Trying to get into the wood splitting business

[woodguy105]

Your rate will need to satisfy the avg. homeowner with about 1-3 cords (storm damage, tree service wood). I've been splitting on the side for 3 years. MY twp1 is 8 years old have air filter, hydro filter changes and replaced carb. Of course oil, fuel and hydro oil /general maintenence. I'll likely replace the valve soon so Ill work a couple of jobs to cover the cost.

My repeat clients are joe homeowners who: don't want the hassle of renting/towing a splitter and have free wood on their property. I can load up in 20mins. to 1/2 hr. and break down in the same time frame.
Pull up find out how big/small they like their splits, point to where they want the pile and then crank it out.
No stacking no clean up.

If the site is far I charge for gas/travel. I charge $30 hr. / $60 minimum. Probably could get more but works for me. I've done 2 hr jobs and I've done 5 plus hour jobs (see my avatar). Usually it's 3 hours. Every now and then I run a cheap 2 line ad for $10 i the local Shoppers Guide.



I've paid for my splitter 2 x already in the last 3 years (based on my 2005 purchase price). It's a fun sideline for me on my down time from real estate. Keeps some xtra greenbacks flowing. As a full time gig you would have to hustle your butt off & maybe add service like cutting.

Connecting with a tree service would be ideal, cut a deal with them and when they give quote to the homeowner they can offer the "value package deal including splitting" that way..you get work without advertising, the tree service cuts to uniform managable size rounds and its value added for the tree service and that means tree company gets call backs/ repeat business. Most homeowners have no clue how to deal with big wood left over from the tree company.

Do what ya gotta do. Work smart, safe and efficient. The old timers and the single ladies will keep calling back each year as long as you return calls, show up and do a good job. My 2 cents.



OOps didnt see this was an old thread. Looks like you're on the way to paying off the splitter...

 

[MANORMAN]

Making a buck

Glad to see it's working out for you. Nice splitter for sure !
Ran the per hour thing here in Eastern long Island for a few years, saw less than beer money, so gathered the opinions of the pro's.
Have no complaints now and work between 34 and 59 bucks per hour,,,,more if more labor.
No complaints for the most part. Some quibbling !
Straight up, shoot from the hip, square deal 2010-2013 pricing and guaranteed results !

 

[reaperman]

I wish you luck in your venture. One thing most people in any business will agree with, is you need "REPEAT" customers. Somehow you will have to find a way to market yourself back to your customers door. Wood haulers have the luxury of selling to the same folks year after year if they are consistently delivering a quality product. But the odds of the same folks needing tree service and splitting every year isn't that likely. But on the bright side, as you gain exposure and contacts, doors will open in other areas you hadn't expected.

That is a nice splitter you have. Overall, splitters are pretty simple and durable.

 

[Como]

I might do a bit as I like splitting and I have dead periods.

But at that rate, well no buyers.

If you amortise the cost of the splitter over 5 years you are looking at $50 a week.

For comparison, I had a couple of very heavy items to move, but the moving would not take very long. The Equipment guy come out with his semi and a brand new off road fork lift that picked them up like they were nothing. When he works like that he charges $125 an hour from leaving until returning.
View attachment 274598

I said I would do a neighbours, that is a freebie, but I will think if I was going to charge how much I would charge and then see what the costs were.

Wood here, well if you pay for it $10 a cord to the Forestery Service, about $30 a cord for log length if you buy it in semi loads.

Plenty of people advertising for people to come and get their blow downs.

 

[WidowMaker]

That's a good looking splitter, but I sure don't see $6000 more then my "POS"
35 ton Speeco that has split 40 to 50 cords a year for 10 years without the
first hint of a problem...just sayin

 

[Como]

That's a good looking splitter, but I sure don't see $6000 more then my "POS"
35 ton Speeco that has split 40 to 50 cords a year for 10 years without the
first hint of a problem...just sayin

and the customer does not care which one is used.

