Power Line Logging Project

[luvmexfood]

Just a thought and I am not by any means knowledgeable in taxes. I just wonder if it would even be considered a timber sale for tax purposes. Your not cutting anything for timber. All you are doing is a salvage operation of something left behind by others. Now if the power company had paid you for the value of the timber they were taking down then that might fall into the relm of income from selling timber. There are some documents that can be obtained online from either the Forest Service or IRS, not sure which, that are specific to timber sells. Your not talking about a lot of money here.

In glancing at these regulations they keep mentioning "standing timber". I relate this sale similar to selling some scrap metal you have or may pick-up left behind by others. Once it is cut by others and left to rot it makes me wonder what category it would fall into.

 

[timster2]

So if the power company destroys all the timber on the ROW can I claim that as a loss and write it off my taxes. No future income from timber sales possible if clear cut, well not at least in my lifetime. If a forester gives me a value on the standing timber and I get less at the mill is that a loss as well? Lots of things to consider here......more reading:reading:

 

[Jstpssng]

So if the power company destroys all the timber on the ROW can I claim that as a loss and write it off my taxes. No future income from timber sales possible if clear cut, well not at least in my lifetime. If a forester gives me a value on the standing timber and I get less at the mill is that a loss as well? Lots of things to consider here......more reading:reading:

If you own the land, aren't they giving you compensation? I'm still not sure how that works.
Up here they would buy the land from you, and you would surrender rights to anything on it.
(Which would really stink if they dug up a huge gold nugget. :laughing
If they're putting a power line in you won't be able to grow timber anyhow, although some people do grow Christmas trees.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I would use the B for the lifting it has a bit more capacity than the BX about 750lbs at the bucket for the B vs 550lbs for the BX and the B is a heaver machine.

I'm all for doing things yourself but 750 lbs doesn't go far when dealing with logs.

 

[luvmexfood]

Don't have a clue about taxes but some good questions. If the road to be built looks as good as the one in the picture and no sharp turn to get on it you could probably, in dry times, back a tandem with self-loader down it to load if you had enough to justify. You would just need to skid them together.

 

[motownbrowne]

I'm all for doing things yourself but 750 lbs doesn't go far when dealing with logs.

+1 on this. I have over 2000 lbs lift capacity after figuring the weight of my pallet forks, and sometimes that doesn't feel like enough for moving saw logs. Since I started trying to move them with an 8n and a couple of cant hooks, it is a huge improvement, but the weight of a log adds up quick. I think paying a self & loading truck is a good idea if you can manage it.

 

[timster2]

In the past before all the arthritis I did fell and skid logs. Not all that many but enough to know what's involved in handling the timber. Back then it was all for firewood never got to the selling to a mill part of the process. What a logger could do in one day will take me week but that's what keeps me going. As long a I don't have to get them to the mill within a week of felling I can pick away at the project as weather and body will permit. First I will have to sort out some of the standing dead to use for firewood this year, used most of my reserve stack last season.

I have a winch to mount on the car trailer that could be used to drag the log on once one end is lifted high enough to miss the dove tail. Will be passing the mill tomorrow I hope to stop in and get some more info on how they will fit in to the project.

 

[luvmexfood]

If you do mount the winch on your tongue as you mentioned get you a log that when placed at the rear of your trailer crossways will be taller than your trailer. Taller the better if you are going to put on two layers. Lay one end of the log you are loading on this log and then winch up. Keeps the weight off the rear of your trailer.

First layer butt end toward the tongue. Keeps you from having to clear it with the second layer. (If a big difference) Longer logs on the bottom. Second layer butts toward the rear. This keeps the end of the log closest to the trailer up in the air longer hopefully clearing the first layer. Use a small chain around the log to hook your winch cable to. Log will tend to go to the side opposite where the cable is hooked. Sometimes you will have to use your tractor or the winch to remove the chain that is hooked around the log. Wireless remote for the winch is almost a necessity. Saves many steps back and forth. I have loaded probably well over a hundred loads this way.

 

[MossRoad]

Personally, I'd load them from the side with a winch using a technique called "parbuckling". You gain a 2:1 mechanical advantage over just dragging them from an end, and they load right where you want them. There's tons of videos, pictures and descriptions out on google. Here's a video of how it works.

 

[MossRoad]

Another parbuckling video. Anyhow, you'll get the idea. Just don't stand in the winch cable path or anywhere near that rolling log should something break.