How'd it go today?

[HolmenTree]

Willard, three years dead standing and the wood should be ideal stable for milling. Nobody wants the logs?

Yes they are beautiful prime sawlogs. Too petrified for my chainsaw mill though. unless if I had lots of time which I don't have. These trees cut up have to be off the street and piled on the curb for them to pick and load later. I'm not setup to move sawlogs. I let one sawmiller years back take my elm logs and warned him to cut them right away and burn the slabs with the bark. Well he didn't and left the logs lay for 2 years letting more DED spread. I got shit for that from some higher ups.
One disadvantage of working alone is I have alot of work backed up.
But the customers are patient though, I told them that I'll be operating all through the winter. Which is a good thing because the phone doesn't ring in the winter.

 

[HolmenTree]

luckily they let us use the tractor to load it. little kubota, still took us an hour and a half to get it and we still have to take it to the dump.

I'm looking at buying a little kubota tractor that comes with an acreage that I'm looking at buying. Its got a 18 hp diesel, 4X4, big turf tires , comes with attachments like 700 lb lift bucket, forks, snow blower , mower and low hrs. I could find a spot for it doing tree work.
Might have to wait a while though, we still haven't got any decent offers for our house yet, just tire kickers. The good thing is we have a conditional sales agreement with the acreage owners and they have the same with the owners of the house they want to move to.

 

[Porkbrick]

i liked the tractor. it was very easy to use and quite nimble. i could see how nice it would be to have, esp with the right attachments. good luck on your land hunt, i hope it goes through.

 

[Paul B]

hopefully someone gets some firewood out of that deal at least. They seem small for 80 year old trees, are they average for your location Willard?

 

[Al Smith]

Americam elm does not make the best fire wood although it does burn .Nearly impossible to split by hand and pretty tough even with a hydraulic splitter .

What it is good for are tough as nails planks that are nearly split proof plus they bend like willow and are about as strong as oak . In addition as elm dries it gets lighter where as oak never seems to loose much weight . Lawdy I've got a pair of red oak planks ,4 by 12 8 feet long that I do believe took on weight in the 25 years I've had them . That or I've lost some strong in that time .:roll:

 

[brendonv]

Nice Willard, not sure I'd tackle that alone, even with my setup of hydraulics.

Today's the last Wednesday I'll be going into the long over rated PT job. Feels good, as did the whole week knowing what's to come. I actually have to bring in my mini loader, for rental with me as operator. Yesterday his Ramrod started sounding like the piston was slapping around inside. It didn't ever sound good inside that Kawasaki, and yesterday it let him know. Oh well. He was just saying at break "Imagine not having a mini loader for this job". Sucker.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Willard, I don't know how quickly you would have to get the logs of the street, but if there is the time to have enough trees down and bucked up to make a load, couldn't you just hire someone with a log loader to haul to a mill for you every few days or so? Seems like the elm might at least make some great flooring if not other uses. No doubt you have thought of the possibilities, and not to belabor a point, but just hate to see nice logs cut up that have a greater potential. Old story, however.

 

[Cobleskill]

I saw American Elm listed in the New York State log price list. It was a pretty low price. We used to saw it when I was a kid and there were lots of them left. Not bad lumber, but it doesn't like the weather.

 

[HolmenTree]

Willard, I don't know how quickly you would have to get the logs of the street, but if there is the time to have enough trees down and bucked up to make a load, couldn't you just hire someone with a log loader to haul to a mill for you every few days or so? Seems like the elm might at least make some great flooring if not other uses. No doubt you have thought of the possibilities, and not to belabor a point, but just hate to see nice logs cut up that have a greater potential. Old story, however.

hopefully someone gets some firewood out of that deal at least. They seem small for 80 year old trees, are they average for your location Willard?

Jay, yes I've looked into it. But it seems like everyone with a truck and loader is hard to find, like I said I had a bad experience before and almost lost my arborist license with this DED. Our elms in our town only started getting DED in the last 8-10 yrs.
Paul yes these street elms competing with the pavement and concrete don't get that tall, but out in the country and 'burbs they get up to 90 feet or so.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Yeah, I figured that there was more to it than meets the eye. Still, it looks like a good job for you, Funny about that lady driving around the barrier and going whoa! Such idiots in the world.

