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Started by Loesshillslogging, August 20, 2015, 03:21:05 PM

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Corley5

  That's how it works for me Ken.  Not near enough return on my investment of time and effort to make it worthwhile. 
  There's one thing that's certain in the North and that's Winter Is Coming.  It's going to get cold and snow.  Some times it's colder and snowier and sometimes it's milder but heat will be required.  It's no surprise yet somehow it seems to catch people by surprise ::) ::)
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

SwampDonkey

I don't blame you guys on the handling side of firewood for sale. I'm pretty sure folks can figure out if it's dry enough, if not it's time to get educated. If your selling it as green, then they certainly know. The world is full of complainers.  ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Gearbox

I have figured that I need to be 5 years ahead befor I die that way the wife will rember me every morning when she fills the OWB . Mabey the next husband will hate me for haveing that much wood ahead . Gearbox
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

hedgerow

Loesshillslogging
I have a 160 acres we bought about 10 years ago that in the 1930's the owner then had the WPA guys plant rows and rows of hedge and no one every did any thing with them. The locust, elms and cedars also grew up on this farm. The fence lines and the complete farm was covered with trees when we bought it. It had been rented out for years with no up keep. We have put a big dent in the clean up and now farm a far amount and pasture some of it. We are still working on the hedge. Makes great firewood for the Garn. It will deform a stove if you don't watch what you are doing with it. It is a nasty wood to brush out. When you cut it down you better cut it up as soon as you can. It gets real hard to cut after it drys out. We use a buzz saw a lot on it. Today was another hedge cutting day.

NWP

I do the same as Corley and Ken.
1999 Blockbuster 2222, 1997 Duratech HD10, 2021 Kubota SVL97-2, 2011 Case SV250, 2000 Case 1845C, 2004 Case 621D, John Deere 540A, 2011 Freightliner with Prentice 120C, 2012 Chevrolet, 1997 GMC bucket truck, several trailers, and Stihl saws.

JohnW

Hedgerow, I wonder where you are.  You're not in east central Indiana?

Warped

Quote from: Gearbox on August 23, 2015, 04:15:21 PM
I have figured that I need to be 5 years ahead befor I die that way the wife will rember me every morning when she fills the OWB . Mabey the next husband will hate me for haveing that much wood ahead . Gearbox
I'd prefer if you had ten years worth, 15 would be even better...... :D :D
Good with the rough stuff and rough with the good stuff

Loesshillslogging

Quote from: hedgerow on August 23, 2015, 08:37:16 PM
Loesshillslogging
I have a 160 acres we bought about 10 years ago that in the 1930's the owner then had the WPA guys plant rows and rows of hedge and no one every did any thing with them. The locust, elms and cedars also grew up on this farm. The fence lines and the complete farm was covered with trees when we bought it. It had been rented out for years with no up keep. We have put a big dent in the clean up and now farm a far amount and pasture some of it. We are still working on the hedge. Makes great firewood for the Garn. It will deform a stove if you don't watch what you are doing with it. It is a nasty wood to brush out. When you cut it down you better cut it up as soon as you can. It gets real hard to cut after it drys out. We use a buzz saw a lot on it. Today was another hedge cutting day.

Hedge - Curious on your buzz saw setup? I have been thinking about that lately especially as I get closer to processing this weekend. Are you saying you buzz in the woods or you bring the logs in and are buzzing them in the yard? Do you process or just cut to length and split?
LHL

doctorb

Firewood guys-

I don't fully understand the "extra time and effort" to split and stack your wood in spring versus in the fall.  Certainly, many customers will pay more $ for dry wood.  If your splitting and stacking and then selling the green stuff in the fall, what's the difference in time and effort?  Do you not stack it in the fall and just dunp it with a loader?

