What do you think

[maq]

I am looking at purchasing some land that has between 350 and 400 acres of timber I am purchasing this acreage because of the wooded area. I was thinking of being able to harvest some of the timber, which is mostly hard wood, thinning out the woods and use the money to pay for some of the land. I know that it varies from the types of wood and diameter of the tree but what would be the average or the range of price per acre one would expect to get per acre. This property is located in the mid south. I would also like to try to do this project myself maybe purchase some used equipment struggle through it then sell it when done. I have been doing some research on machines and don’t know which would be better a feller buncher or a harvester I had a farm a few years ago that loggers came in and did a select harvest and all they had was a skidder and chainsaws they left a mess behind in the woods I don’t want that. Which transport method would be better a forwarder or a skidder? I know that right now the markets are tough so I might be better off just selling it to a turnkey outfit but without the headache of equipment failure and upkeep cost what fun would it be right.

 

[JTL]

Im jealous, for one! I would love to be able find 400 acres of timber/ranch land. If I was you, Id wait till the markets come back up a bit and weather out the storm till things get better.
Then Id buy a skidder, a loader and a new chain saw an go to clear-cutting the crap outta the place!!:drinkup
Jason

 

[thejdman04]

Timber prices vary so much by region you need to try to find outlets in your area and call them. One thing you need to take into account too is fuel, your labor/time, and transporting the logs to the mill.

 

[countrylife]

Another option, depending on how far you want to take this is instead of hauling the logs to the mill, you could mill them yourself and sell the finished lumber. You could sticker it for air drying or run a small solar kiln for kiln dried lumber. (You'd need to research drying lumber so you don't get a pile of rotted boards) 4/4 rough sawn kiln dried oak is a little over $3/ bd ft. in my area and it can be sold via the internet as well. There are forums that can help out in those areas as well. That'd give you control over the full supply chain.

 

[maq]

Yeah I don't want to clear cut it maybe just clear a few meadows for deer hunting plots. This place is 625 acres total and I plan on putting a house on the area thats already clear. I did think about milling the lumber onsite and using on the house. Selling it might be a better idea though since white pine would be better for studding out the house and 2x4 white pine is like 1.30 a board. I guess my biggest question is which machine would be better for harvesting a feller buncher or a harvester and what would be the best way to get it out of the woods a skidder or a forwarder. My main concern is to keep the woods somewhat clean. I know it sounds weird but we had a logging company come in and fall the trees then buck the trees and skid them out and leave everythign in the woods leaving a huge mess behind unable to navigate the woods or hunt because of the huge piles left behind. Another thing is it possible to get a couple logging truck drivers sub contracted by the hour like it is for dump truckers.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

If you could swing it now, I would try to get the equipment now while the market is down. Prices are at a low point for equipment. You may find you could use the equipment to do the job, then sell it at a better market time for as much as you paid.

Depending on the growth, a feller and a forwarder might be a good idea.

 

[JAK5]

It sounds like a fantastic piece of property... I'm envious! Now, depending on the circumstances I would recommend finding reputable logging contractor and sit back and count the trucks as they go by. You might be better off using your efforts to police your contractor to make sure he/she does everything just as you negotiated. Its a lot of head aches trying to do it all yourself. Not to mention finding an outlet and contract for the material is like finding a needle in a hay stack these days. It is getting more and more common to find contractors with biomass contracts so they tend to clean up the waste material also.
If you still feel the need to do it yourself, then I would recommend a forwarder and an excavator retro fitted with a dangle head harvesters. This way you can take the head off and install the bucket back on and you have yourself a decent excavator. These small excavator conversion units are fairly common in my neck of the woods so a good used unit should be available.
It all comes down to what do you value your time at. If you value your own time a zero or near zero, you can probably save some money cutting the land yourself. I've got to warn you though ... once the logging itch gets in your blood its a life long commitment. You never really get it out of your system ... no matter how much money you lose.
Best of luck with your property and let me know if I can help point you in the direction of some equipment.

 

[PSDF350]

Thats alot of timberland to be harvesting on your own with absolutly no idea what your doing. There are 3 ways to do it though one is chainsaw and log skidder either a winch or grapple also with winch. 2 is feller buncher with grapple skidder. 3 is harvester with forwarder. Feller buncher wont work well with forrwader just like harverster wont work well with grapple skidder. I say your best bet is to buy a small skidder or forwarder if you really want to get out there and do some clean up and firewood work and hire a forester to come in and handle everything from hiring the loggers to selling your wood. Talk to several let them know exactly what your looking to do, then let him do his job.



But there is also something I must say. You say you had other property logged but didn't like the mess I'm sorry but logging is messy work, if they didn't leave tops more than 4' high or a bunch of leaners they probably did fine.

 

[thejdman04]

One thing to keep in mind skidders are EXPENSIVE, to buy operate etc. Unless you have a ton of money and can get something failry new and decent, if your looking at buying one "cheap" with new tires or trans needed, youll end up losing bunches of money.

 

[woodchuck2]

Loggers around here do it all the time but they already have the equipment and the knowhow. Some lots they buy they just cut off and let go for taxes if they cant sell it quick when they are done. The smart fella's you will find select cut it and then sit on it for when wood lots dry up. The first cut usually pays for the land, the second cut goes in their pocket. If the lot is buildable then you will see the logger clear a spot , put a road in for access and put it on the market. Several loggers around here also have dump trucks and excavators so they get the job of digging the foundation, septic, and final grading.

 

[bill onthehill]

So up to now nobody has mentioned the most obvious thing to me, SAFETY. If you do not have experience at cutting standing trees it is one of the most dangerous things you can possibly get into. For that reason alone I would advise getting a forester and loggers involved and be an observer.

 

[roddyo]

If you are really serious about this the first thing you need to do is go out to your new woodlot and strip down "Butt Naked". Then go find all the Poision Ivy and Poision Oak you can find and rub it all over yourself. Wait about two weeks and ask yourself if you really want to be a logger.

I small mill and a kiln will make you more money than a skidder and feller IMO. If it was me I would wait on the price and sell the timber.

The best way to sell it is advertise it good and take sealed bids. Then plan on having a mess to clean up when they get done.

Don't forget to Hire your Local Excavation Contractor to push the trees over before you cut them up. That saves tons of money when clearing ground. lol