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MartinL

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Jul 11, 2019
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Location
Quebec, Canada
Hi,

I'm looking to start my own business as lumberjack with tractor and logloader but I'm really unsure how many cord (4'x8'x8') per wk a good worker can cut/skid!?

To be profitable, I need to cut/skid about 12 cord/wk.....some people said that I'm crazy, some other said no problem you will do for sure

I know it's very variable depending terrain, type of trees, climate, etc but overall, any professional here can give me an average?

btw sorry for my english!
 
Martin some of what you say will not happen. You need to read "Buying Logs and Selling firewood". Going some place to harvest trees then selling it for lumber or firewood can be a challenge. There are several logging companies near where you are that do OK. If your counting on selling firewood from you own operation then that is tough. Those that get paid from tree thinning or removals and then sell for fuel wood have a much better chance of making a profit. Using equipment to expedite the harvest procedure I think have the best chance at developing a business. There are numerous threads here that discuss that very thing. Thanks
 
We can easily do 15-20 cords a day cut, skid and limbed, 2 people.

An outfit I bought logs from did around 100 acres in about 1.5 months. Got in the area of 1500 cords off it. They were 4 or 5 guys.
 
We can easily do 15-20 cords a day cut, skid and limbed, 2 people.

An outfit I bought logs from did around 100 acres in about 1.5 months. Got in the area of 1500 cords off it. They were 4 or 5 guys.


What equipment are you using for 15-20 per day? What was the outfit using to do the 100 acres?
I suspect neither copares to one man with a tractor and logloader.
 
Buncher, skidder and delimber. Have 2 skidders, but often just 1 one while the other person is running the delimber. Nothing fancy, all older stuff, mostly 90s, a few late 80s machines.



Could probably do better, but ends up being pretty long skids on this property and some of the trees are big and knarly.
My brother has done 10 cords in a day with just a couple saws and a dozer to skid.

The other outfit had a buncher, 2 skidders, a processor head on a Doosan and 2 shovel loaders.

What equipment are you using for 15-20 per day? What was the outfit using to do the 100 acres?
I suspect neither copares to one man with a tractor and logloader.
 
You're taking about wich size of cord!? 10cords 4x4x8 per day it's a lot of wood ! The project it's not for firewood, the log will be for pulp or mill
 
Martin if you look at some of the threads here you will notice that it is difficult to cut skid load process deliver fire or lumber more than a cord a day. For people starting out it is more difficult than ever. Areas that have a great deal of wood will not bring high prices and areas that have little wood will bring high prices, but take an enormous amount of labor. Thanks
 
He's not talking about firewood, he's talking about logs. May be more common where he is to use Cord rather than board foot, especially if it's not quality saw logs.

Even cutting 12 cord a week of pecker poles shouldn't be too hard with just a tractor. Pulp doesn't pay enough to make it worth it here.
 
MartinL,

probably the best answer is to take a couple days (weekend?) and see what you can do in your conditions with your wood and decide from there. As you've seen here, you have answers from (Ted Jenkins) of a cord a day to (ChoppyChoppy's) brother who does 10 cords a day.

I know I couldn't do 10 cords a day by myself but the one cord a day might be low. A lot depends on the wood supply, the terrain, distance it must be moved, etc.
 
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