Log value help needed

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

goatchin

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
323
Reaction score
18
Location
Sherburne, NY
We're having some hemlock logs milled by a fellow, he's looking to barter for hemlock (building house+barn), hard maple+black cherry (builds furniture). We have these logs cut, and are curious to see what others would be willing to pay/bft.

Not cut to length yet-just figuring on what they'll prolly be...

Hard maple, solid few knots, no curve or twist to logs
-(4) 15.5"x10'
-(2) 14"x10'-note: one of these has a couple 1.5-2" knots
aprox. 695 bft

Black cherry, dark centers-2" sap wood, straight, no knots, no curve or twist to logs
-(2) 15"x10'
-(2) 13"x10'
aprox. 359 bft

Eastern Hemlock, solid logs, no bug damage, larger logs have no knots, medium and down-few to moderate amount of knots, cut to lengths stated.
-(2)16"x16'
-(1)17"x16'
-(1)17"x12'
-(2)18"x16'
-(1)18"x12'
-(1)18"x10'
-(3)20"x16'
-(2)20"x12'
-(1)20"x10'
aprox. 1183 bft


Thanks for any help yall may offer, if ya need any more details or have questions, post'm:greenchainsaw:

whoops forgot to add that he charges 55 cents/bft for hemlock to be milled and charges 50 cents/bft for maple+cherry to be milled
 
Last edited:
I do not barter for wood.
I would say no less then 2/3 of the wood goes to the sawyer and 1/3 to the customer.

Pay the sawyer for the milling and then sell him the wood at an agreed upon price per bft, well below market value. Then everyone knows they got a fair deal.
 
I don't think they are share sawing.

If I read the post right they are paying the sawyer for sawing and the sawyer is buying some logs from them.

I buy logs and pay fair market value for them based on what the state publishes as market value. One thing you have to consider is that loggers have to haul their logs into the mill.... If I am picking logs up at the landing the price drops considerably. I pay .05 a bf no matter what the logs are if I have to pick them up.
 
The guy will be bringing his mill to our land.

He doesnt want to pay cash for the hemlock logs, he wants to take the value of those logs that are going to him, and deduct it from the total cost of milling the logs that we will keep. Hope I sorta cleared that up a bit.

He is a good guy and like yall have said, he's said that he wants both of us to come out of the deal winning...meaning we get our wood milled at low price and he gets logs that he didnt have to pay cash for but has traded "service for goods" if that makes sense-does to me.

I'll do some searching around the net and hopefully talk to a couple guys in the timber industry, on what going prices are for said logs.

Thanks for the help:clap:
 
Out here, Hemlock-Hem fir-white fir is going for $300 per thousand Scribner scale delivered to the mill. Deduct shipping cost, as the sawyer will have to haul the log or lumber home himself.

One way to do it would be on the 50-50 scale ( I prefer 1/3-2/3 ) If he wants 10 logs he mills 10 logs of equal volume for his 10 logs and if you have more logs to be milled for you then those are milled at normal rate.

Pick up a couple cans of different color bright paint and go around with him and mark what logs he gets, what logs are equal volume and what logs he will charge for. Do all this before the mill starts up it will save on confusion later. Make sure you both are happy with the trade before the milling starts.
 
...and go around with him and mark what logs he gets, what logs are equal volume and what logs he will charge for. Do all this before the mill starts up it will save on confusion later. Make sure you both are happy with the trade before the milling starts.

This part sounds like the best advice anybody can give. Get the facts strait before milling starts so there is no confusion and no misunderstandings after the logs have been sliced up and it's too late.
 
The 50/50 sounds like it might be the best way for us to go. We are going to be gettin in contact with him in the next day or two to get things finalized.

I like Backwoods idea of the 50/50 and marking the logs.

Thanks for the help!
 
Back
Top