Woodchips Farming Simulator 17 Guide
Last update: 31 October 2016
To process wood into woodchips, you need one of these machines: Heizomat HM 4-300 or Jenz HEM 583 Z. A middle ground model is also available: Jenz BA 725 D, which doesn't need a tractor, and can move on its own (2km/h). Differences? The first model is dedicated only to small bales, the second and third one will process anything. Woodchips can be sold as biomass or used in heating plant (building-object requiring daily maintenance costs of 120$/ a day) - both these places pay you serious money for woodchips. All machines can be placed in any spot you like. However, to avoid doing double transports (wood, as well as woodchips) place them near the logging area or the destination (by the heating plant or the biomass purchase spot). Below you can find the most important information about the whole process of acquiring and selling woodchips.
Available Machines
I seriously advise against buying the first machine (Heizomat HM 4-300 - 28 000$). It can only process small and thin wood pieces, which additionally are hard to place in the small hole. It often jams (without accepting the whole fragment), and has to be hauled by a tractor. It needs to be deployed before use, connected to a tractor, turned on from the tractor's cockpit, the outlet pipe has to be set, and only then you can put the wood in - the machine still works after leaving the tractor.
If you planning to sell woodchips for biomass, you should consider JENZ BA 725 D (64 000$) - it's a static model (doesn't require any drive), and it would be a waste of a tractor to have it far from the base and having to reconnect it so often. The machine is designed for processing thick, 2-3 meter bales. With a little creativity, it can handle whole trees. However, it doesn't work so good as the another described model.
The last machine (JENZ HEM 583 Z - 88 000$) [you should seriously consider buying it!] requires a tractor for movement, but it's incredibly efficient, and the most user-friendly - it has its own crane, a powerful belt that swallows whole trees without a hustle. Two average trees will be enough to fill the trailer up to 21 000l. You can also load smaller pieces with your hands - they fit in nicely. Whole trees (without twigs) can lean against the belt, and they will be fully processed.
When JENZ machines don't want to swallow large pieces, you should pick up and delicately hold the bale with a grasper so it doesn't fall down (but the grasper doesn't stop it) and is set in the straight line to the belt.
Selling Biomass / Heating Plants
Woodchips purchase is located in the sawmill - you'll see a huge heap of woodchips. You receive money directly for throwing your cargo onto the heap. Instead, you can also use the heating plant (building - object), but you need to pay the daily maintenance costs. Prices differ, as in case of every product, but are always around ~240$/l.
Note - remember to unload the woodchips to the designated spot before the heap, not directly on it - otherwise you won't receive any payment. As for this reason you should place the cheapest dumper on the purchase spot to aim directly to the spot and sell everything.
Heating Plants (68 000$) are buildings that can be bought and placed in the game world (shop -> category: Objects), requiring daily maintenance costs of 120$/a day. They work as purchase spots, so the whole process of logging -> cutting -> selling can be performed in one area. It's a huge help when you want to get really involved in this business.
The selling price is similar, only special events of extra demand in the sawmill can offer a better price. In comparison with selling wood, the profit is two times higher. Drawbacks? Large amounts of woodchips require large cargo capabilities (unless you have a heating plant).
JENZ HE 700 StA (72 000$) is one of the stationary devices that processes wood into woodchips, and sells them instantly (without having to transport them to the sawmill). The prices are higher than in case of selling bales, but lower if you would sell the woodchips by yourself, or give them to the heating plant (difference is around 20% of the price). It makes the whole process a bit easier, but it's much more expensive, has a daily maintenance fee (140$/a day) and brings less money. However, the whole process may be a bit faster while using it.