flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
You can make some money selling fire wood if you don't track your time and expenses.
extra money selling firewood?
- Thread starter MotherBucker
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MotherBucker
New Member
Just so everyone knows the methods we used, and how it is very possible to go from standing trees to 10 cords split in that time frame...
1 person felling, another chaining and skidding out to the field to buck... goes quickly when the 2 get in sync.
Bucking is done very systematically, cutting pas7 3/4 of the way through each tree, every 16 inches, than rolling the trees and seperating the rounds. (this goes very quickly with 2 people, one making the initial cut, and the other following behind, rolling the trees and finishing)
From there, using a 20 ton vertical splitter, roll the rounds over and split. we try to take trees that you can wrap your arms all the way around, and about half of our wood was from trees that size. those only take 2 or 3 splits per round, and they usually "pop" with the wedge just an inch or 2 into it.
The larger stuff was more time consuming, but we only took dead/standing trees this year, and were able to get the 10 cords in 2 days of splitting.
note to the skeptics: On the days we split the wood, my only help was my 130 lb girlfriend.... she works like a mule tho, I was ready to quit before she was.
1 person felling, another chaining and skidding out to the field to buck... goes quickly when the 2 get in sync.
Bucking is done very systematically, cutting pas7 3/4 of the way through each tree, every 16 inches, than rolling the trees and seperating the rounds. (this goes very quickly with 2 people, one making the initial cut, and the other following behind, rolling the trees and finishing)
From there, using a 20 ton vertical splitter, roll the rounds over and split. we try to take trees that you can wrap your arms all the way around, and about half of our wood was from trees that size. those only take 2 or 3 splits per round, and they usually "pop" with the wedge just an inch or 2 into it.
The larger stuff was more time consuming, but we only took dead/standing trees this year, and were able to get the 10 cords in 2 days of splitting.
note to the skeptics: On the days we split the wood, my only help was my 130 lb girlfriend.... she works like a mule tho, I was ready to quit before she was.
flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
Ok so what did it cost you to make that 10 cord pile? Two guys, two saws, one splitter, one tractor, one truck(maybe two), saw gas/bar oil, gas for the splitter, gas for the tractor, gas for the trucks(delivery), insurance if you have any, These are some of the things that you need to account for to make a profitable biz selling wood. I wish you the best but if you aren't going mechanized your profit will be small if at all.
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
My profit seems to be heat lol
and sweat!rwbinbc
ArboristSite Operative
I wouldn't count the trucks, saws, tractors and the splitter. They have made there money over and over, I have a small tree service that has paid for all of these. As long as they are not abused they should last along time. My splitter in over 20 years old, I've gone through 4-5 hp motors on it and two handle(not valves) I'm sure if I broke down how many cords it has split, It would be pennies per cord. Chains, tires, gas, oil, and bars count and anything that breaks down.
Bucko
ArboristSite Operative
I say go ahead, rent, work, and get you some of it. If you undercut the market you will live to regret it. There is and always will be a market and room for somebody willing to work. Firewood is work! I have a processor, two splitters, four chainsaws, retriever, and tractor with a frontend loader. You will work! You will never catch up if you are honest and give folks quality product. Did I say, you will work?
Jeffsaw
ArboristSite Operative
Selling Firewood
I tried selling firewood over the past two years and have found it doesn't pay well. But, I had to buy 20 cords at a time in 8 foot lengths, saw, split and pile it and then usually help the customers load it into their vehicles/trailers.
I thought I'd meet people who would need tree work done. That didn't happen. I figured that I made about $9/hr. so I won't be continuing in the firewood business next year. Most tree jobs don't result in good forewood-type trees either so that is not an option up here.
Best of luck in your endeavor.
I tried selling firewood over the past two years and have found it doesn't pay well. But, I had to buy 20 cords at a time in 8 foot lengths, saw, split and pile it and then usually help the customers load it into their vehicles/trailers.
I thought I'd meet people who would need tree work done. That didn't happen. I figured that I made about $9/hr. so I won't be continuing in the firewood business next year. Most tree jobs don't result in good forewood-type trees either so that is not an option up here.
