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Started by starmac, November 01, 2015, 09:12:33 PM

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starmac

I hauled an excavator to a logging sale yesterday.  The logger, new to this area is going to try to shovel log with an excavator with a thumb on it, and load trucks with it too.

I am curious as to how much you experienced guys think is possible to deck up the way he intends.

He is planning to hand fall, and shovel log with the excavator (no skidder for a while at least) and load the truck with the hoe, which would be a little slower, but no problem.

He claims he could easily do a load a day by himself if he had a truck.
Now I know for a fact that the trucking alone takes 6 hours a load.
The excavator also has a blade on it, but for sure is not an ideal machine for this use.
He is also going to be contract logging for the mill on their timber sale, so will not have to build any roads.
Do you think he can put a load on the landing is say 6 hours??
I am new, actually newer than new to logging. I bought and ran a logging truck last season, just started this season last week, but only know a little about the actual logging operation from what I have observed.

One of the loggers I haul for does shovel log (with a real shovel) and is very efficient. He only uses his skidder for house logs. He also drops his trees with a shear (except for the house logs) but has no problem loading two loads a day on my truck.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

coxy

if hes any good on it he should be able to load a truck faster with it  than with a loader as far as skidding not going to be vary fast

starmac

I don't see any problem loading with it, but don't see it being any faster than a loader, especially when he needs to turn the logs.
The guy that I haul for who shovel logs, does not skid with his loader, he he just stacks them, then swings them around to a new stack. he is working from the end instead of the middle and with the loader can lay the logs straight out from him, getting 140 maybe 150 feet at a time. Movinf more logs at a time than a hoe could too. He doesn't have long skids, but can move a load of logs 1/4 mile pretty quick.
I did notice, just from hauling the hoe out for him, he doesn't have any ice grousers, so am betting that will be his first move, just so he can stay on the hills.

I like the guy, and sure hope he makes out with it, but another problem he has, and it is a huge one, is he doesn't have anyone to haul his logs to the mill, and no one available either.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

enigmaT120

They can move a lot of logs with an excavator, that's what the guy who logged a little bit of my place last winter used.  Is his machine big enough to lift logs up into the log truck though?  My guy's wasn't, but we hired a guy with a self-loader for that.  I supposed it depends on the size of the logs, I had some pretty big ones.  I'll probably always use self-loaders unless I do a big clear cut.
Ed Miller
Falls City, Or

starmac

I think his machine would handle the weight of the logs well enough. It is a 41000 pound rig. He will have to be elevated a little on the landing to comfortably clear the bunks, which will not be a problem. Self load trucks is not really an option for  him, this sale is too fsr back in and it wouldn't be affordable, even if one was available. So far he hasn't found any type of truck available.

I see he left it on top of the first hill, and from what I hear he slid of the road several times getting to that point, but we had several inches of fresh snow overnight, so I didn't see his tracks, I think he is probably done until he gets some ice grousers welded on.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

OlympicYJ

I know a guy that uses a hoe to log but only short distances. Still inefficient in my opinion, he doesn't load. You can load a log truck but it can be difficult.

Just curious your avatar says you're out of Fairbanks; are you hauling to that little mill there or heading elsewhere? I know there is some logging up there. I spent a year there in Fairbanks.

Wes

starmac

I do haul to the mill here, well the only commercial one left. A few years ago they built a pellet mill out towards North Pole, I also haul the pulp logs there.
The guy with the backhoe, has not been back since the day I hauled his hoe out, not sure what is up.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

longtime lurker

20 tonne digger here would be regarded as too small for the job but our timber is a lot denser.

Depends on the length of the haul from stump to road. An excavator with a rotating grapple is a very versatile bit of kit but... It's an excavator, they don't walk fast. If he can reach the log and swing it from stump to side of road in one slew then it'll outproduce a grapple skidder hands down. As the haul gets longer it's going to get more and more inefficient.

I used to buy logs off a guy that would deck them down the side of the road then walk the excavator along and toss them on the truck as we went past. So long as they were close together it was faster then a selfloader
The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

OlympicYJ

Quote from: starmac on November 08, 2015, 12:20:48 PM
I do haul to the mill here, well the only commercial one left. A few years ago they built a pellet mill out towards North Pole, I also haul the pulp logs there.
The guy with the backhoe, has not been back since the day I hauled his hoe out, not sure what is up.

I heard about the pellet mill. How much volume does the sawmill take?

starmac

Olympic, I really couldn't tell you.
They have their own timber sales and logging crew, Plus some some small time crews logging for them.
The guy I am hauling for is their biggest logger other than their own crew, and we just take 2 loads a day in during the winter.
He would like to take more, but myself and one other trucker is all he has right now, and neither of will attempt 2 loads a day.
Later in the season, IF it ever gets cold, I will be hauling for another guy, but will still try to get a load a day ofr him, unless the other guy gets backed up.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

OlympicYJ

Gotcha. I imagine a lot of it is from state sales? Wasn't expecting it but saw a regular long logger driving through Fairbanks. Kind of surprised me and had to do a double take.

Wes

starmac

I have the longest truck around, I can handle 60 ft logs with a standard 10 over permit.
Mine is 305 wheelbase and I use a 28 ft reach.
There is only a handfull of long log trucks here, more self loaders even.
We do have work for a few more at times, but the money is not there for anybody to jump up and buy one, most of the truckers I know think I have lost my mind, but I am having fun.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

starmac

I did run into the guy that I hauled the hoe in for yesterday, when I was on my out with a load. He said he had had the flue, and was headed in to weld some ice grousers on it. At least he hasn't thrown in the towel yet, it was gone this morning, so he must have at least got to where he is going to log, but still can't find anybody to hall them when he gets them decked.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

OlympicYJ

Yeah I only saw the one. It wasn't a self loader but it was a long logger. I wanna say it was orange and a Kenworth.

starmac

I can't think of an orange KW around hauling logs, but thta doesn't mean it isn't sitting parked somewhere or the bunks pulled off, and running as a tractor
There is not much money in hauling sticks anymore in this area, so most have moved on to other things.
You really have to enjoy it, for the money it doesnt even make sense.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

OlympicYJ

It could have very well been another color it's been 7 years ago lol.

barbender

I can't see where a regular thumb would work very well for what this guy wants to do. If it has a regular rotating wood grapple on it, it would be much better.
Too many irons in the fire

starmac

I haul for a guy that shovel logs. His operation is about as efficient as it gets, and he only uses a skidder for his house logs. He has a larger machine with probably 25 feeet more reach and of coarse the grapple, also much more ground clearance.

There is no way the hoe bucket with grapple can possibly come even close to what he is able to do.
Dick has absolutely no problems processing and loading 2 huge loads a day, day after day, maybe this guy can do one with the hoe.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

starmac

Well my friend finally got up and running with his hoe last week, he isn't averaging a load a day, but is suprising me with his output. I hauled 4 loads out for him last week.
he is starting out on a shoestring, and has no work lights rigged up yet, so basically limited to daylight hours, which hurts. He has no heater and is using a weed burner to get her cranked up, which also hurts.
The hoe is considerable slower than a  regular loader with a high house and grapple, but not really all that bad.
From what I see so far, once he really gets going and gets a paycheck or three under his belt, he should be able to average a load a day.
My regular logger that I haul for is broke down for a while, and the other main customer hasn't been able to start yet, because of the location of his sale and not enough cold weather yet, so I told him I would help him all I could.
I am out nothing if I get there and he doesn't have a load ready, as the mill is cutting off the same sale and they are always happy to load my truck, so it is not a bad deal for either of us.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

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