It works pretty well. The commercial models have more bells and whistles. A nice upgrade for my machine would be the next model feed table. It holds more wood and has a chain feed system. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the note and for supporting our channel!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for your feedback and keep it coming! Jason

Thanks for the feedback and for watching Shane!

We agree. I used to cut up my firewood with a chainsaw and remember my back only being able to take the work for so long. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the feedback Jeff. Appreciate your support with the channel!

Thanks for watching our videos!

Hi Kelly, thanks for the feedback! There are a lot of costs to be considered for sure. We have a decent sized woodlot and enjoy spending time in the woods so we thought we would invest in the equipment to make the work more efficient. If we lived close to a major city center we would do better on pricing. The demand is relatively low here for the value added specialty wood. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. We appreciate it!

Excellent engineering design and reliability! Well worth the money… thanks for watching!

Thanks! We are not producing the volume that you are though. We’re just playing!

Thanks! You can get some nicer ones than this with more options that will handle larger diameter wood but of course, they are more money. Thanks for watching, Jason.

Thanks for the feedback. Lots of other costs involved but there is a little money to be made. Have a good weekend!

Thanks for subscribing and welcome to our channel! The processor is working well for us on our Woodlot. I am very happy with it and we’ve had it for 3 seasons now. I think it’s a keeper!

Thanks for coming along with us. Appreciate the support!

Welcome to Oak Mountain. Thanks for stopping by!

Nice. Semi tree length is running $150 to $180 per cord here and I need to back out HST (sales tax) on the sale price of $250 to $280. Not much left on the table with raw material costs that high! Thanks for watching!

Thanks Claude!

Hi, thanks for watching the video!

Good to know! Any maintenance issues yet? How many cords have you put through it?

Only problem I had was running in colder weather keep debris clean below ram because it will freeze in the little channel below .I have done about 100 cord in 2 years other than that no problems also would like to share some pics with you I have similar set up

Thanks for the note from the Emerald Isle! It is interesting to hear that Japa and Hakki are linked as I can see the design similarities. Do you know which was developed first and if the strategy is to cater to different markets? Thanks for watching, Jason.

@@OakMountainAcotts Jason- Big Rodders again. As I understand it, Hakki Pilke was set up in 1983 and now employs 70 people. Japa was set up in 1977 and now employs 30 people. Palex was set up 60 years ago and now employs 70 people. Over the years these companies were acquired by Terra Patris, who owns many diverse companies. In Oct 2020, Terra Patris established TP Silva Ltd as a separate holding company for these 3 firewood companies to optimise the synergies of the combined businesses. Hakki Pilke would be the major player in The British Isles but the 3 companies each export to circa 35 countries worldwide.

Very interesting... a great way to increase market share while offering diversity in the product range for consumers. Thanks for the added information, much appreciated!

@@OakMountainAcotts Rodders yet again! My chum is Michael Large Tree Services, Belfast. Google his website if you like looking at fancy equipment. I use an Italian Thor 8.5 ton electric splitter, which has worked seamlessly for 15 years, which Michael is also agent for.

@@rodneysweetnam8653 excellent, I’m going to take a look. I’m researching pricing and availability of a large tractor with a forestry harvester on the back. I see they are prevalent in Europe but not used extensively in Canada yet. I really feel this is the type of harvester I need to grow my business!

It is funny you say that, when I watched the video I saw that I should feed my next log as soon as it will fit on the conveyor! Going to try this the next time I start up! Thanks for watching!

A sheet of tarpaulin on the ground before first cutting session would facilitate clearing up the sawdust. An option for oversized logs that slip through would be a bucking table with capacity for 3-4 logs at cutting height in front of the feed-in table, to drop them onto and be out of the production line proper - you can keep the flow going that way and then deal with the bigger logs at one go, and drop the cut blocks into the processor splitter, assuming the grain is straight. Keep it up off the ground and on an overflow table to save your back👍🏻 Greetings from a Palax Combi MII user in Scotland 🥃

Hi Lawrence, thanks for the video feedback. You may be onto something there… I’m going to check it out tonight before I start processing. Thanks!

Hi GP, thanks for the comment. Obviously lots of other costs associated with the operation but this has been our vision for the property when we purchased it in 1996. If we are careful and look after the equipment, we should be able to have a nice income stream in our retirement. The processor works very well; I have put around 100 cords through it so far with no issues. I need to get it under cover though! I was watching you cut up the chainsaw boots today; I haven't been able to find a comfortable safety boot yet but you have given me some ideas!

Hi Brian, you are correct. Rest assured I have run the numbers on all of my expenses and calculated my profit margin. I don't think any one person will get rich making firewood but for us, there is a little money left on the table after expenses. Thanks for watching!

Hi Wayne, I agree that the processors are not for everyone. Even if a processor is suitable for your operation, you need to spend some time to match the right machine up for the size of the wood you handle the most, etc. This one is working out pretty well for us. It matches our wood size on our lot perfectly and helps me keep my productivity up. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for stopping by! I’ll drop by your channel when I get a few minutes to look around. Dealing with a 10” snow storm clean up today!

