logging pulpwood

[Twig farmer]

My landowners give me a shocked look when I tell them how much I can pay for softwood pulp...and the hardwood price is a joke to them too....but I have to make what i have to make or I can't do the job..and around here....pulp is quickly outgrowing any sawtimber we have....for every acre of good timber, there's 30 of garbage highgraded stuff....the actions of the old boys back in the 60s and 70s (and 80s and 90s!!) is comming back to haunt us here...very few of us small time guys can step into a chipper, and the trouble it will bring...
Like my friend said: "If I had a million dollars to invest in equipment to go logging....WHY in hell would I go logging?"...

[Maine372]

logging on a small scale you make your money squeezing every cent out of every stick.  some tractor loggers around here have one ton dumps so they make all the money off the firewood. and they can haul small amounts if logs to speciality markets.  lets say you have a stand of pine, but theres some birch in the thin spots, and a gully around the brook with some oak in it.  you can take the few hardwood logs you cut each week to a bandsaw mill owner, or specialty mill. it could make you some extra money. it beats having the birch sit on the landing and spoil waiting for the oak to make a whole truck load.

i cut my wood for the highest possible dollar. ive sent hardwood pallet stock down to a 6inch top because the landowner wanted the all the hardwood pulp left for firewood. normally i wouldnt send it that small, but i wasnt gettin paid if it was firewood, even though i still had to yard it. the truckers looked at me a little sideways when they were loading 8foot long and 6inch top 'logs.'

'pulpwood loggers' make thier money on volume. trust me, tractor logging doesnt equal volume. its specialty markets. small woodlots, house lots, horse pastures.

and go farmi, you wont regret it.

[thecfarm]

Yes,I meant both hardwood and softwood.You really have to have a way to get rid of any wood that is in your area.You may need to cut 2-3 trees to cut the one you want.Or run the risk of barking them up or knocking all the limbs off one side or knocking it over and just leave it,which is not good at all.When I was doing it,I use to sell to one log yard.They took anything.Yes,I might not of made top dollar on all species,but cheaper than running all over with a couple 1000 of logs trying to get more money,than having to pay trucking cost.All sawmills,yards want the logs fresh,not sitting around for a month.Some guy tried to tell me to get your own small truck and make the delivery yourself.My argument was,who will be cutting the wood when I'm gone off trying to chase down another 100-200 more per thousand for 1000ft of logs, well I'm gone for 2-3 hours.Yes,they may say they pay $100 more per 1000,but they are harder on scale than the place that takes everything.Than I'm down to only $50 more now.It's a hard call.Than there is the up keep of it.I do not have the license for truck,all the cost of taxes that go with it too.Now hauling split firewood is different or 10 cord or 5000 at a time is different.
Winches,really buy what ever is close for you for a dealer.I have a Norse,but they all do the same thing.I don't think there are any bad,cheaply made 3 pt winches out there.I think there are less than 10 companies that make them and they are all good ones.No chinese knock off on 3 pt winches,YET.
By the way,you did not mention what kind of tractor you have,size,hp,loader?

[moonhill]

thecfarm, I appreciate the input on the winches.  I guess it would come down to new vs used and cost, quality not necessarily a big factor. 

I am cutting my softwood pulp into building material, rafter stock for timber framing.  Small scale for sure.  The last time I sold 4' pulp they were picky, no limbs or rot allowed, 4" tops,  the buyer said I had a good load.   After I take a rafter out of the tree I am not left with much for pulp maybe a 8' stick which I saw into 3x4 blocking for the lumber piles, dunnage. 

Tim 

[arborman]

Yes,I meant both hardwood and softwood.You really have to have a way to get rid of any wood that is in your area.You may need to cut 2-3 trees to cut the one you want.Or run the risk of barking them up or knocking all the limbs off one side or knocking it over and just leave it,which is not good at all.When I was doing it,I use to sell to one log yard.They took anything.Yes,I might not of made top dollar on all species,but cheaper than running all over with a couple 1000 of logs trying to get more money,than having to pay trucking cost.All sawmills,yards want the logs fresh,not sitting around for a month.Some guy tried to tell me to get your own small truck and make the delivery yourself.My argument was,who will be cutting the wood when I'm gone off trying to chase down another 100-200 more per thousand for 1000ft of logs, well I'm gone for 2-3 hours.Yes,they may say they pay $100 more per 1000,but they are harder on scale than the place that takes everything.Than I'm down to only $50 more now.It's a hard call.Than there is the up keep of it.I do not have the license for truck,all the cost of taxes that go with it too.Now hauling split firewood is different or 10 cord or 5000 at a time is different.
Winches,really buy what ever is close for you for a dealer.I have a Norse,but they all do the same thing.I don't think there are any bad,cheaply made 3 pt winches out there.I think there are less than 10 companies that make them and they are all good ones.No chinese knock off on 3 pt winches,YET.
By the way,you did not mention what kind of tractor you have,size,hp,loader?

            I have aJD 5205 (50hp) with a loader ,Thank You.

[Maine372]

oh come on tim, i know which mill youre talking about and you just have to have the right guy load the wood. ;-) it does take awhile to save up 10cd of 4ft spruce when you can take logs down to a 6inch top.

back to the topic at hand. pulpwood isnt where the money is. an article in the northern logger quoted somone as saying "pulpwood was round, had two ends, and no one cared where it come from"  thats not quite the case anymore, but almost. pulp is a commodity, a by-product. tractor logging is viable, but you have to either chase the small lots with gravy wood, or sell it as a service (stand improvement, houselot and horsepasture clearing, etc)