Enough

[logging22]

How many of you pro loggers have had enough? I just sold my skidder, cutting just a few days a week now. I think i like it better. Just cutting and no worries. Dont buy fuel, or parts, or anything.

How many of you guys have had enough??:msp_unsure:

 

[Gologit]

How many of you pro loggers have had enough? I just sold my skidder, cutting just a few days a week now. I think i like it better. Just cutting and no worries. Dont buy fuel, or parts, or anything.

How many of you guys have had enough??:msp_unsure:

Had enough? Which time? :msp_biggrin:

 

[logging22]

I guess thats what im asking. When is enough? Its just getting to be too much.

 

[northmanlogging]

I'm itch'n to go right now... need to finish painting the skidder change the oil, then send her out to start making money... then there is that whole waiting for the dirt to dry up thing...

come August ask me again and I might be talking about selling the skidder...

 

[logging22]

I'm itch'n to go right now... need to finish painting the skidder change the oil, then send her out to start making money... then there is that whole waiting for the dirt to dry up thing...

come August ask me again and I might be talking about selling the skidder...

I just dont itch any more.

 

[madhatte]

I think there might be a song about it...

 

[slowp]

I think there might be a song about it...

There's one about the choker setter getting tired of the rain, I think.

I'm sick of settin chokers in this doggone rain...and so forth.

 

[Gologit]

I guess thats what im asking. When is enough? Its just getting to be too much.

Work however you're comfortable. Having a big outfit isn't always better than just being out there by yourself. There's nothing wrong in working for wages. I've done it a lot.

I've let the business grow a couple of times and wound up with more people and machinery than I really wanted. I had good employees for the most part and I was lucky with my machinery but the level of income didn't match the level of aggravation.

I spent most of my time on the phone or dealing with a lot of people that I really didn't want to have anything to do with. The bigger you get the bigger commitment you make in your personal time and your energy. Pretty soon you don't have the business, the business has you.

I've had better luck, and been much happier, staying small. I think that a guy has a better chance of having more control over his life and how much stress he allows into it if he keeps things simple.

I'm not preaching any of this and if a guy wants to run a big outfit, more power to him. It just isn't what works for me or what I want to do anymore.

And, being small, there's one hell of a lot less paperwork, too.

 

[Humptulips]

I'm itch'n to go right now... need to finish painting the skidder change the oil, then send her out to start making money... then there is that whole waiting for the dirt to dry up thing...

come August ask me again and I might be talking about selling the skidder...

Wait a minute, Paint? Skidder? Not sure I understand.

 

[Spotted Owl]

Wait a minute, Paint? Skidder? Not sure I understand.

One good photograph.

I think the only times I've seen good paint is on the lot or at the show. I think the set them under the conveyers at the rock pit before they send them out to the side. That's just my theory. Even brand new they roll off the lowboy rusted, scratched and beat up don't they?



Owl

 

[Gologit]

One good photograph.

I think the only times I've seen good paint is on the lot or at the show. I think the set them under the conveyers at the rock pit before they send them out to the side. That's just my theory. Even brand new they roll off the lowboy rusted, scratched and beat up don't they?



Owl

Not always. Some times they don't even make on the lowbed before they get dinged. A few years ago I bought a brand new skidder, a little Cat, and it was shiny new and didn't have a mark on it.

I was in the dealer's office signing my life away for it when I heard the crash. The lowbed driver, instead of dropping the gooseneck on the trailer, tried to hop it on over the back. I guess he didn't aim quite right 'cause it hung up, started hopping, and went over sideways.
It didn't hurt it too bad but it sure scratched up that shiny yellow paint.

I looked at the dealer and said "discount?" He said "Sure...just as soon as I shoot the lowbed driver".

 

[4x4American]

I'm itch'n to go right now... need to finish painting the skidder change the oil, then send her out to start making money... then there is that whole waiting for the dirt to dry up thing...

come August ask me again and I might be talking about selling the skidder...

you're paintin the missus eh? you stickin with the yellow or you gonna switch it up?

 

[deepsouth]

At least you have an industry.

Locally in Tasmania, it's been killed by green groups and government, along with their industry "exit" packages.

And then, poor design makes them wonder why a relative of the original owner starts a business having bought (in the books) the original gear, with the former business owner on wages in some cases.

And seeing as they are still trying to lock up some 500,000 odd hectares of forest, and world heritage list a fair chunk of that on to of about 1/4 of the state already being national park..... It will be hard to have a viable industry by many reports.....

Here's a map
http://www.environment.gov.au/land/forests/pubs/tas-forest-agreement-reserves-map.pdf

Relevance to heading - heaps, content minimal?

