is your wood pricing viable, with increased fuel cost's

[Wood Doctor]

No Rule of Thumb Exists

There is no rule of thumb for the life of a chainsaw, irrespective of who uses it, how it is used, or what it originally cost. Two many variables at play.

 

[Circle B MN]

My business is just fine. But if you think you could come in this area with a 200 dollar cord price or even 150, and make it, you would be disappointed. I just don't see how you can say that you don't let other peoples prices affect yours..

If i'm buyin gas and it's three cents cheaper across the street. guess what?

Target Market....

Sell your product to the market that will bear your price. Jo Bob burning wood to heat his shack will not pay $200+ a cord prices. Mr Dithers up the road that burns cause he likes the pretty colors will easily pay $200 a cord. He doesn't want wood boogers in the back seat of his Benz. If you want the big money, go where the big money is. There are vendors here that regularly drive 100 miles one way to deliver wood.

 

[redprospector]

What's the a rule-of-thumb design life for chainsaws?

For heavy equipment, I've seen 10,000 hours often as the magical number before a piece with ordinary use and maintenance is no longer fit for front-line use and is relegated off as a spare piece or sent to someone who only occasionally needs one.

Clearly I'd expect a pro-quality 360 to cut more wood in it's lifetime then a homeowner-quality 290.

And I'd expect a Dolmar 7900 to cut more wood then the 360, if only because it takes fewer hours to cut the same amount.

But I'm not sure I've ever seen any expressions in cords-per-saw for Joe Ordinary who does the normal maintenance, but isn't out tearing it down and rebuilding for fun every winter.

Wood Doctor is right, there is really no set in stone rule of thumb on the life of a saw. So I go by experience. When I was falling timber we figured to use a new saw for 1 year (if everything went right), then we'd buy a new saw and move the year old saw to back up saw status. The old back up saw usually became a parts saw at that time, unless it was a really good one. This was partially for tax purposes, but generally after a year they were getting tired.
We felled timber 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. so that comes out to about 1500 hours. So that's the figure I use. In that 1500 hours your gonna need a few air filters, spark plugs, bars, chains, sprockets, maybe a clutch or ignition, etc.
You might get a little more than that out of a saw, but maybe not. Better safe than sorry. In my case where other people are running my saws, I might get 2000 hours out of one saw, but another one got ran over by the skidder at 300 hours. It's an educated guess, but you have to have some kind of schedule to start out with. After a few years you get an idea of how many hours you can get out of a saw in your situation, but you've got to keep a few records to do it.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Good discusson, Andy. I've often wondered about chainsaw costs per hour. It also differs from one brand to the next, from one size to the next, and from one operator to the next. You have to match the saw up with the log size being cut before you start the saw. Cutting little logs with big saws makes no sense and vice versa is also true.

There's also the famous ideal log size when it comes to firewood. Wrestling ernormous logs takes more time than they are worth. The ideal log for me is one that I can lift onto the truck myself without injuring my back. Lately, I've started noodling more logs with the MS 361 so that I can lift them on board. Figuring out ways to build stairs or kill myself to get huge logs onto the tailgate is pointless. Taking time off to recover from a back injury is more expensive than fuel used for noodling. opcorn:

Your right, the cost of owning a saw has a lot of variables and everyone's situation may not be the same. It's a lot of guess work until you compile enough records to get a good idea of what it cost you to own and operate any equipment. I'm still learning, I've spent a lot of money on my skidder lately that I had never figured into the equasion. The price of owning a skidder just went up in my books.

It's a shame we can't figure out earlier in life how valuable our bodies are. I spent the first 40 years of my life trying to convince everyone that I was Super Man. Since then I've been trying to convince them that I'm not.
A good back, and legs is worth more than most young men can imagine. But reality usually sets in just at the verge of being too late.

Andy

 

[Junkrunner]

I would love to get the price-up around here some. I agree that it is lower than just about anywhere else.

I can go another 20 miles one way (over mountains to boot)and get 70 for half cord, but then that extra 10 bucks don't cover my gas. That's why I like the customer to come to me.

And some of my customers are from the city, coming up to their cabins on weekends. Yes, these are in general wealthy people, BUT extremely tight Or they think that we're all a bunch of dumb rednecks. (that might be true) I'd say that 3 out of 5 houses here, are second homes.

