teatersroad
What's a henway?
So I've seen in the news.. sorry, I did mean locally. Haven't cought any of the olympics yet, but I can imagine the slush of El Nino
anybody sell firewood on the side? i'm talkin small timers.
- Thread starter mattmc2003
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
So I've seen in the news.. sorry, I did mean locally. Haven't cought any of the olympics yet, but I can imagine the slush of El Nino
procarbine2k1
Addicted to ArboristSite
I sell some on the side, and burn the rest. I sell mine for $175 per cord, $105 per half, and $75 per face. Actual cubic feet are next to the measurments above, to stay within the boundaries of Ohio law.
I own a 1 ton dump truck, and do not stack. Around here, those are the highest prices there are, and I have no trouble getting them. My ad on Craigslist does my talking, and people recognize that I know the business by my ad. I also educate the consumer on EAB law in Ohio, I separate my species (for customer preference), and educate them on those specific species. May sound a bit silly, but the more that I can educate those folks in what they are buying- whether it be from me or someone else, the better.
I'll be honest, I haven't gotten any calls telling me that my prices are high, but every once in a while I get the "I'll call you back, I have another guy I have to call."
May sound a bit cocky, but I know my product and know what I sell. My wood (Ash, Cherry, Locust), is clean and dry as it gets. I always get complimented on my service because the wood quality is 100%, I show up on time, and I back up the quality and volume that I sell.
Sometimes after I dump, I get the "Is all that mine, I didn't get that much when I bought from such and such." I give them what they pay for, and it didn't take me long to figure out that most consumers wouldn't know what a true cord was, if it were stacked in front of them.
I used to get aggravated at the guys selling a cord of seasoned wood for $110-$120 delivered, but don't anymore. They may sell more than me, but there is no way that my time, equipment costs, and labor are worth $100 a cord. I do enough business to keep me happy, and keep my customers happy.
The folks that I generally sell to, aren't high volume users. Mostly, they are the folks that will burn a truck load a year, just because they like the look and smell of it in their fireplace (which is why I am out of Cherry).
I own a 1 ton dump truck, and do not stack. Around here, those are the highest prices there are, and I have no trouble getting them. My ad on Craigslist does my talking, and people recognize that I know the business by my ad. I also educate the consumer on EAB law in Ohio, I separate my species (for customer preference), and educate them on those specific species. May sound a bit silly, but the more that I can educate those folks in what they are buying- whether it be from me or someone else, the better.
I'll be honest, I haven't gotten any calls telling me that my prices are high, but every once in a while I get the "I'll call you back, I have another guy I have to call."
May sound a bit cocky, but I know my product and know what I sell. My wood (Ash, Cherry, Locust), is clean and dry as it gets. I always get complimented on my service because the wood quality is 100%, I show up on time, and I back up the quality and volume that I sell.
Sometimes after I dump, I get the "Is all that mine, I didn't get that much when I bought from such and such." I give them what they pay for, and it didn't take me long to figure out that most consumers wouldn't know what a true cord was, if it were stacked in front of them.
I used to get aggravated at the guys selling a cord of seasoned wood for $110-$120 delivered, but don't anymore. They may sell more than me, but there is no way that my time, equipment costs, and labor are worth $100 a cord. I do enough business to keep me happy, and keep my customers happy.
The folks that I generally sell to, aren't high volume users. Mostly, they are the folks that will burn a truck load a year, just because they like the look and smell of it in their fireplace (which is why I am out of Cherry).
huskystihl
Addicted to ArboristSite
I agree, i'm not giving it away either. Not sure where your at in ohio but in my parts there is 10 ads in local papers every night for truckloads delivered for 60-75 bucks. The problem is like you said most people use it for cold nights and don't need or understand a cord of wood so all they see is the price. I have my regulars who have bought from me for years but the prices have caused me to call it quits on marketing my pile.
indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
The best advertisng we have is word of mouth. Then we put out professionally made flyers in the feed stores, country stores and restraunts, get all the business we can stand. The key is what has mentioned before on this thread is give them their money's worth and sell good clean wood.
