Northman, a forwarder would fit the bill quite nicely too. That's the problem with seeing what everyone else is running here, no one is really doing it. There are big shows that are all mechanized, brushing crews who don't really salvage anything and that's about it. No one is really working with farmers it seems. Small operators are mostly doing lease sites for salvage and not much else. The small operators that I know run a buncher and a grapple skidder, and had been contracting their processing to another fellow with a delimber. We'd be going in thinking outside the box, maybe it would work, maybe not. The plan would be to start off with nothing financed, we can either afford to do a job and we either make money or not, but the lowest overhead possible would clearly be the goal. Pay for our equipment cash and that way it could be sold to pay bills if we really lost our ass. My father in law and current employer have both been great influences there, one has shown me to make my company grow itself, the other has shown me how much of a hole you can dig yourself into if you bite off too much too quick and rely on credit.
I hear you on being leary of going into business with a friend. That is something like you say that we'll have to figure out solid. We're on a good start, we already have worked together for 3 years and we hang out outside of work a ton, and when we do it's usually something in the bush involving chainsaws anyways ha ha. But no, I understand exactly what you mean. it's just an idea so far, and who knows? By the end of this little job for our friend we'll know if going after it any further is viable or not, and we won't have anything invested but our time and a little wear and tear on our saws and his cat, plus a bit of diesel and gas.