As I've stated in other threads loggers are cutting 60 acres next to me. They are finished in the valley that's easily accessible to me and I was cutting tops in there yesterday. The loggers were on top dropping trees about 1/4 mile from me, I couldn't see them but I could see some of the trees fall occasionally. I saw 2 things happen that concerned me for the safety of the logger. I noticed a tree falling and it was taking another tree down to about 45 degrees then it released and whipped back and threw a widowmaker in the direction of where I thought the logger would have been. The 2nd dangerous situation was a tree falling and pulling a 2nd tree down with it. I was relieved to hear the saw cutting again in both cases. Loggers have a very dangerous job and there was already a logger killed on that job.
Yup, that reinforces what novice fellers often do, "Not looking Up". When finishing the back cut you need to look up. Everything that will kill you is above you including the branches of other trees. They can flip backwards a LONG WAYS.
Charted: The 20 deadliest jobs in America I have been reading that it's becoming near impossible to insure hand cutters.
That's one of the reasons they sell half million dollar feller bunchers. Around here they're standard practice and although there would be a small utility saw in in some one's truck, I bet it doesn't get used weekly.
Yep, it's true. Lucky I haven't had any accidents on the job other than forgetting my corking boots and slipping down the log pile once
Cutting logs to length on the landing is one of my most dangerous tasks. It would not seem it, but at the end of the day I am very tired, and those logs like to roll. I have been pinned more than once. One time I was pinned and it took a long time to get out: well after dark and I later asked my wife why she did not come and look for me. "I heard the skidder running" she said! "Yes, but I could have been under it!" A cable logger should have good health and life insurance for sure. I got both.
And the reason why no one is making any money either. I did have an interesting conversation with on of my foresters a few weeks ago. I asked him what his other mechanical crews were getting for logging production. He said on the average day, a crew of (4) loggers with Hot Saw Feller/Buncher, cable delimber, grapple skidder, and log loader were getting 60 cords out per day. All totaled they have about $1.5 million worth of equipment pumping out $4,200 per day in wood. The guys that have this say they are not making much money, one guy said $500 profit at the end of the week. here is what i figured out anyway on a day by day basis. Equipment depreciation over 5 years, on a 5 day work week, per day=$576 Insurance=$200 Fuel per day=$400 Splitting the profit 4 ways=$606 per logger In contrast: I have a 1979 cable skidder and a chainsaw. I have a $12,000 skidder and a $750 chainsaw all paid for. Working alone I get out 10 cord per day for $700. I burn about $30 a day in fuel, but have no other bills. They make $606 per day, and I make $670...but I suspect I do even better because they probably have more frequent, and more expensive breakdowns then I do. Now I have broken a few cable chokers here and there, chainsaw chains and chainsaw bars, and I just blew a $1800 tire, but in comparison it is not really equal. But here is the kicker: I do NOT need to find wood lot after wood lot to make my equipment payments and feed my family either. The mechanical crew needs at least 2 acres of forest to clear cut per day in the State of Maine based on the average here of 30 cord per acre. Now I have been cutting on the same 40 acres now for 2 straight years, and have another 6 years to go before it is completely logged off (to make way for new fields). This does not count my other forested acres, so at the current rate I am logging off my woodlot, it it is growing back faster than I can cut it. A lot faster! In fact, we put axe to tree in the year 1800, and have to clear our forest entirely into field...so I am not sure it is even possible. So in running the numbers, it seems in some instances mechanical logging is not really profitable. But like anything, I don't see people going back to cable skidders anytime soon. Me...I am a dying breed anyway I know. Logger/farmers are a thing of the past in Maine.
I quite often wonder (how can they make any money) that myself. They all sure look like they do, that is every pc. of equipment is clearly not patched together and most of it appears fairly new. The buncher & 2 skidders along are about a million bucks, that leaves the slasher, chipper several road tractors, chip trailers & lowboy's for moving everything not to mention p/u & service trucks, office, shops......
I hear that, we have a alot of hard and softwood down here. It's tough logging in the winter, hard to move, not alot of money for the timber. 300 per thousand for pine now, foreign market seeking hemlock and pine in odd lengths.
I'm guessing the market may be different in my area, we have mostly hardwoods. The property next to me was loaded with walnut and huge red oak and they're taking everything over about 12" of all species. The man that bought the property did so to harvest the timber as he owns a very large sawmill. I know of some other properties he's bought in the area that he bought for the timber. I think he contracts the loggers but his trucks and drivers transport the logs to the sawmill.
