Starting a Firewood Business

Hi All,

Just joined the site. Actully found you while trying to find another Used Timberwolf TW-5. I just lost out on one on E-bay. Got out bid with 20 second remaining:angry2:

Years ago I was in the excavating business and had just started to build up a firewood business. I was (ok, not I, but my guys) splitting wood on our slow days or if we got back to the lot early. Shortly after producing about 10 cords for the next seasons sales, the property was sold and I had to move everything out. Ended up having to leave the firewood behind. It was back then that I originally found out about the Timberwolf TW-5

Just forward now, and I just recently started to heat my house with a wood stove. Because of that I figured it was time to get back into the firewood business and began looking at splitters. Then I found the used one on e-bay which I lost out on because I didn't want to go above $3,700. I am thinking it was a mistake now!

So here is the question. (finally)
How feasiable is it for me to get into the firewood business WITHOUT being in the Tree Business? Other than a good splitter and eventually a conveyor and processor, can I actually get enough good wood FREE to support this endevor?

I am figuring that with a Timberwolf TW-5, I should be able to split 40 cords in a weeks time without the conveyor or processor using two guys, right?
I probably have room for 50 cords. More if I just pile it up like I use to do.

My problem is that I then will need a bucket to load or some kind of pallet system. Plenty of pallets around here for free. Just no way of getting them off the truck once I get them on here.

So how do most of you guys in this business load and deliver? Pallets, Dump Delivery or my other option. Just have it picked up. If I remember right, it was 6 yards=1 cord. Right?

Thanks in advance for your input.

You should try using 'sniping' software so that your bidding is controlled by the computer. There is no way to compete in an auction against someone using automated sniping software.

www.jbidwatcher.com is one such software. Free too, and no evil spyware attached. It works great too.

(And don't tell anyone I told you this. If it gets out then the auction advantage for snipers is lost. )

LOL, I think you just told everyone!

This is what I suggest for you firewood guys not in the tree business! Do some research on the tree guys in your area. Some of the tree services do not deal with firewood. You can approach this in a number of ways. #1- Tell the company that you can be his dump spot for wood. This means you take ALL the wood including the good (hardwoods) with the bad (softwoods). #2- Buy yourself a skid loader (with grapple) and dump truck and charge these tree services to remove all wood involving their tree removals. I currently charge $100.00 - $150.00 per truck load. I keep and sell everything except willow, cottonwood and pine. Those woods are dumped free at a local landscaping business and ground into landscape chips. #3-Just pick up their wood and don't charge them. I work with a number of tree services and I tell them that when I pick their logs up that in the long run it saves them money and time. I take up to 14' logs which means less cutting on their part along with less wear and tear on their equipment and backs.

LNG - You near Poughkeepsie ? I think I drove through Lagrangeville last week. Hey, another place for wood is building contractors, if you know some that need lots cleared for construction. That ebay sniping deal - You have to have your MAX bid in there, the most you absolutly want to spend, if you get outbid then, well, someone wanted it more than you. Even with the e-snipe and all of that, you still have to put in the max. you want it to bid.

Mike Van said:

LNG - You near Poughkeepsie ? I think I drove through Lagrangeville last week. Hey, another place for wood is building contractors, if you know some that need lots cleared for construction. That ebay sniping deal - You have to have your MAX bid in there, the most you absolutly want to spend, if you get outbid then, well, someone wanted it more than you. Even with the e-snipe and all of that, you still have to put in the max. you want it to bid.

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Hi Mike,

Yeah, LaGrangeville is the town just East of Poughkeepsie off Rt 55. There were a number of bidders early on up until the ladt few hours and then they dropped out. Looks like there were three of us who were serious and were all online at the last minute. I put in mine with less than 45 seconds to go and so did they. I though I was safe with 3600 as I got high bid, but by the time I refreshed (and I am on high speed cable) they had two on top of me, I attempted to do it again, but lost out.

