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Low grade prices

Started by jdw, August 16, 2016, 06:50:00 PM

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jdw

What is the going rate for low grade logs? I seem to be having trouble getting tie logs and am giving 250 per thousand which is fair I think. Am I in the ballpark?

drobertson

Lots to consider here, but for starters way to low at least around here. Low grade is not the way to go, do some more home work you will find the spot,  ties have grade factors too, low grade logs from what I have seen too many potential negative factors
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

dustyhat

local mills around me are paying 400 back in the winter 450 to 475.

paul case

I am at $.35 delivered to my mill.

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

killamplanes

500 bdft here is the start of tie logs. Blocking 320-350 Doyle bdft..
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

Luke_Eames

I'm paying around .32 per BF delivered of low grade oak.  Most of it is 3 face clear.   
Wood Mizer LT-70 Super Wide
Wood Mizer EG200
Cat IT18

123maxbars

I have been paying .30 for low grade oak, paid .20 yesterday for some but they had lots of bird peck,
Sawyer/Woodworker/Timber Harvester
Woodmizer LT70 Super Wide, Nyle L53 and 200 kiln, too many other machines to list.
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jdw

Yea the average around here was .25 prices are still low. I saw someone said they pay 500 per thousand how can you make profit at that price?

Peter Drouin

Matt logs $.52  10" top+ 16' long. And all the log has to be is straight and sound.
Allot of beech, here, is cut for that.

A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

bkaimwood

My best case scenario for such logs is .35 a bf...
bk

killamplanes

500mbf on Doyle scale u can make money. I know several mills around here doing it semi loads at a time. Margins are tight but the real key is gettin to $ on the side lumber rather pallet,flooring etc.
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

killamplanes

U take a straight 13in log scales 40bft doyle take a 29 dollar tie and couple boards say 32-35$ u paid 20 and that's low grade log with pallet boards. 12-15 dollars nothing to sneeze about. Like anything its not a get rich quick scheme either.. And the logs are not on the deck long like sawing 4/4 lumber all the way thru..
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

paul case

I know a mill near me that does just that with as many logs as he can get with a cleerman  circle mill and vertical edger. I believe he told me they can make as many as 200 ties per day. He DOES NOT pay $.50 for logs last I knew.

They can saw more logs in 15 minutes than we can saw in a day.
PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

killamplanes

Well I log pretty steady 6 months out of the year. And I am glad to receive the prices for logs that we get here. Competition is ruff for mills I here it all the time. To many sawmills not enough loggers. I would agree but on the flip side bidding jobs on the stump is tuff.pockets get deep. I can only afford to keep my low end tie logs for my mill. I don't want to get in to serious cutting grade. I also need the side lumber to feed my pallet operation. I cut some blocking but take most of it to a circle mill nearby. Most my logs travel 3 hours round trip to fetch high prices do to about 10 mills in a 10 mile area were I go.. So moral of the story is I am probly not that far ahead if a guy next door paid 350mbft do to my cost of travel.  Which is very costly
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

ozarkgem

Quote from: paul case on August 20, 2016, 10:39:39 AM
I know a mill near me that does just that with as many logs as he can get with a cleerman  circle mill and vertical edger. I believe he told me they can make as many as 200 ties per day. He DOES NOT pay $.50 for logs last I knew.

They can saw more logs in 15 minutes than we can saw in a day.
PC
How many people does it take to make 200 ties a day?  Kind of makes you want one of them.
Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

Ron Wenrich

With a good automatic mill, you can do it with 4 guys.  Sawyer, loader operator, off bearer-edgerman, stacker.  Loader operator can also help stack lumber and debark.  A green chain also acts as a surge deck.  You don't handle any of the waste.   Slabs are chipped, dust is blown into a trailer.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

killamplanes

I've got a guy I go to with an electric lt70. Sawyer, offbearer that feeds edger than a stacker. They pile waste edges and couple times a day take to burn pile. Dust is blown etc. They keep cutting with 2 people while trucks come in to load unload etc. I bet with decent logs there tapping on the door of 100 a day. But he would never tell me. Fear of me now in how good he is doin. Really nice operation low overhead family business. Where they make there money is consistently keeping the blade running threw wood no big breaks, 5 1/2 days a week consistent.  Not a race but a marathon. He pays good  for good logs 75% load has to make tie or he will cut you of, I know.  But my guess he is at 100 a day but I might be of. Of course at some point you would have to cut the logs that won't make tie. So that day wouldn't count.
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

killamplanes

He has probly 30 ft 2 strand live deck that dumps log on mills loading arm. Which is nice cause it's all in a building, in bad weather he doesn't go outside but a couple times a day. He has learned alot in 30yrs cutting ties. I am sure he has forgot more than I know.
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

Ron Wenrich

Circle mill is double that on 8' logs.  I think the highest I was at was 250 in a day, but 200 was average.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

killamplanes

I don't dought that a bit. Theres a clip floating on here of a hurdle mill cutting at absolute record speeds. I don't know how long an operator can keep that pace up or if a mill could get that many logs in to feed that pace. But also a mill owner would want to look at the efficiencies of a mill horsepower, operating cost, and a big one byproduct. Like sawdust, a circle mill will create a lot more of it with the thicker kerf. But production is were a circle mill shines. If I was running blocking, pallet stock, etc(low end stuff only) I personally would not consider a bandmill. Also for the reason that the logs have more rot in them that's why there going to a blocking mill, and the bands don't like the rot(atleast mine don't last long in it). but with the lower grade wood here prices are very competitive so here its a production thing. Fill as many semis as possible. Here most blocking mills cant the lumber and send it threw a gangsaw chopsaw combination and kick out finish product at the other end. But with this comes a stack of sawdust.   Anyway I getting of topic. But I am fortunate to go to fair amount of mills hauling selling logs and get to see the differences, similarities, and efficiencies of each. And then I come home and look at my little dog and pony show :D :D :D
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

paul case

My neighbor has a vertical edger so no edger man. All waste is put on a conveyor to the chipper. Short green chain has lumber racks on one side and a hydraulic stacker (stack track) on the other side for ties and cants. Pretty slick operation. The owner/sawyer is 3rd generation and he sits in his heated/ ac cab and watches dish network while he saws.

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Ron Wenrich

Sawdust doesn't have to be a problem.  We have pellet mills that pay a high price, as well as farmers that use it for bedding.  Never had a problem getting rid of it at a good price. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

killamplanes

Ya sawdust a pain here. The quistions are walnut been cut cause horse bedding, has it been wet. On and on pain. Mountains of it go to waist around here.
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

Okrafarmer

Yep, you're in walnut country, Killam. I wonder if you every make walnut RR ties? Around here it's so precious, we make it all into retail wood, no matter how ugly it is-- the uglier it is, the better it sells, sometimes! To a point.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Okrafarmer

Quote from: Okrafarmer on August 23, 2016, 04:44:15 PM
Yep, you're in walnut country, Killam. I wonder if you every make walnut RR ties? Around here it's so precious, we make it all into retail wood, no matter how ugly it is-- the uglier it is, the better it sells, sometimes! To a point.

I should say, "I used to" and "I hope to again" make it all into retail wood.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

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