Can You Make Any Money Doing Firewood?

[svk]

I'm not so sure about that. I didn't get any on me last year, and I've already pulled 3 this year (not attached yet, thankfully).

I don't think our turkey numbers are where they've been either, so it could have a part in it. We've got a booming fox population (something I've been working towards). I may have to trap some reds this fall.

Gotta admit, I've been nervous about the firewood prospects for this winter with the storm we just had. From the looks of it, it was mostly pine that came down though so that shouldn't be too much disruption in the lakes area anyway.

I've had spring days in years past where I stopped counting at 200 ticks in a single day. I've only had a few dozen cumulatively this summer.

However one of my friends is undergoing tests for possible Lyme disease this week as he's been feeling like crap for weeks.

 

[Jim Timber]

Lyme's is no fun! My FIL had that a couple years back. He's amazing at picking up ticks from the yard, it's almost a talent. I can go 1/2 mile out in the bush and not get any, and he can go 40' from the cabin and pick several up.

They were saying on the news last night that the Brainerd area is a hotbed of Lyme's too. When I use bug spray, I go with 99% DEET. The 40% stuff seems like salad dressing to our skeeters, so you have to go full strength if you want to be left alone.

 

[svk]

I heard Crow Wing county has the highest reported Lyme disease per capita in the country. No fun....

 

[Cambium]

Down here we get 200-300 a cord.... While there is little profit after time, labor, truck, gas, wear & tear, you CAN make a profit.
I just don't know how anyone makes money selling it for $60-100 a cord like they do in northern NY.

 

[pdqdl]

I remember back in the 90s my dad would sell it a 70.00 a cord, basically extra income. During the hard winter months Dec. through March. a cord can go for 120 for oak and 150 for hickory. The last load of wood I saw for 50 dollars was nothing but icestorm damage limbs covered in ice cut in sections.

A business associate of mine buys your hickory (somewhere in Southern Mo.) for that $150 a cord and comes to Kansas City and sells it for $1.50-$2.00 PER STICK. He said he gets about 400 sticks per cord. It seems that the BBQ enthusiasts will pay anything to get that magical hickory smoked flavor.

I know a couple of other guys that drive into southern Missouri to buy your cheap (and rather high quality) firewood, just to resell it in town. You guys are selling too cheap.

 

[jrider]

I delivered 22 cords last weekend and filled my pockets pretty nicely.

 

[timbercare366]

Down here in south Carolina you will have a hard time selling firewood. It's FREE everywhere especially on Craigslist

 

[Deleted member 83629]

people here are trying to get rich quick here insane pricing i have never sold any wood but have giving it to elderly who have little income and they are not able to cut for them self.

 

[timbercare366]

That's pretty much how I do things with the wood I accumulate as long as clients do not want it, plenty of other clients, family and friends that take it off my hands

 

[lknchoppers]

My neighbour asked me to put some wood to her. All I could think to say was, "do want a face cord or a bush cord,or just some random length." Lol.

So what did she go for? I'll bet she wanted the bush cord !!! LOL

 

[Gypo Logger]

So what did she go for? I'll be she wanted the bush cord !!! LOL

No actually she wanted a quarter of a cord to load her Honda Avalanche, but wanted me to split it first. Some she loaded in the front seat, then she drove it 200 miles away.

 

[lknchoppers]

200 miles for a 1/4 cord? or was she just going somewhere?

 

[Zale]

My boss will sell a cord of kiln dried hardwood for $500.00.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Can You Make Any Money Doing Firewood?

Apparently you can, because I went over to a ladies house last Sat. with my TW3HD and split this pile of firewood for her, it took 3 hrs.. She supplied the helpers too...

She also gave me plenty of refreshments, a nice pan of apple crisp she baked to take home, and a brand NEW (still in the box) Rem. 870 shotgun she bought and never used...

I'd say THAT was making money!

Last time I was over there, same deal and when we finished she handed me $200 bucks, this time I'd rather have the 870, so.... Anyway, she told me my splitter was the only one she's had over there that would split EVERYTHING they rolled up on the beam! And she liked that! Some of the oak crotches were 34" across!

SR

 

[Sandhill Crane]

jrider: How do you deliver 22 cords in a weekend? That is a huge amount to move! More than one truck I expect... I really need to get a dump box on my truck. I don't mind hand unloading but it takes forever. Today I rescheduled a delivery because of rain. Would not have to have done that with a dump box.

 

[pdqdl]

cord=4'x4'x8'=128 cubic feet. Times 22=2816 cubic feet.

The cubic volume of a fully loaded 45' long flatbed would be 8' wide x 8' tall x 45' long= 2880 cubic feet. That is one more big pile of wood, especially if delivered in one day to multiple locations. You could stack it on one truck, but you damn sure couldn't deliver it that way.

Weight of that much wood? If seasoned ash (middle of the weight spectrum by this chart) then 22 cords @ 3485lbs/cord=76,670lbs. If delivered on an average semi-truck at 34,000lbs, then the firewood sales would never pay for the overweight ticket! That would be not less than 15 tons over the legal weight limits, anywhere in the USA. You would be fine in Michigan, if they still allow the "centipedes".

So...two semi-trucks of firewood in one day? I call bull, unless you have a really big operation going on with many delivery truck running. Could be done though!

If face cords, then 1/3rd that amount calculated is still a lot of firewood.

 

[jrider]

I have an f350 stakebody which holds 2 cords of wood thrown in loose. Most deliveries are within 10 miles and none were over 15 miles. I forget the exact number but around 6 loads were 2 cord deliveries. On delivery days, I hire 1 person to help. They help me load and then they split for next year while I'm on delivery. Everything gets hand loaded and between 2 of us, we can load 2 cords in about 25-30 mins. Most customers are repeat customers who almost always have the driveway cleared of cars and have cash in hand. By the time I back in to where they want it dumped, they greet me with a handshake and a hand full of cash. I hit the dump button, **** chat for 2-3 minutes and am on my way. These are full cords (128cu. feet and done over 2 days). On weekends where I move that much wood, I am on the go from around 7am until about 3:30-5pm both days. My shower beer tastes great on Saturday and even better on Sunday. On Monday, I go back to my regular job where physically, I get to take it easy.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

This is a GMC 5500 with (7) 1/3 cord racks of oak on it. Took forever to load because I needed a pallet jack to move each rack forward, then remove the jack, load another, load the jack, unload the jack.... but it was still quicker than loading from the side and doing two trips. Obviously a boom lift would be the ticket, but who has one of those? 9,000 lb. load limit. I think I was pretty close.