When did you buy a processor?

[martman981]

I just started into the firewood business last year and purchased a used built rite scp50. Prior to purchasing the processor I had cut and split firewood by hand and then added a wood splitter. In my limited experience, I completly agree with everything blackdogon57 said regarding the wear and tear on your body and the real world output of a processor. To further back that up, I have talked alot to a gentleman who puts 1000 cords through a scp50 each year. He also started out doing everything by hand and his observation was that the value of a processor wasn't necessarly for the increase in production (but it leads to that) but that it allowed you to work all day and still be able to function at the end of the day. This made him more consistant with the work since he wasn't killing himself everyday.

To further that thought, I'm now partnered up with a gentleman who had a 5 to 6 hundred cord per year firewood business that he ran with 2 employees. He had a truck with a grapple, a tw-6 and 24' belt conveyor. His process was to use the truck to hold a log while his 2 employess would block the log from either end creating 2 piles. He said he could block a full truck load of logs (approx. 7 to 7.5 cords) this way in 45 min. He would then take his splitter and attach his conveyor to it and pull the splitter between the two piles of blocks and split them. He said this would take from 3 to 4 hours to do. After spending some time with him, I think what he described was probably a perfect day scenario but I generally believe it. Taking all that into account, his opinion after watching my processor work was that the processor was probably the better method because it minimizes the use of employees. He recognized the cost of the equipment but thought it was a fair tradeoff because of the difficulty in finding good help, plus the liability of someone getting hurt, etc...

I'm not going to say a processor is right for every situation, but I think they do have value if you are planning on being in the business for awhile. I don't have any experience with other types of processors, but my scp50 has been dependable so far (knock on wood). It had about 670 hrs on it when I bought it and has almost 750 on it now. It had basically sat outside it's entire life and is still outside now which kills me to think about. I was told by the gentleman that puts a 1000 cords a year through his to get it under roof asap which is my plan this summer. Good luck with your business whichever direction you go.

 

[blackdogon57]

Having inside storage would be nice. My machine has also been outside for 6 years plus. I do cover the box that has the gauges and all the wiring. The sun is hard on the hoses and most have been replaced over time due to wear and tear. All my logs are brought in by grapple truck. My 20 foot conveyor will make about a six cord pile. We then move the processor ahead and start a new pile. I will try and post some pics sometime.

 

[martman981]

I do the same thing with a tarp, cover the hyd. valves and electrical switches and motor. I have had some minor electrical issues, but nothing that has stopped it from working. I cut some of my own logs, buy tri axle loads for some, and move my processor to a log landing when available. The guy I'm working with now is providing me logs and he "gets it" which means he is cutting them in such a way that they go across my processor without much issue. Normally I'm "prepping" my logs before I put them on the live deck. I will remove crotches, projecting limbs, highly splintered sections, etc... I'm currently using an old hay elevator for a conveyor but the writing is on the wall regarding its effectiveness. Sometimes it goes for a few hours with no problems, sometimes it jams and breaks a couple times in an hour. It's basically my limiting factor right now so as soon as funds allow, hello belt conveyor.

What size bed do you have on your Dodge? I have the same truck/same year.

 

[blackdogon57]

I have an 8 foot box. Unfortunately I smashed in one side of the box the other day. I am looking to replace it with a flatbed. I am always banging my truck backing into tight places when delivering wood.

 

[Truck4]

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

Hey Andy hows it going? I know I need to get back up there but been in the hospitial with lori:msp_sad:, see if I cant get up that way Sat.?, anyway in regards to your logs do you think if we can figure out a way to do it would it be a better outcome for both of us to bring them in that way?

Roy

 

[Hedgerow]

Having inside storage would be nice. My machine has also been outside for 6 years plus. I do cover the box that has the gauges and all the wiring. The sun is hard on the hoses and most have been replaced over time due to wear and tear. All my logs are brought in by grapple truck. My 20 foot conveyor will make about a six cord pile. We then move the processor ahead and start a new pile. I will try and post some pics sometime.

I've contacted a couple builders for some specs and pricing... What do you think the predicted service life is on your processor? In hours...

 

[blackdogon57]

I've contacted a couple builders for some specs and pricing... What do you think the predicted service life is on your processor? In hours...

If properly maintained, I would say indefinite. The worst thing that can happen is that the engine blows. All the rest of the components are easily replaceable - the engine would be expensive to replace/rebuild. At this point I have around 2000 hours and the machine is paid for in full. It costs me about 5 bucks a cord in fuel and bar oil to run.

