Vermeer model 606 PTO Chipper

[Piston]

I think I got a really good deal on the well drilling. $2700 for the whole job, including casing and grout for up to 300'.

YA YOU DID!

Here's a shot from today of mom's new lot where the well driller just set up his rig in the woods. Noting but very mature pine and a few hardwoods. Trying to figure out how to best deal with the larger than 10" pines. I think some of the trees are close to 75' tall!

Well, I'd say you know the best way to deal with the larger pines, just need to pull the trigger on that log skidding grapple!
As a hobby sawmiller, I really have a hard time swallowing the fact that you are going to chip up all those beautful saw logs! Although 10" is small, they can still make some nice smaller dimension timbers.

Are you going to sell the larger ones? I think what you should do with them, is skid the nice size sawlogs to a landing and hire a local portable sawmill to come and mill you lumber. You could use much of it on your mom's new house. By the time the house is built, the lumber will be air dried enough for use. Maybe some nice red pine flooring?? In some areas, you can use non graded lumber for residential buildings, others, you can only use it for non residential like garages and sheds.

I can see the value in the speed sensing unit from what I've read (again, no personal experience) but it makes sense.

Are those all red pines in the background too?

 

[pclausen]

I hear you on the log skidding grapple! Let me check w/ the builder to see what his thoughts are on milling the trees for lumber. I know that they have a 24" chipper they use for clearing building sites! It might be that if the county is ok with using non graded lumber, hiring a local portable sawmill would easily save enough in building materials to cover the cost of the skidding grapple and chipper. The estimate for the material cost for framing the rough shell is $21k.

I don't know much about trees, but as far as I can tell, they are all of the same variety. As an alternative, I was thinking of cutting the 10"+ ones up into 24' lengths and put them on my GN trailer and take them to the mill that is only about 3 miles away. I'd need to rig up something to support the logs on the flatbed so that it was not damaged when they offload them with their grapple. I wonder what say a 24' red pine log with an average diameter of say 15" would be worth? I could probably load 15-20 at a time and take them to the mill. I guess they do it my weight and grade?

Here's a Google Earth view of the 6 acre lot (in the yellow rectangle). The pines all look to have the same color to me. Will have nice mountain views too once the trees are cleared!

 

[Piston]

I know that they have a 24" chipper they use for clearing building sites!

I think those monster chippers are incredible, and amazing to watch. But man it just kills me to seen nice straight logs like that chipped into mulch. I swear I'm not a tree hugger (I like cutting trees down more than most) but I like to see them go to use. I hope you can work out some kind of deal to have them sawn, or sell them to a mill or whatever. The prices really are regional so it's hard to say, but regardless, pine of any time isn't really bringing a bunch of money.
If your at all interested in having the logs sawn, I could give you a lot of info and probably find some local sawyers for you on another forum I frequent, so let me know if you'd like any more info on it. Do you have any more pics of the trees on that land?
You could haul a good amount of wood with your gooseneck! I just brought these small logs home from a cleanup job my dad and I had (the one he just used my chipper on). I'll mill them into timbers for use later.

I was thinking of cutting the 10"+ ones up into 24' lengths and put them on my GN trailer

Before cutting them to length, check with the mill to see what they would want. Chances are they'll want either 8'3" or 16'6" lengths. Also, don't let them sit on the ground too long, the greener they are the better they are to saw. Also, if they do go by weight, it would bring you more money. Smaller guys usually go by the board foot. You might even be able to find a sawyer to come to your land to mill the logs, and mill on shares, say you keep half and he keeps half. This is less popular now but the right guy may do it (I would if I was closer). You may want to check with some local timber framing companies to see if they need long length timbers. It's very difficult to find a 45' top plate for a timber frame home, let alone 3 or 4 of them that are sometimes needed.

A lot of red pines (if that is what they are) were planted in plantations I believe, because they grow fairly quickly, are tall and straight, low risk from disease, and are self pruning, which is the reason you don't see many branches lower on the tree, as they die from lack of sunlight (they are not shade tolerant) they fall off and heal over the next few years, making some nice clear boards when milled.

A home built from your own lumber from your own land, is truly unique and has it's own value aside from monetary. If your lumber is required to be graded, you may be able to find someone who can grade it, but then your not saving nearly as much.

