pea
ArboristSite Operative
How is the firewood market in southern Illinois? What could I get out of a cord of firewood stacked?
Is there any money in selling firewood?
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Constrictor
ArboristSite Operative
Around southwest Mo a cord of wood delivers ranges from 90.00- 150.00 I dont see how it could be worth getting into that business.
Ductape
Addicted to ArboristSite
Can't Speak For Illinois...............
But most years I end up making a little more wood than I burn, and have been known to sell a cord or three. IMO, the only way to sell wood and make a buck is to (virtually) not touch it. Get it hauled in by truck..... process, conveyor into your truck or trailer......... deliver green.
That being said, if I consider my time free, I've certainly paid for a few chainsaws,etc. If you figure your time is worth something, get a part time job.
But most years I end up making a little more wood than I burn, and have been known to sell a cord or three. IMO, the only way to sell wood and make a buck is to (virtually) not touch it. Get it hauled in by truck..... process, conveyor into your truck or trailer......... deliver green.
That being said, if I consider my time free, I've certainly paid for a few chainsaws,etc. If you figure your time is worth something, get a part time job.
around here Milw WI been averaging $200 most of last winter down a little now maybe 175-185
audible fart
MS390 OAK CZAR
I wonder how much $$$ worth of cut to stove length wood i've given away over the years. Oh well, it's still fun.
Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs a face cord of hardwood (oak,maple,etc) is fetching $125. The majority of the market is campers and patio burners.
I've been selling about a pickup truck load, (.7 cord), every day or two for $140. It's a mix of pine and cedar. I fill up the truck and drive it out to a busy corner, hang a sign that says "Early Bird This load $140" and then my phone #. The longest the truck has sat out there was 2 days. The quickest I sold the load was 45 minutes.
The market for firewood in southern Illinois should be about the same as eastern Nebraska. Both regions have plenty of natural gas available.
You might make a profit after you deliver 30 or more cords (50 to 60 pickup truckloads) and sell it for $100 a truckload, seasoned dry and stacked for the customer. That assumes that you have a cheap source of timber supply and are willing to work your tail off.
BayAreaBucker
ArboristSite Operative
Sold a couple cord of pine last weekend for $250 each delivered.
wigglesworth
Booned
Its funny to see the difference in prices of wood per region. That 2 cords of pine here would might bring $40. And that is for both. A cord of Oak here will only bring $100 max.
KsWoodsMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've seen guys cutting/selling wood to put food on the table. It was hard work, they didn't make much but it did keep them going.
It would take a lot of wood to make a living doing it. And like others have said the less you handle it the better your profits will be.
I cut wood because I use it to heat with and enjoy the work. I sell some because I have a surplus and makes a little extra folding money around Christmas.
It would take a lot of wood to make a living doing it. And like others have said the less you handle it the better your profits will be.
I cut wood because I use it to heat with and enjoy the work. I sell some because I have a surplus and makes a little extra folding money around Christmas.
BayAreaBucker
ArboristSite Operative
wow 250 for pine. you cant get people to take it away free around here. i got probly 2 cord or more of it. i didnt even want that but it was part of a job i did so i had to take it. i figured worst case if i dont burn it i can sell it for like 30 bucks a truckload. who knows maybe ill get lucky lol. well i can burn a hell of alot of campfires to piss my neighbor off 
BayAreaBucker
ArboristSite Operative
wow 250 for pine. you cant get people to take it away free around here. i got probly 2 cord or more of it. i didnt even want that but it was part of a job i did so i had to take it. i figured worst case if i dont burn it i can sell it for like 30 bucks a truckload. who knows maybe ill get lucky lol. well i can burn a hell of alot of campfires to piss my neighbor off
Mine was part of a job I did too. I was actually pretty surprised it sold, I usually never deal with pine.
ShoerFast
Tree Freak
There is good coin in firewood if I may?
I have never sold firewood as more then a hobby, why can't hobbies pay?
Here is a goal, don't be any ones 'second' here.
Just a couple ideas, do not make anything but the best quality firewood you can. Those 'Y's', slants and odd chunks, burn yourself. Make sure your selling very well seasoned wood. Deliver (for a fee), be there when you say your going to be there.
Master your time, everything need proper seasoning time, greenest first, standing dead and leaners can wait. If something is going to take longer, sell it later.
We all sort firewood, offer to cut/split/load firewood to suit there needs, people like getting the feeling there special, why not get them what would work best for them? Making that offer to a potential customer, I found that he had a total of 5 fireplaces (a couple with 60" hearts) in his 'castle' and really wanted part of every load to include 4' yule-logs, bigger the better! (you know how little work goes into a yule-log?)
Be clear before hand that you toss the wood off the truck, or can arrange stackers that work for tips. (good hard working kids really like the work and are happy to help if you know of a few?)