Maybe what I aughta do is; talk to all the other guys that sell REGULARLY and try and get the price up with the rest of the country? At least that would help everybody selling.

I'm just startin to wonder if maybe the other guys aren't actually sellin true amounts. I know one fella that keeps half a truck of bark spare tire and other junk on the bed.. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, if I knew I was rippin someone and the fact it's illegal.. Nobody locally will buy from him now. So he's shiestin people farther away.

I don't know what things are going for in other parts of the country so I can't really say. But, maybe that's why it's higher there. You guys are runnin FORDS!! I'd definetly have to raise my prices if I had one of those to work on or dump oil in all the time!!

I do thank yaw'll for your insight, It's bin an eye opener.

 

[redprospector]

I would love to get the price-up around here some. I agree that it is lower than just about anywhere else.

I can go another 20 miles one way (over mountains to boot)and get 70 for half cord, but then that extra 10 bucks don't cover my gas. That's why I like the customer to come to me.

And some of my customers are from the city, coming up to their cabins on weekends. Yes, these are in general wealthy people, BUT extremely tight Or they think that we're all a bunch of dumb rednecks. (that might be true) I'd say that 3 out of 5 houses here, are second homes.

Maybe what I aughta do is; talk to all the other guys that sell REGULARLY and try and get the price up with the rest of the country? At least that would help everybody selling.

I'm just startin to wonder if maybe the other guys aren't actually sellin true amounts. I know one fella that keeps half a truck of bark spare tire and other junk on the bed.. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, if I knew I was rippin someone and the fact it's illegal.. Nobody locally will buy from him now. So he's shiestin people farther away.

I don't know what things are going for in other parts of the country so I can't really say. But, maybe that's why it's higher there. You guys are runnin FORDS!! I'd definetly have to raise my prices if I had one of those to work on or dump oil in all the time!!

I do thank yaw'll for your insight, It's bin an eye opener.

I just want folks to realize that it ain't all profit. It may only cost $6 in gas to cut & split a cord, but that don't mean you should piss the rest of it off. Be careful getting everyone else together and talking about raising prices..........It's illegal to be involved in "price fixing".
Keep track of what you're spending on equipment & how long it works, you may be making plenty already or you may want to add a couple bucks to a cord.
I know what you're talking about with 3 out of 5 houses being a second home. That's the way it is here. And yes they are tighter than the bark on a tree. That's why I like to wholesale my wood, I don't have to deal with each one of those jerks, only one.

Hahaha. I do have one Ford. It's in the shop right now. I don't use it for firewood because I can't get enough for the wood to keep it running. :hmm3grin2orange:

Andy

 

[STLfirewood]

My business is just fine. But if you think you could come in this area with a 200 dollar cord price or even 150, and make it, you would be disappointed. I just don't see how you can say that you don't let other peoples prices affect yours..

If i'm buyin gas and it's three cents cheaper across the street. guess what?

Because he's right. People pay for a qaulity product plain and simple. You should see craigslist around here. You can buy a cord of wood for $150-400. I sell a cord for $330. People pay the $330 because I have a great seasoned product and I deliver when I say I am going to. I see a lot of people on this board say firewood only brings x amount of dollars where I am. Then in the next sentence they say the sold out of firewood. If your selling out your price is to cheap. Plain and simple.

Scott

 

[Como]

I will take 3 of these trucks....sorry but you DONT HAVE A CLUE....

$70 to fill my truck and I get about 3-4 average deliveries....

That suggests about a 100 mile round trip.

You might want to consider restricting your free delivery zone?

Others here have mentioned 10 miles for free delivery. If that is your limit as well you should have your truck checked out.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

