Home » Guides » Making the Most of Logging and Lumber Equipment

Making the Most of Logging and Lumber Equipment

Get the logging and lumber equipment you need for your business

By Marjorie Gilbert
Logging, and the logging equipment required in the industry, is gaining more attention both as the wood products that are in so much demand, but also for an alternate source of heat. In order to tap into this industry, you need to have the proper equipment to get started.

Browse ways of making the most of logging and lumber equipment to find information about the kinds of equipment you need as well as how to find them. With this information, you company will be able to apply the information that will enable it to succeed.

1. Start with forestry equipment.

2. Process the wood with lumber machinery.

3. Acquire used logging equipment.

 

Use forestry equipment to get the wood from the forest

The first step in any logging operation is getting the wood from the forest. This involves cutting down the trees, doing preliminary processing as far as removing limbs, then transporting them out of the forest. One of the oldest of all the forestry equipment is the chainsaw. This piece of equipment is useful for not only removing limbs from the trees, but also cutting them down--especially when the terrain does not allow the passage of equipment. Once you have cut the wood, you'll need grapplers to lift the lumber onto the trucks.
Try: Stihl has had a history with the lumber industry since the 1920s, so it's not surprising that the Stihl chainsaw is favored in the lumbering industry. Caterpillar makes forestry backhoes on which you can attach grapplers and other forestry equipment. Valby grapplers from Northeast Implement have an excellent reputation in the logging industry.

Process the wood with lumber supplies

If you are interested in getting into the firewood industry, you need to have some equipment to process the wood. If you are interested in doing more than a few cords, you need firewood processors. These beasts are wood splitters on steroids that can process up to four cords an hour. If you have a smaller operation, gas hydraulic wood splitters can split 1 cord an hour. Electric wood splitters are less hardy than gas hydraulic wood splitters. For starting your own lumber business, portable band saws are an excellent investment in that they can cut 8-inch thick timber to form beams, and other pieces of lumber.
Try: CRD Metalworks and Hud-Son Oscar have excellent hydraulic firewood processors. Timberwolf Stores has both portable band saws as well as hydraulic wood splitters.

Buy used timber equipment

If your company does not wish to buy new logging equipment, there are plenty of dealers who have a big inventory of used logging equipment available. Through them, you can purchase chippers (hand-fed and pull type), feller buncher-track or wheeled, grapples and more.
Try: Equipment Locator can find you the used timber equipment you need for your business. Forestry Equipment Sales is another good source of forest equipment.

 

  • The logging and lumber industry is a very lucrative one. Contact the forestry service in your area to learn more about the wood that's available in your area. This can help you decide which kind of logging equipment you need.

Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.