Logging your own property: a cautionary tale

[zwoehr]

I have been asking you guys a lot of questions about how to do this and thought I'd document it. For your enjoyment and just in case I ever think I might try to do it again here goes;

This morning I started to take out trees to build some access trails. First I built this

Welded (badly) a chain hook onto a trailer hitch reciever 3pt adapter thingy. Purchased on amazon for $80 delivered! This will be my skidding setup.
I cleared some brush for a staging area and dragged my logs over.
This is what I ended up with:

That's a $700 chainsaw with a $100 bar on top of a $50 pile of logs!

Hopefully I'll get more done in the coming days.

 

[bitzer]

Just walking into the woods to cut for someone here you'll have 2k into it before you get there. It just goes up from there. And no guaranteed money when you leave. And everything will break eventually.

 

[zwoehr]

Just walking into the woods to cut for someone here you'll have 2k into it before you get there. It just goes up from there. And no guaranteed money when you leave. And everything will break eventually.

I don't know how you full timers do it.

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[bitzer]

I don't know how you full timers do it.

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Oh theres good money to be made if ya stay at it. At least here there is. You better figure out quick where to tighten the screws if yer not cuz you wont last. The wood I easily cut and land in a day now I never thought possible when I started.

 

[Icehouse]

A lot depends on whether you have to make a living doing this or just want to clean up your woods. If it's just sorta fun and you don't have to make a killing your on the right track, you be real carefull skidding with a wheel tractor, don't pull it over on your self. Slow and steady wins the race

 

[northmanlogging]

day late dollar short, but if you can make a short like 1' extension on that 3 pt deal to hang yer chains off of, keeps the logs from getting bound up against the 3pt and a little farther away from the wheels.


Logging is one of those things that is really ****ing hard work when you don't do it very often, give it a couple weekends or days and you'll be strutting around thinking yer Jercules.

As far as making money at it its all about having the right equipment for the job, couple of good saws and a machine big enough to safely and efeciently (sp) move logs. I started with an old tractor, it worked it was slow but it was spare time extra cash stuff, so no big deal... then came the day where I needed to get 10-20 loads out before summer ended... hence the skidder and all the crap to follow... now instead of taking 6 weeks to move a load of logs, its only takes a day or 2.

Of course now I have to cover insurance, licensing, a truck, a trailer, permitting, advertising, repairs... in the end its all worth it though.

 

[northmanlogging]

Also keep yer foot hovering over the clutch on that tractor, once you get the pull over the top of the axle it don't take much to do a wheelie. And from there it don't take much to start trying to pry the hood off yer face.

 

[zwoehr]

I ran a chain from the bottom of my choker to the frame to keep the cog low and the tractor has a ROPS. I'll take it slow though.

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[woodfarmer]

What's the "cautionary tale", there's nothing unusual about your post or situation. I was expecting some carnage of some sort.

 

[zwoehr]

Well, sorry to disappoint you. I was referring, in a tongue in cheek way, to the amount of work, cost of equipment and questionable outcome I, as an amateur, will get trying to do something for the first time. A pro would have figured out a lot of efficiencies, have the right contacts and equipment and be able to do the job much faster and easier. And make more money doing it than I will.
I guess what I'm cautioning against is thinking you can do it cheaper or make a whole lot of money doing it yourself rather than hiring a professional. I'm doing it because I enjoy learning new things. So it's more of a hobby for me.

 

[northmanlogging]

Careful its addictive

 

[KiwiBro]

Careful its addictive

And some days, a bad (is there a good?) meth habit is far cheaper.

 

[Huskybill]

At first I put 3 k of firewood in a 1/2 ton truck dragged another 3k of firewood out behind it. Three bent rear ends later I bought a one ton truck with a 11 k dual wheel rear axle. I put 52 leaf springs in the rear, 20 leafs in the front.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have been "hobby" logging my 50 acres of White Pine and northern hardwoods for 30+ years. and have always made a profit on my log sales. After allowing for broken tools, tractor upkeep and paid trucking, I still have a good net considering the relatively low pay for pine and hemlock logs.
I do it for the enjoyment first, forestry maintenance 2nd and the money 3rd.