What to look for in a processor?

[muddstopper]

I bought a 14ft and 18ft conveyors from a old sawmill that had shut down. Gave $100 each for them. They have electric motors which I plan to change out to hyd. I got a lot of extra belting for them, but it seems pretty old and cracked, so I will have to rebelt both conveyors when the time comes.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I've never been to blockbuster and we have 2 of them.

There was a "chomper" floating around here for a while, not sure who has it now.

It made WAY too much junk and pretty well crushed vs cut so the wood was really ugly.
Too much junk as in 3-4 wheelbarrows of splinters per cord.

Sawdust is a revenue stream, we fill super sacks and sell as animal bedding.

 

[muddstopper]

Didnt seem as if the wood in the video was crushed to much, of course the wood looked to be pretty soft and straight grained. What ever it was, its not something I am used to seeing around here. Now on occassion, I have sheared some wood with my splitter and with small oak, hickory, the wood does seem to be pretty busted up, maybe not falling apart, but shattered. The shattered wood should dry faster.

 

[KiwiBro]

Shearing green logs as opposed to dry ones equals much less force required, higher quality result and radically less trash on my bilke processor, and that only shears sub-8" logs.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Yeah I dunno, didn't watch the video, just saw a Chomper in person and I wasn't too impressed.

 

[cantoo]

So if green logs shear better than that means stacking piles off a conveyor not direct to customer like lots of guys do. More fuel, more time sitting on it and more handling and more crap mixed in with the wood. I was thinking having no dust around would make for a cleaner site and less dirty crap on you. I still wonder if the fastest and cheaper way to handle the few big logs is with a separate splitter for them. Buy a processor for the common stuff for speed and be more manual labour for the big stuff.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Buy a processor for the common stuff for speed and be more manual labour for the big stuff.

Makes sense to me.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That's what I do. Just bust them into chunks with a regular splitter and toss into the processor to split to stove size wood.

Or sell it, some people like big logs.

 

[KiwiBro]

I beleive Sandhill's wood is going straight off the conveyor into the PackFix netted pallets?

Yeah I dunno, didn't watch the video, just saw a Chomper in person and I wasn't too impressed.

There is probably a good reason they are out of business. That said, most owners seem to like them from what I've read. The ones I saw created way too much trash and scraps in anything but green wood.

They'd have to be darn high volume processors to put up with that sort of volumes of trash. My bilke also creates heaps of scrap in dry logs, but the speed makes up for it.

 

[muddstopper]

I have often thought about building some sort of press to squeeze all that saw dust into logs. Havent figured out how to do it yet.

 

[sam-tip]

Found a guy on CL that has a blockbuster 18 - 20. Going to sub him to come and process some logs for a day or two. I will be preping some logs. Get rid of crotches at the ends. 70 per hour.

 

[chiefs584ever]

Is it strongarm wood processing?
Rick is a standup guy. I have bought some logs from him before

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[sam-tip]

Is it strongarm wood processing?
Rick is a standup guy. I have bought some logs from him before

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From the addresses no not strong arm. But only 23 miles from each other. One is in Keota and other is in Brighton Iowa.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

sam-tip: What are your expectations for a day?

 

[muddstopper]

sam-tip: What are your expectations for a day?

Would like to know as well.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Found a guy on CL that has a blockbuster 18 - 20. Going to sub him to come and process some logs for a day or two. I will be preping some logs. Get rid of crotches at the ends. 70 per hour.

That's cheap! I wouldn't move my equipment for twice that.

 

[sam-tip]

Goal is 8 to 10 cord and learn the good and bad about this processor. Will be sorting out the best wood to get best production. Plus reduce the log pile.

 

[chiefs584ever]

Machine price has a direct correlation to speed and volume produced. I am perfectly happy with the 14-12+.



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[Sandhill Crane]

Although a purchase is two to three years out, all this info is very helpful, especially being from a variety of independent sources. Using the PackFix for palletizing would slow most any processors production even with two or more operators. In my case, working alone and eliminating stacking, it has increased my production. A processor may not further increase production the way I work, but it could certainly lighten the load. Looking forward to receiving info and pricing from Blockbuster today or early next week. I would not have considered them if not for you guys experience with them.

sam-tip: Hope hiring a processor goes good for you, both decent production and as a hands on education about his machine, and processors in general. Waiting to hear back on that as well.

Have a good weekend all, Crane

 

[muddstopper]

Doug, I hope you come back and tell us how things work out for you. The $70 a hr price sounds pretty good, but not if the production isnt there.