Background
After retiring from his Suffolk-based contracting business, Brockhill Contracts, Mick Murfitt decided to buy a 170-acre farm as a new personal project.
With around 65-acres of the farm being woodland, Mick taught himself the art of felling, logging, sawmilling and wood chipping - and now produce material from the trees to construct facilities for his family’s onsite horse yard. It is a fully self-sufficient process - and no wood is used for commercial purposes.
The woodland consists of non-native coniferous trees, which had been left in its natural state. He’s now working with the Forestry Commission and Woodland Trust to replace the pines with native species to benefit the local environment. Already more than 400 trees have been planted through – and there’s plans to plant even more.
So far Mick’s produced timber to build fencing, stables and field shelters for the horses – and there’s already a new menage in the pipeline, along with other shelters, outbuildings, and even a solar-powered fan log drying barn, so Mick doesn’t have to wait as long to process the logs.
Each stage is carried on the farm, so from woodland to construction, Mick’s material never leaves the site.
At nearly 70 years of age and solely carrying out the woodland operations, Mick needs high performing machinery that’s practical, comfortable, economical.
The sawmill, the woodchipper and the excavator
The first machine Mick bought from Global Machinery Solutions was a sawmill to cut logs into lumber – and finds the heavy duty and powerful 23hp Norwood Lumbermax HD38 ideal for his needs. As it can handle logs up to 38 inches wide and 16 feet log means Mick is able to produce perfect rails and beams for his fencing and buildings – and being hydraulic means it’s easy to operate.
Mick then needed a new woodchipper to process the increasing amount of material. He approached Global’s Technical Consultant, Andy Dudley, who assisted with the sawmill purchase as he knew he’d be able to advise on the most suitable model.
After Andy carried out a demo of the single-axle hand-fed Pronar MR15 woodchipper, Mick agreed it was the perfect fit and now uses this powerful yet lightweight machine to shred woodland brash.
Mick then realised he needed a more compact excavator to pick up logs and put them on the trailer ahead of being milled or chipped. After being shown the SANY range by Global’s Sophie Carter at the Mildenhall depot, Mick chose the short-tail-swinged SY50U for its ability to operate in the confined space – a particularly important feature when operating in the condense woodland. The SANY excavator also has a detachable log grapple, grass cutter and flail.
How the machines are benefitting the farm’s operations
The excavator, sawmill and woodchipper are now fundamental in Mick’s operations and without them he wouldn’t be able to manage his woodland, process logs and construct his equine facilities so efficiently and smoothly.
Previously, Mick carried this work out manually, which was not only time-consuming, but also physically exhausting. The machines from Global Machinery Solutions means Mick’s able to operate his self-sufficient and sustainable woodland operations to support his family’s passion for horses – particularly his grandchildren who have a bright equine future ahead!
What Mick Murfitt said
“I had never milled or processed wood before I met Andy - and without his advice and onsite demonstrations, I would never have been able to accomplish what I’ve done on the farm. His knowledge is exceptional, and I can’t thank him enough.
“Being able to manage the woodland, process logs and construct fencing, field shelters and outbuildings – all self-sufficiently – is so rewarding. Without the help of Global Machinery’s Andy Dudley and Sophie Carter, I wouldn’t have been introduced to the exact specification of sawmill, woodchipper and excavator I needed. They’ve also saved me so much money from having to buy materials.
“I know Andy and the Global Machinery team are always there to help if I need any help with my woodchipper, sawmill or excavator. They’re a wonderful support and have provided me with the confidence, skills and machinery to run my self-sufficient farm.”
What Andy Dudley from Global Machinery Solutions said
“Mick is a delight to work with and it’s fantastic to see how he manages his woodland and is enhancing his land by constructing fencing and field shelters from the byproduct - rather than chopping it for firewood.
“The excavator, sawmill and woodchipper are instrumental to this and it’s extremely satisfying to see how the machines are delivering exactly what Mick needs.”
Further information
Contact Global Machinery Services to discuss your forestry machinery needs to support the development of your business operations.
