Modern Marvels

[Haywire Haywood]

I buddy of mine recorded an episode of Modern Marvels for me that was all about modern logging equipment and methods. It leads one to believe that most of the logging now is perfomed by harvesters rather than loggers with chainsaws. How much of the logging is still done by guys with saws?

They also said that more BF of lumber is produced in the southeast rather than the northwest. That was a shock. I always equated logging with the far NW states.

Ian

 

[siduramaxde]

Trees are too big here to use a harvester. Illinois

 

[Freakingstang]

Lots of Amish loggers here. 5 mills in an hour radius of me, that I know of. There could be more.

Haven't seen any harvesters in the area, although i'm sure someone somewhere has one.

North Central Ohio here

 

[MRCONRAN]

There Is One That Uses A Harvester Up Here That I Know Of. But Most Use Skidders. There Are Several Amish Mills Here. There Is A Large Modern Mill Currently Being Built Just A Few Miles Down The Road. Located In Gouverneur Ny Up Near Canada

 

[BostonBull]

Alot of Harvesters up North of me in Maine about 6 hours. Still some "Old Fashioned" logging too though.

 

[Gologit]

Lots of harvesters being used out here. On real steep ground or big timber the falling is done conventionally. Its mostly a production issue...the harvester can lay down a bunch of wood in a short time...but it doesn't carry the same aura as a man with a saw does. As to southern timber...I"m not real familiar with it but I understand its usually a tree-farming show. The timber is grown just like any other crop with the emphasis on harvest and production. Lotsa little cookie-cutter trees...uniform size and texture. Very effecient for milling too, I guess. Just not logging like I"m used to seeing. Sorry...my "I'm an old fart and I"ve logged big timber all my life" attitude is showing.

 

[Jim1NZ]

I like to keep it real when it comes to logging too but a harvester is very hard to beat!!! When you get a relyable machine that is.

This is the little production thinning machine i drove waratah 260/hitachi 225USR

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Hand falling here. The terrain just won't allow harvesting. That, and a good portion of the tree dimensions (dbh and height) just won't allow it. I'm sure you can find a harvester somewhere in Western Washington, but I'm sure you could also find an unmarried attractive woman with no kids here too. Either would be a tough find.

 

[doggonetrees]

Mechanical thinning/ harvesting is the rage here in the part of Miss. I live in. Our acreage was planted by mechanical means- and has been thinned twice with mechanical harvesters. When the contract is followed there isn't that big of a mess. The paper mills in our area have changed equipment to take only tree length logs now. If you could find a wood yard that takes pulpwood length, it is only on certain days of the week. The pulp wooder of yesterday is pretty much left out in the wind, due to the expense of gearing up for tree length logs. Yes, we still have the small operators that cut smaller tracts by hand, but they had to gear up with loaders and trailors to handle tree length wood

 

[John Ellison]

Its the same here, almost all logging is mechanical. Heck you hardly ever see chainsaws in the back of trucks anymore. The are no logging saw shops that I know of. The mills have changed to where there is a diameter limit and oversized cuts have to go to a different mill.
I know the other loggers think I am nuts.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I know the other loggers think I am nuts.

That's great! The only problem with that is you have to keep feeding your 'truck' even when it's parked for a few days.

Ian

 

[John Ellison]

Yep:biggrinbounce2: And it doesnt ever stop spreading fertilizer or emmiting noxious fumes.

 

[Forest Steward]

Just about all chainsaw and skidder work around here too. Especially in the Southern Tier because of terrain issues. Personally, I like my saws and my hills, so I'm all about keeping it that way.

I think boboak pretty much hit it on the head for southwestern forestry. I came pretty close to doing some work in Florida on their yellow pine plantations. All the forestry plans I looked at were intensely managed for fast growth, and they don't wait for them to grow very large. It's all about production. Not my style. I haven't seen the comparative numbers, but it wouldn't surprise me too much.

 

[Rick Alger]

Mostly harvesters - bunchers they're called here - in northern NH. The machine and operator lay out ten to twenty cords an hour at a cost of around $125 an hour. A man with a saw is hard pressed to compete with that.

 

[Forest Steward]

10-20 cords an hour? Hmm...I bet I could manage that. :greenchainsaw: And I'll even cut ya a break and only charge you $100/hr....HA.