An awesome score, or score one for the "bad" guy?

[BPS. LLC]

I received an interesting call from a guy that found me on craigslist. He has 55 acres of standing oak that was killed three years ago by gypsy moths. He has figured that it is better to sell the timber for firewood than logs and estimated that he has 2500 cords of wood.

The proposed deal was me picking up three or four cords a week, cut and split, for $65 a cord in exchange for using my TW-5 splitter for the week. He is taking care of all maintenance. (I'm thinking damage/theft contract as well as liability waiver in case he 6 ways his hand....)

Considering seasoned oak is going for $200 a cord, I could stockpile for next years sales as well as providing wood to several family members.

Also negotiated but not set in stone was eight hours of Bobcat stump grinding for four free cords. As well as me running the splitter and having his laborer feed the machine in exchange for wood. What do you guys think? He's a half hour away and I can pick up about 3.5 cords at a time, 1.5 in the 350 dump and two in the dump trailer, if I take the time to stack it.

I don't doubt his sincerity and honesty, I just want to be sure everyone's ### is covered and it is beneficial for the both of us. If you think its crazy, feel free to tell me I'm crazy.

My theory is the splitter sits idle a good bit of the time, and it costs me a little more than that to cut and split my own wood. From a business sense, how much is my time worth to me, you know.

 

[atvguns]

just make sure you both are on the same page about the size of a cord

 

[woodbooga]

sounds like a good business venture. Oak lasts, so you can bide your time offloading inventory. If this were maple, I'd question your business plan.

Seems lile a lot of upside potential if you have the means to transport from site to seasoning site - and then to your potential customers, Also too if you have the land for stacked cords to season.

And don't forget the green market. If you can split on site and deliver to a green buyer - at an appropriate discount - you obviate multiple handling and added transport costs.

 

[BPS. LLC]

just make sure you both are on the same page about the size of a cord

We agreed regular cord stacked or 180 cubic feet loaded with bobcat.

 

[BPS. LLC]

sounds like a good business venture. Oak lasts, so you can bide your time offloading inventory. If this were maple, I'd question your business plan.

Seems lile a lot of upside potential if you have the means to transport from site to seasoning site - and then to your potential customers, Also too if you have the land for stacked cords to season.

And don't forget the green market. If you can split on site and deliver to a green buyer - at an appropriate discount - you obviate multiple handling and added transport costs.

75% of people I sell wood to think oak is the only wood that will burn, lol, so that works out well. Handling is my biggest concern, the more I touch it, the more I lose. How good do you think the green market is? I've never tried to sell green wood. I know a lot of people get green wood, but only when they get ripped off. Will people actually plan ahead with their wood? What's reasonable $150 a cord if I'm getting $200 for seasoned?

 

[atvguns]

75% of people I sell wood to think oak is the only wood that will burn, lol, so that works out well. Handling is my biggest concern, the more I touch it, the more I lose. How good do you think the green market is? I've never tried to sell green wood. I know a lot of people get green wood, but only when they get ripped off. Will people actually plan ahead with their wood? What's reasonable $150 a cord if I'm getting $200 for seasoned?

I thought is was killed 3 years ago by gypsy moths aint that seasoned

 

[atvguns]

I received an interesting call from a guy that found me on craigslist. He has 55 acres of standing oak that was killed three years ago by gypsy moths.

 

[BPS. LLC]

I thought is was killed 3 years ago by gypsy moths aint that seasoned

The timber is still standing and hasn't been bucked or split. Some of the tops may be, but I wouldn't bet on the trunks. I cut down a two year dead oak a few months ago and the bottom 1/2 may as well have still been green. I have burned the branches and top, they were good to go, but I haven't checked the other yet. If its good for this year, I bet it won't be until late February/March. I already have it stacked for next year. I might look into getting a moisture meter, just to see.

 

[Junkrunner]

if it still has bark on it, i would lay money on it. That it's still wet, with the outer growth part gettin punky.
Still sounds like a good deal, get it down and split, it'll be fine.

Watch for the widow-makers!

 

[BSD]

this guy has 2500 cords of potential firewood but doesn't see the value in buying a TW5/6/7 for 10 to 14K? He's sitting on potentially half a million dollars of firewood (if you're getting $200/cd). he could buy a new machine and flip it for half the cost in 9 months and come out a winner.

He is going to rack up 6 hours a day on your machine if he's serious about production. figure 16 cords a day production and he'll run it for 150 days to produce 2400 cords (figure you take the other 100). He will put close to 1,000 hours on your machine. That is just normal abuse for a machine like yours (think about potential resale) but thats a lot of hours when an inexperienced operator can try to push a crotch through the wrong way and bend something or blow a line, etc.

Personally if it were me. I would offer up the stump grinding in exchange for access to the wood. buck/split/produce on his property and haul out only final product. to keep your load/unload/handle time down. I'm all for a mutually beneficial business relationship but this is weighted heavily in his favor right now.

 

[BPS. LLC]

This is a temporary arrangement. He's looking to do about 250 cords with it and supply me with about 50 of them.

 

[Captain Crunch]

I thought is was killed 3 years ago by gypsy moths aint that seasoned

Standing dead = NOT seasoned. Bark off, once bucked it may season in about 1/2 the normal time if stacked with airflow. Something happens to oak when standing dead, hardest bucking wood ever. Cuts slow, wears chains, can anyone explain this?

 

[ponyexpress976]

I've told everyone that bought seasoned wood this year that I am also selling green throughout the year. Everyone sounded interested so out of 15 people I'll probably get 1-2 phone calls but that's typical. Make sure you get the word out right after people have paid the highest price for wood of the season so its fresh in their memory.

And if you need any help...what part of PA?

 

[BPS. LLC]

York County, south central. Site is close to the Susquehanna. I'm just hauling. They are cutting and splitting it for me.,,

 

[o8f150]

personally i would make sure EVERYTHING is in writing with all details and the liability side too. Other then that it should be a good deal

 

[ponyexpress976]

As long as you feel you are covered for maintenance/damage, sound like a pretty good deal. Id make sure i had an airtight "rental" agreement in case something happenes to your tw-5. They are great machines and darn near bullet proof but that isn't the same as idiot proof.

 

[chiefs584ever]

I must agree with BSD on this one. No way in heck I am loaning out my quipment for someone who is obviously setting on a goldmine with that much wood. Too much for you to loose and for him to gain on this one. I would pass unless he wanted to buy a splitter.

 

[BPS. LLC]

As long as you feel you are covered for maintenance/damage, sound like a pretty good deal. Id make sure i had an airtight "rental" agreement in case something happenes to your tw-5. They are great machines and darn near bullet proof but that isn't the same as idiot proof.

Ahhh +1 there...big difference. All idiots should be product testers. I knew I should have got the idiot proof option. Idioits are why there are so many labels on chain saws and wood splitters...and McDonald's coffee...

 

[BPS. LLC]

I must agree with BSD on this one. No way in heck I am loaning out my quipment for someone who is obviously setting on a goldmine with that much wood. Too much for you to loose and for him to gain on this one. I would pass unless he wanted to buy a splitter.

Point taken, and that's what worries me. He has a regular splitter and is looking to use a more efficient model.

 

[lfnh]

BSD has a valid point.

Couple of others to consider:

..Who covers the cost of R/R your pump or engine ?

..Someone else is falling and bucking.

Cutting to length is another thing entirely. In others words make sure you agree on what constitutes 'cut to length'. 15-16" doesn't mean 17+. Buyers are sometimes particular with regard to length. Last thing you need is to be re-blocking split wood...