My ideal fire wood processing setup

[elkimmeg]

We can dream can't we? Note in the picture is a firewood processor process about 2 cords an hour with either 4 way or 8 way splitting head length adjustiable Holding rack holds 1.5 cords of log length
Not pictured is the rest of the pile of logs 16' high 20' long logs and another 100' long. Also not pictured on the back acrage, is another 700 cords. Less than a mile from my home I actually got to run the setup

 

[Roospike]

We can dream can't we? Note in the picture is a firewood processor process about 2 cords an hour with either 4 way or 8 way splitting head length adjustiable Holding rack holds 1.5 cords of log length
Not pictured is the rest of the pile of logs 16' high 20' long logs and another 100' long. Also not pictured on the back acrage, is another 700 cords. Less than a mile from my home I actually got to run the setup

Lets see ..........Just the 700 cords @ an easy $175. a cord = $122,500 . Yeah , I think that would buy the tractor and the processor on a 1 year loan and also have a few $$ to put in ones pocket.

 

[Burn-1]

Speaking of dreaming, I got to see the promo video for this processor while getting some saw files the other
day.

(broken link removed to http://www.novare.no/tmp.doc/mereo/ssb/PRJ-7008053/000044/Prod_1009980.htm)

You can see some of the video at this site, links are in Swedish but you get the picture

Igland Processor video

The reps at Windy Ridge in Tamworth NH, (I think the U.S. distributor), said that one could process 5 cord/hour
without much of a problem. That seems like a lot of stems/hour for this system but if you watch the video you
can hear the machine almost literally eating the tree length logs.

 

[Todd]

Cool! I want one!

 

[Burn-1]

I would love to have one too, and the price is reasonably affordable.
If I recall they start at $6,500 which is a tad less than the Hud-Son which
was featured on the site a few weeks ago. But, and it's a big but, you need
an excavator, backhoe or at least a fairly large bucket tractor.

It would be nice to get a 7-7.5 cord pulp truck load delivered to my house
and then only take say two hours to cut and split what for me would be almost
two years supply but I suppose I can use the exercise and save a couple bucks
for now.

 

[BrotherBart]

Cutting and splitting ain't the problem I have. Getting them suckers out of the woods is the problem. All you guys getting logs dumped at curbside have my undying envy. I have hurricane blown down trees 100 feet from the house that are in thick woods and are a groan to get out of there.

And then there is that monster red oak in the ravine...

 

[ourhouse]

Elk the back 700 is actually the wood pile I get to acccess is Tree Techs. Lucky me That is his new prosser, its a lot faster than his old one.

 

[saichele]

Man, I was feeling good because I just split the first face of the season. About 50/50 red oak and maple in about 45 minutes. That rig probably does it in about 30 seconds.

Steve

 

[elkimmeg]

Elk the back 700 is actually the wood pile I get to acccess is Tree Techs. Lucky me That is his new prosser, its a lot faster than his old one.

Just guessing about the amount in the back. I know as I also talked to him when he Had the other processor. He still has that sawmill

says it i can still be run..

Small world aye

 

[Eric Johnson]

Here's a guy in Pennsylvania who sells bundled firewood into the Philly market. He's got three high-capacity processors all serving the same big conveyor. I believe they have dry kilns for the wood. I'll have to look up how many cords they produce a year. The short answer is: boatloads!

 

[Eric Johnson]

Here's a nice pile of wood.

 

[Eric Johnson]

The warehouse.

 

[Roospike]

The warehouse.

Yeah , I would say there in it for the long haul . Not your average wood guy of the neighborhood .You said "bundled firewood " Are you talking bundled per pallet or the gas shop small $5. bundles ? Pallets have to be a big time saver for storage and delivery. Even a pick up couild come to there shop and get 1 pallet loaded , maybe 2 if a larger truck with the tailgate down. I wonder how much wood is loaded per pallet ? Hummmm... Great post(s) Eric .

 

[Roospike]

Here's a nice pile of wood.

Ha , Thats your back yard Eric ......

 

[Eric Johnson]

Yeah, except mine is all stacked.

After doing a little more research (digging out the article and reading it), I now know that this operation:

1.) dries the wood in sawdust-fired dry kilns for 48 hours;
2.) Ships all over the country under the brand name "Hot sticks."
3.) Produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 thousand full cords annually;
4.) Sells about 75% of what it produces in shrink-wrapped bundles and moves the rest in bulk.

I have no idea what they charge, but when you figure out how many bundles you can get out of a cord, it's a pile 'o dough.

BTW, I interviewed this guy back in 1985 when he was doing about 1,000 cords annually in his spare time with a couple of skidders and one firewood processor. These pics were taken last summer when we did a follow-up article on the operation.

Where do you think I get my inspiration?

 

[wg_bent]

Yeah, except mine is all stacked.

After doing a little more research (digging out the article and reading it), I now know that this operation:

1.) dries the wood in sawdust-fired dry kilns for 48 hours;
2.) Ships all over the country under the brand name "Hot sticks."
3.) Produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 thousand full cords annually;
4.) Sells about 75% of what it produces in shrink-wrapped bundles and moves the rest in bulk.

I have no idea what they charge, but when you figure out how many bundles you can get out of a cord, it's a pile 'o dough.

BTW, I interviewed this guy back in 1985 when he was doing about 1,000 cords annually in his spare time with a couple of skidders and one firewood processor. These pics were taken last summer when we did a follow-up article on the operation.

Where do you think I get my inspiration?

Makes ya want to go out and buy a PE summit just to heat the deck with.

 

[suematteva]

Ran into the owner of firewood business in NH he was producing over 10,000 cords a year had 2 multi-tek processors. The truck traffic is kinda crazy..We also have Colton up here who has the whole setup with kilns also, not sure how much he is processing a year probably more. They have been in business a long time.