Tie up a bundle of twigs and splinters for tender, it cost you nothing, and they feel like a Mountain Man when they get there first fire of the season crackling.
Needing some ca-ching, I made up brochures and stapled them to bulletin boards mentioning that I deliver quality firewood to this location. And pinned them to bulletin-boards of town-homes with fireplace chimneys, my phone rang off the hook. Don't ever think there are not enough areas to market your work.
It is my belief that firewood is a luxury item, those that 'need' it or would really like to make there own, already do, some of them are here arguing what saw is best and what oil-ratio to use, like me.
Don't get stuck with those that call and there first question is 'how much do you charge', there is a good chance there trolling for a bargain.
Maybe the very best promotion you can use, along with quality firewood, is quantity. Always give them more then they were thinking they were going to get, trust me, they will call you again if there treated right.
It seems that firewood is like about everything else, the more you put into it, the more your going to get out of it.
Joe Dirt and I have the same attitude here, don't have no in your heart.
I have never sold firewood as more then a hobby, why can't hobbies pay?
Here is a goal, don't be any ones 'second' here.
Just a couple ideas, do not make anything but the best quality firewood you can. Those 'Y's', slants and odd chunks, burn yourself. Make sure your selling very well seasoned wood. Deliver (for a fee), be there when you say your going to be there.
Master your time, everything need proper seasoning time, greenest first, standing dead and leaners can wait. If something is going to take longer, sell it later.
We all sort firewood, offer to cut/split/load firewood to suit there needs, people like getting the feeling there special, why not get them what would work best for them? Making that offer to a potential customer, I found that he had a total of 5 fireplaces (a couple with 60" hearts) in his 'castle' and really wanted part of every load to include 4' yule-logs, bigger the better! (you know how little work goes into a yule-log?)
Be clear before hand that you toss the wood off the truck, or can arrange stackers that work for tips. (good hard working kids really like the work and are happy to help if you know of a few?)
Tie up a bundle of twigs and splinters for tender, it cost you nothing, and they feel like a Mountain Man when they get there first fire of the season crackling.
Needing some ca-ching, I made up brochures and stapled them to bulletin boards mentioning that I deliver quality firewood to this location. And pinned them to bulletin-boards of town-homes with fireplace chimneys, my phone rang off the hook. Don't ever think there are not enough areas to market your work.
It is my belief that firewood is a luxury item, those that 'need' it or would really like to make there own, already do, some of them are here arguing what saw is best and what oil-ratio to use, like me.
Don't get stuck with those that call and there first question is 'how much do you charge', there is a good chance there trolling for a bargain.
Maybe the very best promotion you can use, along with quality firewood, is quantity. Always give them more then they were thinking they were going to get, trust me, they will call you again if there treated right.
It seems that firewood is like about everything else, the more you put into it, the more your going to get out of it.
Joe Dirt and I have the same attitude here, don't have no in your heart.
BayAreaBucker
ArboristSite Operative
There is good coin in firewood if I may?
I have never sold firewood as more then a hobby, why can't hobbies pay?
Here is a goal, don't be any ones 'second' here.
Just a couple ideas, do not make anything but the best quality firewood you can. Those 'Y's', slants and odd chunks, burn yourself. Make sure your selling very well seasoned wood. Deliver (for a fee), be there when you say your going to be there.
Master your time, everything need proper seasoning time, greenest first, standing dead and leaners can wait. If something is going to take longer, sell it later.
We all sort firewood, offer to cut/split/load firewood to suit there needs, people like getting the feeling there special, why not get them what would work best for them? Making that offer to a potential customer, I found that he had a total of 5 fireplaces (a couple with 60" hearts) in his 'castle' and really wanted part of every load to include 4' yule-logs, bigger the better! (you know how little work goes into a yule-log?)
Be clear before hand that you toss the wood off the truck, or can arrange stackers that work for tips. (good hard working kids really like the work and are happy to help if you know of a few?)
Tie up a bundle of twigs and splinters for tender, it cost you nothing, and they feel like a Mountain Man when they get there first fire of the season crackling.
Needing some ca-ching, I made up brochures and stapled them to bulletin boards mentioning that I deliver quality firewood to this location. And pinned them to bulletin-boards of town-homes with fireplace chimneys, my phone rang off the hook. Don't ever think there are not enough areas to market your work.
It is my belief that firewood is a luxury item, those that 'need' it or would really like to make there own, already do, some of them are here arguing what saw is best and what oil-ratio to use, like me.
Don't get stuck with those that call and there first question is 'how much do you charge', there is a good chance there trolling for a bargain.
Maybe the very best promotion you can use, along with quality firewood, is quantity. Always give them more then they were thinking they were going to get, trust me, they will call you again if there treated right.
