Firewood

[Good Feller]

I'm wanting to sell firewood on the side and I've been thinking about getting a 22 ton splitter.  I've also been wondering if it would be a better idea and faster to just cut smaller chunks and then split by hand rather than horsing around with the big stuff which requires a hydraulic splitter??? 
I know the most important part of the firewood business is being efficient.  I've got about 70 acres of timber to cut from.   Most of my firewood has came from undesirable or poor formed trees and is easy to access. 
I have to haul it a 1/2 mile to were I dump it in a pile by the road and make the customer load and haul themselves.  This is my first year selling it so I've got a cheap price on it to try and get a good customer base.
I just don't want to spend a lot of time and gas money producing firewood.  I started stacking it by the road until I found out that took way too much time!!!!  So I placed pallets down in a 50'X50' area and just throw all the split wood on top of them.    Does it sound like I have a pretty good set up?  How can I improve?  Got any tricks or ideas that you want to share???  Thanks

[Corley5]

Producing firewood in that manner is a LOT of work for the return on your investment in time, fuel and equipment costs    A http://www.supersplit.com/ is the best way to split wood aside from a full fledged processor.  In straight grained wood a maul is faster than hydraulics.

[Raider Bill]

30 years ago when I lived in Central NY I bought a supersplitter. Worked great! Was 5 hp. I gave it to my brother when I moved to Fl.
I was at first skeptical so I rented one and loved it.
That flywheel system pretty much split as fast as I wanted to load.
Mine had a big table on the splitting end so you didn't have to pick the splits off the ground.

If and when I need to purchase another splitter that's the one for me.

[wannabeonetoo]

You're a trusting soul leaving split firewood next to a road  .Unless of course it's within a shotgun blast of the front porch  ;) ;D
What kind of response have you had to the "load and haul your own" side of things ??? Do you supervise ,how do you regulate quantity ??
        Steve

[Ron Wenrich]

I wouldn't sell too cheap.  Your time is worth something, don't cheapen it.  What would happen to the customer base when you raise your rates?  Will they stick with you or abandon you like they did someone else to be your customer?  You don't have to be the cheapest, just the best.   ;)

We had a supersplit that was on a homemade processor.  We could split 10-15 cords/day, but that was with 2 guys. 

What other equipment are you using?  Cutting firewood by hand and lifting everything gets to be pretty tiring, and you don't get as much done as you can with a little bit of automation.

[John Mc]

Ever notice how everyone demonstrates their woodsplitters on nice, straight-grained, easy to split stuff? I've heard a lot of good things about the super splitter, but never seen one splitting gnarly, knotty stuff, or something like American Elm. Does anyone have experience with it in something like that? How did it work out?

John Mc

[Corley5]

I saw one work at the last Sawlex in less than perfect oak and it made the big Timberwolf it was competing against look really sad

[woody1]

Be carefull selling "load your own". Check with your local weights and measures Office. I know here in Central PA, you can ONLY sell by the cord or portion of a cord, PERIOD.
I know of guys who sell by the pickup load, and got in trouble. Just a heads up.
Woody

[rebocardo]

If I was going to do it for a serious business, I would get a F-350 diesel 4x4 DRW and put a dump bed on it that could hold a cord of wood easy. Cut a bunch of firewood, load it, drive it somewhere and dump it. The money is in delivery to people that want it and can't get it, not selling it cheap to people in pickup trucks. imo. Especially with only 70 acres.

Loading and unloading gets tiresome. Load it and dump it, even if it is only on your property.

[Raider Bill]

Ever notice how everyone demonstrates their woodsplitters on nice, straight-grained, easy to split stuff? I've heard a lot of good things about the super splitter, but never seen one splitting gnarly, knotty stuff, or something like American Elm. Does anyone have experience with it in something like that? How did it work out?

John Mc

They work real good splitting gnarley wood. They are fast so if you hit a part that it wouldn't split on the first bump hit er again.
Works with a flywheel instead of hydrulics.

[Good Feller]

The only access to the firewood is a small driveway... You can see the wood from the road.  I'm thinking about putting in two posts with a cable streched across to keep out all the dirt bags.
My problem is, I live 20 miles from the family farm.  That's where the wood is.  If people call me up I don't want to drive 20 miles to come supervise.  I'm usually there on the weekends though so I figure I can coordinate everyone to load and haul when I'm there.  I'm still working on an advertisement for the paper so I don't know how well this will work.  I've got a bunch of oak,hickory,ash split from years past.  I need to get rid of it one way or another before it rots. 
What about cutting smaller sizes and not splitting it?  Then sell it for like 30 bucks a truck load (they load and haul)?  That's cheap and less time screwing around with it.  Plus I don't know how many guys would take the time to stack it nice and neat in their truck.  Most would probably just throw it in,,,that would benefit me even more by them not taking as much as they possibly could.  Maybe I shouldn't even waste my time with the firewood.  I hate to see it rot away in the woods though. 
Oh, as far as equipment I have a truck,trailer,4wheeler, and a splitting maul.  So,,, $2500 for a splitter and sell firewood for 40-50 bucks a load?  That's what it goes for in my area.  I hear of guys on the internet selling it for over $160 a cord,,, that wouldn't fly around here.
3/4 of people who burn wood cut it themselves....  That's why they burn wood in the first place, to get out in the timber and enjoy the fall weather, and to SAVE money.  I think if you want to grab those people's attention you need to find away to produce it efficient enough to offer a price cheaper than what they can produce it themselves.  I don't know anybody that burns wood and doesn't have a chainsaw.  I don't think there is anyway to sell firewood and make good money.  There's just too many people that have access and can do it themselves.  I can't really do it much cheaper than guys that burn wood.  

