How is there any money in firewood sales?

[tomtrees58]

i sell over 100 full cords a year its good money :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[sodbreaker]

The real money in firewood is working for some one. You get your money every week and if the boss runs in the red not your problem.

 

[chucker]

i will never be a howard hues or a bill gates !! but peace & serenity along with around 125 full cords done alone, by myself over a summers time knowing there is a good pay check at the end of the year is alright with me ! bad days and good is all in the title of wood producer, fire wood hack or anyother names....... break downs included.... stay small ! stay busy! stay honest! stay healthy! stay happy! and stay on staying.

 

[wdchuck]

Thanks for responding and please allow me to comment.

You will likely need to hire employees to even sell $40,000 worth of firewood, let alone selling $400,000 as I posted above. Even sixty cords a year would be very difficult for only one man to handle by himself. Your expenses to cover the truck(s), your saws, your splitting equipment, and your fuel will quickly erode away your profit. Add the cost of your help, and nothing is left.

That's the way it is. However, if you want to give it a try, by all means proceed. Just don't plan on making big money. It's great exercise, will keep your mind active, and that's why I do it today.

There are a number of members that would refute this post, when they have the time or inclination to respond but are likely busy making money/chips in their one-man firewood operations.

Example: Your mileage may vary.
One man 100cord or less operation, works a full-time job elsewhere;

Log truck or tree service is the supplier, either way the wood is dropped at your site, and you pay an agreed amount for it. High level of efficiency when suppliers are trusted and reliable.

Super splitter, or other high volume capable splitter. Users choice.

Tractor with loader, forks; or skid loader/forks; luxury item---articulated loader(mini).

Some good saws; 50cc, 70cc, maybe even a 90cc.

Delivery vehicle and/or dump trailer. Need the ability to deliver up to one cord per trip minimum. You can always deliver less.

Some advertising, maybe some bundle retailers for summer income.

Insurance as needed.

(Luxury item)....Cutting jig that works with the site unit(Tractor with loader, forks, or skid loader/forks, luxury---articulated loader(mini). This keeps the cutter in a prime body position, and hopefully the rounds roll down a decline to the splitter. Theres a vid for this setup. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAckm2YdLEQ

This would be the basic setup that one person could grow into, buy as money allows and growth dictates to work efficiently and profitably depending on situation.

Anyone would do what works for them but 100cord or less is a sustainable hobby, and if you need a stacker and want a helper, talk to the local high school/university.

That's my theory and I"m sticking to it, for now.

 

[jrider]

The real money in firewood is working for some one. You get your money every week and if the boss runs in the red not your problem.

I would never work for someone doing firewood because there is NO money in that. Do that kind of work for the $10 an hour he pays me?? No thanks!! Only way I would ever get out of bed for that kind of money is if my family were starving or had one foot on out on the street.

I sell 60-70 cords and process about 10 cords for the family every year and do about 95% by myself. I occasionally hire a teenager to get some splitting or loading done on delivery days in the fall. Its all cash its all on the side and its almost all profit - very little overhead. Everything I own, I would own even if I didn't sell wood.

I have kept track of my hours in the past and have never had a year where I didn't clear at least $30 an hour and its usually closer to $35.

I get my firewood every possible way you can imagine except for buying it...scrounge along the road, free ads on craigslist, cut trees down for money, help out local farmers by either clearing land for them or just taking wood they cut down themselves, some small but unsteady connections with tree guys, being friends with the local road crews, etc.

There can be money in it if you figure out what works for you and have the discipline to get your butt out there and do the unfun part (mostly splitting for this guy). Its also a major advantage to your wallet if you don't need to go out and buy everything you will need to get it started but I figure more guys in here than not already have most if not all they need to at least dabble enough to not be considered some unskilled hack as they were previously called in this thread or some drunk looking for just enough money to buy more beer.

 

[redprospector]

Seems to me like if I were selling it, I would be doing so at a loss or for pennies on the hour. Cutting it for myself there is reasonable profit in it but seems that folks sell it so cheap that they cant be making much if anything on it.

You're probably right. I have to get rid of the trees I cut off of my thinning projects. I sell it as cut & split firewood, mostly to off set the cost of getting rid of it. I have a small processor and can't sell it as cheap as some of the guy's around here.
One guy here was selling wood for $80 a cord, $90 delivered. He'd stack it for another $10.
I asked him how he could do this so cheap. He said firewood isn't his "main job" so anything he got was profit, he didn't see why people thought they needed to get so much for firewood. I asked him if he worked that cheap on his "real job". He said "hell no, I'm not working for anyone that cheap".
And that my friend is why it is nearly impossible to make any money in firewood.