It seems that firewood is like about everything else, the more you put into it, the more your going to get out of it.
Joe Dirt and I have the same attitude here, don't have no in your heart.
I agree with a lot of what you said, but no offense(and this is a pet peeve), there is a difference between there, their and they're. And yes, I have a bad attitude.
There is good coin in firewood if I may?
I have never sold firewood as more then a hobby, why can't hobbies pay?
Here is a goal, don't be any ones 'second' here.
Just a couple ideas, do not make anything but the best quality firewood you can. Those 'Y's', slants and odd chunks, burn yourself. Make sure your selling very well seasoned wood. Deliver (for a fee), be there when you say your going to be there.
Master your time, everything need proper seasoning time, greenest first, standing dead and leaners can wait. If something is going to take longer, sell it later.
We all sort firewood, offer to cut/split/load firewood to suit there needs, people like getting the feeling there special, why not get them what would work best for them? Making that offer to a potential customer, I found that he had a total of 5 fireplaces (a couple with 60" hearts) in his 'castle' and really wanted part of every load to include 4' yule-logs, bigger the better! (you know how little work goes into a yule-log?)
Be clear before hand that you toss the wood off the truck, or can arrange stackers that work for tips. (good hard working kids really like the work and are happy to help if you know of a few?)
Tie up a bundle of twigs and splinters for tender, it cost you nothing, and they feel like a Mountain Man when they get there first fire of the season crackling.
Needing some ca-ching, I made up brochures and stapled them to bulletin boards mentioning that I deliver quality firewood to this location. And pinned them to bulletin-boards of town-homes with fireplace chimneys, my phone rang off the hook. Don't ever think there are not enough areas to market your work.
It is my belief that firewood is a luxury item, those that 'need' it or would really like to make there own, already do, some of them are here arguing what saw is best and what oil-ratio to use, like me.
Don't get stuck with those that call and there first question is 'how much do you charge', there is a good chance there trolling for a bargain.
Maybe the very best promotion you can use, along with quality firewood, is quantity. Always give them more then they were thinking they were going to get, trust me, they will call you again if there treated right.
It seems that firewood is like about everything else, the more you put into it, the more your going to get out of it.
Joe Dirt and I have the same attitude here, don't have no in your heart.
Good post! Like any business, do it right and they will come.
I sell a bit more as an accomodation. Delivered 4 cords Willow last week @$120. Have an order for 1 cord Willow in town and a regular customer will probably take 2 cords Willow.
I figure that I make beer money at that price but not much more. It always surprises me that people are willing to pay 120 for poor wood. Sometimes I wonder just how high I could go before they objected
Hawrry K
I figure that I make beer money at that price but not much more. It always surprises me that people are willing to pay 120 for poor wood. Sometimes I wonder just how high I could go before they objected
Hawrry K
deeker
Tree Freak
There is good coin in firewood if I may?
I have never sold firewood as more then a hobby, why can't hobbies pay?
Here is a goal, don't be any ones 'second' here.
Just a couple ideas, do not make anything but the best quality firewood you can. Those 'Y's', slants and odd chunks, burn yourself. Make sure your selling very well seasoned wood. Deliver (for a fee), be there when you say your going to be there.
Master your time, everything need proper seasoning time, greenest first, standing dead and leaners can wait. If something is going to take longer, sell it later.
We all sort firewood, offer to cut/split/load firewood to suit there needs, people like getting the feeling there special, why not get them what would work best for them? Making that offer to a potential customer, I found that he had a total of 5 fireplaces (a couple with 60" hearts) in his 'castle' and really wanted part of every load to include 4' yule-logs, bigger the better! (you know how little work goes into a yule-log?)
Be clear before hand that you toss the wood off the truck, or can arrange stackers that work for tips. (good hard working kids really like the work and are happy to help if you know of a few?)
Tie up a bundle of twigs and splinters for tender, it cost you nothing, and they feel like a Mountain Man when they get there first fire of the season crackling.
Needing some ca-ching, I made up brochures and stapled them to bulletin boards mentioning that I deliver quality firewood to this location. And pinned them to bulletin-boards of town-homes with fireplace chimneys, my phone rang off the hook. Don't ever think there are not enough areas to market your work.
It is my belief that firewood is a luxury item, those that 'need' it or would really like to make there own, already do, some of them are here arguing what saw is best and what oil-ratio to use, like me.
Don't get stuck with those that call and there first question is 'how much do you charge', there is a good chance there trolling for a bargain.
Maybe the very best promotion you can use, along with quality firewood, is quantity. Always give them more then they were thinking they were going to get, trust me, they will call you again if there treated right.
It seems that firewood is like about everything else, the more you put into it, the more your going to get out of it.
Joe Dirt and I have the same attitude here, don't have no in your heart.
:agree2:
