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How many full time clearing saw operator ( pre-commercial thinning )?

Started by lacouleurde, February 26, 2012, 05:52:05 PM

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lacouleurde

I do that for living and I'm just wondering how many of you do that to?



jocco

Not full time: do some as it comes up. Did it for a company for awhile. Do some on lands we own. Around here the bottom fell out of it. What do you run for saws.
You may check out but you will never leave

shelbycharger400

i do it on the weekends ( look at history on my posts)   (dont know what your getting into)   i couldnt imagine doing it everyday! 

shortlogger

Me and my dad did it for quite a few years but it got to where we couldn't get enough people to work most couldn't handle it or were just to lazy . There was plenty of work just not enough willing workers we needed four to six good hands just couldn't get em finally just got out of it . Now a couple differnt Hispanic guys with a crew of illeagles does all of it round here. They work cheap and hard , I don't like it but it's the reality . Not many people want to work that hard for their money anymore .

1 Corinthians 3:7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase . "NKJV"

lacouleurde

Quote from: jocco on February 26, 2012, 09:00:01 PM
What do you run for saws.

I run a Stihl FS 480, and I just recently modified it, I grind the cylinder so the piston come up quicker, and I enlarge the hole who connect to the exaust.  And I love that job, when you do it for a while it kind of come a little more endurable, but its never easy money.

shortlogger

I always enjoyed the work except when it was 100 plus outside then it was just miserable my Favorite saw for it was probably the johnsered 2071 but we used a lot of different  brush and chain saws over the years
1 Corinthians 3:7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase . "NKJV"

Ken

I can't say that I do it for a living (because of it being seasonal) but I have had a crew doing this type of work for me for the past 17 years.  Most everyone in this area uses a Stihl 550 or Husky 365. 
Lots of toys for working in the bush

SwampDonkey

Been doing it for years as the boss, the compliance man, the thinner and even the marking out part for others. I've even marked some out for Ken. ;)

Last year I probably marked out 800 acres and I think there was at least that much more we thinned. So that meant my cutting acreage was down, but still cut about 65 acres just the same. Some on my own ground.  8) Pay seems a lot better up here than I've heard south of the border. Maybe that is why it's hard to get workers. ;) I put thinners right up there with mechanics, it's a specialized job and should be paid accordingly.  :)

This year our rates are under review, I hope they take a good jump. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

lacouleurde

80 % of all the thinner in my region use a Stihl FS 480.  And I get paid 520$ Ha. 

lacouleurde

SWampDonkey.  How much month of work you put for 100 acre?  And 100 acre are 40 hectare right?

SwampDonkey

lacouleurde,

100 ac = 40 ha yes, year before last I cut 45 ha. That was with marking out besides, probably 500 acres, I'd have to add up the maps. We went from April15-Nov 22 that year. The last 2 weeks it never stopped raining.

Our guys down here have 550's if they use Stihl. I get 1hr-20 min per tank in average cut'n. An 1hr-50 mins is light stuff.  Maybe 50 minutes in real thick stuff because the RPM's have to be up. Some sites I cut 0.7 or 0.8 ha a day, some 0.30 ha , try to average 0.4 ha on average ground (20,000 st/ha). Had lots of ground last summer with 0.7 ha days in field plantation.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Ryan D

I wouldn't call myself full-time, but I usually spend a numbers of weeks cutting and doing some layouts every summer. A lot of the people I have worked with like the 480's but I've always been a 550 person myself. I guess stihl is updating both of the models to 490's and 560's this year anyways. I haven't seen them yet but my dealer says he should have some in soon.

lacouleurde

I hope the new 490 will be as good as the 480.  Does anybody have test the New Stihl FS 460, FS 490?

ID4ster

I don't do it full time only as jobs come up. I currently use an 044 Sthil but would prefer to use an 029 Super or the equivalent with a 24" bar.
Bob Hassoldt
Seven Ridges Forestry
Kendrick, Idaho
Want to improve your woodlot the fastest way? Start thinning, believe me it needs it.

SwampDonkey

I hate it when they change stuff, that means a lot, if not all, your parts are no good on the new saw model.  :-X >:(
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

lacouleurde

SwampDonkey.  Are you a slow feeder or a big feeder or a medium feeder?  Or how do you use your throtle?  Last year i was feeding it very slow and i was doing 1H20 per tank, but this years i have started to feed it a lot more and now i'm doing 55 min per tank, but I bring with me a bottle of gaz so with my bottle of gas I do like 1H40 per tank.

SwampDonkey

I hit the throttle hard in the clumps and thickets, a sharp blade eliminates having to go full bore all the way through a strip unless wickedly thick. Our first block in 2010 was light and hardly had the rpm's up unless it was a clump. Only burnt 4 tanks a ha in that stuff, but the ground had a lot of trash in places because it was wet ground.

I've been in red spruce where it was like pitching hay, the dang stuff was so thick you had to swing and pitch the stuff to get it out of the way. You don't cut no acre a day in that stuff. :D

In plantation I just idle along if it's light. Kind of a pain, I have to leave the gas jug on an edge or I'll never find it after two hours cut'n. :D

In most hardwood I just feed it into the clumps with the rpm's up after I thin around them, then stuff drops in the spaces between, no tug'n much. Some people will go hog wild and are hung up in a mess of trash around them. Keep your leading edge clean and your slash out in the cut stuff not in what your about to cut. ;) I can cut more ground with a clean strip not all hung up. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SwampDonkey

Boss must be getting anxious, just received the maps for my first 50 acres.  With a week of warm weather, some fells think summer is here. Well it's 20 degrees out now with a strong wind. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Ryan D

I got the maps for my first 2 blocks (30ha) for this year last week during the 25C temps. Picking up my new saw today and of course it's -6C, blowing 50km/h and snowing.

Woodhog

You will no doubt get more money per Hectare this year due to the increase in gas prices, also High Octane gas is much more than regular, you dont want to destroy the saw with Ethanol gas...

Don't work for the same rate as last year...

I cannot use my clearing saw much due to a bad shoulder and worn out body.

nsmike

My brother in law in North Carolina, used to run a clearing crew, when I asked him what happened, he say's he was getting too old. The last two years he's been running a processor.

SwampDonkey

We've got guys in their 50's and 60's working on thinning.  ;D ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

nsmike

He actually didn't have a choice, the company he works for downsized , his choice was between running a processor and unemployment. His biggest complaint is that, after spending two years in the processor, he's too old to get back into shape for thinning.

SwampDonkey

New Brunswick's silviculture budget got an $8M boost this year to $30.5M   smiley_thumbsup smiley_clapping
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Ryan D

I haven't heard anything about out budget here in NS yet but I know the rates are supposed to increase which will be nice.

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