Firewood: Processors vs. Splitters

[sawyerf250]

Obviously starting out on a small scale firewood business you start with what you have or can afford. Just curious to see how people started and where you are now. Pictures of your setup and how it works for you or even other peoples you know of and how they like it.

[lopet]

I would say almost everybody started small with older, smaller equipment and you gain a few more customers every year.
Don't really wanna overdo things with pictures, but if you're interested, you 'll find some of my setup in my gallery. Works for me.
Good luck to you.

[North River Energy]

 Part of the array.



 


There's a drop-down menu under the 'firewood production' header:
http://beckmannag.com/firewood-production

Sometimes 'affordable' tools cost more than they produce, while 'expensive' tools; aren't.

[NWP]

I started with this.



 

Now I use this.



 

Start small, work hard, and build up to having bigger equipment. You don't have to go out and spend $100,000 right off the bat. Also, make sure you have a raw material supply. That's the hardest and most critical part of the firewood business.

[landscraper]

Also, make sure you have a raw material supply. That's the hardest and most critical part of the firewood business.

X2.  I get lots of hardwood logs through my clearing work, if I had to buy logs I'm not sure I would sell firewood.  Do you have access to cheap or free logs (from your sig looks like you are a logger)?  Lots of folks say that the real price of firewood is for the labor making it, not the wood itself.

[cutter88]

started 5 years ago with a borrowed splitter now own our own firewood processor not a real big one cuts about 25 to 30 face cord in an 8 hr shift

[IndianaJoe]

NWP. I had that thing you started with, the only thing it did for me was make me tired and ruined my back.

[NWP]

NWP. I had that thing you started with, the only thing it did for me was make me tired and ruined my back.

[jaygtree]

cutter88,   25-30 cords a day seems like a lot to me. whats a big processor do in a day?  i try doing 20 cords a year with a chainsaw and splitter.  jayg

[landscraper]

cutter88,   25-30 cords a day seems like a lot to me. whats a big processor do in a day?  i try doing 20 cords a year with a chainsaw and splitter.  jayg

I think he's talking face cords so really 10 full cords or thereabouts.

The big commercial firewood units (I mean the $100,000+ machines) do 4 full cords an hour I hear.  Cord King claims their big one can do 50 full cords in an 8 hour shift.

[sawyerf250]

@landscraper l'm what you would call a part time logger now? lol By this l mean l use to run logging equipment for a fulltime job, got done "working" in the woods as a career and currently a mechanic. So you could say my job gets in the way of making me a fulltime logger now?! lol Just weekends and days off now. But as far as everyone says about the access to the wood we own 350 acres of mixed wood land predominantly hardwood, and l could also buy tree length off of the contractor l used to work for considering l could figure out a way to unload it off the trucks? ???

[sawyerf250]

My two biggest issues at this point as far as really getting started are #1) l feel like l handle the wood too much from cutting it down, hauling it outta the woods, sawing it up, putting it on the splitter -throwing it on the ground, then picking it back up to pile it so l know how much l have, then throwing it onto the truck, and then lastly unloading it!  ???  #2) Not really having a proper way to haul it, haven't made the leap to buy a trailer yet and can't afford a fancy dump body or flatbed truck to haul it on.  Hoping to work my way up to the point where l can buy a small pull to processor, a conveyor and a fancy truck.

[sawyerf250]

Lets see if we can get this started back up?

[Hilltop366]

For unloading do a internet search for pickup truck unloader, I have never tried one but it has got to beat throwing the wood off.

[North River Energy]

Regarding your 'two biggest issues' outlined previously, what kind of capital do you have to work with, how much volume do you want to move, and over what time frame?

[shamusturbo]

I started with a Fiskars X27 Super Splitting Axe 11 years ago when I was 14 years old. That same fall we built our first splitter for $864 that we still have today. (A little lonely, however) We have broken and modified many times since then but have put 500 cords through it, easily. This past new years eve, I drove to Florida to buy a Rapido Loco 20 firewood processor. We have come a long way and have learned a boat load, mostly the hard way. Good equipment pays, good help is hard to find and expensive when you do find it, trucks are built for work (and scratches and dents), thieves will go to the extreme, word of mouth is all the advertisement a good product/service needs, don't skimp on insurance and make sure you are covered, when you are physically tired, quit, sleep becomes twice as important......I could go on and on........

My splitter progression: Rental, Homemade, northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company w/wings, Timberwolf TW-5, 

  

  

  

  CRD green monster splitter, Wallenstein WX410 upside down skidsteer splitter, and Rapido Loco 20 (still may try a kinetic splitter in the future)

*You lose a certain level of quality with a processor. There is still many splits to be made. It does the hardest part however.

[NWP]

*You lose a certain level of quality with a processor. There is still many splits to be made. It does the hardest part however.

Agreed

[rjwoelk]

Did the old cut and block haul home in the trailer split stack. We now buy 16 ft lengths through a pale processer. Directly  to a 53 cubic ft vented bag. The customer comes to me to pick up. Never deliver.

[rjwoelk]

Supposed  to have been a palax processors out of Finland.