Commercial Wood Splitter?

[coolhandbrad]

Hi first time poster, so please don't beat me up to bad. Anyhow starting a firewood business, and looking for a splitter that will do 100 cords the first year and somewhere between 100-200 the following year. I live in Northern Arizonia, and will be selling shaggy bark juniper. I've done my business plan and market research, and have my finaces in order. I Also did a test sale of 10 cords sold 2 cords to two different people and they ended up selling the other 8 cords for me so the demand is here. My question is which commercial grade splitter do I buy? I've been looking at the timber wolf tw 6 and the built rite 24 hpws. Looking for comments, firsthand experience with either model, Pros/Cons. Are there any other brand splitter I should be looking at? Anyhow any thoughts on the subject are much appreciated. Brad

 

[leon]

Welcome to the forum,

I would advise you to contact red prospector through the forum
here and ask him about his chomper firewood processor and ask
if you can visit with him to look at his chomper as you both are
processing soft woods and are close by.

 

[sunfish]

Super Split is the only splitter I'd consider!!! But that's just me...

 

[angelo c]

We need more info.
What other machinery do you have available?
What space do you have to store/season with.
How will you handle the product?
And....drum roll please...what sources do you have access to. Will you purchase log length lumber or are they Tree service castoffs.

Also Ive run both and both have their selling points. I liked the Built rites ability to flush the 4way when you have large castoffs to handle. wont need that so much if you have pecker poles to run through. if you have poles you are better off with a processor. which the 24 hwps is the front end of. I like the diesel option with the 24.
I recently saw a splitter that cought my eye http://www.allwoodlogsplitters.com/Musclewood-Series.html. im told the pricing is very competitive with your choices and the machines can be truly custom ordered.

oh as Don said....I love my Supersplit...

 

[sunfish]

Using this Super Split for the last 3 years has sure made me thing about getting back
into selling wood. I get my 15-20 cords processed so quick, the splitter sits idle most of the year...

 

[angelo c]

Using this Super Split for the last 3 years has sure made me thing about getting back
into selling wood. I get my 15-20 cords processed so quick, the splitter sits idle most of the year...

Bundle...just Bundle Baby !!!!

 

[Oliver1655]

How large are the pieces? Is it fairly straight grained / easy to split? If the pieces are fairly easy to lift & split fairly easy, using a Super Splitter with an elevator to move the wood away from your splitting area would probable be a good match.

If there is a helper, setup a staging table they can place rounds on next to the splitter operator so they can just stand there & split without having to take time to chase down the next round or doing much bending over.

Use of a dump trailer really can speed up deliveries. Find out how much it will hold by:
1 - Stacking up a cord of wood then throw it into the trailer to find out how full it needs to be then add a few splits to ensure you will never be short.
2 - Fill up the trailer then empty it stacking the wood to find out how many cords it holds. Cord = 128 cubic ft or 4'x4'x8' stack.

For the volume you plan to be doing, you will not have time to do a lot of stacking at your work site. You can handle a lot of wood this way without having a huge investment. Fire wood processors that hand 4+ cords are very pricey.

 

[sunfish]

Bundle...just Bundle Baby !!!!

Not much market around here. Very rural and most folks heat with wood and cut their own. Price is too low here also at around $100 a cord.

 

[coolhandbrad]

Thanks for the responses some good stuff. I haven't seen the super split in person but have seen the d r copy of it, and I wasn't that impressed. Not saying anything bad about the super split I'm sure that it is a quality machine. I will be getting the wood out of the national forest they have the commercial firewood area, where they give you an area to cut. I'm planning to cut and split on site, then dumping on my property. I've tossed two split cords (4x8x4) into the trailer so i know it fits with room left over and have done this a few times just to be sure. I have two properties to store wood on 3 acres @ one and 5 acres at the other.
As for tools 2011 f350 dually, dump trailer, chainsaws ms 441 rcm, ms 261, ms261m, ms 310 that will not die, misc tools and log handeling tools. Id like a skid steer or tractor but that will have to come after year 1. My phone battery is dying so gotta go charge it up if I've misses anything let me know.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[angelo c]

Brother you are one ambitious fella if you're gonna fell, cut, haul, split, stack, season and deliver 100 cords without a skidsteer/ tractor of some sort.

I would run every splitter i could get my hands on before i spent the kind of money your talking about investing. Seriously ask a few guys on this forum and i bet you'll find every one of those machines close by. And i would give serious thought to a skidsteer as well.

 

[Circle B MN]

I'd be looking at a small processor rather than just a splitter......

 

[jrider]

Brother you are one ambitious fella if you're gonna fell, cut, haul, split, stack, season and deliver 100 cords without a skidsteer/ tractor of some sort.

I would run every splitter i could get my hands on before i spent the kind of money your talking about investing. Seriously ask a few guys on this forum and i bet you'll find every one of those machines close by. And i would give serious thought to a skidsteer as well.

No need to waste time stacking

 

[angelo c]

No need to waste time stacking

I guess not if you have a large enough property or don't have a wife...sleeping with a 100 cord pile of splits gets mighty lonely at night....

 

[jrider]

I guess not if you have a large enough property or don't have a wife...sleeping with a 100 cord pile of splits gets mighty lonely at night....

Anyone planning on 100-200 cords better have some property.

 

[jrider]

This was a 30 cord pile

 

[Oliver1655]

A hand truck is another handy tool for moving rounds to the splitter: Rated a 600 lbs. & wide wheel base is fairly stable on uneven ground. I can move three 18 gallon totes filled with fire wood easily. Lay it on it's back & pile the rounds on. With the deeper fold down base, it holds a lot.

 

[m37]

How much are you selling a cord of wood for? Are you selling seasoned wood, how much for delivery?

 

[jrider]

How much are you selling a cord of wood for? Are you selling seasoned wood, how much for delivery?

$210'for,oak delivered within 10 miles. Wood is ready to burn. Sold 70 cords in the last 60 days and many compliments on how it burns plus lots of referrals for new customers.

 

[Como]

Making money on any firewood processor would mean a lot more that 100 to 200 cords. That sounds liek 2 weeks work for a processor and the rest of the time it would be sitting there depreciating

I came to the conclusion that you either do it as a sideline, essentially using mainly equipment you would have anyway or you made a big jump into commercial operation.

Like others said handling is the biggie.

 

[badcop]

I have the built-rite 24 with the diesel. I bought it this year and have had it for about 5 months now. It has a little over 100 hrs with no problems. I have a friend with a tw-6, both machines are great but you couldn't give me his or a new one when it comes to mine.