Finally downloaded some pics of work.

[tramp bushler]

If I could find someone who could make me money I would hire them .
If I could log the volume you can I would look for a mill to feed . . Can't at this point so I just slog along . A guy should be able to yake home 400 a day but that requires more iron . .:msp_scared:

 

[Oldtimer]

Labor that can even earn their own pay is rare. Labor that can earn you money beyond that is rarer still. My men (2 now) both earn me money besides their own pay.
Financing for equipment is tough even in good times. Right now- unless you have AAA credit and cash reserves- you'll need 2 tax returns showing you make good money, low debt to income ratio, collateral, and a co-signer on the loan. Even then, the loan won't be approved for much over $25K unless the collateral and co-signer are both substantial.

The key with logging, or any business, is FOCUS. You can't do firewood AND log out loads of timber too. You need to stay focused on one thing, and get good at it. You can try to hire on and get 3-4 things going at one time, but that only works 1 out of 20 times. The other 19 times ends in failure and debt. The only way to branch out from the core business is to build cash reserves first. When you can run the core business for 6 months on reserves, then you stand a chance of making a go of a second side business.

It's taken me 20 years to figure these things out...as nobody told me. I learned the "hard" way.

 

[tramp bushler]

Ya . I'm learning . And man is it hard .
I owne my Terex loader , a 10 yard dump truk and a Timberjack skidder .

The skidder is still in Southeast and will cost about 3800$ to get up here .
Yes its old iron .
I'm not running the dump truk now as I can't log the volume to offset the fuel (3)mpg and insurance
. I HATE being under the gun so I havn't done any bank loan stuff and won't . Hopefully I'll be as sucessful with the Tj as you were with your TwigFarmer .

 

[Oldtimer]

Ya . I'm learning . And man is it hard .
I owne my Terex loader , a 10 yard dump truk and a Timberjack skidder .

The skidder is still in Southeast and will cost about 3800$ to get up here .
Yes its old iron .
I'm not running the dump truk now as I can't log the volume to offset the fuel (3)mpg and insurance
. I HATE being under the gun so I havn't done any bank loan stuff and won't . Hopefully I'll be as sucessful with the Tj as you were with your TwigFarmer .

Might be better off to sell the TJ in the south, add the $3800 to that, then finance a bit and end up with a dual arch & cable machine. A d/a grapple will almost double your production while easing your back pain..then there's a dozen other uses you'll find for it. The limit is your imagination with it really.
I can not overstate what a wonderful upgrade a grapple is for a one or two man crew.
This machine is a damn good deal, don't let the age scare you. The hours are low, and these machines are generally bulletproof. Same machine as I own. It's in BC.

HERE

 

[tramp bushler]

I believe you . What is a D/A grapple .
Theres alot about Iron that I don't know .
what I really need is an FMC track skidder .
There is a big patch of timber that will come available in the future but it is a winter only show and it gets alot of snow . Need a dozer also .

Oh ya . That is quite a skidder .. 3 , 6 week hitches in Prudhoe would cash it out and the transport .
More to think about . There may be a grapple skidder come available here come spring .

 

[hammerlogging]

D/A = dual arch. better reach than a single, and overall allows more load getting and positioning. Its an extra set of hinge and hydraulics.

 

[bitzer]

Hey Old Timer how do you stack your firewood at the landing? I mean when you're making sticks? Just curious. How is the topography where you are normally working?

From standing timber to wood stacked on the landing I average 2500bf per day and about 5-6 cords. That obviously depends on size of timber/density/skid distance/weather lately etc. When the ground was holding up I was able to do more, but I usually only get a few hours in the morning to skid when the ground is still frozen. If I'm just cutting pulp trees all day I usually can get out about 6 cords. I've been tossing around the idea of doing some splitting on the landing. We got buckets of rain yesterday and I don't think the ground will hold up for any heavy equipment for a while. The last time I split alone I think I did 2 cords in about 4 hours. This was with a gas splitter and a tractor with a rock bucket to pick up my sticks to saw them up, toss the splits into, and then pile them up. I was ####ing cranking. I have access to a 5 yard dumper that will hold about a cord that I could just off load my splits from the tractor into.