So please tell me where the extra effort is - spring vs. fall.  Because I do think you'll get extra $.  Just curious.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

SwampDonkey

They're processing bulk I think Doc. No stacking. I always got mine bulk loaded on a truck off the processor. Only thing stacked was the firewood logs off the log truck. Pretty much one price around here until procrastinators put it off when supply is low. Sure some advertise dry firewood, many just advertise firewood for sale. There's a couple guys here going steady with wood and I know it's not well seasoned.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

hedgerow

To answer a couple questions I am located in eastern Nebraska. Most of the hedge in this state is south of me 50 to 100 miles more in the cattle country but their is some around here. When we started cleaning this pasture we started with a chain saw and tractor and loader then I got a 941 cat track loader to help. Back then we did a good job of brushing the hedge out and used the buzz saw right in the timber and saw and load on dump trailers. Would split the big stuff and load it also. I have enough dump trailers that probably 15 cords are on trailers in the shed today .Some is Locust. I burn right out the trailers. I have lost most of my help over the years so now I run a ground force saw on a skid load and brush and take down the hedge with it. More goes to brush piles but it saves a lot of my time. I haul it to a landing we have set up with the skid loader and when help is around we buzz and split. I burn 10 to 15 cord a year in my Garn. 

Corley5

  Handling, stockpiling and storing all take and tie up $$$$ and time.  The return on the investment in time and dollars to do this doesn't pencil for me.  Yes there's a premium for dry/seasoned wood but it's not enough to make it worthwhile for me.  I would never stack wood just to take it back out of the pile, load it on the truck and deliver it.  A loose pile and loading with a front end loader maybe.  The labor to stack wood is too much.  I know people that do it.  I guess it works for them :-\  There's a guy around the corner from me that buys at least 40 pulp cords each spring, cuts and splits it with a chainsaw and hydraulic splitter and then stacks it in the neatest piles you ever saw.  All this just to take it out of pile in the fall and winter, stack it again in his truck and deliver it.  I wouldn't doubt he stacks at his clients too.  I wouldn't do all that for a 100 bux a face cord.  $150.00 wouldn't be too tempting.  I have thought about a large open sided pole barn with concrete highway blocks/barriers on two sides with a conveyor system to fill it.  Fill it both ways from the middle and load out from each end with a loader.  That's a fairly substantial capital investment that would require the sale of a lot of seasoned.  The pulp would also have to be trucked to the building for processing.
  Green fresh from the woods is the best way for me to sell it.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

BargeMonkey

 We tend to specialize a load of wood to the customer, 12"-18" and fine or chunky so stockpiling wood wouldn't work. Another guy down here was stockpiling and reloading into the truck and it was full of chips and stones. Down here the cleanest wood is what sells. We live on top of the mountain, wind and sun do a pretty good job, and I slasher everything 12' or less to speed dry time, 6-12 months in the pile gets it down to 20%.

NWP

Quote from: doctorb on August 24, 2015, 04:11:01 PM
Firewood guys-

I don't fully understand the "extra time and effort" to split and stack your wood in spring versus in the fall.  Certainly, many customers will pay more $ for dry wood.  If your splitting and stacking and then selling the green stuff in the fall, what's the difference in time and effort?  Do you not stack it in the fall and just dunp it with a loader?

So please tell me where the extra effort is - spring vs. fall.  Because I do think you'll get extra $.  Just curious.

If I can sell every stick of firewood pretty much as soon as it comes off the processor conveyor, why would I hold on to it for several months?  I produce a quality product (wood type, length cut, split size) and therefore I have no reason to charge less for green wood. As has been said earlier in this thread, it seasons just fine at the customers house.
1999 Blockbuster 2222, 1997 Duratech HD10, 2021 Kubota SVL97-2, 2011 Case SV250, 2000 Case 1845C, 2004 Case 621D, John Deere 540A, 2011 Freightliner with Prentice 120C, 2012 Chevrolet, 1997 GMC bucket truck, several trailers, and Stihl saws.

Loesshillslogging

Hedge,
I wondered if you weren't closer to me, location wise, than I first thought. If you are Eastern Nebraska, you are close, I need to do a swap for some hedge wood boy!
LHL

All,
Ok, here is one of the buildings I am filling this weekend, it's a darn fancy one let me tell you but I am in Iowa and these type of building sit empty everywhere. The wood we are processing has been down for a year as logs so cut, split and sell I think is what I am hearing from you guys! Skip the stacking outside, it might be after January wood I am thinking.