Andy

 

[greendohn]

I cut fire wood to heat my home and intend for my en devours to be self sustaining. That's to say if I need a new saw, then I'll sell enough of my wood to buy the saw.(or repay the house hold savings/checking, which I did one time! my wife thought I was BS her and when i did a few weeks later she was amazed!!)
Am I a hack? Naw, I don't think so. On the rare occasion I sell any fire wood, it's well seasoned, straight and solid. All hard woods.
It's cash money in the pocket that I other wise wouldn't make at my career job.
Around here no one knows what a "cord" of fire wood is. It's sold by the "rick" or truck load.(it seems a "rick" is 4'x8') My "rick" is an honest 5'x8' and I explain the extra foot on top is because my wood isn't cut a full 24" long.( this is where i get the deer in head lites look,LOL) If they are wanting a "truck load" I save my breath and just charge for the extra cubic feet . Most of what I sell is to people I know or by word of mouth/ references from those people. I make it loud and clear I'm "not in the business" and I still get calls wanting fire wood because the "professional wood seller-beer drinkers" around here will sell ya' crap! Those guys are the "uneducated hacks" !! And i charge a little more than the beer drinkers!!

 

[sodbreaker]

I would never work for someone doing firewood because there is NO money in that. Do that kind of work for the $10 an hour he pays me?? No thanks!! Only way I would ever get out of bed for that kind of money is if my family were starving or had one foot on out on the street.

I sell 60-70 cords and process about 10 cords for the family every year and do about 95% by myself. I occasionally hire a teenager to get some splitting or loading done on delivery days in the fall. Its all cash its all on the side and its almost all profit - very little overhead. Everything I own, I would own even if I didn't sell wood.

I have kept track of my hours in the past and have never had a year where I didn't clear at least $30 an hour and its usually closer to $35.

I get my firewood every possible way you can imagine except for buying it...scrounge along the road, free ads on craigslist, cut trees down for money, help out local farmers by either clearing land for them or just taking wood they cut down themselves, some small but unsteady connections with tree guys, being friends with the local road crews, etc.

There can be money in it if you figure out what works for you and have the discipline to get your butt out there and do the unfun part (mostly splitting for this guy). Its also a major advantage to your wallet if you don't need to go out and buy everything you will need to get it started but I figure more guys in here than not already have most if not all they need to at least dabble enough to not be considered some unskilled hack as they were previously called in this thread or some drunk looking for just enough money to buy more beer.

First of all I was being mostly sarcastic. Second a jobs a job. As for me I certianly don't get rich, but it's enough money that I can keep my saws running, buy gas for the truck and have enough left over to buy the next "toy" that I don't need.

Sod breaker

 

[Preston]

I would never work for someone doing firewood because there is NO money in that. Do that kind of work for the $10 an hour he pays me?? No thanks!! Only way I would ever get out of bed for that kind of money is if my family were starving or had one foot on out on the street.

I sell 60-70 cords and process about 10 cords for the family every year and do about 95% by myself. I occasionally hire a teenager to get some splitting or loading done on delivery days in the fall. Its all cash its all on the side and its almost all profit - very little overhead. Everything I own, I would own even if I didn't sell wood.

I have kept track of my hours in the past and have never had a year where I didn't clear at least $30 an hour and its usually closer to $35.

I get my firewood every possible way you can imagine except for buying it...scrounge along the road, free ads on craigslist, cut trees down for money, help out local farmers by either clearing land for them or just taking wood they cut down themselves, some small but unsteady connections with tree guys, being friends with the local road crews, etc.

There can be money in it if you figure out what works for you and have the discipline to get your butt out there and do the unfun part (mostly splitting for this guy). Its also a major advantage to your wallet if you don't need to go out and buy everything you will need to get it started but I figure more guys in here than not already have most if not all they need to at least dabble enough to not be considered some unskilled hack as they were previously called in this thread or some drunk looking for just enough money to buy more beer.

That's the difference in you and most of the mexicans coming across the border. They will work for that and make it very well. Of course they do not live in the 'keeping up with everybody else' style of living. And we wonder why they are working and we're not. You're just spoiled to your way of life or either you're not hungry.

Also some of you that say no way, needs to understand the American worker has "priced" himself out of a job. When we think we are worth more than the value of what we do is worth so much more than it is. It's almost as though our presence on the job is worth at least half of our pay. I know an ironworking forman that made the statement, "if I quit this company would have to close". I told him to give us a chance to try it out and see. He was fired about a year later. For me, if my body can do it, I will take the $400 in my pocket over than the $400 I was to good to work for. Even at 68 I'm not to proud to work. It's all in what the flesh and blood can take these days.

But that said, it took me best part of a full hour and a half to split most of a cord. My little 22 ton Huskee got hot and I did too. That's not moving and stacking it. I do not believe for a minute I could do two or three cords a week. 40 years ago it wouldn't bother me. But that was 40 years ago. :msp_smile:

 

[blades]

Mother Nature has a way of getting even with us. Once it climbs much past 85 I am done with any heavy work outside. Not worth a heat stroke. Got a 40 yard by 8ft deep 6ft high brush pile to chip down, it can wait. Can't burn it due to burning bans. Way to much to truck to recycle center. Loading not a problem , off load at center is.