 

[ChainsawmanXX]

Are you using supper singles on those trucks if so how do they work

Them super singles are #### IMO
With double tires, one can go flat and you can limp someplace (if your not loaded to heavy) them super singles you blow out a tire your dead in the water.
Plus there a real pretty penny!!
There is one good thing, they distribute weight better, and there easier to chain up.

 

[Oldtimer]

Hey Old Timer how do you stack your firewood at the landing? I mean when you're making sticks? Just curious. How is the topography where you are normally working?

From standing timber to wood stacked on the landing I average 2500bf per day and about 5-6 cords. That obviously depends on size of timber/density/skid distance/weather lately etc. When the ground was holding up I was able to do more, but I usually only get a few hours in the morning to skid when the ground is still frozen. If I'm just cutting pulp trees all day I usually can get out about 6 cords. I've been tossing around the idea of doing some splitting on the landing. We got buckets of rain yesterday and I don't think the ground will hold up for any heavy equipment for a while. The last time I split alone I think I did 2 cords in about 4 hours. This was with a gas splitter and a tractor with a rock bucket to pick up my sticks to saw them up, toss the splits into, and then pile them up. I was ####ing cranking. I have access to a 5 yard dumper that will hold about a cord that I could just off load my splits from the tractor into.

The ground I work can vary from flat as a pond to steep as the face of a horse.

When you say stacked, you mean tree length? I pull up with the skidder, dropping the hitch back as I get there, articulate the hitch towards the pile, back it up so the butts are up on the pile in good order, drop, pull up, back to the ends, grapple them up into the pile. If that becomes too hard because there's too much wood, I just blade it up best I can. However, I don't waste too much time on the piling, it doesn't pay any money. If I run out of room, I just drop hitches along the skid trails outside the landing while I wait for a truck.
I try my best to sort the firewood from the pulp, and also try to sort the logs to the front of the pile just to make life easier on the trucker.
When I am doing firewood, I grab 3-4 sticks with the grapple, about half way, and hold them up at waist height so as to saw it fast and easy. As I cut back on the trees, I move the whole thing ahead so the rounds are in one spot. Takes a bit of room, but it works well. With 2 guys (Me on the skidder, another sawing) we can cut up 4 cord an hour.

Alone, back in the day when I was "young" (29-30 years old) I would pull a trailer load of HW pulp out every day in ass deep snow with the old C5D twig Farmer....I ran just 5 sliders- 5 trees to a hitch, 6 or 7 if I pulled some trick shyte and doubled up on a few chains.. About 12 cords.
Now, alone, I do a tri-axle load of HW pulp a day if the wood is there and good sized. About 9 cords.
But I now have my 2 guys with me out there, and in the right wood we can move around 2 trailer loads of wood a day with the grapple and 2 saws.

 

[tramp bushler]

D/A = dual arch. better reach than a single, and overall allows more load getting and positioning. Its an extra set of hinge and hydraulics.

Thanks Hammer ; So , does it swing left and right . Do the grapples rotate ? Do they have a rotator or bump swivel them ?

Old Timer ; how much fuel does your skidder burn in a days loggin . How many hours ?

 

[sawinredneck]

Neat pics OT! Thanks!
The ONLY way to make any real money at firewood is a processor! Log length to firewood in one operation. I've made money selling firewood, but it's beer and bar money, without one!:hmm3grin2orange: Hell, I didn't even bother this year, they are selling Oak at $70 a face here! I have to drive 100 miles each way, cut it, load it, come home, buck and split it then stack it. I figure the first face pays for fuel and a little maintenance on the equipment, the rest I make some on. For years we got $125 all day, every day, for a face, but I can't compete with these fools, and I doubt they'll be around long at these prices either!
I run a small show, I can get two cord (the way I sell it, three face to a cord, 18-20" wood) on the trailer, and my "skidder".
Try not to laugh at the poor thing, but it's sure saved my butt and earns it's keep on a regular basis!
View attachment 227115

 

[tramp bushler]

Redneck ; that is cool . Did u make the grapple .
Got any other pics of it ?

