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Brit logging.

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
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Really doesn't make any sense to move wood ourselves unless it's clean-up loads or there are access issues like wet mud, these trucks are so smooth and can haul twice as much in a day for same fuel.

A chipwood depot, for energy wood chip production supplying local biomass boilers.
 
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John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
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Sitting here waiting for the right parts to show up, Mike the top mechanic and his assistant (that's me) have been in and out with the hydraulic pump 3 times in as many days, now we've learnt that the upgraded pump kit doesn't have all the necessary parts included. So hopefully bolting it up this next time will see us with the extra hyd flow we're seeking, instead of the absolute zero flow we got!

It wasn't raining the last two days, but it is about to now! Very grey.
 

Blk prince

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
1,021
Location
Ladysmith bc canada
Occupation
Truck driver semi retired
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Sitting here waiting for the right parts to show up, Mike the top mechanic and his assistant (that's me) have been in and out with the hydraulic pump 3 times in as many days, now we've learnt that the upgraded pump kit doesn't have all the necessary parts included. So hopefully bolting it up this next time will see us with the extra hyd flow we're seeking, instead of the absolute zero flow we got!

It wasn't raining the last two days, but it is about to now! Very grey.
So,John. Are you back in business? Hope so
 

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
BP, yes, for now. A few teething troubles with this tractor. Got full crane power now with new pump, but didn't cure the odd steering symptoms. If standing stationary, cannot steer lock to lock at any rev. It gets so far fine, then goes hard and won't turn further. Both front and rear steering wheels same effect (it's reverse drive) , if put crane out back of rear wheels it goes a bit further towards full lock, if pick up a log out back it goes lock to lock. If move tractor a little, it goes lock to lock. Though it also seems to hesitate if you steer "without warning"! Which is scary in oncoming traffic.

We tried bypass test on steering ram and there was a small trickle bypassing. Various priority valves and such to check out next (when Mike the Mechanic returns) if that doesn't do it I suppose we'll change ram seals.
 

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
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Clutch isn't too convincing either, at 33,200 kg GVW it just seemed to sit in the moss when trying to pull off in bottom road gear. In a lower gear it pulled away ok.
Have to spend some time and money is all!
 
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John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
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We've been thinning ash trees out of this plantation, they've got the dreaded ash dieback (Chalara or Hymenoscyphus fraxineus as it's been renamed) that's gradually wiping out all our ash trees. Lots of loose limbs on these weakened trees. Selling the logs all the way to China.
 
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John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
EAB is expected to arrive soon...

Predictions for Chalara is 95-98% loss, so there won't be a lot left for the Emerald Ash Borer anyway.
 

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
They're going in containers so 1st lengths only up to 11.2m I think ~36ft.
 

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
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Has anyone on here had any experience of"Turkey Oak" as we call it, and know of any uses for it. We come across them sometimes in our woods, some people seem to have planted them for their colourful leaves when young trees. This tree pictured had a 12m clear stem, 3' diameter and no one wants Turkey Oak for anything here.
 

old-iron-habit

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Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
4,233
Location
Moose Lake, MN
Occupation
Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
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Has anyone on here had any experience of"Turkey Oak" as we call it, and know of any uses for it. We come across them sometimes in our woods, some people seem to have planted them for their colourful leaves when young trees. This tree pictured had a 12m clear stem, 3' diameter and no one wants Turkey Oak for anything here.

Not sure what Turkey Oak is? Here, if one takes a decent Oak log and saws off one edge slab, then flipped the cut side down and sawed two 3" thick slabs from the middle, them two pieces often sell for up to $500.00. They butt up the slabbed edges and make table tops from them for banquet tables. With the wavy edge they make a grand looking table from the book matched halves.
 

hvy 1ton

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
1,946
Location
Lawrence, KS
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Has anyone on here had any experience of"Turkey Oak" as we call it, and know of any uses for it. We come across them sometimes in our woods, some people seem to have planted them for their colourful leaves when young trees. This tree pictured had a 12m clear stem, 3' diameter and no one wants Turkey Oak for anything here.
A bit of poking around the internet, I found that Turkey Oak/Austrian Oak is really prone to cracking and splitting. The only use I've seen mentioned is fencing products. Most of what I found was for the Turkey Oak that grows in the SE of the US.
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,323
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
We have what we call black oak around here, grows really fast, tall and straight and nobody uses it for anything. Except firewood. I read somewhere that it also splits when drying. Somewhere else they said that if people would use what they call southern oak drying methods they would have better results and make it usable.
 

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
Glad you said that, John C., as this job had me cold through pretty much every day!WP_20190130_06_58_04_Pro.jpg WP_20190131_07_20_39_Pro.jpg WP_20190131_08_29_12_Pro.jpg
We were making best use of the frost which was 6 below on the best morning.
 

John Shipp

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
643
Location
England
Occupation
forestry contracting
It brightened up on some days.

First picture is some of "the good":
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Last 2 pics are "the bad&ugly"!

Productive place though, ~450Tonnes per hectare (2.47acre) is good in hardwood where we are.
 
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