It sure does. The wood is quite clean right off the chute. We dump and pile every cord here in the yard so the customer doesn’t see any debris when delivered.

Great point and understood. This business all comes back to the availability of quality raw materials. I tend to leave a lot of those perfect trees in the woods so the boys have a nice woodlot some day! Love to run big, straight trees through the processor but I can’t leave the other stuff behind! Thanks for watching our channel. Hope you stop by again! Take care, Jason.

I think that is a fair estimate from the forest to the out conveyor of the processor. I take my time in the woods felling and figure a couple of hours for a Kranman timber trailer load which is half a cord. Thanks for stopping by! Jason

Chris Haugen - Backwoods BBQ. This is music supplied by KZfaq for video use; you can probably find him online as well though. Thanks for the feedback on our operation and the channel. Thanks for watching!

Hi Yves, that is what everyone says here. When we use it, we build green for that reason so a I have no first hand experience building with dry hemlock. The other thing I have heard is that dry hemlock will splinter when nailing or spiking. Hope this helps!

Thanks Jason, I'll keep that in mind for our build planning

Hello. We have been working on developing our woodlot since 1996 when we purchased it. The wood is starting to get to a marketable size and it is time for us to get serious about harvesting at a reasonable pace. Woodlot owners have been getting $90 to $100/cord roadside for the last 25 years in NB. With this equipment, I can add value to my hardwood converting to firewood and get $260+/cord. You're right, simple payback calculations are just that; rest assured, we have done the math!

Yes, I don’t think Hakki has expanded their distribution very well in North America. They are owned by the same parent company I am told. That is why they are so similar in design. Thanks for watching!

Hi Benjamen, when I am referring to a cord, I mean 128 cubic feet of wood. The standard would be a pile of wood 4' high, 4' wide and 8' long. For 16" long firewood, a cord would be piled 4' high and 24' long. I think there are 3 face cords in one cord (128 cubic feet)?

Thanks for the affirmation. We believe this is the right move and if we look after our gear, it will last for a very long time. I hope the boys work and enjoy this Woodlot for many, many years. Thanks for watching!

Hi, we have some other processor videos on our channel and I'm sure I have a few clips of the splitter in them. Take a look if you get a chance and the next time I do a processor video, I'll be sure to add more clips of splitting! Thanks for watching, Jason.

Hant’s Equipment in Nova Scotia is the only dealer in Canada that I know of.

Hi Tommy, I have heard from others in the US that there is no distributor their for Kranman. The closest may actually be in Atlantic Canada. Hant's Equipment in Nova Scotia Canada is the dealer I purchased from. You should be able to find them with a Google search. If you can't, let me know and I'll send you a link.

Wallenstein is a brand that has processor and trailers I think you would like

Great feedback. Our challenge here is a stable wood supply at a fair price. The ceiling for a cord of wood is about $280 so our margins are a little thinner. Nice to hear from someone in New Zealand!

Hi there. I agree that there are tight margins if you buy the raw material. In our case, we have a decent sized Woodlot and I wanted to value add my wood instead of selling to the local pulpmill. This is the biggest driver for purchasing the processor! Thanks for stopping by!

@@OakMountainAcotts even tho i have a woodlot of 300 acres I find the overall work needed to get the wood to my yard there is only about 20$ per cord difference vs buying from loggers and the wood I buy is much nicer overall than what i get off the property. Thanks for sharing your operations

Hi, we purchased the ground in 1996. Thanks for watching!

Hi Bob, thanks for the note. I don’t disagree with your advice. We use the backhoe to catch the firewood for two reasons. The first, is that we pay our children to pile the wood to build work ethic. The second, is that if we pile the wood the customer is guaranteed to receive a full cord and we also know we are not giving more than a cord away. When the kids are grown and my woodlot has more available hardwood, I may switch to the bags to reduce more manual labour. Thanks for stopping by! Jason.

Hi Lola, thanks for watching! I think the biggest advantage is how much more firewood you can process annually compared to sawing and splitting by hand… automation certainly reduces the labour required.

Unbelievable! Is that for 128 cubic feet or is that for a face cord? There are 3 face cords in a full 128 cubic feet right? Take care, Jason.

@@OakMountainAcotts yeah about 60.a face cord n they want you to stack it.10.00 for delivery what ever the amount. I used to get 40.a face cord w free delivery.hard to even pay for gas n equipment then.

Yes agreed. It is expensive stuff though!

@@OakMountainAcotts sure. but its way way more exoebsive to end up with a broken back.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yes, I bet! We sized this machine for the average trees on our Woodlot. You can get bigger units but they cost more money! Thanks for watching, Jason.

Take a look at Eastonmade. I think you will like it.