Might have been for the better, Didn't have $3,700 handy any way. Would have had to max out a credit card until February. I might be better off starting small and keeping my eyes out. $3700 will buy a $600 splitter and lots of labor. I still have to see if I can deliver a cord of wood in my 10' dump trailer. It will hold 6 yards, but I am not sure on the weight.

Anyone know about how much a cord weighs in at? I realize it varys, but my dump trailer has a 7,000lb capacity.

Pounds green1 Pounds air-dried2 Million Btu available3
Ash 3,940 3,370 23.6
Basswood 3,360 2,100 14.7
Box elder 3,500 2,500 17.5
Cottonwood 3,920 2,304 16.1
Elm (American) 4,293 2,868 20.1
Elm (red) 4,480 3,056 21.4
Hackberry 4,000 3,080 21.6
Hickory (shagbark) 4,980 4,160 29.1
Locust (black) 4,640 4,010 28.1
Maple (silver) 3,783 2,970 20.8
Maple (sugar) 4,386 3,577 25.0
Oak (red) 4,988 3,609 25.3
Oak (white) 4,942 3,863 27.0
Osage orange 5,480 4,380 30.7
Pine (shortleaf) 4,120 2,713 19.0
Red cedar 3,260 2,700 18.9
Sycamore 4,160 2,956 20.7
Walnut (black) 4,640 3,120 21.8
Hope this helps - LNG - The weights shown are for full cord, 128 Cu ft.

depending on the wood I would say 4800#-6600#. Don;t forget to factor the weight of the trailer. I bet that thing weighs close to 2500#

Scott

STLfirewood said:

depending on the wood I would say 4800#-6600#. Don;t forget to factor the weight of the trailer. I bet that thing weighs close to 2500#

Scott

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2850# to be exact. GVWR is 9900# 7050# payload.

Well, that sounds like good news. I might just go pick myself up a load of seasoned stuff for this year since I only have a bunch of stuff that was dropped in the Spring and still needs to be split. That way I could tell if it can hold it our not.

Another way to get wood is contact some local loggers,they usually have cull logs or tops to clean up to keep the land owners happy.

Your trailer has a GVWR of 9900#s? GVWR is a suggestion I think. Look at what people are pulling and putting in their trucks. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has haul over 2 ton in a half ton pickup on a regular basis. Right now my 1-ton has a cord in the back and a dump trailer that weighs around 3500#s behind it with a cord in it. I'm delivering that Saturday. My dads 3/4 ton truck has a 5k pound dump trailer on the back of it with a little over 2 cords in it to deliver Sunday. I'm sure both trucks are close or over the GVRW.

Scott

Mike Van said:

Pounds green1 Pounds air-dried2 Million Btu available3
Ash 3,940 3,370 23.6
Basswood 3,360 2,100 14.7
Box elder 3,500 2,500 17.5
Cottonwood 3,920 2,304 16.1
Elm (American) 4,293 2,868 20.1
Elm (red) 4,480 3,056 21.4
Hackberry 4,000 3,080 21.6
Hickory (shagbark) 4,980 4,160 29.1
Locust (black) 4,640 4,010 28.1
Maple (silver) 3,783 2,970 20.8
Maple (sugar) 4,386 3,577 25.0
Oak (red) 4,988 3,609 25.3
Oak (white) 4,942 3,863 27.0
Osage orange 5,480 4,380 30.7
Pine (shortleaf) 4,120 2,713 19.0
Red cedar 3,260 2,700 18.9
Sycamore 4,160 2,956 20.7
Walnut (black) 4,640 3,120 21.8
Hope this helps - LNG - The weights shown are for full cord, 128 Cu ft.

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Can't get much better than this! THANKS

STLfirewood said:

Your trailer has a GVWR of 9900#s? GVWR is a suggestion I think. Scott

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As a Class A CDL holder, I am very familar with the regulations and also the consaquences. Your Very Wrong. Your GVWR is Federal VT&S LAW that you can be severly ticked for if you exceed it. Not only is it one ticket, it is a ticket for each and every item that you are overweight on. This includes: The Axles; one ticket for each one you are over on. Tires, again Front and Rear, Vehicle.

