Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[BrokenTrack]

Two brothers run Pleasant River out of Dover-Foxcroft. They also own Moose River Lumber outside Jackman and are building a mill in Enfield designed to cut small fir (>12 inches butt diameter) into studs. I believe they also have another mill someplace. You are right, the trade wars fueled their expansion; yet the quarantine does keep us from sending ash to Canada for the summer months.

Was your yard originally run by Bessey's? They had several scattered around long before anybody else; then HC started a couple, and a few others have jumped on board.

Yeah it was Bessy's.

Then somehow Kennebec Log Yard got in the mix, but Pleasant River ended up taking over the site fully, so it went to court, and the Judge dismissed the lawsuit. So Kennebec built a log yard just a mile or two up the road.

The scaler did tell me that the minimum top size for spruce and fir logs is 7 inches, but he said do not worry about that "as they process spruce and fir logs themselves." So that is what they must have meant by do not worry about how small the tops get...they need spruce and fir I guess.

that small sawlog mill was probably a back door deal with the state, because ever since the softwood pulp mills closed, they need a market for spruce and fir. They gave 192 million to Sappi to put in their new paper machine. Even the forester from Sappi did not know that. He was bragging how they invested 240 million into the plant, and I was like "you mean a few million, taxpayers paid for the most of it". But it is still a neat paper machine, who would have ever thought that they could make antibiotic paper? It takes a mix of hardwood and softwood to make that paper, so it helps the spruce and fir market.

Now if only they could do something about Hemlock...I got huge hemlock, very little rot and no shake, but $190 a 1000 bf...it is not worth cutting.

 

[Loaderman22]

Ok, I've heard of & have seen/cut white oak, red oak, black oak, pin oak, but what the heck is this oak, Giant oak??

 

[Jstpssng]

Yeah it was Bessy's.

Then somehow Kennebec Log Yard got in the mix, but Pleasant River ended up taking over the site fully, so it went to court, and the Judge dismissed the lawsuit. So Kennebec built a log yard just a mile or two up the road.

The scaler did tell me that the minimum top size for spruce and fir logs is 7 inches, but he said do not worry about that "as they process spruce and fir logs themselves." So that is what they must have meant by do not worry about how small the tops get...they need spruce and fir I guess.

that small sawlog mill was probably a back door deal with the state, because ever since the softwood pulp mills closed, they need a market for spruce and fir. They gave 192 million to Sappi to put in their new paper machine. Even the forester from Sappi did not know that. He was bragging how they invested 240 million into the plant, and I was like "you mean a few million, taxpayers paid for the most of it". But it is still a neat paper machine, who would have ever thought that they could make antibiotic paper? It takes a mix of hardwood and softwood to make that paper, so it helps the spruce and fir market.

Now if only they could do something about Hemlock...I got huge hemlock, very little rot and no shake, but $190 a 1000 bf...it is not worth cutting.

I can sell hemlock for more than I can get for S/F pulp... plus it stacks faster and weighs up better. Maximum diameter is 24" though.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I can sell hemlock for more than I can get for S/F pulp... plus it stacks faster and weighs up better. Maximum diameter is 24" though.

Are you talking Hemlock Pulp, or hemlock logs?

My broker said he could give me a decent price on hemlock pulp, but when pressed said he had to check on the exact price.

I am building an inlaw suite now that we have moved back into the big house, and I was going to plank the walls instead of using drywall. I got some huge Hemlock and thought lining the walls with 18 inch wide hemlock boards would be kind of neat looking. It would not take a lot of them either.

 

[John_Mc]

... Now if only they could do something about Hemlock...I got huge hemlock, very little rot and no shake, but $190 a 1000 bf...it is not worth cutting.

The frame in our timber frame house is Hemlock. Most in our area are pine, but Hemlock is stronger so can use slightly smaller posts and beams. If you have Hemlock without shake or rot, try touching base with a timber-frame company. They usually need longer logs.

 

[goeduck]

Processed a small load of apple today. Some of it a little buggy but since it was apple, no way I was going to waste those pieces.

 

[Creamer]

YES it is true... You wanted it piled higher, tell them and they will pile it higher...

IF your SW won't, go to a different one, but I've never had any SW tell me they won't put more on...

SR

Same Here. Some sandwich technicians cannot seem to get the ingredients to lay right so you can somewhat close the sandwich but a sandwich that isn't a spilling out a little isn't a good one. Never a problem getting them to add plenty - often a problem keeping it from spilling.

 

[arrow]

Ok, I've heard of & have seen/cut white oak, red oak, black oak, pin oak, but what the heck is this oak, Giant oak??
View attachment 626155

I've seen what we called "swamp-chestnut" oak with large leaves . Only problem is that the oak I mention had kinda rounded tips and still not as big as what you show..

An oak tree will produce leaves large or small dependent on the amount of shade or sun it gets. Oaks in shade will produce larger leaves than their brethren with their need for photosynthesis.

 

[BrokenTrack]

The frame in our timber frame house is Hemlock. Most in our area are pine, but Hemlock is stronger so can use slightly smaller posts and beams. If you have Hemlock without shake or rot, try touching base with a timber-frame company. They usually need longer logs.

We got a sawmill here that will buy hemlock in long lengths (16-52 feet), and pay $50 more per thousand for the long logs, but I could never see how the price was worth it. By the time you factor in taper of the tree, especially on hemlock, it does not work out for the landowners best interests.

As is, I almost never cut my logs 16 foot because a 12 foot log makes better use of the tree. That is because (2) 16 foot logs with trim will put me at 33' feet up the tree. That gives me a decent butt log, then a fairly crappy second log. But if I cut the tree into 12 foot logs, I get 3 of them and get logs up to the 37'-6" rang, so I use more of the tree. This also gives me (2) really good logs, and a 3rd crappy log.

My trucker has said for years I get less wood this way, but he is wrong...I get less money per truckload because he cannot get as many 12 footers on the truck as he can 16 footers, but overall I am getting more money per tree, and that is what counts.

 

[hunt4570]

I've seen what we called "swamp-chestnut" oak with large leaves . Only problem is that the oak I mention had kinda rounded tips and still not as big as what you show..

An oak tree will produce leaves large or small dependent on the amount of shade or sun it gets. Oaks in shade will produce larger leaves than their brethren with their need for photosynthesis.

I get some giant leaves here too as well, not sure on the species.. I'll try to get a couple pics.