[beenthere]

Don't give up completely. 

Develop some kind of plan, to figure out what you can afford to invest in labor, tools, and equipment to get the firewood ready for market. You might have a market for green firewood, but I wouldn't think it would be too great. A market for green wood now to those who are stacking it for drying and then burning a year from now just might exist. Usually people are not planning that far ahead.

I'd think your time was worth more than $30 an hour, and there likely to be more than an hour getting a pick-up load of wood ready to sell. Just a thought.

Being you are 20 min from the forest, maybe advertise that you will sell by appointment. Then do the negotiating over the phone, and planning for a rendevouz when convenient for you (already at the farm, can get a pickup load ready, and be doing other things while you wait for your customer).

[rebocardo]

> I hate to see it rot away in the woods though.

I know what you mean, on the other hand, it has been happening for literally a million years :-)

[Captain]

SuperSplit is local to us here in Bridgewater.  Actually, Paul's kids go to a private school less than a mile from my house.  They make a great product.  It is simple, fast and reliable.  Never seen them stall in anything that you would consider burning as firewood.

Captain

[RSteiner]

I purchased a SuperSplit 3 years ago.  I am more than pleased with the performance of the splitter.  The first remark people make who watch it work who have used a hydraulic spliter is, I can't believe how quiet the splitter is. 

Fuel consumption is much less than the hydraulic versions also.  I think I could split between 2 and 3 full cords from one tank of fuel, which I think is about 2 quarts or roughly $1.80.

Randy

[wannabeonetoo]

WOW, $160 per cord !!!!!! Now is that cord 4'x4'x8' ??
It sells for $270/crd here delivered and the $ is rising,oh yeah,if it is a legit business add tax to that !!
I have a friend who did it on the side and told me his price formula was based on the cost of heating oil(it was something like:if a cord of wood produced the same BTU's as say ie. 100 gal. of oil,then price the wood below the equivalent oil cost)by what % I don't know, but it should be enough to be worth the "effort" and also get away from BIG OIL. There are a lot of guys doing what you're doing , talking to them they are making VERY little at it  but they do it to keep busy and/or supplement their income also  because they enjoy the outdoors and get excercise and fresh air !!!
It would be a tough way to make a living unless you had a processor and delivery system ie. a large dump and conveyor to load customers direct from processor (no handling).
A lot of these guys buy 12+ cord log loads to at a time to cut-up $1200-$1500/ load,(again less work for the firewood cutter ).
     Just my 2 cents
     Steve

[Raider Bill]

Up in tenn they sell by the rick. Is a rick another name for face cord?

[Phorester]

"> I hate to see it rot away in the woods though.

I know what you mean, on the other hand, it has been happening for literally a million years :-)"

Actually, 420 million or so.    ;D

RAIDER BILL, in the South a rick and a face cord are generally considered to be the same thing, which is generally considered to be a stack of wood 4 feet high by 8 feet long and one stick length wide. Stick length is whatever length they were cut - 12 inches, 16, 18, whatever.  But sometimes there are local traditions on what to call a rick or face cord, so this general definition might not apply in a particular neck of the woods.

[ely]

here is my 2 cents. good luck.
i would say if you try and sell wood cheap people will shy away more than likely, they think it is too good to be true.
i base this on my experience, i have dead trees cut and split into fire wood. i also have a pile of slabs cut and split. they both have been there for 1 year now. i tried to sell them for 30 a rick 20 a rick 25 for all you load on a pickup you name it. i even told several folks they can have it. no dice.
i did haul a load or two last fall and give it away.

i think i will put an ad in the paper for 45 dollars a rick and i bet it will be gone the next day.

[Raider Bill]

Thanks!

[beenthere]

I purchased a SuperSplit 3 years ago.  I am more than pleased with the performance of the splitter.  The first remark people make who watch it work who have used a hydraulic spliter is, I can't believe how quiet the splitter is. 
..........

Quiet because..??

Smaller engine for power?
Better muffler system?

Which engine do you have on your SuperSplit ??

thanks

The variety of local definitions of a measure for firewood is likely the reason several states have made some rules for commerce trade..

[wannabeonetoo]

Ely; I hope you're successful ,that would be a pleasant surprise wouldn't it  ;D
My brother in-law runs a custom stair and railing business and told me the same thing when he started out. He wasn't getting the work because people thought lower price meant lower quality or who knows what ? So he kept upping his quotes till he hit the magic #'s where business was booming and he does so well that he has to quote overboard to not be overwhelmed, and when he is snowed under he quotes through the stratasphere and if he wins those he negotiates a date that suits his current schedule and chalks it up to the economic times.
Wouldn't it be nice if we all had that kind of problem  :D
   Steve

[Phorester]

My neighbor put out a couch on the sidewalk with a sign that said "FREE".  It sat there for a few days.  She put another sign on it that said "FOR SALE- INQUIRE WITHIN"  It was gone the next morning.  People are interesting.

[thecfarm]

There are people out there that are suspicion if it does not cost a lot of money.My wife sells some things and her prices are low according to what other charges.Some people seem to think if it cost a lot it has to be worth it.  : 

[cheyenne]

  I don't think there is anyway to sell firewood and make good money.  There's just too many people that have access and can do it themselves.  I can't really do it much cheaper than Joe Blow the wood stove owner.  


[/quote]Then why waste your time & money.....Cheyenne