starting a firewood business

[Barnie]

do you guys think its a good time to be starting a firewood business???
I know I'm in the wrong forum but since were talking about firewood I'll ask it here.

 

[dingeryote]

Barnie,

Seeing as how our president and Senate just tanked our economy for the next 30 years, and oil ain't gonna get any cheaper, ya might as well.

Folks are gonna need cheaper heat while waiting to be stimulated.

I'm thinking of putting up a couple cords for barter.
I gotta feeling folks aren't gonna want to use cash more than they have to in a bit.


Good luck with the enterprise!!

Dingeryote

 

[willt1981]

we live on opposite ends of the continent so my views might not apply to your area, but, i think its a great time. i started a business about 5 years ago and its been great. this time of year would be very slow for me otherwise, i farm and log, but with firewood its become a very profitable time for me. i should mention i cut all my wood off my land, which im clearing for livestock, so i dont have to deal with getting the wood from somewhere else. the one thing i would suggest is a dump truck to haul your wood, one ton would be ideal. i dont have one and i took three loads today and my back is killing me.

 

[046]

if you are in an area frequented by ice storms... it's a really bad time.
been seeing $40-$50 rick delivered here in Tulsa. that's for seasoned oak/hickory/pecan. not junk wood.

that's gotta be blow costs... used to be tree companies would do wood to keep their guys employed in the winter by breaking even. at $50 rick delivered you'd be losing $$.

too much seasoned wood still available from last year's ice storm.

 

[Ductape]

Folks are gonna need cheaper heat while waiting to be stimulated.

Thats what internet #### is for !

 

[Barnie]

if you are in an area frequented by ice storms... it's a really bad time.
been seeing $40-$50 rick delivered here in Tulsa. that's for seasoned oak/hickory/pecan. not junk wood.

that's gotta be blow costs... used to be tree companies would do wood to keep their guys employed in the winter by breaking even. at $50 rick delivered you'd be losing $$.

too much seasoned wood still available from last year's ice storm.

we had a wind storm a year and half ago and it left large blow down sections in the area, the two major sawmill/paper companies picked up most of the rights to these blow down but I managed to get a couple of hectares of maple/yellow birch mostly leaning and some on the ground but not much.
I'm planning on having a John Deere feller to go in and do the job for about $90 hr says that he can drop 700-800 cubic meters[ cords ] easily in 12 hours ready to be skidded, up here maple goes for $75 a cord and yellow birch for about $60 per cord.

 

[thejdman04]

Depends. What can you get wood for in your area? Free? Pay to have it dropped off? what are prices in your area. Some areas prices are around 100 bucks a cord, not worth my time. I dont meant to sound smart, but there are tons of variables. You have to figure out how much time you would have into it, your expenses, and then figure out what wood is going for in your area.

 

[freemind]

Depends. What can you get wood for in your area? Free? Pay to have it dropped off? what are prices in your area. Some areas prices are around 100 bucks a cord, not worth my time. I dont meant to sound smart, but there are tons of variables. You have to figure out how much time you would have into it, your expenses, and then figure out what wood is going for in your area.

+1
I get most of my wood free. If I had to pay even a hundred a cord, in log form, I would LOOSE money. 200 a full cord is normal here (cut, split, delivered).

The only real way to know IF starting a firewood business is a sound move, is to start doing the math. Then add at least 25% to that for the expenses you never thought of to begin with.

 

[treepres1]

firewood

like the others said you have to do the math ,we sell wood for 120a ric or 225 a cord oak /pecan but the best is our yard is located next to a expressway and people pick up the load for 60 for a half ric or 100 a half cord ,a lot better for us no double handling of wood good luck.:jester:

 

[GrizzlyAdams86]

thought about selling it

I've toyed with just putting a classified ad in the paper and selling it, besides cutting for the people I know. But last time I looked there was almost 10 such ads in just one paper. Prices varied from $50-$200 per cord, rick cord, truckload, etc., some were delivary extra as well. Wood varied from oak, elm, "mixed hardwood" and from seasoned, split and seasoned to "Firewood for sale, chunked for wood boilers $X per load". But right now I just cut firewood as a service for 5 people I know in my spare time. Most of them pay me $40 per load (Dodge Dakota w/ 6' ft. box) although one payed me a lump sum of $180 up front to just "bring over what you think is $180 dollars worth of wood and we'll go from there". I started out this season cutting for 2, then added a 3rd, sold some to a 4th (if they need more they'll call), and now I'm at #5 with a possible #6. So I'm pretty well set so far. Right now I can cover gas/mantiance for my saws and gas for the truck with what I earn. And there's nothing wrong with helping people out.