 

rjwoelk

I see a lot of stacked firewood in my travels (long haul truck driver in winter). We have a processor and the cut and split wood is dropped into a large vented bag, holds 1/3 cord. Customer comes we pick it up with the loader and put it on his truck he ties it down and is on his way. We get our logs in in as we need it and have just enough carry over for the next spring, to get folks going. We charge $15 for the bag, then if they bring it back they get a $10 refund on the next load. We have been at it since 2011 and have about 600 bags out now.
Lt15 palax wood processor,3020 JD 7120 CIH 36x72 hay shed for workshop coop tractor with a duetz for power plant

Loesshillslogging

Quote from: rjwoelk on August 25, 2015, 11:37:37 AM
I see a lot of stacked firewood in my travels (long haul truck driver in winter). We have a processor and the cut and split wood is dropped into a large vented bag, holds 1/3 cord. Customer comes we pick it up with the loader and put it on his truck he ties it down and is on his way. We get our logs in in as we need it and have just enough carry over for the next spring, to get folks going. We charge $15 for the bag, then if they bring it back they get a $10 refund on the next load. We have been at it since 2011 and have about 600 bags out now.

rjwoelk,
Hmmm, interesting. One less step is how I see it! I often think about the "pallet storage" idea but still don't understand how it stays stacked, etc. The bag makes sense - where you get the bags?
LHL

doctorb

Thanks, guys.  Message received!
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Loesshillslogging

Processed 10 cords yesterday, all great hardwood, nice day but long...



 

Here we are just getting started, I will post some more photo's later today.

rjwoelk

Loesshillsohing. I got bags from Dino bags out of pensilvainia.  We made a couple of holders so we can just swing the conveyer to eather one. With 2 of us going at it we do 4 to 6 bags a hr. The lake customers are burning it as they get it. The winter guys get it when they want it, if its not dry enough, because they did not pick up in spring, that is their problem, we incourage folks to get one years supply ahead , then they will have seasoned wood.
Lt15 palax wood processor,3020 JD 7120 CIH 36x72 hay shed for workshop coop tractor with a duetz for power plant

Loesshillslogging

Quote from: rjwoelk on August 31, 2015, 10:04:32 AM
Loesshillsohing. I got bags from Dino bags out of pensilvainia.  We made a couple of holders so we can just swing the conveyer to eather one. With 2 of us going at it we do 4 to 6 bags a hr. The lake customers are burning it as they get it. The winter guys get it when they want it, if its not dry enough, because they did not pick up in spring, that is their problem, we incourage folks to get one years supply ahead , then they will have seasoned wood.

Got it - thanks!

Loesshillslogging

Wood coming out of the machine...wish we didn't have to run those bigger pieces back through every time but the bigger logs that's what you get.



 

Loesshillslogging

Here is what we got done yesterday, more to do but I am afraid with the small wood splitters - yikes!



 

timberlinetree

We do it a little different. In the spring/early summer just after leaf out we fell firewood trees and don't limb. The leaves suck the moisture out of the tree. We have cut and stocked piled(log length) in the winter only to find shoots coming out of the logs near the bottom of the pile. 

  

  

 
One log was a winter cut and still has green leaves? The other was spring cut tree and left with the leaves on. Most of the small branches break off due to dryness durning skidding.
I've met Vets who have lived but still lost their lives... Thank a Vet

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John Mc

Quote from: timberlinetree on September 13, 2015, 06:57:52 AM
We do it a little different. In the spring/early summer just after leaf out we fell firewood trees and don't limb. The leaves suck the moisture out of the tree. We have cut and stocked piled(log length) in the winter only to find shoots coming out of the logs near the bottom of the pile.

I tried that after a friend recommended it. I found it does make a difference in partially drying wood cut in the spring, if I wait to limb it until the leaves all die off. The wood is not nearly dry enough to be ready to burn, but it does seem to give a bit of a jump start on the drying process. Definitely faster than limbing it and leaving it in tree length. Is it faster than just cutting, splitting and stacking as soon as you drop it? I don't really know, but I suspect so - at least up to the point where most of the leaves die. Any drying after than point will be rather slow, as long as it's still in tree length.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

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