These tickes quickly approach if not exceed $1,000 Bucks!!!

Also, if you happen to get into an accident while loaded up like that, you are looking at one hell of a law suite. See in ALL accidents, the insurance companies look to assign a percentage of blame to each party. If you are overloaded, you get 100% plus a civil lawsuite.

I was joking by saying it was a suggestion. I know you can get big fine for that stuff. I just wonder how people are getting away with it. I have seen a lot of 1-ton trucks around here pulling a backhoe or even a dozer. I bought 30k pound plates for my truck. It's a 1-ton. Clearly that is more then any weight rating this truck has. How can I buy a plate that big? My tires add up ok and my GVWR just says over 10,000. I can't find the exact on the body anywhere just the "over 10,000". I need to read up more before I buy a replacement truck in the next couple years. Going by the law all these guys with side boards and thier trucks stacked to the cab with wood are overloaded big time. I guess we are just lucky until we get caught.

Scott

DOT NUMBERS are also required on trucks when it is used as a commercial vehicle if the following occurs: Any combined weight of truck and trailer exceed 10,001 lbs. Example: If you have a 3/4 ton pick up with a GVWR of 8,900 lbs and you are pulling a trailer including the load that exceeds 1,101 lbs, you are required to obtain a DOT NUMBER and the annual inspections come along with that. You also have to have your company name and city and state clearly visible on both sides of the truck with the DOT NUMBER. Most guys don't know this until they get stopped by a trooper. Big fines follow if your not in compliance. I have three trucks: 3/4 ton, 1 ton and 33,000 GVWR truck and all have DOT NUMBERS.

Oly's Stump said:

DOT NUMBERS are also required on trucks when it is used as a commercial vehicle if the following occurs: Any combined weight of truck and trailer exceed 10,001 lbs. Example: If you have a 3/4 ton pick up with a GVWR of 8,900 lbs and you are pulling a trailer including the load that exceeds 1,101 lbs, you are required to obtain a DOT NUMBER and the annual inspections come along with that. You also have to have your company name and city and state clearly visible on both sides of the truck with the DOT NUMBER. Most guys don't know this until they get stopped by a trooper. Big fines follow if your not in compliance. I have three trucks: 3/4 ton, 1 ton and 33,000 GVWR truck and all have DOT NUMBERS.

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Interesting, how do you go about obtaining DOT numbers? I haul livestock and equipment all over the place and have never been stopped. New F450 tips scales just over 9K and my trailers empty weigh over 4K Towing Capacity is 24K not Sure on GVWR. I know I need them but never really new the proper procedure.

Oly's Stump said:

DOT NUMBERS are also required on trucks when it is used as a commercial vehicle if the following occurs: Any combined weight of truck and trailer exceed 10,001 lbs. Example: If you have a 3/4 ton pick up with a GVWR of 8,900 lbs and you are pulling a trailer including the load that exceeds 1,101 lbs, you are required to obtain a DOT NUMBER and the annual inspections come along with that. You also have to have your company name and city and state clearly visible on both sides of the truck with the DOT NUMBER. Most guys don't know this until they get stopped by a trooper. Big fines follow if your not in compliance. I have three trucks: 3/4 ton, 1 ton and 33,000 GVWR truck and all have DOT NUMBERS.

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It is more complicated that that. The general guideline is 26,000# and over and only if you are interstate, but many states require it anyway.

HERE IS A LINK to the Federal DOT Guidelines and Registration. ( http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration-licensing/online-registration/onlineregdescription.htm )

LNG24 said:

It is more complicated that that. The general guideline is 26,000# and over and only if you are interstate, but many states require it anyway.

HERE IS A LINK to the Federal DOT Guidelines and Registration. ( http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration-licensing/online-registration/onlineregdescription.htm )

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Thanks, figured it was a bit more for interstate.

Anyone know how many trees (length=X) make up a cord? I realize that the diameter will make a big difference, so if we say 14-16" diameter (unless "normal" is bigger)