Information for Mobile Firewood Processing Customers (Click here for a printer-friendly version of this page.)
Rates & Production:
Processing rate is $65.00/hour, with a minimum of 5 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. Logs shorter than 8' result in too much time spent canting logs onto the processor. Logs longer than 12' result in the log becoming unwieldy unless they are small diameter and straight. For small, straight pine logs 16' can be a suitable length.
- Log diameter: 12” diameter logs 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” diameter produces the ideal size of firewood and results in 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.- Logs should be in piles of equal length.
- 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, the 16' logs should be smaller diameter.
- Cut birch and poplar into 8’-10’ logs, max 12” diameter.
- Leave ample room to work: the processor, deck and tractor occupy as space of about 50'x50' plus 20' for the wood pile. Plus there is room needed all around for loading and access.
- Find a level spot to work in.
- 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. 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 do your own logging. However, 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.
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