how may of you guys sell fire wood?

[Tree Machine]

OK, it's proTUberance, not proTRUberance.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

That's like saying that selling your woodchips is a waste. It's a byproduct of what we do, not making money on it is a waste.
Are you goig to lay off your personel when things slow down?
In our area firewood sells for $90 face cord, and down in Chicago it's quite a bit more. With a good splitter, even a rookie can do better than a cord an hour, on wood you got paid to haul away. I do understand the work $ucks though.

 

[DDM]

"Golf Clap to Mike" If your not in some capacity selling your wood what are you doing with it? Are you paying to dump it?
Geeees I wish i could sell my chips I just give them away.

 

[kf_tree]

may be that was my problem...........i could never find any one that could split a cord an hour. they were too busy dragging all the wood to the splitter instead of moving the splitter to the wood pile. funny how they put those things on wheels.

 

[DDM]

KF........ They need a skid steer loader
Then you just move the mountain to you!
sometimes not very efficient but more fun

 

[Tree Machine]

This is a good point to insert a resource guide for every one of us... a manual that has a wealth of ideas regarding this topic of utilizing our treeguy byproduct, that is, tree waste. The guide is published by the USDA Forest Service, titled 'Utilizing Municipal Trees: Ideas From Across the Country' by Steve Bratkovich WHO ALSO, I must add, is one of the speakers at the Milwaukee TCI Expo ((New Life (And Profits) From Old Trees, Saturday Nov 9 9:30 to 10:30 am)). Bratkovich has written articles for TCI and has made it his mission to collect methods from all over the country on how to reutilize tree parts. And guess what... its FREE. Yes, Gents. Let your tax dollars work for YOU. All you have to do is ask for it and it will be yours. Many creative means. Well researched. And did I mention it's FREE.
Bratkovitch is sharing the TCI stage with Dr Sam Sherrill, who also publishes on tree reutilization. Dr Sam has a report available online on Harvesting Urban Timber:... go check it out at http://oz.uc.edu/trees/. If you'd like the 'Utilizing Municipal Trees:' publication, I would imagine Steve will have some at TCI (though I don't know this for certain), you can write the USDA, or since you all have a computer, you can request one from Steve directly: [email protected]

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It all depends on the avaiable market. Here in MKE there is so much of it going on that you have to give it away. Go farther out into the country and it is worth the MHR's.

Here new homeowners get a fireplace and buy a cord, then find out how much work it is, then thy buy a ahlf cord, then they start buying the wrapped splits at PDQ. finaly the get sick of the mess and convert to a gas fire place.

As far as plowing goes, everyone and thier little brother does it. The real money is having a skidder and subbing yourself out after the blizzards.

 

[TREETX]

No firewood market here though some do it. I am happy to get rid of it any where. All depends on market. I think most people are paying for splitting, delivering, and stacking. The wood is not even a factor. Markets differ - couldn't sell chips here either.

I have found a "FREE" sign doesn't work so well. I found a "FOR SALE" sign works great. Then you have assigned a value to it and it will vanish in the night if you stack it at the curb.

 

[murphy4trees]

I clean gutters from Thanksgiving to Christmas, when they're not frozen.. We can do 10-15/day.. blowers.. ladders.. p/u truck or van. To me that is better than doing firewood... get plenty of work and a lot less material to handle.
One of the guys around here who runs a log truck, just bought a 70-80K firewood processor, supposed to split 3-6 cords/hr.... been selling wholesale for 70/cord. He has his pick of the wood and I would guess only splits the easy stuff. It's all done with equipment.. very little labor. he has turned a liability into an asset. He used to have to pay to dump the stuff.
Another local tree contractor, who runs 40 men, told me he sold his firewood processor and now runs a grinder... Guess it didn't pay for him.
I don't know any other tree contractors that sell firewood anymore.. It's a supply and demand thing.. nobody burns much around here.
God bless all,
Daniel

 

[Nickrosis]

But you can't make sweeping statements like that. Your area versus another's area.

You shouldn't have your top climber splitting wood! Use the guy who's getting paid $7/hour. The guy that you'd rather not fire but don't want on the job. Do it yourself for meditation.

