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The Timberwolf PRO-MX is a smaller machine than the PRO-HD model, designed for part-time producers who might want easier portability. Roland’s processor is equipped with a 16-foot trough and with a 3-strand, 7 1/2 foot live deck for the logs. With the deck fully loaded, he operated alone for about 45 minutes before he had to load more logs.

As he began working, the top roll feed system riveted me. The top roll, I noticed, is located directly over the feed trough roll and a short distance behind the chain saw when viewing it from the operator�s position. The log feed trough is still equipped with a feed chain, of course, because the log in the trough must he advanced enough for the roll to grip it and pull it forward.

The roll and the feed trough are powered, and, though operating on the same valve, they have separate drive chains. But it’s the top roll that is the effective member of the pair and that makes the operation work smoothly The top roll normally runs in a float position, meaning that there is no downward pressure exerted other than the weight of the roll, and this is generally sufficient to move the log along the trough. The roll easily moves up and over large knots and other irregularities in the log surface.

If the log is crooked and resists advancing or, if the log surface is icy, the operator only has to increase downward roll pressure. All of Roland’s logs moved through easily, and I noticed that when he came to make the last cut, which is sometimes a more difficult one because of the short length of the remaining log, the increased pressure on the roll held the piece firmly for the chain saw.

Firewood processor users have different preferences when it comes to the style of splitting troughs. Some prefer to have the wood drop straight down into the trough; others prefer the sloped tray under the saw to slide the piece over to an offset splitting tray.

From my observations, I think that the slide tray, used on the Timberwolf as well as other brands, requires the least amount of hand adjustment of pieces by the operator. Almost all of Roland’s cuts dropped properly in place in front of the ram; the slide tray even allowed him to flip them end for end as they slid down. A nice feature of the PRO-MX model was the easy access to the splitting trough; with the controls nearby Roland easily repositioned a large, split section of the log for re-splitting. Working alone, he operated on about a 10- second cycle time. “It’s sort of challenging to try to beat the splitter cycle,” Roland said, shouting. “That’s the fun part of running a processor.”