Conveyors Chain Vs Belt

[Birddog1]

I recently joined this forum which by the way is very cool and informative,I recently purchased a Timberwolf TW-5 splitter with all the options,also a six way wedge that I like better than the 4 way wedge for the two foot hardwood rounds I have been splitting, I have split near 20 cords in my first week working alone,an awesome machine!! I have been looking into conveyors, I don't need anything really big The timberwolf c-20 looks like a good choice runs a rubber belt, I notice Hudson has some smaller conveyors a 12And 16 foot conveyor that are chain driven, seems to me the chain drive would outlast a rubber belt.. My neighbor has a Multiteck Processor that can pump out 30 cords a day! He has been into for 40 years,told don't get a conveyor with a rubber belt they won't last over a couple of years with heavy use? He has a 35 ft. conveyor with an all steel belt he has had for years with no problems. I only have small operation started 50 cord a year is my goal for the 1/2 of an acre I am working on.I guess my question is has anyone had any experiences with a chain driven conveyor vs a belt driven conveyor.?? I use a husky tractor with a trailer hitch I welded up to move the splitter around,so I can't have anything really heavy to move a conveyor around and don't need a pile over 8 feet tall. Thanks in advance

 

[Moss Man]

My conveyor has a rubber belt and at the angle we have to run it at, it stalls on the bigger wood. The rubber belt isn't the whole problem though, there are other evils at play. Get one wide enough and long enough to easily do what you want it to, that's the only advice I have.

 

[Ohiowoodguy]

I guess a rubber belt wearing out would depend on what its made of (DUH!), but my 30' home-built (18" wide) uses a belt thats around 3/8" thick, constructed like a tire (crossed nylon fibers throughout), impossible to cut without a powertool. I've noticed NO wear in 10 years use. It only slips when iced. I've heard that chain or paddle conveyors can get snagged on pieces and splinters.opcorn:

 

[treevet]

Cost may be a deciding factor? You said you don't plan to get a huge op going.

I have had a tw 5 for about 5 years with all the options. I keep my truck boom (crane) nearby with a fabbed bin and load into that and boom wood into a pile or dump trailer then or later.

I added a 24 foot timberwolf conveyor this year and it is a pleasure to split now. Get the stuff out of the way and you got some room to work. It idles to do its work and prob uses a gallon of gas in a hole day (pure guess here). It is so low stress/impact on machine that it seems like it will last forever. Rust being the only worry. It cost a little over $7k I think. I'm thinking the non belted option would be a lot more expensive?

Anyway it brings out the true character of the tw5 as you are not being held back by a mess in the way or taking a block of time to move as well.

 

[treevet]

Thought about and almost bought the 20 footer but glad I didn't. We move the thing around by hand but are soon to set up the miniskid to do it I hope.

 

[jack_90125]

if around farm country might consider a old corn elevator if you have electric around or a pto one if you have something with a pto on it.
I have one hooked to my tractor and have had zero problems with it.
you can find them from 4ft to 50ft and it works pretty slick.

 

[Birddog1]

Re Conveyors Chain Vs Belt

Thanks for the replys,I sure like that timberwolf setup you got there in the pictures you posted, I have been doing a lot of research on conveyors,What I have found out so far is that the chain driven models that the Hudson Co. manufactures are less reliable the belt models which you almost have to place each log on the chain parallel with the chain,it would be ok for loading a truck or utility trailer,not very commercial.. The belt models are the way to go the wider the belt the better,if they are cleated is even better because the wood has something to grab on to for top production..Basicly you get what you pay for. I am going to look at a Hudson c-20b hopefully next week just for the heck of it .They are not as expensive as the C-20Timberwolf is even more but I have to agree that they put out the best conveyor!!I have to locate one to check it out face to face..the way this economy is now??? I just got wind of a corn elevator like someone mentioned in a previous post,I was told it has a new electric motor,belt,etc.That tells me the last motor was probably cooked? That one has a all steel belt but is 30 ft long,I don't know if logs will bog it down,Then I have to babysit electric cords etc.?not as easy to shuffle around either! I think to long for my smaller scale operation?16-20 ft. would be good something I can move around myself. I will check it out also!!I may just wait till Spring and see what prices are doing!if my arms are still in their sockets,I throw them high as I can till they start an avalanch towards me.I will take some pictures when I see how this site does their posting.. I can't wait to fire up the tw-5 again for round two,I have another 9-12 cords of two-three year seasoned lined up for Monday in 8 ft. lenghts,I take what I can get when I can get it,seems like the seasoned firewood supply is drying up here in RI. Its been so wet the loggers can't get to there stash!Probably be another month or more before it suddenly reappears,We hope! things are tight even finding seasoned tree length wood. I better drop it here........

 

[thejdman04]

My experience, and bark dirt "crud" tends to fall through the chain and keeps your pile a bit cleaner. In farm country I have seen decent conveyors go for as little as 25 dollars that WORKED.