@@jimwagner6260 They make some nice splitters. I'll beat on mine till it breaks. It's a 35 ton swisher and it is slow. When it breaks, I may get an Easton I built a heavy table for it I can mount logs 30" in diameter using my tractor and grapple. Before I got my tractor I was wrestling them up a little ramp of steps.

Thanks for the feedback and for watching our channel!

Thanks for reaching out! An open building is in the plans for the firewood processor. If things go well, we will stand it up next year. I'll check out your channel this evening! Jason

Yes it sure does... I guess at the end of the day you need to sharpen your pencil and make sure that for your specific situation, the revenue is higher than the expenses! Take care.

@@OakMountainAcotts stating the obvious yes but processors aren't quite as profitable as some may think! 😅

Processor is Hakki Pilke Raven 33 and trailer is Kranman.

We are in NB and the highest quality firewood goes for $285/cord. The $300/cord price is elusive for us. We would need to bundle firewood to get our pricing higher. Thanks for watching!

@@OakMountainAcotts I understand. The highest price I've seen here in the country is 350 pick up and 375 for delivery. I use to sell my 35 to 40 cord at 250 but then I checked the prices and found I was under selling. Especially since all I have is 150 acres, a bush trailer and 4 wheeler and I split all my wood by hand. (we will not talk about city prices... They are outrageous at 600 a cord) I had guys who have big operations coming with dump trucks to by my wood for 300 a cord when they ran out. The one guy drove from 3 hours away. The reason... He was selling in the city of Toronto for 700 a cord. Crazy eh! What a profit!

Unbelievable! If we had 2000 acres outside of city limits we would have it made! You are working hard putting that volume up by hand. Hats off to you!

We aim to please Brad. You should check out some of our other videos to see if there are any other things you can put on your list!

Hi Don, with all the gear that we have, it will take a while for sure. I look at the Woodlot as the investment though and the equipment is the means to maximize returns. At any rate, we are enjoying ourselves and we’re not going broke so I call that a win. Thanks for watching!

Hi Luca, we haven’t had any issues with it yet! Is there a certain component you are referring to? Thanks for watching, Jason.

It all depends of what the machine is made for. If you want to lift and push a lot, buy a wheel loader and not a tractor. If you process up to 15 inch straight good wood buy a processor, if the wood is bigger and/or othervise difficult use chainsaw and splitter/hydraulic axe. At least here in Northern Europe the common "modus operandi" is that we get the woods with a processor (Nisula, Ponsse et. c) and that define the size allready. We don't have loggers with Stihl Ms881 equipped with huge bars. Sure we have some farmers who make some extra wood working in the forest in the winter, but if we talk abot real work we depend on processors/harvesters. When I look at "Axemen" on tv and look at their rigging and the amount of people I think: Here we use one processor and one harvester sometimes two or three shifts /day, working "indoors". Over there there are people running in the hill with dangerous wires regardless of the weather. But it is good to see different methods in different parts of the world 😋🤗.

@@johanneslaxell6641 I believe you folks are years ahead of us with forestry methods and equipment. I would love to have a Valtra with a crane and forestry harvester head on it. I believe one of those machines is the next step for us on our woodlot. We could start a small forestry business to help other private woodlot owners maximize returns from their property. Thanks for your thoughts!

@@OakMountainAcotts That's ok, it limits you to about max 17". The thing is that it almost has to be a N or T series to be heavy enough, the processor is quite big and then there is the tree. Nisula is building the Valtras and have a processor (425C) wich can be used for loading to. You can get a lot of wood from the forest if the conditions are ok, but it takes some serious money. A Valtra N by Nisula with crane and processor plus a big trailer (14 tons Kesla with hydraulic motors in the hubs) doesn't come cheap 💸💸💸. And as allways: more wood means upgrade of the firewood processor (50-75 000$ depending on feedertable and conveyor) and better storage, bigger trailers and so on 😉👍🏽...

Hi Pierre, simple payback is a simple calculation performed at a very high level. I agree with you and there are many expenses to be considered against the revenue to ensure the overall operation makes financial sense. For our particular scenario, it does. Thanks for the feedback!

I guess there are risks in any business. There will always be something that the wood is used for, the natural resource is too vast to not be used. If that happens, we will pivot and keep moving forward! Thanks for watching, Jason.

Thanks for the feedback, I’ll check it out!

Hi James, unfortunately I’m working with the trees I have at my disposal on our Woodlot. You are right, I could handle some of this stuff by hand but I also handle some decent logs. My trailer can handle softwood up to 16’ long and about 14” to 16” in diameter. It pays dividends then and helps me keep the wood nice and clean. Thanks for watching, Jason.

Logs or limbs get a lot bigger when you start trying to lift them high up without a machine.

Hi James. $250 is actually low. Normally it is selling for $280 to $300. If you have a market for bundle firewood you can turn a cord of wood into $450 to $500. Take care, Jason.

Go to the city that's cheap

Hi Larry, we are in New Brunswick, Canada. The processor is from Finland and my log trailer is from Sweden via a distributor in Nova Scotia about 6 hours away from us.