 

[Barnie]

like the others said you have to do the math ,we sell wood for 120a ric or 225 a cord oak /pecan but the best is our yard is located next to a expressway and people pick up the load for 60 for a half ric or 100 a half cord ,a lot better for us no double handling of wood good luck.:jester:

when I meant cord I meant face cord 16''x4' high x8' long these go for $75 per face cord Maple and $60 per cord Yellow Birch so a full cord of maple 4'x4'x8' would go for $225. I'll be paying $.20 per ton [cord ] for the wood and $1,100 - $1,200 for the feller for 12 hours he`s also willing to barter some wood for his service.

 

[avalancher]

I dont know how the economy is looking up there in Canada, but down here things have gotten pretty sour.The result?Every moron with a poulan is a firewood dealer now, and some are willing to work all day to sell one pickup load of firewood for 40 bucks. The local farmers market is plumb full of guys with loads of wood on the back, cut green and trying to sell.You would think these guys would realize that sticking the saw in the back with the wood is a sure sign that it was just cut!

If it wasnt for my regular customers, I wouldnt have any sales at all, I dont care to try and match their prices. if I cant get 60 bucks a rick, I will keep the wood myself and just keep the house at a toasty 80 degrees.

 

[whiting-5]

I dont know how the economy is looking up there in Canada, but down here things have gotten pretty sour.The result?Every moron with a poulan is a firewood dealer now, and some are willing to work all day to sell one pickup load of firewood for 40 bucks. The local farmers market is plumb full of guys with loads of wood on the back, cut green and trying to sell.You would think these guys would realize that sticking the saw in the back with the wood is a sure sign that it was just cut!

If it wasnt for my regular customers, I wouldnt have any sales at all, I dont care to try and match their prices. if I cant get 60 bucks a rick, I will keep the wood myself and just keep the house at a toasty 80 degrees.

plus 1

 

[City Slicker]

Great post!

Randy, are you reading this? ..........lol...

 

[arhillbilly]

+we are in the same way here in north ark. everybody is cutting firewood, as low as 35.00 a rick DELIVERED i don't try to compete , what i do is sell good ,dry hardwood, a little extra on every stack, most of my customers are repeat bussiness or their freinds and family , i am at 121 ricks this winter . i know most people here hate to hear the word rick, but is the only way wood is sold here.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Forgive my ingnorance but what is a "rick"
Face cord I get though we tend to talk "cords" (full) or pickup loads.

I've been thinking of steping into this in a big way. Though the volume demand would be low to start. I've got about 3/4 of a Cord King sitting in my yard and figure a 10k in material and a date with my Miller would greatly reduce the wear on the Husky.

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp142/beyondupnorth/Serco Loader Slasher/IMG_0990.jpg

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp142/beyondupnorth/Serco Loader Slasher/IMG_0982.jpg

Ken

 

[arhillbilly]

here a rick is the same as a 1/3 cord 16" wide 4' tall and 8' long

 

[Barnie]

Forgive my ingnorance but what is a "rick"
Face cord I get though we tend to talk "cords" (full) or pickup loads.

I've been thinking of steping into this in a big way. Though the volume demand would be low to start. I've got about 3/4 of a Cord King sitting in my yard and figure a 10k in material and a date with my Miller would greatly reduce the wear on the Husky.

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp142/beyondupnorth/Serco Loader Slasher/IMG_0990.jpg

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp142/beyondupnorth/Serco Loader Slasher/IMG_0982.jpg

Ken

I'm also stepping into this in a big way $200,000 big to be exact I been working on this for two years now and opening day is coming very soon, I did my homework on this right down to the penny it's just that every now and then it creeps me out to think that I missed something and I'll be belly up with a year or so.
Where abouts are you from skidsteer, North Bay Ont here

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Emo, On. Just west of Fort Frances
I'm not that brave, budget wise, but hope for decent production.

We have the US to the south, and to get to Manitoba you have to go through the US or go a hour out of the way to get around Lake of the Woods.
So with no customers on two side I'm going to step in a bit easy.
On the up side there are alot of home with wood heat, And there is no processors here yet, and on the down we are surounded by bush.
I figure I have to cater to the guy who could do it himself, but can find something better to do with his spare time.
When I'm done I can detach the processing equiment and have the slasher back.
What are you looking at for equipment?
Ken

 

[dnf0929]

IMO the 1st thing you have to ask yourself is do you enjoy the work involved. If you don't I wouldn't even bother. The saying goes if you enjoy what you do you'll never work a day in your life. That's not to say you won't be hot, cold, sore, cut, scraped and bruised. I've seen a lot of guys who buy fancy equipment and get into it with great plans of making lots of money. Guess what? You don't make a lot of money and the novelty wears off really quick. There was a guy who joined the forum last fall with plans of starting the firewood division of his landscape company. He recently posted that he's no longer interested and is selling his splitter.

All that being said I think there is still plenty of room in the market for honest guys.