i sold about 30 cord this year delivered then only complaint ive gotten so far was some pieces being so big after split but im correcting that for next year and trying to split a little smaller but whats the point of handling so much wood when it burns so quickly but were a service provider and have to give the customer what they want
right now im running an add on craigslist for 80 bucks a seasoned load picked up just trying to move the last few cord to make room for my growing green pile and my window of opportunity is shortly closing around here its starting to get into the 40s they are saying 50s next week
right now im running an add on craigslist for 80 bucks a seasoned load picked up just trying to move the last few cord to make room for my growing green pile and my window of opportunity is shortly closing around here its starting to get into the 40s they are saying 50s next week
roncoinc
Official Stihl Disser
I sold a cord of DRY ,,not seasoned but DRY,,bark falling off dry,,oak maple and cherry mixed this week because i could use the money..
ordinarally i wouldnt do this because it is TO damn much work for one person to do as a side income..Then i do a REAL cord of wood,found customers after stacking measure avg 135 to 140 cf..
cant drop price unless you want to LOSE money,not much profit in small time cutting anyway..if i cant get $250 for two year dry i aint selling any more !!
ordinarally i wouldnt do this because it is TO damn much work for one person to do as a side income..Then i do a REAL cord of wood,found customers after stacking measure avg 135 to 140 cf..
cant drop price unless you want to LOSE money,not much profit in small time cutting anyway..if i cant get $250 for two year dry i aint selling any more !!
roncoinc
Official Stihl Disser
You know what happens with that ????
if you split small enough you can turn a cord of wood into 1 1/2 cords !!
even better,,cut it 16 inches and when they see what you dump they will be ASTOUNDED !!!! i hate that but when i am asked to do that it is extra work for me,a LOT of extra work and i have to be compensated..
I have found up here the best time to sell is july and august,,and if you have DRY then you can get the best price..
flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
:agree2: I could not agree more. I have been selling wood on a small scale since I was 19 and with word of mouth advertising I went from two cords a year to thirty cords. Next year I hope to hit the big time with sixty with the help of paper ads. I have never had a problem getting $95 a face or $250 a cord delivered and stacking is an extra $20 per face (stacking fee waived for seniors).
JohnnyBoy1986
ArboristSite Operative
i sell the same way you do, as a side income to my primary job. I was nowhere near prepared this year with all the customers i've had call after these snows started hitting us. I've probably sold the same amount you have, around 5 or 6 cord, and pretty much the same price as you (which i find very cool and interesting). I tell people $80 per fullsize pickup load, $150 for two or a full cord. The thing with me is i didnt have a wood splitter until late this season and then i didnt have much of a place to cut on until a local farmer told me he's got around 20 acres he wants cleared here and there! best part of that deal is all i have to do is leave the stumps two feet high so he can see them when mowing his hay fields, and just haul the wood i want out, he said leave the brush lay and he would push it up with a tractor when he got around to it! I couldnt do any better of a deal than that. The next upcoming winter i will be ready! anywho, things i find funny with people is the price for 50% of them is never low enough, some people dont want anything except a certain type of hardwood (oak, hickory, etc.) but i dont sell pine or other trash wood unless they specifically ask for it anyways, i sell a mix of oak, hickory, maple, ash and so on. some folks dont like dark spots in the wood, i've had em say "bugs live in there!" lol, and then the funniest thing i find is around here A LOOOOT of people do not want small logs in their wood, im talking logs 3" or 4" in diameter! but they wont have a problem with it if you just split it once. idk, but all in all i enjoy being outdoors, i dont mind the work involved, it keeps me going and the extra money helps alot.
