fair price

[MIspecial]

A friend of mine has a tree service. And also sell a little firewood, but uses most of what he splits. If he is in the area he will drop wood for me. But I want to buy some that he has, its cut in rounds and is mostly oak, maple and ash. He offered to let me use his dump trailer and his loader. What would be a fair price to offer him for a the wood and use of his equiptment? The trailer is a tandem dump 6' x 12'. What do you all think?

 

[Wet1]

How much wood are you talking about??? In my area wood is going for well over $200 for CSD, typically $225 to $275. Since he's letting you use his equipment and you're taking his split wood (if I understand this correctly), I'd say you have to throw him at least $125-$175 per cord. His time and equipment didn't come free to him...

Just my two cents.

 

[MIspecial]

The wood isn't split --in rounds cut to length. I want to pay, just not sure what to offer. And I really don't know many cords I'll get out of that size trailer once its split.

 

[Wet1]

Well 6x12x3= 216 cu ft. 6x12x4 is 288 cu ft., over two cords. Rounds tend to take less volume than the same quanity of wood when split. You better give him at least $100 for a load!

 

[yukiginger]

cost

How much does it cost when he drops you a load? What's it worth to him - are you helping him out by taking some rounds off his hands and throwing some greenbacks his way? How much would he invest in time/money to process those rounds and sell the firewood to someone else? How good a friend is he?

He's offering his equipment for you to transport the rounds to your property, right? You still need to tow the trailer. Since you seem to have no good idea on what to offer, perhaps ask him what he's comfortable with - let him name his price. Agree no matter what; offer a little more if you are really happy with the price. If you aren't stoked about the price take one or two loads and no more, and go back to having him drop some when he's in your area.

MarkG

 

[kd460]

Better yet, buy him a gas card at a fuel station near his place of business and/or a gift card for him and his significant other to go out to dinner. It shows a little thought went it the gift of appreciation. KD

 

[MIspecial]

We settled on $100, which is fair. I think its a good deal. I get to use his trailer and loader to load the trailer and i don't have to buck the logs. If I can throw a few pieces on the truck and get 2 split cords out of it I think it will be worth it.

 

[Wood Doctor]

A friend of mine has a tree service. And also sell a little firewood, but uses most of what he splits. If he is in the area he will drop wood for me. But I want to buy some that he has, its cut in rounds and is mostly oak, maple and ash. He offered to let me use his dump trailer and his loader. What would be a fair price to offer him for a the wood and use of his equiptment? The trailer is a tandem dump 6' x 12'. What do you all think?

Issue not resolved, based on the quoted OP.

Remember this. Most professional tree trimmers and removers collect so much wood that they can't get rid of it all without buying special heavy duty mulching or shredding equipment. Therefore, you are doing him a favor by collecting it and processing it for firewood. Your time, labor, and storage area for drying, therefore, has value. I say it's a wash. Paying him money to boot may not be necessary at all.

Also, much of the biomass that a tree trimmer has to dispose of is small branches that are almost worthless for firewood, and you may wind up with lots of small stuff to contend with. BTDT.

 

[Wet1]

Issue not resolved, based on the quoted OP.

Remember this. Most professional tree trimmers and removers collect so much wood that they can't get rid of it all without buying special heavy duty mulching or shredding equipment. Therefore, you are doing him a favor by collecting it and processing it for firewood. Your time, labor, and storage area for drying, therefore, has value. I say it's a wash. Paying him money to boot may not be necessary at all.

Also, much of the biomass that a tree trimmer has to dispose of is small branches that are almost worthless for firewood, and you may wind up with lots of small stuff to contend with. BTDT.

^ Baloney. If he just took this wood w/o paying him, this is money the guy would be loosing in lost firewood sales. Remember, he sells some extra wood. Also keep in mind the guy had to buy, maintain, and pay for the heavy equipment the OP is using to get the wood.

IMO, $100 sounds like an amicable amount for both parties for a couple cords of wood... Especially if the guy has been dropping off FREE wood all along. If anything, I'd say he should be paying a little more, or continue to throw the guy a few dollars here and there for the freebies.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[MIspecial]

This guy has all the equipment, whole tree chippers etc. So he only saves the choice stuff. He can just chip it, dump it for the power company and be done with it and not have to handle the logs. He has a large yard and just piles up the rounds or logs.

When he does work near me he will drop it off but that has not been too often this year. I don't have a wood lot to cut from so this is my best source of wood. I plan on selling firewood next year, so I'm starting now.

 

[Wood Doctor]

^ Baloney. If he just took this wood w/o paying him, this is money the guy would be loosing in lost firewood sales. Remember, he sells some extra wood. Also keep in mind the guy had to buy, maintain, and pay for the heavy equipment the OP is using to get the wood.

IMO, $100 sounds like an amicable amount for both parties for a couple cords of wood... Especially if the guy has been dropping off FREE wood all along. If anything, I'd say he should be paying a little more, or continue to throw the guy a few dollars here and there for the freebies.

Just my 2 cents.

Well, things may be different in New England. Around here, tree trimmers often carry the wood to dumpsters or drop off sites and unload it as if it were trash. They have no idea what else to do with the biomass. The tree trimmer/remover has to have the equipment anyway just to do his job.

So, it appears that which is baloney in New England is sooth in Nebraska.

 

[woodbooga]

^ Baloney. If he just took this wood w/o paying him, this is money the guy would be loosing in lost firewood sales. Remember, he sells some extra wood. Also keep in mind the guy had to buy, maintain, and pay for the heavy equipment the OP is using to get the wood.

IMO, $100 sounds like an amicable amount for both parties for a couple cords of wood... Especially if the guy has been dropping off FREE wood all along. If anything, I'd say he should be paying a little more, or continue to throw the guy a few dollars here and there for the freebies.

Just my 2 cents.

Well, things may be different in New England. Around here, tree trimmers often carry the wood to dumpsters or drop off sites and unload it as if it were trash. They have no idea what else to do with the biomass. The tree trimmer/remover has to have the equipment anyway just to do his job.

So, it appears that which is baloney in New England is sooth in Nebraska.

Wood Doc is right, but increasingly (at least in my non-scientific anecdotal assessment) it seems there's more companies that are doing wood on the side as the retail price of a cord is going up. At least the smaller operations, which are the folks I've been talking to. Seems like a natural flow of business to me - tree care and removal in the spring, summer, and fall and processing wood for sale during the winter so it will be season for sale the following autumn.

 

[Wet1]

Well, things may be different in New England. Around here, tree trimmers often carry the wood to dumpsters or drop off sites and unload it as if it were trash. They have no idea what else to do with the biomass. The tree trimmer/remover has to have the equipment anyway just to do his job.

So, it appears that which is baloney in New England is sooth in Nebraska.

Understood. My point is the guy does use and sell wood himself, so it's lost income by giving away select rounds. He also has a lot of money in equipment, whether he has to have to have it otherwise is basically irrelevant in my mind, the OP is using it and that equipment isn't free, plus it's the man's livelihood. Since you already own a chipper and truck (because you need them), I suppose it would be fine if all your friends routinely took your stuff every weekend and used it for free? Yeah, it's not costing you anything since you have to own them to make a living anyway, right? Me thinks you'd look at that a little different after this became a normal routine... Lastly, as was pointed out, most smart business men in the cooler climates are now selling the wood in the off season rather than dumping it... even in NE.

Either way, the guy is taking care of the OP. If the OP wants to keep the relationship in good standing, throwing the man a couple of bones here and there is a very good idea as both parties benefit.

Again, just my 2 cents.