Sorry to sound like I'm preaching to you, I just really like to see the forest recources used.

 

[pclausen]

I was at the land this afternoon watching them complete the well. 200ft and 10+ gpm. I'm happy with that!

The neighbor stopped by and he just happen to be quite knowledgeable about trees. My trees are all loblolly pine also known as southern yellow pine. The stand is mature with the trees being about 85-95' tall right now. He recommended taking them down before they start falling over on their own. There must be 100's of them.

I would be interested in pursuing locating a local guy with a portable mill to come cut it all up for me and split the lumber. I would be able to skid the logs right up to his mill. I can store a bunch of the cut lumber in my pole barn until it would be needed. I'll also contact the local mill to find out what I could work out with them.

Not sure if loblolly pine is more or less prized than red pines?

 

[Piston]

I believe (and I don't know too much about this) that southern yellow pine is more desireable. I also believe it is a denser wood with tighter grain.

It sounds like you have a really nice stand of trees there! It would absolutely be a waste if it was all chipped up. I'm glad you are interested in using what you have instead of wasting it all. It is true that eventually trees will start dying over time, however, that doesn't happen overnight!

Shoot me a PM if you would like me to post something up on the forestry forum for you, or better yet, join up and post your question there. Lots of knowledgeable people over there as well. Between this forum, and www.forestryforum.com , I can get just about any type of information I've ever been interested in :thumbsup:

Of course, there is always the idea of buying a sawmill yourself as well

 

[pclausen]

I'm checking with the builder about me getting someone to cut up the trees and use as lumber for the framing. Also asked him if local building codes requires the lumber to be graded.

I did look at portable sawmills. There are a lot of them out there ranging from a few thousand up to $20k or more. Northern Tool & Equipment carries some pretty cool LumberMate Pro models that you can add trailer wheels to and extensions. Hmm... Will check out the other forum you suggested as well. Thanks.

 

[kevincook]

Check to see if you have a mill near by that can kiln dry the lumber for you. It sounds like you have much more timber than you actually need. Barter the extra timber with the mill and have them do all the cutting and drying. They will probably also cut the trees and truck them to the mill. If you have as many trees as you say you should come out WAY AHEAD on this deal.

 

[pclausen]

I checked with the mill. They pay $38 per ton. Given a weight of 52-55 lbs per cu. ft. when green, that comes to around 1300 lbs per 16' 4" log with an average diameter of 1'. So assuming 3 logs per tree, that works out to about $50 per tree. 200 trees would then come to $10k, not counting labor, fuel, equipment wear, etc. Might do 1 trailer load to see how much time it actually takes and what I would end up getting paid, to see it would be worth my time. They don't really offer to sell it back to the customer once they process it, and they don't cut or haul either. They are only about 10 minutes from the property though, so that keeps transport expense down.

 

[Piston]

Peter,
Getting $38 per ton and knowing that those logs will be turned into useful lumber, sounds a lot better than PAYING to have a large chipper come in and completely waste perfectly good forest recources! It adds up quick and might put a heck of a dent in that $10k chipper you wanna buy!

Although I haven't been able to try out my new chipper yet, I am at least learning a bit more about it! The former owner found the manuals and paperwork on it and mailed them to me. I have been reading the manual and studying up the operation and maintenance. I will go through it and change out the gear oil, the hydraulic fluid, hydraulic filter, check the slip clutch, grease it up, and check/sharpen the blades. From what my dad told me, it doesn't sound like it has had much use but I'd rather be safe than sorry, at least this way I'll KNOW it has clean fluids!

Here is a scan of the spec sheet that came in the paperwork the former owner sent me.

 

[pclausen]

I'll definitely take a load of logs to the mill to see what it brings. I agree that it would be a waste to chip up those long straight logs.

I was looking at that spec sheet you posted, and those Vemeer chippers seem extremely rugged! I see they also have an even bigger 906 model 9" chipper that weigh 2200 lbs! I googled that model, and what do you know, a guy has an almost new one listed on craigslist about 5 hours away!

Vermeer 906 PTO Wood Chipper

I just need to take 145 tons worth of logs to the mill to break even.