Too many boom/grapple saw options

[KPS4STR]

I'm a Certified Forester and decent wood worker tired of seeing good wood wasted in town tree dumps and farmer's burn piles. I had a career with state forestry where trees were valued, then married an agronomist and now live where corn is king and all trees are junk. Want to configure the ultimate rescue solution for efficiency and safety to take trees from waste piles and dumps and get them into the supply chain. Especially important now that Emerald Ash Borer has been found within 115 miles. Portable sawmill and dehumidifying kiln also in the works.

I've been collecting logs as can with my husband and the farm equipment, but when he's busy I need to be able to go get it. I don't want to compete with the businesses that take out the trees, but the owner of one company that was taking out a neighbor's maples in the alley behind my house told me there were plenty of trees needing work. So if my ultimate solution would also achieve pruning and difficult removals, then that could help pay for it. Community trees are 40-60' tall. The addition of a Hypro processor I could efficiently process trees coming off land clearings where I grab what they knock down and get that 'waste' stream utilized - several companies dozing trees out have agreed it needs utilized but they don't want to do it.

When I saw a truck loader doing pruning with a grapple saw, then the "Tree-mek", the concept started taking shape. I would like some input - I envisioned a 2 ton truck 4x4, crew cab, with a flatbed, stake sides when needed; goose neck trailer when needed; with a kboom and grapple saw. I can reach out into tree dump pits and pull out the logs and pieces that can be utilized. Staying under CDL would help when have hired help. Could pull our chipper and have box on the flat bed utilizing the stake sides and feed it with what I cut with the grapple saw. Custom milling at the tree owner's I could pull the sawmill and use the grapple to place the logs.

Reading the forum I've seen a few debate a loader vs a kboom doing grapple saw removals, so maybe a kboom tucked up all nice behind the cab isn't the best, but would allow the truck to be more versatile. And because I'm extremely frugal and risk-adverse married to a cautious frugal farmer, I need to go used when possible. Putting together documents to go after local financing, there is one banker that sees and agrees with my vision, my passion, my dream.

A consistent market for ag clearing: fiber plant taking 8' bolts of pine, cottonwood and cedar 6"+. Handling each piece as few times as possible of course is the goal naturally. Few local woodworkers would use local wood, all I have to do is get it, mill it and dry it.

If I've skipped over some vital point, please let me know. Input on combinations and specifics gratefully accepted. Thanks.

 

[james mauldin]

If your taking "waste" logs from dozing outfits as well as removal companies then make sure you get a saw mill with a bark cutter or you'll need to clean all the logs before you try and mill them. We currently have a mid size 57' kboom on a KW dump and a small 20' kboom on a F800 dump and if you hook a trailer behind a chauffeur license truck it become a cdl b if under 10k lbs and a cdl a if over 10k so plan on Cdl A.
Sounds like a winning business plan with a good deal of planning already done, but remember if you start and succeed then someone else is going to try a copy

 

[KPS4STR]

Thanks, James, for the pointers. Debarker noted - my husband got a couple flail shredders at an auction this spring thinking he'd make a debarker. We'll see. I'd actually like to start a web of people doing what I'll be doing. Nebraska is big and they're wasting trees all over. They're starting a big push for cedar 'control' so there's more range to graze, and like I said with EAB 'here' a lot more green waste is a comin'. Do you have a picture of one of your trucks? I have a class B, will see my next step on that one.

 

[james mauldin]

The bed is only 9' inside but I worked with what I had, we pull a tarp over the top and can chip up to 14 yards into it. Best is that it can feed the chipper load itself or a trailer and save bringing out a loader or additional truck some days. As you said not have having to bring a loader will definitely save some effort. As far as building a network and hoping others will do the same, we have at least 150 tree companies in our immediate metro area and with that many, it causes prices to fall and makes profit harder and harder. So niches are good but if they fill up there won't be enough $ to spread

 

[KPS4STR]

Thanks again, James.

Anyone else? Favorite booms or grapple saws?Biggest one that's still small enough for pruning in hardwoods? Do the grapples "switch out" so if doing clean up after a storm can switch to larger grapple to pick up more in one grab? Is there a website I haven't found that compares boom/grapples for this work?

 

[islandedge]

Looking. Good James. .

 

[RIVIEZZO TREE EXPERTS]

2 things I see right away
1 need to get class a, getting it will only benefit you not hurt you.
2 being frugal will only hurt you in the end. Takes money to make money. If you want to blossom your dream or goal then remember this "scared money don't make no money"

My input, net work with line clearance company's that do removals and build a access road for people to dump wood

Start selling firewood the pieces cut off of logs can be turned into firewood as well as smaller non mill able wood. Market the firewood then push unique mill wood to those customers

Doing the firewood will then let you take in some junk wood pine spruce hemlock knotty pieces of oak and maple and you can put those in an outdoor furnace that will heat the kiln.

I sell a lot of firewood and mill wood all the time with a Hudson band saw. Mill people buy wood all the time for side boards trailer planks mantels, beams.