starting a firewood business

[Ohiowoodguy]

I have to strongly agree with those talking about everyone with a poulan and a pickup becoming firewood dealers; and selling cheap. Last season I was the only one advertizing here for months, then there were about 5 others late in the winter. So far this season since Sept/08 there's been 37 others with newspaper ads, and probably hundreds on the local craigslist. I started in Aug/08 selling for $200/cord and I'm losing customers over price at $150/cord now. I strongly believe its from so many guys being out of work (I've talked to them all)- they don't care about working all day to get $75 for half a cord- its better than the alternative for them. If Obamalama doesn't get them back to work soon, I'm gonna be out of business! (But I gotta feel sorry for them.)

 

[Barnie]

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

There's a lot of people around here also who heat with wood and like you're area were surrounded by bush but it's hard to get a cutting right around here but I managed to secure one, as for equipment I'm going to start with two husky's chainsaws, diesel truck, dump trailer 14,000lb [ goose neck ] , timber devil dual station wood splitter, palax ks 35 full hydraulic processor,timber jack skidder and a ford backhoe. I'm hoping that if it goes good enough I'll look into a cord king processor but that's in two or three years.

 

[freemind]

One way to look at the pro's with Paulin's:

Sooner or later, they are likely going to get hurt, and/or tranportation is going to be broke.

I know it isn't a nice way to look at it, but it is the truth. These guys looking for a fast buck, will get bit in the butt. Some yahoo running a cheapo "wal-mart" saw is gonna get hurt sooner or later. Then he/she WON'T be ale to do any work. Or their truck will be broke down, and no money to fix it.

A business idea, pulled from your hat in a pinch, with no planning, will likely fail miserably.

 

[arlen]

Firewood business Advertizing

I am going at firewood is a small way. I have a small splitter, a hand crank bundler. A backhoe a few trailers and some chainsaws. About 1/2 acre of my yard to store split and unsplit wood. I advertise for free on craig's last there are 100 other people posting. I put advertising in with my bundles of wood . If someone buys my bundles form a market sometimes they call me directly for more wood. I bought some advertising banners and put them on a trailer and parked the trailer on a busy street corner. I got a call 10 minutes after I put it there. Prices are all over the place. I am going to try and sell good quality seasoned firewood at a fair price. David

 

[skidsteer.ca]

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.

I don't have any aspiration of ever becoming rich off this, but if it gives me a few more days of work each year that will be fine. I burn 10 to 12 cords myself a year in the shop and house.
My yard is truck acessable and we have a wide range of support equipment. Skidsteers, Skidders, Log Loaders, Float truck and log trailer, Diesel 1 ton.

My location is as good as any for this area with highway frontage. If I can set up my own processor using the loader/slasher I have for 10 to 15k and have 20+ years to get it back it should work out.

There is only 60 to 70 dollars a cord in this for processed wood versus 8' by the cord. So its far from a get rich quick scheme. I figure I'll have to do 250 cords just to cover the initial outlay and another 250 to cover the assocated expenses of getting this off the ground. Then it might start to make something. I better be able to produce 2+ cords a hour without help.

The plan is to do dump truck or trailer loads and pallets that I can set in a pickup or trailer. Run the processor when there are orders that can be delivered.
And maybe I'm still nuts, for trying it.
Ken