 

[sawinredneck]

No, I didn't make it, it's a BMG grapple for mini skid steers,talk to TNTtree here, turns me into a three man crew, even with a bad back!
Let's see what I have for pics here.
View attachment 227139View attachment 227140View attachment 227141

 

[Oldtimer]

Thanks Hammer ; So , does it swing left and right . Do the grapples rotate ? Do they have a rotator or bump swivel them ?

Old Timer ; how much fuel does your skidder burn in a days loggin . How many hours ?

Dual arch, note the 4 pistons that give it up/down-in/out.

Single arch, 2 pistons- up down in an arc.

Swing boom, basically a backhoe attachment with a grapple. Swings side to side, up/down-in/out.

------------------

My machine is a 6 cyl turbo. In steady use, it uses about 10 gallons in a 6 hour day if I run it right. I set the hand throttle @ 1/4 or so and go up a gear if I need more speed. Saves fuel. It can use 30 a day easily if you run it WFO like a dummy.

The machine just turned 20,000 hours a month ago. Still runs like a deere.

 

[Oldtimer]

Neat pics OT! Thanks!
The ONLY way to make any real money at firewood is a processor! Log length to firewood in one operation. I've made money selling firewood, but it's beer and bar money, without one!:hmm3grin2orange: Hell, I didn't even bother this year, they are selling Oak at $70 a face here! I have to drive 100 miles each way, cut it, load it, come home, buck and split it then stack it. I figure the first face pays for fuel and a little maintenance on the equipment, the rest I make some on. For years we got $125 all day, every day, for a face, but I can't compete with these fools, and I doubt they'll be around long at these prices either!
I run a small show, I can get two cord (the way I sell it, three face to a cord, 18-20" wood) on the trailer, and my "skidder".
Try not to laugh at the poor thing, but it's sure saved my butt and earns it's keep on a regular basis!
View attachment 227115

That Dingo is wicked cool. Always wanted one!

Use that rig to load 4' lengths and sell it that way. Less work, almost the same money.

 

[tramp bushler]

Thanks OT ; I can see the differences now . Alaska has always been behind the curveon loggin equipment .. Any one of those skidders would be years ahead of what Im using now . 10 gal. a day . Thats great . I'm burning that in my loader .

Redneck . I've never seen one of those before . Its great . For 3 1/2 winters I've been loading my truck with 4' wood . By hand with a pulp hook . Now I use my loader . But I sure could have put a machine like yours to work . Thanks for the pics.

 

[Oldtimer]

Pictures of my fun last night.

Figured to share these too. Went out after the fresh 11" of snow, good to be out there after such a long snowless winter. I do this for my club, no pay...except the joy of laying down a perfect ribbon of smooth trail.

 

[sawinredneck]

That Dingo is wicked cool. Always wanted one!

Use that rig to load 4' lengths and sell it that way. Less work, almost the same money.

Thanks OT ; I can see the differences now . Alaska has always been behind the curveon loggin equipment .. Any one of those skidders would be years ahead of what Im using now . 10 gal. a day . Thats great . I'm burning that in my loader .

Redneck . I've never seen one of those before . Its great . For 3 1/2 winters I've been loading my truck with 4' wood . By hand with a pulp hook . Now I use my loader . But I sure could have put a machine like yours to work . Thanks for the pics.

My trailer is 80" wide so I try to cut it into 80" lengths then bring the whole mess home and process it at my convince. When you hear the residential tree guys talk about "mini's" this is what they are referring to, they use the heck out of them to foreward to the grapple truck, dump trailer and chipper.
I've got the grapple, a bucket w/removable tooth bar, built some pallet forks a land leveler and am working on a brush hog/mower for it now. For small operations in tight areas they just can't be beat!

 

[nhlogga]

Figured to share these too. Went out after the fresh 11" of snow, good to be out there after such a long snowless winter. I do this for my club, no pay...except the joy of laying down a perfect ribbon of smooth trail.

I havent seen one of those all winter. There is a club maintained trail across the road from my place. Usually its non stop snowmobiles. Not this year.

 

[Oldtimer]

I havent seen one of those all winter. There is a club maintained trail across the road from my place. Usually its non stop snowmobiles. Not this year.

Where do you live?

With this last "big" snow our trails have been flooded with sleds. I counted over 50 between 5PM and 10:00 PM while grooming.