 

[Birddog1]

re

Thats being in the right place at the right time!,I never seem to see any opportunities like that around here. well we are getting our first good pounding of snow here in RI. Other storms have just missed us like the ice storm in Mass. and NH. It was just a matter of time. We were past due! firewood sales are up and the seasoned wood pile is going down quick.Snowblower is tuned up and ready to rip. Expecting wood on Monday I hope

 

[kevin j]

farm conveyors go cheap here as there are few small square balers left, and almost no ear corn. Shelled corn they have gone to aguers or double belts. so you might get one pretty nice priced at farm auctions.
They are usually bolted together in 8 to 10 ft sections, so you can take off some and shorten. Chains you knock apart with a hammer, remove links, and knock back together. The support arms and pulleys/cable under it may take some minor changes, cutting and welding, but I'd think very cheap and minor to end up with a nice labor saving deal.

kcj

 

[LEES WOODC]

Don't bother buying a belt conveyor if you want to process wood in the winter time. Snow and ice will cause the wood to slide back down a belt conveyor unless you run it at a very low angle with a ribbed belt.

 

[treevet]

Don't bother buying a belt conveyor if you want to process wood in the winter time. Snow and ice will cause the wood to slide back down a belt conveyor unless you run it at a very low angle with a ribbed belt.

We keep ours covered with a huge tarp and haven't had that problem and I am glad I did not spend the extra on the ribs. We cover everything with plastic tarps and it seems to work out as I've got no inside space. This is just my first season running it tho and maybe if very humid one day and then a frost freeze overnight then a problem but it seems to me that the bend of the belt over both ends would fracture and discard any ice. I'll see I guess.

 

[Jkebxjunke]

i would vote for the farm conveyor... say you get one for $100 and have to put another $200 in it... ( you can put a gas engine on them eliminating the electric part) you are up to $300... thats still alot cheaper than the $7,000 for the other one... that puts $6,700 back in your pocket or that much wood you dont have to sell to make it pay for itself... and then if down the road you decide you need the bigger better conveyor... go for it... you can always sell the one you have

 

[treevet]

I looked all over this area for the farm conveyor and could not locate one for maybe a year. Then we got hit with a hurricane and started buying a ton of stuff so I didn't have to pay too much taxes. The conveyor was one of those things. I'd prob still be looking for the farm conveyor if not for the windfall.

I am REAL happy with this one tho and it will pay off in a year like the tw5 did. I heat my house completely with wood too so if wood is slow no biggy. I can pack both units up and take them on jobs which we are doing this week coming up. I got a thousand dollars plus on splitting 2 big oaks up from the hurricane and a possible another 500 on an ash pile from EAB. Sounds hard to believe, they are almost paying more than if I just took wood away but think they are doing something environmentally beneficial. It is that kind of town.

 

[Birddog1]

awesome timberwolf Looks like a great conveyor,must make like real easy when your working!The tw-5 Is great they are rugged machines,you get what you pay for with their products. Do you know what the weight difference be between the c-20 vs the c24? decisions decisions.. Hudson don't even compare to timberwold quality!yea I would get one with a paddle belt to keep logs from sliding down in icy weather! I may hold off till Spring I can't seem to get motivated to spend 6-8 grand,I know it would be a great investment and would make my life a lot ez'r..Could get a snow plow and a dump trailer for that? decisions decisions I have an all nighter stove in the house and also an all nighter in the barn that keeps us warm as toast! We use the oil furnace very little in the winter we may use one tank of oil per season when I get lazy keepin the wood stoves going!! the attached pic is 20 cords of green cut,&split wood buried under the snow.

 

[treevet]

awesome timberwolf Looks like a great conveyour,The tw-5 Is great they are rugged machines,you get what you pay for with their products. Do you know what the weight difference be between the c-20 vs the c24? decisions decisions.. yea I would get one with a paddle belt to keep logs from sliding down in icy weather! like now. a picture of 20 cords of wood buried under the snow.

Beautiful pict. Birdog. Is that a firewood pile where the mound is? Is that a huge oak sticking above the others in the treeline in back?

None of the literature I have has any weights. Call 800 340 4386 (TW #).

Also noticed that I checked out Built-rite conveyors but found TW a better deal.

Both are in Vermont. Built Rite 800757 2520.

Also I have found myself and talking to others that bigger is better and the higher you can pile then the less time you move the unit and less space is used.

 

[Birddog1]

Yea Thats the start of next years wood pile under that mound I have some 1/4 cords stacked on pallets that are almost buried, In the background yea are some huge oaks all in good health! If they get sick They have been their longer than I have been here! Yea I might have to go to Vermont! I will request a catalog first.

 

[cantoo]

bird dog, here is the thread with pics of my farm conveyor. In the pics it is at the lowest height it will go, it will go much higher and still move wood. I can move it by hand if needed but usually just hook onto it with Steiner and move it. I prefer to move the rounds to it because I have the splitter sitting on blocks to get a better working height. Put a fence around the end and you can have a pretty big pile in a small space. Parts for the conveyor are available at TSC or farm dealer. I power it with my generator and it hardly uses any fuel, generator also runs lights which allows me to work at night when it cooler.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=71538

 

[treevet]

We move our conveyor around with these:

 

[Birddog1]

bird dog, here is the thread with pics of my farm conveyor. In the pics it is at the lowest height it will go, it will go much higher and still move wood. I can move it by hand if needed but usually just hook onto it with Steiner and move it. I prefer to move the rounds to it because I have the splitter sitting on blocks to get a better working height. Put a fence around the end and you can have a pretty big pile in a small space. Parts for the conveyor are available at TSC or farm dealer. I power it with my generator and it hardly uses any fuel, generator also runs lights which allows me to work at night when it cooler.

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=71538

Cantoo You are very generous with all those pics, You definitely have a good system going there,I'm catching up to ya slow but sure! Birddog1