few hours per day a few days per week and he is able to keep up pretty good. In past years he had some greedy kids that would get off the school bus at his house and stay until 6 or 7 when their dad or mom would pick them up. Those kids made a lot of money but that was years ago. Now kids are too darn lazy that they do not care to make a buck. They would rather text on their phones all day.

 

[stackwood]

There is a "road" next to the process and all the logs that is made out of road grindings. It is about 2' thick and can support any size truck that comes in. He has friends in the town that needed a place to dump the road grindings and so he got a steady supply years ago and now has a great road that is about 1500' long. Here is a view looking North up the road from the processor:

Here is a view looking South. The logs are piled on both sides of the road here to a height of about 30'. The forground pile is new logs just coming in so that pile is not full height yet.

Here is a view looking down from on top of the pile. That is a Kubota 7040 way down there looking kind of small.

Here is a look at the logs from a distance. The front small pile is beach logs that need to be processed quickly because they rot fast if left in log form.

That was like looking at a super hot naked chick ,,drool....................

 

[Curlycherry1]

That was like looking at a super hot naked chick ,,drool....................

Well, let's see, processor cost, two delivery trucks, barn, land, logs, processed firewood, processor chain, 3 conveyors, Kubota RTV, yard truck, tons of accessories to support it all, and all totaled it is about ~$300K+. Hot naked chick would probably cost about the same when all is considered.

 

[STLfirewood]

Well, let's see, processor cost, two delivery trucks, barn, land, logs, processed firewood, processor chain, 3 conveyors, Kubota RTV, yard truck, tons of accessories to support it all, and all totaled it is about ~$300K+. Hot naked chick would probably cost about the same when all is considered.

I don't know if they cost more but they are more work. At least when a machine breaks down you can just install some new parts. When a hot naked chick talks you have to act interested. The whole time your thinking shut up lets get to it.

Scott