Time to look for a new job....

[JimL]

Guy I was cutting with lost his hand in a combine a month ago or so. Said he is done with cutting all together, sold the skidder and knuckle boom.

He was the only guy I have ever cut for.

Just so happened to pick up a job for the county clearing trees the tornado threw in the creek out. That will keep me for a month or so.

Question now is where do I go from here. I have the knowledge to be in the woods, along with the will. Got 6 066's that I use, chaps, the whole 9 yards that will just be sitting if I don't get a job using them...

Are there licenses you have to have to cut trees, or can any average joe with the knowledge go out and get a job?

I know a good dozen loggers here locally, just not sure if you need licensing or what not...

 

[logcutter429]

Don't know how it is there, but here we have to go to a bungh of classes that don't mean nothing to get Ark. Pro certified, then were on the computer at the mill, but whoever hires ya should help ya if its like that, so i'd get calling or hit some jobs someone always needs a good hand.

 

[crowe]

JimL,
Sorry to hear about your luck and his. We have a series of test as well we have to go through to become a WV certified logger. The same applies in KY they have a different name for it same end result. I tell ya I was born and raised in a cutting family and my honest opinion is that WV is just about played out I am a contact logger and I am really starting to worry about my future I see work for myself for another 3-4 years but who knows after that. I have seen more guys go under in the last two years than I can ever remember. I drove buy a local equipment dealer the other day and saw more repo logging machinery than anything else in the lot. I have been thinking about going out west Oregon maybe there is good jobs out there with good pay and good benefits including retirement plans. Good luck in your search, Wade Huggins

 

[bwalker]

Jim, If your young and not tied down with a family consider going to Alaska. There are some good cutting jobs up there.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I know a number of x loggers that have moved into the arboriculture industry. One guy said "I cannot beleive I get paid this much for so little work. Compared to logging this is cake, and i get so much more time with my family!"

If you gaff, around here you could easily start around 15 an hour, then move up from there when you get gaffless climbing skills.

 

[Jacob J.]

Hi There-

In response to Alaska, the timber market has really fallen off there in the last few years. Last good year up there was '96, made 27k in 9 weeks island hopping for two large helicopter outfits. Since then the tariffs on exported raw logs has been extremely high and the pacific rim countries buy very little from the U.S. anymore, since Russia and Canada has deemed it necessary to fill that niche for us.

You might try going "in house" for one of the larger outfits in that area, there's some paper industries back east that employ a lot of cutters, most of that cutting is in the dense hardwoods of maine.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Would this former employer be willing to help you start up on your own. His connections, experience, etc.

 

[JimL]

Originally posted by rich hoffman
Would this former employer be willing to help you start up on your own. His connections, experience, etc.

I ended up getting a job with a fella just south of town. Havn't cut a lick yet though. He ran over all 4 of his 046's with a bobcat, hehe. Been peiceing them back together. He has his own saw mill, a couple JD 640's an a old as dirt knuckle boom.

I thought about starting up on my own. Got a timberjunk skidder of my own thats all apart cause of tranny problems. Soon as its fixed i am selling it. Should have never bought it. Also not much room to store equipment.

 

[logcutter429]

I know this is off topic, but what model of timberjack you got, some of them a 2 ton bus ford will fit it you will just have a blank gear where 5th is, i'd check into it be a cheaper route to fix it.

 

[JimL]

Originally posted by logcutter429
I know this is off topic, but what model of timberjack you got, some of them a 2 ton bus ford will fit it you will just have a blank gear where 5th is, i'd check into it be a cheaper route to fix it.

Got the parts need the time

 

[Greg Carberry]

timberjack

I see those old orange detroit powered TJ's around here alot still running. Ugly and noisy as heck seems like they're pretty tough though or just easy to repair.