Information for MobileFirewood
Processing Customers
Rates
& Production:
Processing rate is $65.00/hour, with a minimum of 25 hours for the first
day. Rate applies to all bucking, decking, processing,
hauling and other chores required. If logs are 12’
long, straight and average 6-8” diameter you can expect me
working alone to
produce 1 to 1.25 cords of firewood per hour (128 ft3
stacked equivalent or 180 ft3
loose piled). To increase this
productivity you can perform simple tasks like bucking logs, decking
logs, moving firewood or shovelling bark & sawdust.
Set-up and sharpening when required are billed at processing rate;
processor arrives sharpened, and set up takes approx. 30 minutes while
sharpening takes approx . 5-10 minutes. Number of
sharpenings are proportional to the dirtiness of the logs,
but since the processor has a hydraulic chainsaw, fewer sharpenings are
needed than would be required for a regular chainsaw. Time
for quick, normal adjustments billed, but maintenance (greasing
& oil changes) and breakdowns are not. Excessive damage to
chains from nails or rocks are billed on a pro-rated basis of the
remaining life of the chain.
The
rate for
travel from my
home (12 km NE of Christopher Lake) to your
site with the mill is $1.50/km one way. For subsequent commuting days,
the rate is $0.75/km one way. When overnight accommodation and meals
are required, the actual costs will be billed to the customer. In such
cases, I will try to find the best rates available. Work sites farther
than 1¼
hrs drive may be subject to overnight costs.
Factors Affecting
Production:
- Log length:
8’-12’ logs result in the highest
productivity. Shorter than 8’ and too much time is
spent canting logs onto the processor. Longer than
12’ and the log becomes unwieldy unless they are small
diameter and straight. For small, straight pine logs,
16’ can be a suitable length.
- Log diameter: 12”
diameter should be the maximum used. The processor can handle
14” logs but if there is any crook, sweep or defects then the
in-feeding is significantly slowed. A log that averages
6-8” produces the ideal size of firewood and has the best
production.
- Species: log shape,
diameter,
knots and length have much larger impacts to productivity than does
hardness. Birch is cut and split virtually as fast as pine.
- Dirt: sand or gravel on logs
will quickly dull the chain.
- Help: you can keep
productivity high and lower your costs by working with me by doing the
chores that keep me away from running the processor.
What you should do:
- logs
should be
clean
- limbs should be cut flush to
the trunk
- logs need to be free of
nails
or foreign objects
- cut pine into
10’-16’ logs, max 12” diameter, smaller
diameter should be the 16’ logs.
- Cut birch and poplar into
8’-10’ logs, max 12” diameter.
- leave ample room to work:
the
processor, deck and tractor occupy as space 50'x50’
plus 20’ for the wood pile. Plus there is room all around
needed for loading and access.
- find a level spot to work
in,
although some slope can be accommodated.
- please have the site
ploughed
down to the ground
- have forks on your tractor
or
skid steer. 2"x2"x4', 3/16 or 1/4 square tubing, bolted to your bucket
is a good substitute for forks. Grapples or split buckets work well too
- the highest productivity per
person is with just me working alone but the highest productivity per
hour is with me running the processor and one person helping.
Any more help than one person is unnecessary. One helper
makes the biggest contribution to productivity; a second will speed us
up, but not by such a large amount. I can easily do all the work
myself, but you'll save more money by helping.
Other
Information:
- I give and take advice: you
should feel free to direct me to cut your firewood as you want it.
- Your greatest savings will
be
to cut your own logs. You will still save money by buying
semi loads of logs and having me process them.
Payment Terms:
- Cheque, cash or bank draft
- payment due when work is
completed or every two weeks, whichever comes first
- services subject to 5% gst;
products subject to gst & pst
- NSF cheques will be charged
$40
- unpaid invoices will be
charged 2% per month