ah yes, ok now, saws and replacement costs i agree with.. as far as repair cost's figured in , well i don't.. as said too many variables..
if your saw quits whats to say the jug is good? what if it throws a rod? this is why i agree factoring in the replacement cost..
that said..i just think that for one yes a lot of people are unemployed, but how long will they be able to keep up the cutting buis, on little to no money...as said before they are flipping dollars...
this is my point.. why cant you drive local prices up over a couple of years to make a profit? just ease it up a little at a time..give your self a break, a little breathing room on the margins????
as far as processors go, i agree not practical for smaller operators..
they will produce more per hour,but also require more equipment to load..whole different way of going at it..
my instance is my fence row jobs would not afford a processor,it just is not practical for me to log use a loader at the field and haul logs home to need a second loader to off load and load processor...its simply easier to fell buck split and load right there..
its all what fits your operation...as far as fuel cost's go,it does affect everything else.. it will drive prices up on everything that has to be delivered across the nation...those who don't think so well, we will read about your bankruptcy.
my advice to all is watch your p's&q's and be safe, make some money where you can and for god's sake treat your customers good...no more black eyes..(for the buis).lol :bang:
i am glad to see that so many people have read this and thought of this...good luck to all this year...

heres a good motto for ya, if you are happy to strive for what you have done yesterday, you will never exceed it tomorrow!
hone:

 

[chucker]

"heres a good motto for ya, if you are happy to strive for what you have done yesterday, you will never exceed it tomorrow!"
and i am thankful that tomorrow never comes, as its always today and plan for it to be fruitful to the best of my ability!!

 

[redprospector]

This turned out to be a pretty good thread. We don't all agree, but no one really got upset, and there's a lot of food for thought here.
Most threads like this turn into a real pissing match, but this was a good conversation.

Andy

 

[leon]

firewood pricing

Have any of you thought anymore at all
about selliing your fire wood by the ton
instead of by the cord?

After all, the use of weights and measures are legal
in all fifty states.

 

[roostersgt]

Sure. A retired cheapskate that will either be unable to do the work or unwilling, given some time.

I didn't say that to offend. There are LOTS of people who think how great this is saving ALL this money doing it themselves. That is until they have to do it enough. THEN, that price the guy down the road is asking, starts to seem pretty sweet.

You may be right, but so far I've cut,split and stacked 5 cords for next season. If I get too old and it gets to be too much, I have two strong sons to help out.

I only cut wood for my own consumption, not to sell.

 

[Junkrunner]

This turned out to be a pretty good thread. We don't all agree, but no one really got upset, and there's a lot of food for thought here.
Most threads like this turn into a real pissing match, but this was a good conversation.

Andy

I'll definetly agree on that!

 

[Junkrunner]

Have any of you thought anymore at all
about selliing your fire wood by the ton
instead of by the cord?

After all, the use of weights and measures are legal
in all fifty states.

That would be almost impossible to do.

1: moisture content
2: different species of wood weigh different
3: I don't have a drive-on scale

I just don't think this would be a fesible way to "measure" loads of wood..

 

[Oldtimer]

Just sold 3 full cord of fresh cut and split firewood @ 180 each.
Could have got more, but it was a friend. After expenses, I'll make $100 each cord.

 

[Mowingman]

Everybody around here sells by the rick for the most part.
I am buying my wood, cut and split, about 108 miles from here. After figuring in the wood cost, hauling cost, and a couple of meals, I am paying at $71.55/rick at my lot. I haul 8 ricks/trip. My current selling price is $140.00/rick, plus $35.00/rick for local delivery. That is currently working for me, but if fuel prices do hit $4.00/gal, I will probably adjust the price upward.
I do have access to a tractor trailer that can haul in 28 ricks. I am going to look at that option later this summer, and see if I can lower my hauling portion of the cost.
Since some people want 16", 18", 20", or 22" wood, selling by the cord, or half cord, would not really an accurate,(or true), measurement, unless you have a lot of different, and odd sized, wood piles set up for loading.
I can see a pricing increase by mid summer at the way things are going now.
Jeff

 

[chucker]

mowingman! i found myself dealing with odd lengths like that and sold all wood other than 16" lengths in cubic feet loads!! cured the problem with riick, or cord!!

 

[Mowingman]

I did some calculations so I can do that if necessary. However, since selling by the rick, or half rick, is common here, that is what I am doing for now. If the trend shifts, I am ready, as it certainly is a true and accurate way to sell the wood.
Jeff

 

[woodmans]

Have any of you thought anymore at all
about selliing your fire wood by the ton
instead of by the cord?

After all, the use of weights and measures are legal
in all fifty states.

There is an opperation here in Vermont where the wood is all kiln dried using the scrap wood to fire the kiln. They sell wood by the pound picked up at the yard.