Does it pay?

[chainsawaddict]

If you were to get a regular job for the summer what would be your earnings expectation for the whole summer? Figure what the minimum number is and then figure out how many cords you will have to sell to make atleast that amount of money plus overhead on the firewood operation. If you don't need to have the immediate paycheck in your pocket and can wait to sell all of the cords, then if the numbers work out I would say go for it.

Have to remember that you'll be extending your summer job through the winter with either delivery of firewood or loading when a customer picks up.

Firewood has the potential to make me more money. maybe not in $$/hr, but will also give me more hours at home while splitting so I can keep an eye on my gardening, new tree rows, and spend just be able to spend more time at home.

 

[NC Firewood]

I definately do not know everything about selling firewood but it has been rewarding for me. Some years are going to be better than others just like in any business. I started with a borrowed splitter, Maculloch saw, and toyota truck. It's taken about six years to get where i am now with the business but it is only part-time. I can push over a hundred cords a year delivered and at least another fifty picked up. The main thing that your going to hear the most of from people is "thats too high" or "your trying to make a killing, im from the country and i know what it takes to get wood". Look at your margins, here are mine: One man hired 2-3 days a week, saws, chains, oil, hyd. fluid, gas, and everything petrol related(ps that has all gone up in price), if you have to buy the logs (ie. $200 for a Tandem Load, $600 for a tractor trailer) as you can see your margins are getting shaved off very fast so i guess getting about 170-200 for a cord doesn't seem too ridiculous. my favorite thing to tell those people is if your from the country and know how to get the wood then go and get it. don't pay someone! And if your current supplier can beat me by $40 bucks then buy all means keep getting it from him. Good Luck

 

[chainsawaddict]

I definately do not know everything about selling firewood but it has been rewarding for me. Some years are going to be better than others just like in any business. I started with a borrowed splitter, Maculloch saw, and toyota truck. It's taken about six years to get where i am now with the business but it is only part-time. I can push over a hundred cords a year delivered and at least another fifty picked up. The main thing that your going to hear the most of from people is "thats too high" or "your trying to make a killing, im from the country and i know what it takes to get wood". Look at your margins, here are mine: One man hired 2-3 days a week, saws, chains, oil, hyd. fluid, gas, and everything petrol related(ps that has all gone up in price), if you have to buy the logs (ie. $200 for a Tandem Load, $600 for a tractor trailer) as you can see your margins are getting shaved off very fast so i guess getting about 170-200 for a cord doesn't seem too ridiculous. my favorite thing to tell those people is if your from the country and know how to get the wood then go and get it. don't pay someone! And if your current supplier can beat me by $40 bucks then buy all means keep getting it from him. Good Luck

Good advice. Thanks!

 

[gink595]

dos it pay?? yes here on LI NY its 300 pr cord now i have on tree job come up their will be 1000 cords come off job do the math tom treesopcorn:

I like a guy that cuts the extra BS out and gets right to the point, but I have read this thread a dozen or so times trying to figure out what the hell you are talking about, but periods (.) commas (,) capital letters at the start of a sentence (A) or so helpful... run on sentences are not. A little more description is needed. Help us here. And I thought english class was just a BS job for some teacher to make a living.

 

[046]

No!

 

[extraspecialman]

when I was 16 or so,about 200 acres right behind my moms house was logged.The loggers were glad to give me all the cull logs and cull blocks I could cut from the landing,just to get them outta the way.They would even skid a few tops down for me once in a while.I started cuttin in June,had about 120 trucks loads in a pile by July,and was sold out by early September.Split every bit with mauls and wedges.That was around 1990 or 91.I sold wood then for $35 piled level on a full size long bed.$30 if the buyer hauled it theirself. I still sell some wood on weekends,I can cut and haul about 3 loads in a day for $60 a load now, not bad money if ya got easy access to wood.

 

[STLfirewood]

I think it's all depends. If you make $30 an hour at you regular job you had better be getting a lot for the wood you cut to make any money in your eyes. If you make $10 an hour at you regular job firewood would be a very good money maker compared to your regular income. If you do sesonal work and have a lot of down time in the winter firewood sales are a great way to keep you going. One of my friends grinds stumps for a living. He gets slow in the winter. He sells firewood. He said if it wasn't for the 5-7k a year he makes on it he couldn't afford his boat and fishing trips.

Scott

 

[046]

around here wood doesn't sell for $200-$300 cord.
lots of folks look at wood sales as a way to keep their people employed during off season. so if it breaks even or slightly ahead, it's ok.

One of my friends grinds stumps for a living. He gets slow in the winter. He sells firewood. He said if it wasn't for the 5-7k a year he makes on it he couldn't afford his boat and fishing trips.

Scott

 

[Fubar411]

I had considered selling it as well, as the tree services like my prime location (Kirkwood, MO) lots of trees taken down in our area, lots of rich clients. However, the only wood I've ever gotten is elm and poplar. I keep thinking people like Scott are paying them to drive the extra distance for the good wood.

I just enjoy working outside with the saws and hand splitting/renting a splitter. But right now, I just have too much wood in my backyard. I don't think I'd sell it, because it isn't good enough to sell.

 

[msjanket]

Does it pay to sell firewood?

As oil prices rise to astonishing levels, burning wood will become the thing to do. Back in the early and mid-80's, we had a craze in New England where wood stoves were back ordered for a long time. We sold saws, stoves, splitters, axes, you name it. Oil got cheap again later on, we abandoned the wood burning in large measure. Once oil gets scarcer and scarcer, roadside trees won't be safe again. It's been suggested folks get into the gardening mentality to raise some veggies, well, I'd also say we better get the wood stuff ready again because oil is getting short again and we will definitely need more wood burning. And, not only will oil get scarce, it will become astoundingly expensive.

It's your choice. I know what I'm doing,

Mike