If your market is bad for firewood, mulch, plowing, don't do it! In our case, we do all three because it works well for us. On a snowy, icy night, I would generate a fortune by myself while listening to tunes in a heated cab. I don't fill out a timesheet when I'm plowing and don't care if I get paid because I love it so much. Diesel, snow, music, early AM hours.....yeah....

Mulch is great for us. If I didn't want to go to school, I could sell mulch for the rest of my life and make 6 figures in commission. I don't like mulch that much, though....

Firewood is a tool to pick up and hold onto customers. It utilizes vehicles that would otherwise be sitting around. Also, we can provide jobs for people who would otherwise be unemployed. <-- That alone would keep me doing it. It's not about the money to me, it's the intangibles.

Nickrosis

 

[Tree Machine]

Staying on the firewood subject

what if you don't HAVE that 'guy to make money on...' I mean, let's say you're looking at this $700 takedown, sizable, but non-technical. You're thinkin' 6, 7 hours.. Put on the Peltor Ear Protective, Satellite Radio Headset... set to the commercial-free classic rock-or-whatever station, you... the tree....a block of time. You and your rockin set of saws and yourself. Your knowing you REALLY don't need any help with this one. You're thinkin , "All I need to do is lay out some tarpage get the unchippable large parts of the tree, off the property and clean up behind myself. If only I could hook up with some appreciative and grateful person who will take all the big wood away for me, if only... if only....
Well, this 'fantasy' can be true if only you write F-R-E-E on a simple piece of cardboard. Or you might REALLY have to work for it by pressing seven buttons & SEND on your cell phone. Either way, you get the firewood off the property, fold up your tarps, do a fabulous cleanup beyond the clients' expectations and collect your $700. They consider you an eco-hero, an ambassador to the environment and tell all their well-to-do friends (Cmon, it could Never be real, let me run with this...) They invite you to their Childrens
birthday parties, tip you in restaurant gift certificates, ......
OK, there IS a thread of reality in there somewhere, but finding a good home for the wood waste products of your operation is essential, necessary and a fundamental part of your job, however you cut it. Get rid of the wood and clean up, and you get the check.

That's as boiled down as it gets and that's entirely dependant, precariously balanced on a flimsy piece of card board, the four Fat letters F-R E-E. I write as if there are no 'employees' involved here, but if you just need the saws, the chipper and tarps, including yourself, that would make a 4-employee team. Only YOU get to keep the whole enchilada at the end of the day. The Power of Free

 

[DDM]

Ive given wood away onsite the problem i usually end up with is that They only take the 4"-8" diameter stuff and leave the problemsome Trunk or Large Branches Ive had them pick thru Stacks and make a mess If i have to load the trunk i might as well pick up the small stuff as well.

 

[Toddppm]

Treemachine, do you have a picture of the logsplitter setup on your chipper?

 

[TREETX]

A stack of firewood would spell H-A-C-K here too. It is a no no and a liability for me in the way that it is something else to have to check up on. I figure that is at least $50-75 just for that extra trip. My time is important and it costs me less time (aka $$) to just chunk it. More rural situations are different.

 

[Tree Machine]

FREE
To me that free sign, sounds really unprofessional.

Not if approached in a respectful, professional manner.

I am in a area where most of the tree care companies are ISA certified and very progressive. It is a small town around 120,000 people 30,000 are college kids. If I pulled that Free sign out I would quickly get the rap of a ghetto tree outfit by the other guys in town. Whether right or wrong that is how it would be.

What if you had the most progressive recycling program of any of those 'competitors'?

Plus you got liability issues with piling wood up near the street. I also dont think my customers would look at it as being professional.


It really all depends on your trust and compliance between you and your client. I use my professional judgement and only do it when deemed appropriate. Sometimes there is actually some wood still left when I finish the cleanup and it has to stay there overnight. If the blocks are all cracked into reasonable sizes, all good, quality pieces, and NO CRAP, it's a gift to the local community, another successful hooking up with a person who FINDS VALUE in what you have to offer. My clients appreciate that they get first pick and I'll skim off the crem' de la creme firewood just for them.. I don't know. I care very personally for each and every one of my clients, their kids and their pets. It would definitely matter on your place and setting, and many factors and only you know if FREE would work for you. Works for me. Almost as sure as gravity. I don't FREE it away at every job, just most jobs. I guess my advice might be, keep the concept of FREE in your ethereal toolbox.

