Hemlock Logging

[Rick Alger]

Tom,

That method looks right for softwood, but it could be dangerous in big hardwood. I almost rolled a skidder with a top first hitch of hardwood. Bumper trees along the trail can act as a fulcrum on the forty foot lever of the hitch.

Rick

 

[PA Plumber]

I guess this is as good a place to post this as any.

Took the 441 from 12000 rpm to 13200 today. Big improvement in cutting speed.

Dropped a few more Hemlocks and limbed out a couple. Think I'll break out the 026 next time I have a bunch of trees to limb. My shoulder is just coming off of major surgery and I start feeling it after limbing 4 trees with the 441. Probably a lot of it is just getting into "logger" mode.

Looks like I am going to drop, limb, and stage the trees. I'm planning to do a couple of truckloads and go from there.

It was suggested I use a chain choker. Any specific brand or chain diameter? I have wedges and a maul. They have been working just fine for dropping trees. I do need to get a logger tape rule yet and that might do it. I'll try to remember the camera and get a pic of the trees dropped so far.

 

[tawilson]

How long were you out of commision after surgery? I'm going for an mri Monday. I banged mine up snowmobiling years ago, and it's really starting to bother me. I had x-rays, but the doc couldn't tell too much. I'm pretty sure I am going to need surgery.

 

[PA Plumber]

How long were you out of commision after surgery? I'm going for an mri Monday. I banged mine up snowmobiling years ago, and it's really starting to bother me. I had x-rays, but the doc couldn't tell too much. I'm pretty sure I am going to need surgery.

I was supposed to be off work for 6 - 9 months. Yikes. I am 3 1/2 months into it. My doctor doesn't know I am cutting wood and dropping trees. My therapist said I'm okay as long as I don't push it. I am only spending 2 to 3 hours at a time dropping and limbing.

Surgery: 10 mm distal clavical resection. The surgeon took a 1/4" off my right clavical. I was rear-ended a couple of years ago and the accident blew the cartilage out from between the acromion and Clavical. I worked a year and a half with it like that and just could hardly lift my arm above my head, or out from my torso, without a lot of agony. Got it "fixed" and it is doing much better.

 

[stihl 440]

mode

I guess this is as good a place to post this as any.

Took the 441 from 12000 rpm to 13200 today. Big improvement in cutting speed.

Dropped a few more Hemlocks and limbed out a couple. Think I'll break out the 026 next time I have a bunch of trees to limb. My shoulder is just coming off of major surgery and I start feeling it after limbing 4 trees with the 441. Probably a lot of it is just getting into "logger" mode.

Looks like I am going to drop, limb, and stage the trees. I'm planning to do a couple of truckloads and go from there.

It was suggested I use a chain choker. Any specific brand or chain diameter? I have wedges and a maul. They have been working just fine for dropping trees. I do need to get a logger tape rule yet and that might do it. I'll try to remember the camera and get a pic of the trees dropped so far.

It is probably you getting into logger mode. Like I said the few days you will be the most tired after that you get into the "groove", it's not so bad then. And yes you will need the logger tape and lots of wedges, they get lost and hit by the saw every now and then. After the 441 breaks in it will be safe to take it to anywhere between 13,600 and 13,800. And I would use the 026 for limbing the hemlocks, the 441 in good for limbing the hardwood. But the 026 will be faster and easier on you in the hemlock. The best way to sell them for the most money is to get sawmills to bid on the logs in the landing whoever gives the largest price gets the logs. Hemlock isn't hard to move, sawmills around here redily? want it.

 

[PA Plumber]

I forgot to mention, no real issues with shake yet. Have a big log I had to cut about 10' off to get rid of some worm looking rings. Other than that, trees are solid.

I must say, it is cool to drop a 24" dbh hemlock by wedging it over. It still scares the pants off of me to be cutting at the bottom of those 100' + trees, but I am starting to have a little more confidence in the saw and the wedges.

 

[kevinj]

I was supposed to be off work for 6 - 9 months. Yikes. I am 3 1/2 months into it. My doctor doesn't know I am cutting wood and dropping trees.

Tell ya what there PA.
You send me that 441,
and I won't say a word to your doctor.

DEAL ?
OR,
NO DEAL ?