Best of luck in your endeavor.
freeweight
ArboristSite Operative
we save pretty much all wood after a take down,we deliver to northern VA ,DC ,MARYLAND ....deliver stack somtimes give pointers on the fire starting proceedure
all wood is kept between 12-16" ,seasoned 1-1/2 years we sell as do most ALL tree services around here 6' by 3' tall stack for $120 ,$10 OF EACH STACK WHEN MULTIPLE IS ORDERED
we also sell to other "woodchucks" at $33 a stack ....but people dont burn wood like they used to ,advertisement helps alot
taking a load down on a free day on the weekend and "knocking it off" is also an option but prices negotiable
now what we see ALOT and i mean alot is people that sell cords of wood that is just crap,huge short chunks ,"green" wood pine ,pine will burn ok seasoned 2 years ,thats why we specify we keep wood certain size and length ....its nothing to go to D.C and get 120 a stack ,get rid of 5 racks easy ,they love the small easy to handle wood ,plus the service...have people runing out to the truck
all wood is kept between 12-16" ,seasoned 1-1/2 years we sell as do most ALL tree services around here 6' by 3' tall stack for $120 ,$10 OF EACH STACK WHEN MULTIPLE IS ORDERED
we also sell to other "woodchucks" at $33 a stack ....but people dont burn wood like they used to ,advertisement helps alot
taking a load down on a free day on the weekend and "knocking it off" is also an option but prices negotiable
now what we see ALOT and i mean alot is people that sell cords of wood that is just crap,huge short chunks ,"green" wood pine ,pine will burn ok seasoned 2 years ,thats why we specify we keep wood certain size and length ....its nothing to go to D.C and get 120 a stack ,get rid of 5 racks easy ,they love the small easy to handle wood ,plus the service...have people runing out to the truck
One thing I always like to point out to guys trying to make a couple extra bucks husling a little firewood on the side. Watch your dimensions. Years ago we cut our wood at exactly 24" and 2 4X8 racks were a cord. Then new houses started putting in smaller firepalces and the 2' pieces didn't fit well so we dropped down to 18" wood, and had to adjust the pile to make a full cord. Now so many people use stoves it's common to cut at 16". If you cut 16" it takes 3 4X8 racks to make a cord. More splitting and pieces to handle for the same money.
Not that I've ever seen it enforced, watch how you advertise. In the state of Maryland it is illegal to advertise and sell wood in any other measurement than a "Cord" or "Part of a Cord", Cord, Half Cord, Quarter Cord. Such things as ricks, racks face cords, piles are arbitrary measurments and illegal means of advertisement. The Washington Post used to state that at the head of the Firewood collumn. I quit the Post years ago so I don't know if the dissclaimer is still there. Of course on CL anything goes.
We were licensed in MD, VA, and DC, actually for four genrations and before there was a license. Several years ago we quit messing with firewood and just wholesaled it out to a couple landscaping co's that used it to carry their guys through the winter. It's so labor intensive that it was a waist of time and effort compaired to actually doing the work that created that mess.
I still split about 10 cord a year, 5 for me and the rest for a couple friends and relatives. I love to be outside and around wood, I love the smell and sight of nice neat rows of firewood. But, it's hard labor intensive work for a few bucks. If I were out of work I'd do it to survive, but I think you could make better money mowing lawns. That, of course is assuming you're not a licensed tree co.
Yes you can make money. There are always customers for good seasoned wood. But look at these numbers. 100 cord times $200 is only 20K, slpit between 2 people. I assume you give your hard working girl friend something? That's not much money for a lot of work. That's no expenses included and assuming you never have to by any wood to process. Good luck, Joe.
Not that I've ever seen it enforced, watch how you advertise. In the state of Maryland it is illegal to advertise and sell wood in any other measurement than a "Cord" or "Part of a Cord", Cord, Half Cord, Quarter Cord. Such things as ricks, racks face cords, piles are arbitrary measurments and illegal means of advertisement. The Washington Post used to state that at the head of the Firewood collumn. I quit the Post years ago so I don't know if the dissclaimer is still there. Of course on CL anything goes.
We were licensed in MD, VA, and DC, actually for four genrations and before there was a license. Several years ago we quit messing with firewood and just wholesaled it out to a couple landscaping co's that used it to carry their guys through the winter. It's so labor intensive that it was a waist of time and effort compaired to actually doing the work that created that mess.
I still split about 10 cord a year, 5 for me and the rest for a couple friends and relatives. I love to be outside and around wood, I love the smell and sight of nice neat rows of firewood. But, it's hard labor intensive work for a few bucks. If I were out of work I'd do it to survive, but I think you could make better money mowing lawns. That, of course is assuming you're not a licensed tree co.
Yes you can make money. There are always customers for good seasoned wood. But look at these numbers. 100 cord times $200 is only 20K, slpit between 2 people. I assume you give your hard working girl friend something? That's not much money for a lot of work. That's no expenses included and assuming you never have to by any wood to process. Good luck, Joe.