 

[sodbreaker]

That's the difference in you and most of the mexicans coming across the border. They will work for that and make it very well. Of course they do not live in the 'keeping up with everybody else' style of living. And we wonder why they are working and we're not. You're just spoiled to your way of life or either you're not hungry.

Also some of you that say no way, needs to understand the American worker has "priced" himself out of a job. When we think we are worth more than the value of what we do is worth so much more than it is. It's almost as though our presence on the job is worth at least half of our pay. I know an ironworking forman that made the statement, "if I quit this company would have to close". I told him to give us a chance to try it out and see. He was fired about a year later. For me, if my body can do it, I will take the $400 in my pocket over than the $400 I was to good to work for. Amen to that....

hit the nail on the head.

 

[jrider]

hit the nail on the head.

Please explain how selling 60-70 cords a year as a side gig means I am either lazy or not hungry enough. There are plenty of things I can do and make way more than $10 an hour - thats why I won't work for that pay. If it were the only thing around and I needed the money, you bet your arse I would be out there doing it. I recently gave up on one of my side gigs because I was making $21 an hour and it, by far the least amount per hour of all my side stuff. I was way too busy and didn't feel like I was spending enough quality time with the family so it only made sense to cut out the lowest paying gig.

So what does a lazy person like myself do on the side besides some light tree work and sell firewood? There is big money around my parts for yardwork/landscaping such as redesigning mulch beds, trimming, planting bushes/shrubs/small trees, spreading mulch, building rock walls and rock walkways, fall cleanups, cleaning gutters, plowing snow when we get it, powerwashing and basically anything else you can think of that someone doesn't mind paying for.

I also realize that at 36, I have the energy and stamina to perform this kind of work and that I surely won't be doing it all of my life...maybe that's just the laziness in me coming out.

 

[Preston]

It seems you only didn't understand my the statement. There was an "or hungry" there. That means either of the two could be the case. So I would say from your story of firewood sells, and the money you're making, lazy you certainly aren't lazy. I gather your situation would be the fact that you're not hungry. With all the money your making you can afford anything you want to eat. Did I really call you lazy? :msp_smile:

Reading your post you seem to have choices most folks don't have. You should count yourself very blessed, for sure. Or as a talk show host here says, you've made wise choices.

 

[McCulloch1-52]

It takes time I would not count on it as a paycheck every week.

 

[jrider]

It seems you only didn't understand my the statement. There was an "or hungry" there. That means either of the two could be the case. So I would say from your story of firewood sells, and the money you're making, lazy you certainly aren't lazy. I gather your situation would be the fact that you're not hungry. With all the money your making you can afford anything you want to eat. Did I really call you lazy? :msp_smile:

Reading your post you seem to have choices most folks don't have. You should count yourself very blessed, for sure. Or as a talk show host here says, you've made wise choices.

I may have over reacted a bit but did interpret your comments as me being lazy...my bad. Yes, I am fortunate enough to have good health and the opportunity to make what I can on the side and I try to never forget that. But its more than just luck. Good people and networking skills can carry a guy quite far. Also, showing up when you say, getting the job done when you say and doing a good job at whatever you do goes a long long way. I don't advertise but back in the spring I was turning down jobs just because I knew there weren't enough hours in the day.

So it basically boils down to my earlier comment that I wouldn't work for $10 an hour if I didn't have to simply because I don't have to and for that I am thankful.

 

[Oldtimer]

My dear old Dad always told me;

"You need a strong back and a weak mind to do firewood for money.."

Must be why I have done so damn much of it myself..

 

[Wood Doctor]

Let's Compare Firewood to Logging

My dear old Dad always told me;

"You need a strong back and a weak mind to do firewood for money.."

Must be why I have done so damn much of it myself..

Actually, there are lots of loggers who use chainsaws, fell trees, cut lots of big logs and sell them to sawmills to earn a living. There is money there to support a household or otherwise no pallets would be made, no houses would be built, and no furniture would make it into the houses.

A logger delivers 50 times as much wood to sawmills as a firewood supplier delivers to residences or small commercial establishments. Loggers can support families, but they need big, expensive equipment that they have to maintain. It's a completely different scale of operation, but loggers process and deliver a huge amount of wood compared to a firewood supplier.

A typical firewood supplier would have to increase his output ten fold or more to equal what an average logger carries to the sawmill. And, don't forget that a logger cuts 9' logs or longer rather than 16" rounds, and then splits, stacks, and dries nothing. Firewood supplying is labor intensive. Please try to understand that.

 

[Oldtimer]

I am not sure what your actual point is? I am a logger, and I have done enough firewood CS&D to bury a skyscraper..?

 

[Steve2910]

I am not sure what your actual point is? I am a logger, and I have done enough firewood CS&D to bury a skyscraper..?

I think he missed your point, I didn't.

 

[lmbrman]

dayum,, i came over here from forestry and logging to avoid the E vs W battles

maybe time to check off-topic forum next