:monkey:

 

[stihl 440]

3ft

I forgot to mention, no real issues with shake yet. Have a big log I had to cut about 10' off to get rid of some worm looking rings. Other than that, trees are solid.

I must say, it is cool to drop a 24" dbh hemlock by wedging it over. It still scares the pants off of me to be cutting at the bottom of those 100' + trees, but I am starting to have a little more confidence in the saw and the wedges.

Just wait, if you get a rush off a 24" tree, just wait until you start dropping trees in the 3-4 ft range. When they come down they make a boom. And the more trees you drop the more confidence you will have. Also the more trees you drop the better you will get at it.

 

[PA Plumber]

Tell ya what there PA.
You send me that 441,
and I won't say a word to your doctor.

DEAL ?
OR,
NO DEAL ?

:monkey:

No thanks. But appreciate the gesture.

 

[PA Plumber]

Had a load of logs picked up today. Hopefully another will be picked up next week. Here are some pics. Please pardon the pictures. I forgot my regular camera today and had to use a trail camera.

1st stack staged

1st stack continued

2nd stack

Look ma, no shake.

2nd stack and "skidder"

 

[PA Plumber]

Uh-Oh. I had a hand shake agreement with a buyer to take two loads. I said he could pick through the two staged stacks to take what he wants. His brother came today and took all the large logs out of each stack. Just before leaving, he said he didn't think his brother would want the other load. I told him his brother had come out to take a look and had agreed to the price and arrangements. I am willing to throw a couple of nice logs on the pile to help out, but this is frustrating. Especially when the buyer personally looked over the logs before we made the deal. I am going to try to work with the guy and I'll post what has happened, in case anyone is interested.

I guess, "Welcome to Logging, Where the Seller must Beware!" is in order here.:bang:

 

[Ryan Willock]

Thats par for the course I've seen "deals" like that before. Yep, in logging its Logger beware!!!

 

[stihl 440]

logging

Had a load of logs picked up today. Hopefully another will be picked up next week. Here are some pics. Please pardon the pictures. I forgot my regular camera today and had to use a trail camera.

1st stack staged

1st stack continued

2nd stack

Look ma, no shake.

2nd stack and "skidder"

Your landing looks good. How is it working out on the cutting end of it? As we all know you can get easily ripped if you don't sell the logs right. And yea the guy that you told to take what he wants, sort of ripped you, maybe not in price but in logs. I would get log paint and mark the ends of logs with different colors of paint for each mill so they know what logs to get. Make sure you tally your logs also before they take their load. That way there is less risk on getting ripped. Does you mill pay by the small end? If so then shorter lengths of logs will get you more money. Looks like you're doing good so far! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[PA Plumber]

Your landing looks good. How is it working out on the cutting end of it? As we all know you can get easily ripped if you don't sell the logs right. And yea the guy that you told to take what he wants, sort of ripped you, maybe not in price but in logs. I would get log paint and mark the ends of logs with different colors of paint for each mill so they know what logs to get. Make sure you tally your logs also before they take their load. That way there is less risk on getting ripped. Does you mill pay by the small end? If so then shorter lengths of logs will get you more money. Looks like you're doing good so far! :hmm3grin2orange:

This was a local guy who wanted the logs for siding. I told him he could pick through the two stacks as long as he was taking two loads. We agreed on a price for the two loads. I still need to talk to him, and he may come back for the rest. He hit me as a straight up fellow, so we'll see what happens. Just a little frustrating when the buyer tells me one thing and his brother shows up to pick up logs and tells me another. I'll be talking with the buyer next week. Hopefully it works out. We have good timber and there may be a chance he'll want more.

The next company I'm planning to cut for has different prices for different lenghths. The best rate is the longer lenghths (18' to 20'). They do pay by the small end. They are to send me new spec sheets soon.

The landing and staging areas are working out. There are a lot of trees my machine can't move until I get them bucked. It sure is better bucking at the landing than on the side of a ridge/hill.

 

[PA Plumber]

Another update.

Got paid for the first load and the buyer wants the second. Whew!! It looks like he is going to pull through on the two loads but we'll see.

Here is a picture of 3 trees I dropped today. There is a tree clear to the left, one clear to the right and another in the middle. Once I get them moved, I'll drop more that will end up in the same area as these are.