How much to pay for logs

[music_boy]

Hey y'all
      I've stumbled into what looks to be a sweet deal. There's a log,stump.and brush dump near my home. I talked to the owner\operator and told him about my mill and plans. He gets alot of logs of all sorts, sizes, and all grades from clearing building lots. He is willing to set aside whatever I ask for because he will either let it go for firewood or take it to the mill.  Firewood is not worth sawing but the other stuff is. Some of it is real nice.
      This guy is not looking to get rich but wants something for his time, and fuel.(he loads them on my trailer too) I'm looking for something simple but fair to him without killing my cash flow waiting for it to dry so I can sell it. Species is not an issue as the logs are all the same to him. I'm thinking something dealing with size and number of logs.
     I picked up 2 cherry logs, 12" X  8' , Walnut logs: 14" X16        10" X 6'    and one that is 12" X 6'  but is split down the middle.
     Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Rick

[DouginUtah]

Music_boy,

I don't know squat about timber prices but my suggestion would be make it as simple and quick as possible. Don't get into figuring bf, etc. Possibly agree to pay, say, $1.00 per lineal foot for anything over 10". So your load you picked up would have been $42. If that is too much go for 50¢ per foot. Then if you get some big boles you can always bump up what you pay him to make him feel good.  ;D

-Doug

[Dan_Shade]

why not pay him per hour?  or figure out what the time is worth per log and then pay by log?

sounds like a pretty good deal.  there's a lot of time and labor for us small guys to get logs loaded and such

[Daren]

Find out what the firewood price is locally by the ton and pay that if he has to have cash to get his logs. I don't think I am getting the whole story here, but I am guessing all the good saw logs are getting sold before they hit his pile. Those walnuts are on the small side, they would be fine to saw if they were freebies. If he is that easy to work with do what I do with a few guys who clear for building, waterways, roads... Establish a good working relationship with him and offer to pay a fair price for the lumber you get after sawing. Don't try to pay sawlog price for small, busted logs and hang yourself. If you get a nice stack, pay right. If you get a rotten log full of metal tell him that one didn't work out. I may be wrong, but a log dump is not going to be a place you are going to find anything worth sweating the money end of it. Either you get some little logs to saw without having to spend much cash, or walk away. Just my 2 cents.

[Daren]

I got sidetracked with a phone call and didn't really finish my thought, sorry for double posting. I am not familiar with log dumps (not enough trees here in corn country), but I am guessing people pay him to take their logs, limbs, stumps? So he has made his money, logs sales would be gravy. Maybe even save him labor getting them hauled off instead of having to deal with them however he does. I know it is tempting to see a big pile of logs (that you don't have to fell, skid..) and want to "corner the market". I am not trying to make this harder but, talk to him and find out where his logs come from (tree services, utility companies...) and get to know someone who is hauling to him and paying him to take them and offer to let them haul to you for FREE . I know you don't want the stumps and limbs, but I talked a guy up and we hit it off who works for rural electric one day and now the good logs get dropped in the yard and the junk goes where it was headed (log dump?).

[oldsaw]

Big nasty logs that would take you forever to load, like the 36"x12' walnut we cut up last month, which wasn't a good log, but a big one, I would pay him $20 for getting it on the trailer, and another $20 or so.  If the log was really nice, I wouldn't mind paying him a $50 "finders fee", especially when you are "training" him to find logs for you.  When he calls you, he knows he's probably in for a quick $50 or 80, and will want you back soon.  I'ts "beer money" that Mama doesn't have to know about, so it is even more valuable to him.

For those logs, I'd offer him $30 or 40, then ask him to keep an eye out for some bigger ones, since you don't get much wood out of a 12" log.  But, you are generous so he remembers you.  When he finds a nice one, don't be afraid to slip him an extra $50 if it is a nice log that looks like it has the goods to make some real lumber.  He'll remember your name....and the money.

[Buzz-sawyer]

So he sells for a FIREWOOD price...and you will pay him that or less for anything you can use?..I wouldnt pay much of anything for the logs.pay him his minimum for the logs..and thats it........or if the logs are free pay him 20-30 an hour to load????

[music_boy]

all good ideas.
      I thought about the firewood idea because if I don't take the logs, he puts them in the firewood pile. Yeah, these are small stuff but I have seen some big chrry logs in his yard. I also thought about the, " let me see what I get after I saw'em" and he was agreeable to that. Like I said, he is really easy to work with. I think the " beer money mama doesn't know about," is probably pretty close. I think he is excited about seeing what the lumber looks like from logs he's handled. I think I'm going to do a combo of advice from ya'll. He makes 22.00 an hour. took him 10-15 min to load the logs. So, I like the 5 bucks a small log 10 or 15 for a big log. If an especially nice one comes in, I'll certainly be more generous and like you say, make him look out for me. I'm also thinkin like 50 for a trailer load. That kinda thing. I'll also find out what brand of beer he drinks and toss in a case at the end of the day on a Friday. I'll bet he'd appreciate a 3" by 12" by ? cherry or walnut fireplace mantle ;D
Whataya think 8)
Thanks ya'll
Your suggestions helped and confirmed some of what I was thinkin
Rick

[Rockn H]

We have a place here that hauls in and chips up creosote ties for fuel at the mill.  They don't like or rather their chipper doesn't like the big bridge timbers so they load them for 40 dollars a trailer.  Doesn't matter how many timbers it's $40 per trailer.  Keep it simple, it averages out in the long run.

[oldsaw]

I agree with the "keep it simple", but you have to "train" the guy so he doesn't let some good ones go.  Basically have him start a pile for you and call you when it's a trailer load.  It won't take long for him to recognize what you want, and it will keep someone else off of your turf.

PS, I probably wouldn't make something for him, he may think he's selling gold on the cheap.  But the beer...SCORE!!!  I know I like it when I have some money Momma doesn't know about, and when it comes with beer...If that isn't heaven, I don't know what is.  :D