 

[sotc]

We would have to pull traffic plans/permits and have alot more signage and cones for something like that

 

[Rborist1]

Get to work already.

 

[sotc]

Just got the guys shuffled out the door to get the truck ready so I have a few more minutes to play and drink java

 

[Fiddler]

Ordered a log splitter today, and looked at mini skid steers at Vermeer. Will probably pick one up in or around December.

Dropped my zoology class to concentrate on the computer classes that are giving me trouble.:roll: Been having a terrible time trying to concentrate and retain info lately, with all the life stuff going on here, so decided to cut school back to half-time until I am thinking a bit straighter.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

This one is killing me Dave. Right in Sacramento too. Wrong time in my priorities http://www.ebay.com/itm/160658957737?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[Fiddler]

Nice Stephan, I've been going back and forth between Vermeer 600 and 800 series'. I'd like to include Boxer but the nearest dealer is on the other side of the State, while Vermeer is 1/4 mile down my road. I'm thinking of going with Branch Manager's stump grinder and grapple.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

That would be sweet.

 

[okietreedude]

Ordered a log splitter today, and looked at mini skid steers at Vermeer. Will probably pick one up in or around December.

you must have some small firewood to get a horizontal. Mine does both and rarely do i use it horizontal.

As for the vermeer, it you do any back yard stuff, youd be better off with the 600 as it will go thru a 3' gate. I dont think the 800s will.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Another great day at Micky Dees! I'm off tomorrow, so I'll be trimming Live Oaks with my buddy Mike. I'm making more money than ever, it seems. This, I can dig.

 

[Al Smith]

That splitter looks like it has a lifter , kind of like a Timber Wolf .

They all seem to kind of embelish the tonnage ratings .My homebuilt along with the TW model that uses a 5 inch cylinder are more accurately rated at 22 ton figuring the relief valve setting which is normally around 22-2300 PSI .To get 32 tons it would need to be set at around 3300 psi and the pump only puts out 3,000 .

They all exagerate the ratings except TW but it's no big deal ,22 ton will split anything you put in it .Sideways if you like .

 

[okietreedude]

no it wont. ive got a 28 that has probs on some stuff.

 

[Al Smith]

Well once again a so called 28 ton splitter which uses a 4 inch cylinder will only put out aprox 14 ton using 2300 psi setting on the relief valve .

It's easy to figure .A 4 inch cylinder is 12.56 square inchs .A 5 inch is 19.56 square inchs .Take the area times the pressure and you get the tonnage .Even at 3000 psi a 4 inch cylinder is only 37,800 pounds or a tad less than 19 tons .To get 28 tons that thing would need 4458psi which would blow the lines apart most likely .They lie,like I said .

 

[okietreedude]

Here's the one I have except i bought it when the motors were still listed in HP not this new antiquated system I dont understand (oh, and mine is red too) http://www.speeco.com/products.php?id=95&prod=356

The dont list the pressure but the cylinder is 4 1/2" and the MAX tonnage is 28...That too is where they get ya...dont tell you what you really have, just what you MIGHT be able to get. Lie'n bastards

 

[HolmenTree]

We would have to pull traffic plans/permits and have alot more signage and cones for something like that

Not here. The town who owns these dead elms also owns the streets.Our town has under 10,000 people. These are just average work days for me but..... before I started this contract I had to do a safety orientation with the town's safety officer. Before I could start I had to buy a new eye wash station [bottle ] for my truck. My first aid kit was outdated. Had to inspect my fire extinguishers and initial the card [has to be done once a month] . Had to fill out a WHMIS record book with all chemicals from my equipment and truck, review how to handle,store,cleanup and dispose of them. I had to give proof I have a first aid certificate, liability insurance, workers comp and Manitoba arborist license. Also had to have a complete Manitoba Workplace Health and Safety Act binder in my truck. [something I already received when I had a run in with the goverment workplace safety officer for not wearing safety chaps and I had to write up a written compliance report].

There not so easy is it

I wish I had the camera today, the town sent their Volvo L70 wheel loader and big tandem gravel truck to haul away yesterdays and todays rounds and logs. They came in real handy helping out while I was knocking down and blocking those big elms.

 

[sotc]

no it wont. ive got a 28 that has probs on some stuff.

My 25 ton splits nearly every thing with the 4 way wedge on, nothing has stopped it with a single knife yet