 

[woodguy105]

and the customer does not care which one is used.

True as long as you split fast and efficiently.

 

[bowtechmadman]

Congrats on making some coin. Now for my rant...no way in heck i'm paying someone 100 bucks an hour to split wood...with that being said i don't pay my licensed mechanic 100 bucks an hour to work on my vehicles.
Won't get out of bed for 50 bucks an hour? Good grief if i thought I could make 50 bucks an hour splitting wood I sure as hell wouldn't drive 35 miles every day to make 35 bucks an hour maintaining 20 paint application ABB robots.
So what do you do full time that makes you enough cash to not get out of bed for 50 bucks an hour, and why in the world you trying to split wood if your making that kinda money.
Rant complete...good luck with your splitting endeavors looks like a very well built wood splitter.

 

[autoimage]

i tell people starting small businesses to think about how may customers you actually need to make a profit. for my auto detailing business i need 3-4 customers per day 5 days a week 50 weeks a year. think of that in terms of people who want to pay to have wood split.

 

[damato333]

and the customer does not care which one is used.

They sure do care when I can split the same amount two to three times as fast and in the end even though charge more an hour I still will be cheaper cause a horizontal/vertical splitter will take longer and cost more.

 

[damato333]

That's a good looking splitter, but I sure don't see $6000 more then my "POS"
35 ton Speeco that has split 40 to 50 cords a year for 10 years without the
first hint of a problem...just sayin

One difference between my splitter and yours is that I can do 40 or 50 cords in half the amount of time you can. I used to split on a horizontal/vertical splitter but I got sick of splitting for a full day and only getting a couple cords done. So your telling me there is no difference between your log splitter and a timberwolf. My log splitter is basically a timberwolf.

 

[mesupra]

Great looking splitter however, your comment "Those first guys have a fly wheel splitter. First knot they hit they won't know what to do" clearly shows that you have never run one.

If you still have the receipt you may want to consider returning it, buying a new supersplitter for $5,500 less and take a couple years off from the wood biz, buying a 6th grade math text book for $6.25 for amazon, complete all sections, and then develop a business plan.

All kidding aside you seem to have the right tools, you may want to think about buying a decent 1 ton dump (with the money you saved after returning the behemoth hydro splitter) and selling it cut split and delivered.

 

[damato333]

Great looking splitter however, your comment "Those first guys have a fly wheel splitter. First knot they hit they won't know what to do" clearly shows that you have never run one.

If you still have the receipt you may want to consider returning it, buying a new supersplitter for $5,500 less and take a couple years off from the wood biz, buying a 6th grade math text book for $6.25 for amazon, complete all sections, and then develop a business plan.

All kidding aside you seem to have the right tools, you may want to think about buying a decent 1 ton dump (with the money you saved after returning the behemoth hydro splitter) and selling it cut split and delivered.

I have one question. How do you get a 300 pound log on a supersplitter? With my splitter I barely break a sweat getting a massive log on my splitter. Maybe where you are you have wood that my grandmother could pick up but where I am if I don't have a log lift then my back wouldn't last a year with a supersplit I can't be wrong with buying this when so many people buy timberwolfs. I don't know maybe you need that math book cause if I bought a supersplitter instead of this one I would've only saved $2,5000. I don't know if you can find any decent truck for $2,500. By the way I do have a 1 ton dump truck and I do sell firewood.

 

[mesupra]

You stated "I payed over $8,000 for the splitter"

Over 8,000 for your hydro
- 2,760 a new supersplit HD
_________
5,240

I guess it depends how much over 8,000 you spent. I guess theres a pile of ways to get big wood onto a splitter, first, most firewood guys don't mess with the big stuff because its not worth it, second for 5,240 you could buy decent compact diesel tractor and grapple.

I wish you the best of luck in all you do. I just don't see the market it on site splitting.

 

[woodguy105]

I have one question. How do you get a 300 pound log on a supersplitter? .

