Ideas on speeding up the bucking process?

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This one is made by Whitlands Engineering in Australia and normally there high end splitters have a log lifter on the left side and a convayor on the right side.
The idear is to dissconect the lifter and connect the convayer on the hopper and use the same control to move the wood to you.

This is one of there high output splitters,can split 3.5 cubic mtrs with two blokes in 35 mins.

711.JPG
 
I plan to build a 30ft long waist high bucking table with 18-20 wooden cradles. Log lengths will be loaded onto table with loader/forks. Once bucked, I plan to use a little gravity and pickaroon them down a ~ 2 foot ramp onto 30-40 feet of gravity roller conveyor. A super splitter will be placed along roller conveyor to pull rounds for speed splits, a hydraulic splitter will be at the end for crazy knotty ugly stuff. Speed splits will go back onto roller conveyor to feed loader bucket to be stacked.

Bucking has also been my bottleneck. I have been bucking waist high from loader forks onto the ground. Too much handling of rounds.

My goals are: 1. I want to cut waist high 2. Not carry rounds to splitter 3. Have rounds on a roller deck, ready for a long splitting session. 4. Don't want to spend money for a processor. 5. I've got access to free pressure treated 4x4's to build the table.

Not sure if this helps, cause I sure don't have 100 cord to buck. He just might have to lay out some money for a large processor.
 
I plan to build a 30ft long waist high bucking table with 18-20 wooden cradles. Log lengths will be loaded onto table with loader/forks. Once bucked, I plan to use a little gravity and pickaroon them down a ~ 2 foot ramp onto 30-40 feet of gravity roller conveyor. A super splitter will be placed along roller conveyor to pull rounds for speed splits, a hydraulic splitter will be at the end for crazy knotty ugly stuff. Speed splits will go back onto roller conveyor to feed loader bucket to be stacked.

Bucking has also been my bottleneck. I have been bucking waist high from loader forks onto the ground. Too much handling of rounds.

My goals are: 1. I want to cut waist high 2. Not carry rounds to splitter 3. Have rounds on a roller deck, ready for a long splitting session. 4. Don't want to spend money for a processor. 5. I've got access to free pressure treated 4x4's to build the table.

Not sure if this helps, cause I sure don't have 100 cord to buck. He just might have to lay out some money for a large processor.
Keep us posted on your table. Sounds promising.
 
I wasn't trying to be a smart ass on the post asking about a skidder processor, hope it didn't come across as that.

I was curious on how a processor would be mounted to a skidder and how practical (more like very impractical).

As for the skid steer unit, I think a std processor would out work that by far. I don't like that the sawdust mixes in with the firewood, makes for a big mess.
also it would get old fast from getting in and out dozens of times an hour reposition wood in the splitter trough.

I had looked into them a few years ago and they are in the 30k area and you need a big skid steer. The S250 I have is a large machine and they had told me it the smallest machine they could recommend





QUOTE="Joesell, post:
I do know the difference between skidders. I should try to be more clear, especially here. The problem is that everyone in my area calls a skid steer a skidder, and actual skidders are nonexistent.[/QUOTE]
 
This one is made by Whitlands Engineering in Australia and normally there high end splitters have a log lifter on the left side and a convayor on the right side.
The idear is to dissconect the lifter and connect the convayer on the hopper and use the same control to move the wood to you.

This is one of there high output splitters,can split 3.5 cubic mtrs with two blokes in 35 mins.

View attachment 397571

The ultimate setup would be a hopper on one side and a conveyor on the other.
 
I wasn't trying to be a smart ass on the post asking about a skidder processor, hope it didn't come across as that.

I was curious on how a processor would be mounted to a skidder and how practical (more like very impractical).

As for the skid steer unit, I think a std processor would out work that by far. I don't like that the sawdust mixes in with the firewood, makes for a big mess.
I had looked into them a few years ago and they are in the 300 area and you need a big skid steer. The S250 I have is a large machine and they had told me it the smallest machine they could recommend





QUOTE="Joesell, post:
I do know the difference between skidders. I should try to be more clear, especially here. The problem is that everyone in my area calls a skid steer a skidder, and actual skidders are nonexistent.
[/QUOTE]

We're good!;) I know what you were getting at. It's my own fault for coming on a logging site and mixing up the two.

I actually talked to my buddy about the "SKIDSTEER" processor. He said he's seen one in person and wasn't impressed at all.
 
Plenty of good ideas here. But I think the question is specific to the bucking part of his operation and within the context of using the equipment he already owns and with two guys working.

I think the grapple on the skid steer is the most efficient way to move the logs prior to bucking, so the other thing to look at is the staging of the blocks as they are being cut. One guy on the grapple and a guy with a saw on each end of the log can produce a lot of blocks in a short amount of time. The trick is to keep from having to move them too many times and keep them out of the way while you continue to work. So, fine tuning that based on what the job site looks like is about all you can do with the equipment on hand.
 
'Pile of logs' you say?



Holtec Kapstar.jpg

First saw these in a lumber yard cutting full pallet bundles of lumber. Used to say 'STIHL' on the bars!

Seriously, I agree that your friend needs to minimize handling. If he has a crew, he can make a 'virtual firewood processor' by looking at the flow of the wood. If he is working alone, he needs to batch process. But either way, the wood should not hit the ground once he touches it: use trailers, conveyors, stands, or something like the bucking trailer, to avoid multiple touches of the wood.

I like the vertical splitter that Stihlman441 has shown in his posts, along with the conveyors. Does not 'solve' the bucking issue, but takes it from there.

Philbert
 
I think everyone needs at least one of these set up in their yard just for bucking big wood



Mambo saw! Went to the company website there, neat stuff, some good links. Was following one around for modern wood cookstoves, dang, some nice ones, and..it says wood cookstoves are EPA exempt, up to "phase 2" anyway. I wonder if the new proposed phase 3 they are still exempt?

Anyway, some of these modern wood cookstoves, heck, I'd take one over a plain wood heater or furnace. They can still heat your house, can do hot water heating, and at least one has fire TV view with it. spendy but nice. And no electric nuthin needed with them either.
 
I didn't read all the replies but if it wasn't already mentioned, perhaps picking them up with the grapple and a guy on the ground bucking them at a comfortable height while the grapple holds them. The skid steer can quickly and easily grab from pile, drive to splitting area and they can be bucked right there. He should at least try that before buying more equipment. Maybe not the ultimate setup but should work good and using what he already has.
 
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