The short answer...
I bought the PackFix sight unseen, ordering it from Austria through the US importer, Northeast Implement in Spencer, NY. 07/14/16
It took a couple month shipping from overseas after putting 20% down.
Northeast Implement was great to work with. You can also find them at the Paul Bunyan Show.
The paint still looks almost new. I stored it inside two of the four winters, the rest of the time outside in the weather.
The function, the construction, the design, is all excellent.
The screws and custom washers for the foot well plates, and base cover plates are all stainless. These are pieces I remove annually for cleaning and inspection. That is attention to outdoor use.
The controls, the holder for changing rolls of webbing, the drum lifting tripod latch, are all well placed and easily used without issue. The hydraulic hoses are secured and well placed, etc. The mast is hinges for shipping, transportation or storage. The paint is smooth, unlike some steel things I've bought and thought what piss poor prepping. It has a B&S vertical shaft engine. I changed oil and added fresh gas after sitting since early November. It started on the first pull. I've never had to pull it more than three times, 95% first pull starts. Very important, as it is started, run and shut off for each pallet wrapped.
I work alone, so my process is this: Cut/split one fill drum. When 1/3 full, I check the drum and with a long handled hook-a-roon level the splits to avoid voids from teepee-ing splits at the bottom, and continue filling. (if the conveyor is offset to one side of the fill drum there are fewer teepees.) The splits in the full fill drum are leveled off, any extra splits are thrown in the empty fill drum next to it. Pull start the Posch to activate the hydraulic turntable. The full drum is rotated under the lifting tripod and the empty fill drum under the conveyor. The tripod is lowered, and easily positioned and attached to the full fill drum with an easy one handed down rotation of a single handle. The netting is attached to the pallet by tying off the end. The drum is lifted 1" to allow the netting wand to clear the pallet corners and rotate around the drum twice, at which point I staple the netting to the pallet to keep the netting from lifting. Then return to the controls and wrap the drum five or six more times by activating the hydraulic wand as the drum is lifted, slip formed, up. This is done by coordinating the hydraulic wand control and separate lifting control. Both are very smooth actions and easily done. When the drum is within 6" of the top of the bundle the lift and wand is stopped. I keep tension on the netting and cut it off. Then lift the drum another 18" and tie netting off at top of bundle. Pull the wrapped pallet off with fork lift and set down, backing out of the pallet half way. Place a new pallet on the turntable and lower fill drum, release and raise tripod a foot above the empty drum. Shut off Posch, cover bundle with 6' x 6' cover, cinch with baling twine laced through the four stitched corners, and stage bundle for seasoning. The process takes about ten minutes. While the forklift is running the log decks are reloaded about every second pallet, or half cord, and the forklift is staged in front of the Posch to unload the next bundle. Fire up the splitter, conveyor, and chainsaw. The entire process, from loading the log deck to staging a finished full cord is 3 1/2 to 4 hours, and I don't push it at all. (one person, 3 1/2 to 4 man hours per cord for comparison, if you use one, two or more, for total man hours per cord log to finish) Just a steady pace, and do one, to one and a half cord. On top of that is cleanup. The saw chips build up with each session, the loose bark builds up, and both get mucked out by hand and hauled off with the quad.
In almost four years, there is nothing on this unit that disappoints.
Recommend? I love it. It was a very good choice for me.
Only you can decide if it addresses your needs, and if it is cost effective.
For me, it has yet to be cost effective at 70 cord per year. (There are a lot of factors there. Number of cords produced, cord pricing, log pricing, operational costs, etc.)
What it does is reduce time, labor or handling, and associated costs; very good air flow for seasoning, elevates it off the ground which is cleaner firewood, pallets are easily picked up with equipment vs pushing into a pile; better idea of volume or quantity of wood in your stock pile and for your customer, as each bundle is very consistent, etc.
Many of these things are pluses that do not have an associated dollar value, but can add up to create a better firewood product and happy customer base.
The Posch PackFix is not the limiting production factor for me, just the opposite. It makes more production possible.
If anyone would like to put your eyes on it, to run it, I am open to that in the future, when the "stay at home, essential services only" is lifted. (bring a mask)
I pulled it from the shipping container and set it up this week.
Several weeks ago I used the splitter/conveyor and piled up an estimated five cord. Been using the quad and trailer to restock the woodshed.
Makes me appreciate the PackFix even more.
Cost effective? (you would have to get current pricing, but here are my numbers.)
I paid about $17k for the PackFix w/turn table base, plus a pallet of netting at $100./roll, 64 rolls. ($900. shipping included, for machine and pallet of netting)
If you depreciate the entire cost of machine 100%, 1,000 cord would cost $17.00/cord for the machine, and $8,000. in netting. ($2.00/pallet; 4 pallets/cord.)
$25./cord, plus pallets.
When I compared bulk bags four years ago I figured the bags need a pallet under them, so that's a wash between the two.
At $10. per bag, three bags per cord, is $30.
No idea how many uses to expect, so I figured four years, 25% replacement/yr. (7 bags, 4yrs, $70./4=$17.50/yr per cord.)
It will alway cost $17.50/cord, regardless of production, or whatever the real world number actually is.
With the Posch doubling production reduces cost per cord.
If you have a processor and do 2,000 cord in five years or something, then the $17. cost of equipment becomes $8.50 Posch, $8. netting per cord, plus pallets.
When I did my numbers I used four bulk bags per cord, and three pallets per cord. Real world, it takes four pallets with the Posch to stack out a full cord plus a few cu. ft. And baggers say three bags per cord, despite the volume of a fill drum is larger than the volume of a bulk bag. (?)
And in real world, the Posch machine has resale value. If the machine sells for 50% of initial cost (assuming shipping as part of initial cost), then my price per 1,000 cord drops considerably, $8.50 Posch +$8.00 netting.
If I only do 500 cord total, which is much more realistic, my cost is still $17. for the Posch, and $8.00/cord netting, or $25./cord. That works for me.
My intension was to get a processor, and the Posch would enable me to grow into that. Still a possibility, but less so, as other non firewood things factor in.
KiwiBro: Great point. Tried to touch on it with...
