What is the true value of your logs in the woods

Little trip to "Stamps-R-Us" cures that.....

Nice looking set up TN Andy.

We sawed 1800 bd. ft. one day with the hired LT40 and sawyer.
Pine, hemlock, spruce and fir all the right size for quick cutting, about 12" dia
on the small end. 3 of us worked it.
The old timer sawyer said it was one of his better days.

But getting back to the true value of logs in your woods....
All depends on the landowners ability to work it up himself or have someone
do it for him.
If you have someone do it all for you you won't get much of the end value.
We put some hardwood and softwood flooring in that only required hiring a portable sawmill @ .20 cents per bd. ft. to saw, did the rest myself, edging, planing, grooving etc.
The value of the flooring and other projects in place is worth thousands of dollars compared to the hundreds it cost to saw it.
Time, tools and milling experience = $$$$
The more you can do yourself, the more value you will get from your trees.

The spring flood took out a lot of my barb wire fencing. Hired a guy to put it back/replace it. He said while doing so he noted one down tree which he thought was veneer quality and big. It has been down since at least 1995. I made a deal if he found a logger to cut and pull it out of the wooded area we go 50/50. My half was over $100. still don't know how they got it out of there.

Friend in IN bought a small sawmill machine and within three years paid off every debt they had, plus bought more property. He has a unique situation in that one of his neighbors is a tree trimmer and brings him logs for free (although he does occasionally slip a $100 bill in his pocket). Bought a second one mill. One of his biggest customers are trucking companies which haul rolled steel. They require a wood brace front and back plus a strip of rubber. 4" x 4" with one corner knocked off. He gets the rubber free from local mines as used conveyer belting and then pays someone to cut it into strips.

With the downturn in the economy he went back to work at the mines but still does the sawmilling part time.

I think I saw (no pun intended) that episode some years back...wasn't it that fellow from Arkansas on the Forestry Forum?

It is what I would do to but didn't want to bring it up here for fear of the liability nazis.

BTW Andy...

I have drooled over your setup for several years now.

Problem with the true value of trees on the hoof it two fold and two conflicting issues.

1. Almost every logger is a crook--I know one out of a bunch that is completely honest.

2. Every guy/gal with a mangey walnut thinks they have veneer grade (and it is usually a yard tree).

One place where it would really pay to have your own mill even if you go the chainsaw mill route is in large timbers and house logs.
Ive been there and done that and even free hand with the chain saw saved thousands.

That tractor skidding winch is a nice setup For anyone never pulled trees with a tractor it can be dangerous . I have flipped my TJ skidder before it an't fun One second you have the rubber side down the next up

I've been eyeballing one of those but I want to get some sort of ROPs on my tractor (completely rebuilt Massey Ferrguson 65 with a loader) before I would attempt it. Would actually prefer a newer front wheel assist 65 hp or larger tractor before using one.

Drool is what actually keeps the economy going

Never had a problem with the winch....of course, you don't want to have the log perpendicular to the tractor and try to winch it....the winch is easily strong enough to pull the tractor over IF the log hangs up. I simply take my time and keep the log low ( I barely pick up one end so only the far tip is on the ground ) and never have a problem.

Now I could tell ya'll about the time I flipped a different tractor ( 22hp Yanmar ) while bushogging, and apparently lived to tell about it

One thing I see with larger skidders is the operators take them on slopes I wouldn't consider on my tractor, and they will grab or choke up big loads, then run like the dickens to the landing.....all a recipe for a wreck.

You really don't need a huge tractor to skid out pretty good sized logs.....I can pull a 24"x16' log out using this on a 33hp New Holland 4x4.

Saw that picture, my mind immediately 'smelled' fresh cut wood!

How much are you and JustSawing getting for cutting... my local guy was only getting 25c/bdft... but he sold out early last year. I've heard a guy 30 miles away is getting .35c/bdft.

I can 'do' a LT-15 easily, but would love to have one of the new LT-35, with full hydraulics... but I'd have to squirm around my financing a bit. I know if I wanted to cut full time, or to make money, the hydraulics would come in handy, especially as I have a trick knee And back.

Drove by the back side of my place yesterday, going to my deer stand, (but didn't have time to go poking around... and saw at least a dozen brown topped pines... makes me sick losing the good un's, but they'll turn into lumber if I get the mill...

__________________
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

I rarely cut for anyone, as I use most of mine myself. Used to years ago, and even then, I did it by the hour....that way if they want to help offbear and stack, they saved money.....if not, it was the same per hour while I was sawing or whatever.

Last I heard 25cents/bdft was the going rate around here.

http://tricities.craigslist.org/grd/2007500850.html

You know you can pick up a pretty good used mill for under 10k, right ?

You know about: http://sawmillexchange.com/


http://tricities.craigslist.org/tls/2048098593.html

Yep you got to run hammer down to keep ahead of the bill collectors sometimes Would like to of kept that TJ but couldn't see letting it sit plus someone always wanting to lease it

My going to the woods days are over Just running a resaw now designed for longer wood than any around here

Here are some more facts for your consideration. Most if not all of the current miserable state of the Overall quality of our Forest in Private hands are the owners fault.
Loggers are not crooks but they are feeding their family and most will take the easiest way out and that leads to fraud, robbery and just human frailty. The largest reason for this is that the Land owner turns the logging operation over to the logger and is surprised when the logger looks after his self first.
Why would a logger cut trees that will net him 500 per day as low grade timber does when he convinces the land owner to high grade the woods and he makes 2000. It is the Land owners responsibility to protect his land and that takes a lot of work and education on their part. Please understand I am as guilty as any one here for bad decisions with my land.
http://www.timbergreenforestry.com/ Has some very good articles on what you can do. They did it and when I can get a chance I plan to visit them.

__________________
Follow me at [url]http://www.haneyfamilysawmill.com

Interesting site. Thanks.

Lately I've been thinking of ways to improve the final harvest on my next land by delimbing and thinning.

__________________
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin

I've been visiting the 'exchange' for a while now... and checking craigslist regularly

It is comforting knowing that the mills are like good trucks, as long as they aren't abused, they keep a lot of their value. 15 year old mills still worth half of their new price... probably an even larger percentage of their original value.

__________________
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming