Thread: Firewood, how much $$ compared to last year?

Ricks, Ranks, pickup truck load; doesn't anybody sell by the cord? I'm also amazed at how cheap the prices are down in Tenn.
Al

Husky, My truck has the 6 1/2 foot bed.I just stack a measured 4x4x4 1/2 cord and then throw it in the truck so I know how much room it takes up.I always give a little extra and the wood is always well seasoned.I have never had a complaint and have mostly repeat customers.If you can see it in the pic there is a piece of plywood that is higher than the cab ( poor mans headache rack ).By the way in Ct. if you sell over 24 cord you are a commercial enterprise and of course need the Insurance and what ever else is needed to be legit.So of course I will never ever ever sell more than 24 cords.LOL.Jeff

I am in Tennessee Am I sell my cords for $150. I sell smaller amonts $10 load about a couple of bundles.

Originally Posted by lobsta1

Ricks, Ranks, pickup truck load; doesn't anybody sell by the cord? I'm also amazed at how cheap the prices are down in Tenn.
Al

I think the prices are so low here because wood is so plentiful, at least until this year anyway. logging has slowled to a crawl. When you look in the paper, everyone sells by the rick. I guess the mild winters here, at least much shorter than the winters you enjoy up north anyway, hinders large quantity sales.
The really sad part is,even at 50 bucks a rick you still have guys that advertise for 40 a rick just to get the sale. Mostly these are beer money guys, and the wood is generally wet, but the customer doesnt know that until its to late.
It also helps to that we have so many ignorant buyers here. Last winter I had a guy that stopped by to pick up wood in his truck. I motioned for him to pull up to the last stack, and instead he wanted a different pile. I told him that the pile we was pointing at was fresh cut this year, not even a month old. He said he preferred fresh wood becuase it looked so nice, all rosey and pink(red oak)
I was unable to change his mind, so we loaded up his "fresh" wood. He even came back two more times later in the year, and each time took "fresh wood"

dry cut split delivered one full cord 300 plus and i cant make it fast enough to sell. 160 plus cords on backorder...all told to look around i cant get em all.

I would probably sell by the pickup truck load. Most people do not know what a either a rick or a cord is, but they can see your truck and they usually measure after you drop and stack.

My truck (shown in avatar and mounded up) holds 75 cubic feet because of the side racks. I figure in Nebraska, that's worth $100. So, two truckloads equals 150 cu ft or 1.2 cords, and I think that should pull in $200 of mixed hardwoods (elm, maple, ash, locust, mulberry, and oak).

Priced any higher than that and people around here would look elsewhere or just burn more natural gas. So, I seldom sell my wood anymore. Instead, I burn more of it on my own and keep my house warm. It's great exercise and far more productive than walking on a treadmill.

Originally Posted by Wood Doctor

My truck (shown in avatar and mounded up) hold 75 cubic feet because of the side racks. I figure in Nebraska, that's worth $100. So, two truckloads equals 150 cu ft or 1.2 cords

Only if its stacked. THE Ohio State University says a thrown cord of 16" firewood = 180 cu.ft. (128 cu.ft. when stacked, and if you could stack it tight enough that there was no air- 90 cu.ft.!)
Ricks aren't legal in Ohio (only cords or fractions) because a 16" rick=1/3 cord, a 24" rick=1/2 cord.

Originally Posted by Ohiowoodguy

Only if its stacked. Ohio State University says a thrown cord of 16" firewood = 180 cu.ft. (128 cu.ft. when stacked, and if you could stack it tight enough that there was no air - 90 cu.ft.!)
Ricks aren't legal in Ohio (only cords or fractions) because a 16" rick=1/3 cord, a 24" rick=1/2 cord.

I was unaware that Ohio State University was spending that much time helping firewood dealers supply firewood to customers. I suppose that's a step in the right direction for the Buckeyes.

Note that I said in my post, "they usually measure after you drop and stack." That's how I measured my truck's capacity--after I unloaded and stacked it. That way I know precisely what's in the truck when I deliver it.

I have another secret to help firewood suppliers who sell by the truckload. After you "fill" your truck, throw on a couple more logs here and here to help stabilize the load. If you do that, and the customer still says you shorted them, don't sell anymore wood to that customer. Find another customer.

Right now: $150 a cord
Last year at this time: $125 a cord
Split, but not delivered.

It's all about location, location , location.... Up here, cut/split is $200+ a cord. No one sells anything but cords (Cut split). We sell tree length by weight though and that's working out too $120 a cord this year. We are into next year delivery wise though.

I supply firewood in the UK - no one has ever heard of a cord or a face cord or a rick - I supply my firewood in large bags - I never stack - the pieces of firewood demanded in the UK mean a log length of under 10 inches. I have just got the calculator out and am shocked that we retail at $500 a cord. I am going to put prices up this Autumn - my costs are always going up. If only you were nearer I'd buy any amount at some of the rock bottom prices you quote.

Long bed truck here in NC for me is $100 delivered and $10 to stack, 10 miles without additional charges. This is roughly 5x2x8 (80 cu.ft.) My dump truck is 7x2x14 (196 cu. ft.) and I get $250 for it with $25 stack fee. Anyone else around the south have prices?

Originally Posted by Widmere

I supply firewood in the UK - no one has ever heard of a cord or a face cord or a rick - I supply my firewood in large bags - I never stack - the pieces of firewood demanded in the UK mean a log length of under 10 inches. I have just got the calculator out and am shocked that we retail at $500 a cord. I am going to put prices up this Autumn - my costs are always going up. If only you were nearer I'd buy any amount at some of the rock bottom prices you quote.

Sounds realistic to me, except for one thing--log length under 10". You are kidding because to me, that's absurd. So, the volume could be off a bundle compared to USA volumes. We usaally cut the average wood lengths to 16" unless the customer (or me) specifies longer. About any stove will accept a 16" log, and any length shorter than that will start reducing heat output and be hard to stack.

Hmmm...

http://telegram.com/article/20080810...808100731/1002

here is link to article about firewood demand from today's paper. National article from AP.

I am fortunate to be able to cut everything to about 24" (my splitter only does 25") there is a lot less handling and I stack them 2 wide on a 4' wide pallets. This makesit easy to caculate the number of cords on hand.