That's the main problem I could see if using an SS for splitting other peoples wood. You'll break your back getting some of those rounds on the the deck. And you dont want to be farting around with noodling or hand splitting if you're getting paid by the hour or by the job.

 

[damato333]

You stated "I payed over $8,000 for the splitter"

Over 8,000 for your hydro
- 2,760 a new supersplit HD
_________
5,240

I guess it depends how much over 8,000 you spent. I guess theres a pile of ways to get big wood onto a splitter, first, most firewood guys don't mess with the big stuff because its not worth it, second for 5,240 you could buy decent compact diesel tractor and grapple.

I wish you the best of luck in all you do. I just don't see the market it on site splitting.

I miss read your original post. I thought a super splitter was $5,500. But even at $2,000 I think I would rather have a horizontal/vertical splitter with a 10 second cycle time.

 

[Tazfreak]

I miss read your original post. I thought a super splitter was $5,500. But even at $2,000 I think I would rather have a horizontal/vertical splitter with a 10 second cycle time.

We have a hydro splitter with loglift, 6 second cycle time mounted on front of 2.5 cubic metre cap trailer.and charge $40 per hour for falling, cutting timber down to workable size to be split to customer requirements,splitting charged at $65 per hour, capacity about 4 m3 per hour.If carting back to landowner,s landing $28 per hour,no stacking ,just dump.Whole service works out about half what it costs to buy the same quantity of delivered,split firewood by using the landowner,s timber.We find it a profitable sideline to our selling dry,split hardwood .Our clients are rural people with acres who want to burn their own timbers:msp_thumbup:.Nice splitter u have there,put it to work and if u do cutting as well as splitting at reasonable rates u should get work :chainsawguy:opcorn:

 

[WidowMaker]

One difference between my splitter and yours is that I can do 40 or 50 cords in half the amount of time you can. I used to split on a horizontal/vertical splitter but I got sick of splitting for a full day and only getting a couple cords done. So your telling me there is no difference between your log splitter and a timberwolf. My log splitter is basically a timberwolf.

=====

Yep, basicly there is very little differance between a TW and "MY" POS 35 to Speeco....

The TW may have a little faster cycle time, a, hydraulic 4 or 6 way wedge

I am in the process of building a 4 way wedge for my POS.


I don't have to chase splits from one of the splitter to another to re-splitt any that might need it.
With the wedge ram mounted and a work table I can do it all from one position and as long as I have someone feeding the lift I almost never have to leave the controls...

Canyou do that??

The lift and work/catch table can be switched fron side to side as desired in about 2 minutes by one person and no tools...

 

[damato333]

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=====

Yep, basicly there is very little differance between a TW and "MY" POS 35 to Speeco....

The TW may have a little faster cycle time, a, hydraulic 4 or 6 way wedge

I am in the process of building a 4 way wedge for my POS.


I don't have to chase splits from one of the splitter to another to re-splitt any that might need it.
With the wedge ram mounted and a work table I can do it all from one position and as long as I have someone feeding the lift I almost never have to leave the controls...

Canyou do that??

The lift and work/catch table can be switched fron side to side as desired in about 2 minutes by one person and no tools...

Maybe yours is better than the tw-p1 but there is no way yours would come close to a tw-5 and that is exactly what my splitter is modeled after. I don't get your point? Do you really think yours is better than a tw-5? I can do all the things your splitter can do but I can do it faster.

 

[Como]

Maybe yours is better than the tw-p1 but there is no way yours would come close to a tw-5 and that is exactly what my splitter is modeled after. I don't get your point? Do you really think yours is better than a tw-5? I can do all the things your splitter can do but I can do it faster.

I can see that a TW 5 would be quicker with wood that could take full advantage of the 6 way splitter, I have used a Hydraulic with a 4 way, I am quicker than that with mine, spent too much time clearing split wood out of the way. Now if it had a conveyor that would even it up.