Need some advice on selling to Mills.

[ReggieT]

Hey guys,
I normally can be found over at the Firewood or Chainsaw forums, but this is a topic that you guys have a greater expertise in.
The storms in my area have resulted in 1000's of downed tree's. Mostly Red Oak, Silver Maple, Pine, Pin Oak, Sweetgum, Elm...etc.
Well, I'm thoroughly stocked up on & out of room for firewood, yet I have access to tons of these tree's for free, they vary in diameter from 12 inches up to 50 inches or more.
I spoke with a guy who runs a small family owned Mill about 45 miles away and here is his deal: "Cut them to 9 foot lengths, put them on a trailer, bring them to me and I'll pay you a fair price for them. They need to be a minimum of 16 inches in diameter. I'll buy most logs for $250 per thousand bdft, and pine for $20 per ton."

I'm totally out of my league on this and I have a V-8 Tundra & 12 ft flatbed trailer with dual wheels on each side.
Yet, I have access to some heavier equipment...

Can I pick up some decent cash doing this...is this a fair price...is it worth my while?
What's the best method for loading logs of this size?

Any advice & council will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Reg

 

[STLfirewood]

If you can pile the logs at a landing and pay a log truck you would be better off. You'll kill your truck and trailer before you make any real money. Logs are very heavy on average 1k board feet weighs around 12k. Look at a log scale and see how much you would be paid for an average log.

 

[GrantD]

I'll tell you this, after the 2011 storms, the salvage timber on the ground was lucky to bring 50% of the stumpage from a few months before. All the surrounding mills were filled with what loggers were salvaging from downed woodlots, and hardwood prices plummeted.

Now if your trying to sell yard trees, that's a whole different ballgame. Most mills won't touch trees that come from a residential lot/home because of what very well may be inside of the logs (i.e. concrete, nails/screws, lag bolts, fencing, wire, etc.)

I wish you luck, but I whole-heartily agree with STL above... Hire the transport out, if you decide to go ahead with it. That is going to be a task for a 1/2 ton truck and small trailer IMHO.

 

[SDB777]

Describe fair price?

Typically, I go get my own free logs. So fair for me is gas money and a few bucks for some beers(think 12pk for your trouble).....
And yes, we were hit by a EF4 just northwest of me, but the timber is mostly 'twisted', and I don't need the problems from it. I did do quite a lot of 'free work' during the clean-up. But the 'firewood' stayed there.


Then again, I am a 'tiny' mill, I don't do big runs(typically 300-700bft is all I want to do per day) with a manual mill.






Scott (yard trees = nah) B

 

[KiwiBro]

$20/t for pine delivered to mill?
Pile and burn it.

 

[PheasantHunter]

I just saw an ad in the local paper here for $70/ton for pine, if that helps.

 

[Dave Boyt]

Besides beating up your truck, think about safety. Does your trailer have electric brakes? A good way to secure the load?

On the hardwoods, I'd say he can come get them for $250/mbf. Put a notice out that you've got logs to sell so that other area sawmill owners can bid on them. Amazing what a little competition does for the prices. I live 20 miles south of Joplin, and salvaged some amazing logs.

To answer the question about loading logs, I us use a winch to parbuckle them up a ramp up the side of the trailer.

 

[SDB777]

I just saw an ad in the local paper here for $70/ton for pine, if that helps.

That is crazy pricing! But then again, I do live in Arkansas...we have square miles and miles and miles and(you get the idea) of pines growing for the pulp mills around here! Don't think those mills are paying enough for a fella to make a 'good' living hauling that stuff?



Did you start hauling logs yet? Or did you say...."NAH"?





Scott (I'd be on the 'nah' side of this) B

 

[CRThomas]

Hey guys,
I normally can be found over at the Firewood or Chainsaw forums, but this is a topic that you guys have a greater expertise in.
The storms in my area have resulted in 1000's of downed tree's. Mostly Red Oak, Silver Maple, Pine, Pin Oak, Sweetgum, Elm...etc.
Well, I'm thoroughly stocked up on & out of room for firewood, yet I have access to tons of these tree's for free, they vary in diameter from 12 inches up to 50 inches or more.
I spoke with a guy who runs a small family owned Mill about 45 miles away and here is his deal: "Cut them to 9 foot lengths, put them on a trailer, bring them to me and I'll pay you a fair price for them. They need to be a minimum of 16 inches in diameter. I'll buy most logs for $250 per thousand bdft, and pine for $20 per ton."

I'm totally out of my league on this and I have a V-8 Tundra & 12 ft flatbed trailer with dual wheels on each side.
Yet, I have access to some heavier equipment...

Can I pick up some decent cash doing this...is this a fair price...is it worth my while?
What's the best method for loading logs of this size?

Any advice & council will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Reg

I had a red oak 12 ft long 31 inch one end 32 iniche on the other end not a blemish any where I was offered 27 dollars I cut it into firewood and made 300 dollars bull selling to mills

 

[ReggieT]

I had a red oak 12 ft long 31 inch one end 32 iniche on the other end not a blemish any where I was offered 27 dollars I cut it into firewood and made 300 dollars bull selling to mills

I don't blame ya!!!!!!!
What a freakin rip-off maggot!!

 

[SDB777]

I had a red oak 12 ft long 31 inch one end 32 iniche on the other end not a blemish any where I was offered 27 dollars I cut it into firewood and made 300 dollars bull selling to mills

I'd have only offered $20
Oak has a lot of problems during the drying stage(I air dry for better coloring), sawyers take a lot of chances, and pricing is just one of those 'chances'.

Reggie, have you ever milled oak, dried it, and then waited for a year to sell it? Please refrain from calling names of those that work hard, at least until you have done it at least once.



Scott (OP did you haul the timber yet) B

 

[CRThomas]

I went back to firewood for all method now don't have to run to mills see if I can get gas money nack

 

[Dave Boyt]

Doesn't sound like anyone was trying to cheat you. He just offered what it was worth to him, based on his experience. If you spent 5 hours cutting, splitting, marketing and delivering the firewood, you made $60 an hour (not counting expenses). It costs more to run most sawmills. As SDB777 noted, the sawyer does the work, assumes the risk, and waits a year to sell it as air dried. A log like that is only worth the "going rate" if it is in the woods, near other marketable trees, and away from people who put nails, clothes line anchors, and other hardware in the trees.

If you want to make more money from your logs, see what price you'd get for it delivered to the mill. It might also surprise you how much work it is to load and haul the two-ton log you described (assuming you have the equipment). I often spend more time and resources just getting an urban log than I do in milling it. Most of us running sawmills are in it to make a living and have to be very aware of all costs.

 

[ReggieT]

I'd have only offered $20
Oak has a lot of problems during the drying stage(I air dry for better coloring), sawyers take a lot of chances, and pricing is just one of those 'chances'.

Reggie, have you ever milled oak, dried it, and then waited for a year to sell it? Please refrain from calling names of those that work hard, at least until you have done it at least once.



Scott (OP did you haul the timber yet) B

Never had the great pleasure of attending to that end of the business...yet, hard work I know plenty about!
Investigation prior to doing business would likely eliminate that scenario.

Shoot! That was a major blessing in disguise; Billy Boy offers him $27 & you would've offered him 20 for the log...and he balks and sells it as firewood for $300. OH, HELL YEAH! BRAVO! Major Lesson learned!