When did you buy a processor?

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Afansler

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Ok, we have been selling firewood for 2 years now and sell out every year (over 100 cords first year). We actually quit or limit the amount of advertising we do because we can't keep up with the demand. We raised our prices (225) just to slow things down a bit but the phone is still ringing with repeat customers referalls etc. This is only a PT job we buy all of our wood either grapple trucks or individuals. Current equiment: Slow speeco 25ton, saws, JD tractor w/ forks, F450 w/ 12ft stake bed non dumper, 500yr old grain elevator. Everything is paid for and would have it anyway for farm use. At want point did you guys bite the bullet and buy a processor. I have seen what looks like decent used ones for under $30k. I would probably be financing some or all of the money if I did buy a processor. I am thinking ahead for next year that I could open the flood gates and actually make some real money??
 
I was alittle different then you I had a full time job and was spending every day off cutting would that's when I knew I needed one. Spent $17g on a new blockbuster paid for it's self in 2 years! Now I do my 40 job and 4 hours aday +Sat cut wood in Jan. 92 cords this year and I'll wait till sept and start selling it in the same way Till it's all sold last year six weeks
 
I was alittle different then you I had a full time job and was spending every day off cutting would that's when I knew I needed one. Spent $17g on a new blockbuster paid for it's self in 2 years! Now I do my 40 job and 4 hours aday +Sat cut wood in Jan. 92 cords this year and I'll wait till sept and start selling it in the same way Till it's all sold last year six weeks

I too have a FT J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) ha! I am basically a one man operation I hire a few guys to deliver for me from time to time. What Blockbuster do you have, I looked at them too nice machines. It seems the logs are always on the bigger side 20 inches or so thats why I am looking at used to get a large cutting capacity.
 
14-12 there smallest one. i couldn't do $27g for the 15-20 but i wish i did now. I can do a cord in 40-45 mins if someone is loading the machine 60 min if i'm bye myself. it will take 18" but you'll have to re-split some of the piece. 15-20 is nice and they are nice people they where in Vt at a forestry show they let me use one showed me everything i ordered one took 6 weeks to build
 
Well, I'm a little different than most. I'm a thinning contractor, and I have to remove all the wood before I am finished with a project. Several years ago I was selling very little processed firewood, mostly log lengths. Unfortunately I couldn't depend on the local guy's I was selling logs to. I was having to process more & more of it, using up time that should have been spent thinning.
I've got a Chomper (not big enough for the logs you mentioned), my helper processed about 80 cords in about a month of actual processing time (20 working days a month). That included sorting & moving logs around. I've also sold about 250 cords in log length, and I still have another 150 or so cords of logs to find a home for. I'm waiting for approval for another 50 acres of ground to thin too.

Andy
 
Ok, we have been selling firewood for 2 years now and sell out every year (over 100 cords first year). We actually quit or limit the amount of advertising we do because we can't keep up with the demand. We raised our prices (225) just to slow things down a bit but the phone is still ringing with repeat customers referalls etc. This is only a PT job we buy all of our wood either grapple trucks or individuals. Current equiment: Slow speeco 25ton, saws, JD tractor w/ forks, F450 w/ 12ft stake bed non dumper, 500yr old grain elevator. Everything is paid for and would have it anyway for farm use. At want point did you guys bite the bullet and buy a processor. I have seen what looks like decent used ones for under $30k. I would probably be financing some or all of the money if I did buy a processor. I am thinking ahead for next year that I could open the flood gates and actually make some real money??

Hi Afansler:

You've been looking at some mighty big and expensive equipment. And maybe you need "BIG". But I'll offer you some less expensive options.

If you're starting with 8 ft logs, I would check out the Hudson line of firewood processors. Their model A-14-22 is $10,495, has a 7 second cycle time, and will accept 18" logs. This should give you a good start without breaking the bank.

Click here for more info and watch their videos. Wolverine Firewood Processor

Here's another decent and inexpensive processor at around $9000.
Click here and watch the video. Blacks Creek Firewood Processor, November 2010 - YouTube

Starting with an 8' log, either of these two processors should be able to do a full cord an hour. So lets say you wanna process 200 cords a year. That's two hundred hours divided by 52 weeks = less than 4 hours a week. Another way to figure it would be 200 hours divided by 40 = 5 weeks of full time work at 40 hours a week, "for 1 man".

There are a number of firewood processors under 15K. Just go to youtube and do a search on "firewood processor".

Hope this help.