But as a tax advisor to this industry - I wonder what will be available for the future for this renewable industry here?

 

[slowp]

I think you should paint flames on it. I've seen real flames on skidders, but never painted flames.

Sometimes equipment gets painted on the job. But it doesn't look very good and may be offensive.

 

[bitzer]

Work however you're comfortable. Having a big outfit isn't always better than just being out there by yourself. There's nothing wrong in working for wages. I've done it a lot.

I've let the business grow a couple of times and wound up with more people and machinery than I really wanted. I had good employees for the most part and I was lucky with my machinery but the level of income didn't match the level of aggravation.

I spent most of my time on the phone or dealing with a lot of people that I really didn't want to have anything to do with. The bigger you get the bigger commitment you make in your personal time and your energy. Pretty soon you don't have the business, the business has you.

I've had better luck, and been much happier, staying small. I think that a guy has a better chance of having more control over his life and how much stress he allows into it if he keeps things simple.

I'm not preaching any of this and if a guy wants to run a big outfit, more power to him. It just isn't what works for me or what I want to do anymore.

And, being small, there's one hell of a lot less paperwork, too.

Yep this is one thing I've been worrying about getting a crew together. The wear and tear on the machine and the loss of freedom I have now. I can come and go as I please and don't have to worry about anyone else. I toss it back and forth daily. I know I could put more wood on the landing and probably make a little more, but it may not be worth the effort in the end. Just like getting into the business in the first place though, I'll never know until I try it.

 

[floyd]

When this old teamster friend heard I was selling my teams he asked me this

What's wrong? Is the pleasure no longer worth the pain?


All I could do was nod my head.

 

[Gologit]

Yep this is one thing I've been worrying about getting a crew together. The wear and tear on the machine and the loss of freedom I have now. I can come and go as I please and don't have to worry about anyone else. I toss it back and forth daily. I know I could put more wood on the landing and probably make a little more, but it may not be worth the effort in the end. Just like getting into the business in the first place though, I'll never know until I try it.

Yup, give it a try. That way you'll know for sure.

On the money end of things I found out that increased production didn't always mean increased net profits. More machinery and people equal an increased cost of doing business. Always.

At the end of the year what I could actually put in my pocket and call mine was always surprisingly little. Don't get me wrong, I did alright...but it wasn't the huge bucks that a lot of people thought. After all was said and done I was making about what I would have if I'd been running jobs for somebody else.

As you've no doubt already discovered a guy with a small business pays himself last, after everything and everybody else is paid. Sometimes he doesn't pay himself much 'cause there isn't much left.

Getting a good crew is hard but it can be done... in time. Keeping a good crew is what's hard. Most guys have a rough time adapting to the logging lifestyle. Unless a guy has been around logging for awhile and understands the transient nature of the work he's probably not going to like it.
And if you can't provide enough steady work for your guys to make a living they'll drift away. If you're constantly hiring new people you're going to be spending time training them. Time spent in training pays off long term but short term it's expensive and production suffers. If I had to continually train new people I couldn't make a go of it...simple as that. The margins are slim enough that if production suffers I might not be able to pick up the slack that a new guy causes for quite a while.

I'm lucky where I am in that I know enough experienced guys that if I need to put a crew together I have good people to choose from. There's always a few guys around who are looking for work...sometimes more than a few. That statement, in itself, is a comment on this business. There are always more guys available than there are steady jobs. Always.
If you have a pool of experienced guys who want to go logging you might be alright but if you have to train a whole new crew from scratch you better stock up on Excedrin and Rolaids.

 

[husqvarnaguy]

Sold our stuff a long time ago. Bought a small machine for little jobs a year ago and have not had one job yet.:msp_mad:

 

[jrcat]

I am trying it. I bought a small dozer with a winch (many guys around here have a dozer on site anyway). I figured if I am not pulling wood i am doing dozer work which so far has worked out well. I have only done one small job (a 20 acre piece) and have 3 more to go look at. I like the small pieces with good timber as I can go in by myself and cut a load or 2 a day...minimal expenses just not as much production as a skidder. But it works for me. I might get a skidder in the furture and I am thinking a timber jack 225 would be great.

 

[Trx250r180]

i'm not sure how it is everywhere else ,but a few of the established logging guys i know ,that have good crews have a year or 2 of jobs lined up right now ,most of the smaller companies around here gave up over the last few years ,so the competition for works not as great ,down town there is a lot of export wood waiting to go to china right now ,logging with skidders isn't very common anymore except on smaller jobs you may see one ,seems like you need a yarder ,shovel and a processer head to get jobs anymore