 

[Hedgerow]

If properly maintained, I would say indefinite. The worst thing that can happen is that the engine blows. All the rest of the components are easily replaceable - the engine would be expensive to replace/rebuild. At this point I have around 2000 hours and the machine is paid for in full. It costs me about 5 bucks a cord in fuel and bar oil to run.

Them are the numbers I been looking for... Have you put a routine maint. # together?

 

[blackdogon57]

Them are the numbers I been looking for... Have you put a routine maint. # together?

I grease every couple of days, change oil/filter/fuel filter every 200 hours or so and change the hydraulic fluid and filter every 1000 hours. I have also changed the air filter a few times and blown it out with compressed air several times. I grind my own chains and keep four sharp and ready to go all the time. I also keep an extra sprocket and bar on hand just in case. I use canola oil as bar oil. It is cheap and not harmful to breath in. If the wind is blowing the wrong way I tend to eat a lot a dust and oil.

Repairs are a whole different game. When working with big logs, things tend to get broken.

 

[Hddnis]

Right now in most areas decent to good labor can be hired for cheap. This makes getting a processor less likely to be a competative advantage.




Mr. HE

 

[martman981]

My limited experience closely matches blackdogon57. I've been using about 1.6 gallons of diesel per cord so far, but that includes my time as a green operator learning the machine. Since I bought the machine used I changed all of the fluids soon after purchase. In the 100 hrs I've run it I have blown one hyd hose and broke both my 4 way and 6 way wedges. The wedge breakage was a combination of metal fatigue and my stupidity with large, knotted oak blocks. I'm generally happy with the machine and have found it straight forward to work on.

 

[Afansler]

Martman,
How many cords per year did you do before you bought the processor and how many do you do now with it?

 

[Hedgerow]

My limited experience closely matches blackdogon57. I've been using about 1.6 gallons of diesel per cord so far, but that includes my time as a green operator learning the machine. Since I bought the machine used I changed all of the fluids soon after purchase. In the 100 hrs I've run it I have blown one hyd hose and broke both my 4 way and 6 way wedges. The wedge breakage was a combination of metal fatigue and my stupidity with large, knotted oak blocks. I'm generally happy with the machine and have found it straight forward to work on.

Have you ever Jammed a nasty piece on the wedge? And how did you get it off of there?

 

[martman981]

Prior to buying the machine I only did 10 cord or so a year for my own use. I've done about 100 since purchasing the machine and my plan (prayer) is to increase that to a min. of 500 per year in the next 3 years. God willing, we will see.

Regarding jamming blocks in the splitter, I have done that many times, but I need to explain that I've never actually had the ram stop itself. When I've jammed a block I always stopped the ram due to my fear of it damaging the wedges or something else. Usually I'll have problems with a block falling into the splitter when there is a large knot or projection on the log. Also, when I'm at the end of a log and I have a short block it will sometimes fall into the splitter area wrong. As I gain experience with the machine, I learn ways to prevent this from happening by using the clamp and block support to control the blocks before falling. The ram has enough power to cut the blocks across the grain if they fall into the splitter sideways, but that wastes wood and will break your machine so I stop it from happening. To clear jams I use a very special, delicate procedure. I find a nice piece of split wood and hit the offending jammed piece until it frees up. If you use this technique, make sure your fingers aren't in the "contact" zone or you'll immediately know it. Never had this method fail, usually takes one hit to free up.

 

[Ohiowoodguy]

The best business advice I ever got was- if you're selling out of product, raise your price. If you loose a few sales over price, but still sell out, where's the loss?

 

[Hedgerow]

The best business advice I ever got was- if you're selling out of product, raise your price. If you loose a few sales over price, but still sell out, where's the loss?

I agree that one should charge whatever the market will bear... Otherwise he's just costing himself and others money... Or "selling himself short" you could say...

 

[blackdogon57]

The best business advice I ever got was- if you're selling out of product, raise your price. If you loose a few sales over price, but still sell out, where's the loss?

Exactly - No harm in being the highest price out there. I find it tends to weed out the cheap skates right off the bat. Many consumers will pay
top dollar for quality product.

 

[Afansler]

I couldn't agree more. When we stopped trying to compete with others on price we actually got busier! Offer great service great product and they will pay. I quit advertising on CL for this reason, howevever I do like to put an occasional add on there just to show other sellers that they are undervaluing their product.

 

[owbguy]

I do like to put an occasional add on there just to show other sellers that they are undervaluing their product.