well i take and hand bust mine and sell it for 45 bucks a rick and i had 4 people come and buy it. but one person wanted me to drop it to 20 bucks a rick. and i told him i couldn't do it with the price of gas and bar oil and plus the time in busting it. but i told him if i can't get 45 a rick then i won't sell it i'll burn it my self. and he got plum dang mad at me because i wouldn't drop the price on the wood and it was seaoned and covered for about 6 months. and ready to burn with no water or anything could get to it. and he still calls. and see if i'm goin to drop the price for him and i told the price is the price and i leave it to it too and then he hangs up on me lol. but i been doin pretty good for this being my first year and all
flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
I had a customer ask me if the wood had any "mold" on it....
uh,,,,,,,never called back
Dude was fishing to see if it was kiln dried or something like that to kill all germs. I get that from time to time in the northern burbs where the money is and paranoia about germs usually from a young mother.
indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
Be careful it can turn into more work than you want it tool.lol We did it as extra spending money for the boys the last couple of years, three years ago around 40 cord, last year a little over 60 and this year well we're right at 224 cord, hoping we can hit 250 just to say we did it once, but I'm gang tired of cuttin wood, at least for this year.
lol i heard that indian but i got a question every one is saling by the cord but how many ricks is in a cord and how much do they go for
rms61moparman
Addicted to ArboristSite
Next time he calls tell him $60.00 a rick take it or leave it!!!
Then let him haggle you down to $50.00.
I learned that trick a LONG time ago.
When they start trying to talk you down, start going up instead!
Mike
flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
I like it. I would send a rep but I can only send one per post or something. I think that is the same technique they use on pawnstars.
roncoinc
Official Stihl Disser
What the hell is a "rick" ???
A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet...ideally a solid piece of wood..
impossable so we figure a tightly stacked pile equalling roughly 128 cubic feet.. if math is not your strong point figure four foot wide by four foot high by eight foot long...
up here,,DRY,not "seasoned" is worth more than $225 a cord,,that changes due to oil prices and demand.. and thats a LOT of work to get it delivered to the customer for a part time cutter..if you have to drive your pickup 1/2 cord at a time twenty miles to deliver and twenty miles back and do that twice to deliver a cord,thats eighty miles total and and take a day loading and unloading twice, plus all the work to get the wood..not worth it..
dumbarky
ArboristSite Operative
Cord is two ricks in Arkansas and I'm Pretty sure Tennessee also. A cord of wood by definition is 4 feet tall by 16 feet long ranked and stowed. This definition from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Where I live in North Arkansas we sell wood by the rick 4 feet tall and 8 feet long. Usually priced around $40 for stove wood 18 inches long per rick (half cord). I sell mostly furnace wood for $50 22-24 inches long per rick (half cord). Get more business than I what and have never advertised. Been doing it for about 17-18 years never had any complaints that I listen to or took seriously. If they don't like my prices they can get it somewhere else. I don't cut wood for free too dangerous & time consuming, way too much overhead, one tire blowout and your looking at $100 plus to repair. I just do it because it helps clean up my farm and I hate pushing down timber and burning it for nothing. Plus the timber prices in our area are in the crapper right now and so on.
indiansprings
Firewood Purveyor
How many ricks in a cord? Come on now, 2 ricks or face cord 24" long 4 feet high and 8 feet long, shorter the wood the more rick it takes. 16 and 18" wood they get three rick or face cord. Don't imagine it's any different where you live. The sad part here as I've stated before is that good split oak only brings 35.00 per rick, or 70.00 per cord 48" wide, 48" tall 8 feet long.
Many of our customers buy by the rick, with the economy the way it is instead of by the cord, even though for the shorter wood buyers they would get an additional rick for the money. We'll have one customer that has bought in excess of 35 cords or 70 rick 24" wood for his Hardy, heats around 4500-5000 sq ft uninsulated shop he uses as a tractor repair shop. Cheaper than 2.00 gallon propane.
Many of our customers buy by the rick, with the economy the way it is instead of by the cord, even though for the shorter wood buyers they would get an additional rick for the money. We'll have one customer that has bought in excess of 35 cords or 70 rick 24" wood for his Hardy, heats around 4500-5000 sq ft uninsulated shop he uses as a tractor repair shop. Cheaper than 2.00 gallon propane.
Similar threads
