Economics of paying for wood

[svk]

I think I know the answer but will let my CAD and scrounging brothers throw some opinions out.

I have plenty of wood on the landing (about ten cords) and another couple of cords "drive up" meaning I can get within several feet of it with the truck.

I have another 3 cords of aspen out in the woods that needs to be carried out to the ATV and then hauled down to the splitting area. I have no time to mess with this stuff indefinitely.

I have a kid who will haul it out and I figure my cost per cord will be around $30. I'm thinking that even though this is only aspen, it's still worth hauling out of the woods.

Thoughts?

 

[Streblerm]

If I could have cords of (any kind of) wood dropped in my yard for 30$ I would be all over it.

 

[NSMaple1]

Likely will be irrelevant to your question, but for stuff I have to get out of the woods, I drive my ATV right to the tree where it lays (95% of the time a windfall), with my trailer & splitter B-Train tagging along behind, and process right at the tree, throwing into trailer off the splitter. The next step and last touch before inserting splits into the fire, is stacking from trailer to pallet after I drive them out of the woods. Three touches, tree to fire.

$30 for a cord of rounds to the splitting area seems good even if it is 'only' aspen.

 

[zogger]

30 bucks seems cheap. Get it done now and stacked.

 

[jrider]

I use teenagers to help me with my firewood endeavors and anyone that is even a decent worker is well worth the cost. For $30 a cord you should be all over it plus it's putting a little jingle in a hardworking kids pocket. Give him some work now and hopefully he will be around if you really need him.

 

[svk]

You guys are right. I'll haul it out.

My wood lot is pretty rugged so it's easier to haul it out then split on flat ground.

I've got a good worker now. The first kid I hired was slow as heck and actually hid some of the wood in the brush. I wasn't happy when I found that and he wasn't invited back.

 

[rarefish383]

My cousin and I are both fourth generation in the tree care industry, and he even calls me a firewood snob. Being in the Mid Atlantic area I have access to all of the Oak, Black Locust, and Cherry that I want. Those are my favorite woods, so that's all I burn. For the last 30 years I've heated with wood, and having a job, I had to pack my stove as full as I could to last all day, then all night. Cut to exactly 18" so it fit and filled the stove as full as possible. That meant no odd sizes or fast burning wood. I gave away or threw all of my shorts in the burn pit. I retired last November, and I changed. I cut down a bunch of Ailanthus trees between my neighbor and I. Normally I would drag the whole tree to the burn pit, cut it in 8' pieces and burn it. This time I split and stacked it. All of my shorts and scragly pieces, I put in a big plastic water tub with rope handles, and placed next to the stove. Now I have time to stuff a couple odd size pieces in, every couple hours. The Ailanthus actually burned pretty good, and I have time to reload the stove. I wouldn't pay for Aspen if I had other better wood waiting to process. I'd leave it to rot if I had better wood waiting. But, if you have a need for it yourself, 30 bucks can't be beat. If you are selling it, and can mix it in, and your customers like it, still a good deal. I think your Aspen is very close to Poplar in being a light easy to start, fast burning wood, with OK BTU's. Some of my old customers used to like some Poplar mixed in as kindling. I never use kindling, because once I fire up the stove, it never goes out till spring, Joe.

 

[greenskeeper]

time is money = money is time = always use it to your advantage

 

[absrio]

I'd do it for sure. I pay $30 per cord for a tree service to drop logs off when its convenient for them. sometimes its cottonwood, sometimes its oak, or anything in between.

 

[flotek]

Aspen isn't worth 30$ A cord in my book but to each his own

 

[muddstopper]

I like free wood, when can get it. Of course free isnt really free. When its free, I have to cut it, haul it, split it and stack it, but hey its free right? Anyways, I have also been know to pay for wood delivered to my house. Now sometimes this wood is log lengths, and sometimes its bucked to firewood length. I wont pay a lot for un-processed wood, but I cant ever remember buying any for $30 a cord either. Did sell some split and stacked for those prices, but that was 40 years ago. So, I guess if I could buy wood for $30 a cord, I would probably be all over it.

 

[mainewoods]

Just wondering svk, how are you figuring it will cost $30 a cord to get from the woods to the splitting area. Hourly wage, your equipment?

 

[NSMaple1]

I thought it was what it would cost him to pay a kid to get it out? Might be some saw time calcs thrown in there too? Hmm.

 

[svk]

Just wondering svk, how are you figuring it will cost $30 a cord to get from the woods to the splitting area. Hourly wage, your equipment?

Paying a kid $15 an hour to haul it out and figuring 2 hours per cord. He uses my atv and trailer on my property. It's only a 120 yard ride from the woodlot to the splitting area but terrain is such that each round must be carried out to the wheeler then down a power line right of way to the road. Obviously the vast majority of the time is carrying rounds from the stump to the wheeler. And these logs are big enough that they don't drag well so carrying rounds is really the only feasible option.

 

[zogger]

Paying a kid $15 an hour to haul it out and figuring 2 hours per cord. He uses my atv and trailer on my property. It's only a 120 yard ride from the woodlot to the splitting area but terrain is such that each round must be carried out to the wheeler then down a power line right of way to the road. Obviously the vast majority of the time is carrying rounds from the stump to the wheeler. And these logs are big enough that they don't drag well so carrying rounds is really the only feasible option.

Big pneumatic wheel hand truck, or "game" cart? For stump to atv trailer

 

[svk]

Big pneumatic wheel hand truck, or "game" cart? For stump to atv trailer

Too rugged. ATV can't even pull the trailer in much of this area.

Here's a sample of the terrain on the 40 begind my property. See the rubble field in the middle?

 

[NSMaple1]

Too bad you weren't closer to my wheeler & I - I see a fun loaded challenge.

 

[svk]

So I had the young fellow over today.

To move and restack 3/4 cord of splits, rake my yard, sweep my deck, and haul about 4 cords of rounds out of the woods cost me a hundred bucks. Money very well spent.

 

[MountainHigh]

Send him over to my place when you're done - wife has more projects lined up for me than I care to think about.

 

[chucker]

So I had the young fellow over today.

To move and restack 3/4 cord of splits, rake my yard, sweep my deck, and haul about 4 cords of rounds out of the woods cost me a hundred bucks. Money very well spent.

must be a good kid to work like that for a franklin and not leave before noon ! most kids I offer jobs to want paid in advance and tell you they will be there next week when the job offer is for today or the next...... I start at 10.00 an hour and with good workers usually end up paying 15.00 for hard workers! on time dressed for the work conditions with lunch in hand! most show up in sandals or flip flops and cut offs to work in the woods, many times had adults not differently dressed.... lol