Don <><

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Here is another way of looking at it. Firewood biz near me just SOLD their processor. They sell more that 200 cords a year. They have been in business about 5 years and do real well. They figured it was better (better profit) to pay extra help and process it all by hand than have that kinda money tied up in a machine. 1 less machine to maintain, pay for, insure. No need to have to haul whole logs to the processor. No need for a truck equipped to haul whole logs. Process in the woods, haul wood out, and deliver all on one truck. Just my thoughts, but if I was going to get into selling more wood, I would invest in people and not so much machinery. I can not have a guy work and it does not cost me anything, payments on a machine have to be made no matter what.
 
What about one of the larger splitter like a split-rite or tw-6,7. If a lot of your wood is straight trunks, you should be able to blast through it rather quickly with one of those. And a lot bigger re-sale market if you decide to change.
 
Subscribing...
I too, GOTTA do something different... Been looking at processors, just scared I'd get one and it wouldn't split the nasty stuff I so often get into... :msp_confused:
 
Subscribing...
I too, GOTTA do something different... Been looking at processors, just scared I'd get one and it wouldn't split the nasty stuff I so often get into... :msp_confused:

I thought your processor was in your avatar! :msp_confused:
 
if you want to do more than 200 cords a year and want to grow the business don't cheap out - get a good processor/conveyor and loader. It will save you money over the long haul. Most of the cheap processors are junk and not capable of the production that the manufacturers claim. I have close to 2000 hours on my processor with no major issues.
 
if you want to do more than 200 cords a year and want to grow the business don't cheap out - get a good processor/conveyor and loader. It will save you money over the long haul. Most of the cheap processors are junk and not capable of the production that the manufacturers claim. I have close to 2000 hours on my processor with no major issues.

Assuming I got logs on the table, what kind of real world cords does the built right put through it in an hour?
 
I would say one cord an hour. Maybe a bit better if you have someone loading and really straight wood. Built Rite claims 1.5 - 2. I have never
been able to get that kind of speed. That's why I laugh when I see way smaller machines claim a full cord or better an hour. You also need to factor in time for fueling/repairs/moving machines etc. With one guy working an 8 hour day I aim for 6 full cords a day. Those are real world numbers. If I were you I would go out and visit a few guys and check out their operations.
 
I would say one cord an hour. Maybe a bit better if you have someone loading and really straight wood. Built Rite claims 1.5 - 2. I have never
been able to get that kind of speed. That's why I laugh when I see way smaller machines claim a full cord or better an hour. You also need to factor in time for fueling/repairs/moving machines etc. With one guy working an 8 hour day I aim for 6 full cords a day. Those are real world numbers. If I were you I would go out and visit a few guys and check out their operations.

That's kinda what I have been thinking. I studied all the nice splitters and wondering if I'll be in the same position 2yrs from now wishing I would have bought a processor
I am only getting tri axle loads now which are 20+ ft long and straight enough I think for a processor I'm pretty confident I can do 200 cords plus this year
 
I would say one cord an hour. Maybe a bit better if you have someone loading and really straight wood. Built Rite claims 1.5 - 2. I have never
been able to get that kind of speed. That's why I laugh when I see way smaller machines claim a full cord or better an hour. You also need to factor in time for fueling/repairs/moving machines etc. With one guy working an 8 hour day I aim for 6 full cords a day. Those are real world numbers. If I were you I would go out and visit a few guys and check out their operations.
The timberwolf folks demo'd a tw-5 or 6 this year splitting a piece of Hedge 6 ways at the farm show... Sometimes I wonder if that's what I should be looking at... But just not sure...
 
The timberwolf folks demo'd a tw-5 or 6 this year splitting a piece of Hedge 6 ways at the farm show... Sometimes I wonder if that's what I should be looking at... But just not sure...

Think of the wear and tear on your body. Blocking and splitting wood requires a ton of manual labor. If you have cheap reliable labor maybe it is the way to go. I am going out to run my processor for a few hours this morning and it is nice to know that I won't be bagged by lunch time as I usually work by myself.
 
Think of the wear and tear on your body. Blocking and splitting wood requires a ton of manual labor. If you have cheap reliable labor maybe it is the way to go. I am going out to run my processor for a few hours this morning and it is nice to know that I won't be bagged by lunch time as I usually work by myself.

If you could, would you build a large building and wood yard to house it? Or is it important to move it around?

I.E. Do you take the processor to the cut site? Or bring the sticks to the processor?
 
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