How do I manage large amounts of firewood?

[gorman]

I’ve been doing more and more firewood as my business has been growing. I don’t like it but I have a hard time getting rid of logs. Last year I did maybe 60 cords and this year it’s over a hundred. I have it out in the open, full sun, and on sand/gravel with moderate drainage. The stuff towards the middle is wet AF and moldy and all the bark is chewed up.

At this point do I have to look into getting a screener or putting down a concrete floor? Please keep in mind I make little money on this end of my biz so I’m trying not to kill the bank.

 

[nighthunter]

Would you cut/split/stack as much as you can on pallets and leave some in log form until you sell what you have on pallets. It works quite well for me

 

[greenskeeper]

I’ve been doing more and more firewood as my business has been growing. I don’t like it but I have a hard time getting rid of logs. Last year I did maybe 60 cords and this year it’s over a hundred. I have it out in the open, full sun, and on sand/gravel with moderate drainage. The stuff towards the middle is wet AF and moldy and all the bark is chewed up.

At this point do I have to look into getting a screener or putting down a concrete floor? Please keep in mind I make little money on this end of my biz so I’m trying not to kill the bank.

Are you selling log length, rounds, or splits ?

 

[gorman]

Would you cut/split/stack as much as you can on pallets and leave some in log form until you sell what you have on pallets. It works quite well for me

I have a firewood worker I need to keep busy. Plus it takes about nine months to dry out this wood.

 

[gorman]

Are you selling log length, rounds, or splits ?

Cut and split. The only way.

 

[svk]

I believe most guys who pile their wood turn over the piles periodically otherwise the middle and bottom will never dry.

 

[gorman]

I believe most guys who pile their wood turn over the piles periodically otherwise the middle and bottom will never dry.

That’s what I figured. So I basically need a large asphalt or concrete flat top with border blocks. This will mean I will need a way to screen it. On the upside I guess this will make it easier to load but I’m fed up with firewood.

 

[T. Mainus]

We switched over to the big firewood bags. Firewood seasoned great this past year, no mess, stack on pallets. Customers are getting exact amounts of wood. For us this works pretty good. We always got some molding/wet wood with our piles as well. This solved that problem. No more handling the firewood either. Off the conveyor into the bag, then from the bag to the dump trailer. There is a cost with the bags but if you factor in all the time saved by not handling the wood it makes sense. We are reusing last years bags again this year, not sure if we will get three years out of them or not.

 

[greenskeeper]

Cut and split. The only way.

sounds like the splits are rotting because you're not moving it quickly enough? Did you ever consider selling by the round or pole length just to get rid of it? The profit might be the same because you'd sell at a discount compared to splits but also not invest as much labor into producing the final product.

Just about every firewood place around here sells by pole, round, or split and prices accordingly.

 

[J.W Younger]

"I don’t like it but I have a hard time getting rid of logs."
I wish you were near here, I take 6 or more cord of logs off your hands a year, providing the price was right.

 

[gorman]

I charge $180 a log load and each load has at least two cords.

 

[gorman]

We switched over to the big firewood bags. Firewood seasoned great this past year, no mess, stack on pallets. Customers are getting exact amounts of wood. For us this works pretty good. We always got some molding/wet wood with our piles as well. This solved that problem. No more handling the firewood either. Off the conveyor into the bag, then from the bag to the dump trailer. There is a cost with the bags but if you factor in all the time saved by not handling the wood it makes sense. We are reusing last years bags again this year, not sure if we will get three years out of them or not.



So about two bags a cord??

 

[T. Mainus]

Each bag is a face cord so 3 bags to a cord.

 

[NSMaple1]

I charge $180 a log load and each load has at least two cords.

How much are you getting per cord of cut & split stuff? Thinking there should be a decent market in RI but then again I don't really know. There should be a way to make some $ if you are dealing with what is pretty well zero cost raw material.

 

[NSMaple1]

That’s what I figured. So I basically need a large asphalt or concrete flat top with border blocks. This will mean I will need a way to screen it. On the upside I guess this will make it easier to load but I’m fed up with firewood.

If you load from a big pile to your delivery truck, seems to me I have seen conveyors that will drop the fine stuff & mess out the bottom before the wood hits the truck. That might mean pitching onto the conveyor by hand but also would mean a loader or FEL isn't needed - unless you have a big conveyor with a big hopper. Not sure what your situation is re. existing gear & manpower.

 

[KiwiBro]

We switched over to the big firewood bags. Firewood seasoned great this past year, no mess, stack on pallets. Customers are getting exact amounts of wood. For us this works pretty good. We always got some molding/wet wood with our piles as well. This solved that problem. No more handling the firewood either. Off the conveyor into the bag, then from the bag to the dump trailer. There is a cost with the bags but if you factor in all the time saved by not handling the wood it makes sense. We are reusing last years bags again this year, not sure if we will get three years out of them or not.

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That's the way I went a few years ago but will be switching it up a little this or next year. The bags will be a special order. They allow for a quick-release bottom that can dump the wood instantly when tripped.

 

[Marshy]

I always thought about taking old hay wagons and putting a run roof I them and filling them full of wood. No kissed how nubs l much they would hold but lose thrown would dry the wood well and it's mobile around the yard.

 

[jrider]

I windrow mine. Piles average 8' high and about 12-14' long. Stored in a field with full sun and wind exposure and I get zero mold. I have seen other guys piles around me relatively the same size but not the sun exposure and its moldy in the middle.

 

[sirbuildalot]

I always thought about taking old hay wagons and putting a run roof I them and filling them full of wood. No kissed how nubs l much they would hold but lose thrown would dry the wood well and it's mobile around the yard.

I've had the same thought. A decent sized gear can hold 8-10 tons and 2-3 cords would comfortably fit if stacked.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Leave it in logs until you have orders.