My guess is that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU has given wood away for free, to the owner, neighbor or passerby who asked. See if you've got a crane truck, it would be ludicrous to attempt cutting it all up into widdow pieces. It would be stupid. I certainly wouldnt do it. But I don't have a crane truck. Sometimes I hump it out into my truck, but I'm a big fan of 'Werk Fnarter, KNot Harner'.

Hey but if it works in INDY than godbless, I also know that the midwest OK, IA, MO have alot of tree hacks so maybe it is more of an acceptable practice?

Sir, the fact that I am NOT a hack is the sole reason that often I am able to do this. Approached with an attitude of 'giving', as long as there's mutually beneficial outcome, win-wins, everybody getting something out of it, it is a consensual, positive experience for everone, then it may be a very good thing. Your location would, of course, have a lot to do with it, and if you're a Hack, you're not ever Allowed to do this, EVER. Go to a landfill or something.

If you don't approach this practice with quality and respect and professionalism, you won't enjoy it for what it is. I'm not getting Zenny on you, but attutude and approach count for a LOT, and that starts with the moment they call you. Trees are very personal to a lot of your clients and they are establishing a relationship with you, one that may last a lifetime and extend to their friends and family. You are there to do your very, very best and THEY are the most important thing on your schedule until the job is over. When the last piece of firewood is gone, then they pay you.

I really focus on the cleanup, and I try to always include something FREE, something visible that maybe takes 5 minutes and wasn't on the estimate, but it really means something to them?? They'll want to tell their friends because your efforts toward their benefit was felt, as well as seen. Humping firewood is a waste of time and talent. While Jill Somebody is loading wood into the back of her truck, you could be putting in the extra mile toward extended effort in beautifying and caring for their property.

Please recall that I opened this "Hypothetical fantasy" scenario based on it was just you and yourself and you alone (and the Peltor headset jamming the MP3's you downloaded last night). In reality, no one works like this. Working alone is unheard of in our industry, it just, doesn't happen. I mean,.... if you actually WERE able to work solo, why would you? Even if all it took was an attitude of quality and a little sign, why would ya even wanna work solo????????????

 

[kf_tree]

one time i was unable to fit a job in my truck, we were stuffung wood every where. along came the city garbage truck, so i threw them 20 bucks for lunch and they let me fill the hopper with wood. it got the job finished and properly cleaned up. but when i went to collect i actually had to argue with the customer about payment. they said "well the city took some of the wood away so why should i pay you the full price". so i kindly said pay me or i dump 25 yards of chips on your front lawn. they paid. i guess the area has alot to do with it. but a free wood sign wood never work in the city. even if it was flashing neon.

tree machine, if it works and your customers are happy. then more power to ya.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Storms attract hacks, that is for sure.

It realy depends on the demographics of the market I guess. There are areas here where it can be done, areas where you can stack it w/o signage and it will quickly disappear, and areas where the neighbors will call the cops.

I'll stand with TM here, as long as the disposal method is negotiated beforehand, it is no big deal. Just another one of those things on how we interpret our image. Like the jobsite dress codes we've talked about before, and the appearance of our rolling stock.

As for what I do, I'll give the option for them to dispose as they see fit. I wont stack the wood. I'f I'm going to do that, I'll haul it off.

 

[Tree Machine]

I didn't accuse anybody of calling me a hack. I'm from Michigan and the Hoosiers were notoroius hacks. Now that I'm in Indiana, the hacks are in Kentucky. No, there ARE a lot of hacks still out there, and I guess will always be; Down to Earth, those guys make me look a quantum leap better than what I am. I focus my time and energy on providing serviceso that my clients will be happy beyond happy. When I have a couple eager strangers loading up their pickup, and I'm listening to the tunes and doing an above and beyond power blowing, I feel everyone wins. Chances are that I went beyond expectations in the quality and thoroughness of the care of the tree, but this is where I'd rather spend my time.

I imagine there are guys out there who will come into cleanup situations, and have to make a well reasoned decision on disposal method. I favor being versatile and able to handle any situation, having any number of means to move tons of wood, swiftly, economically and environmentally sensible. It all depends on your market, your relationship with clients, particular job setting and location and your equipment and employee situation.

I claim NOT to have the best system, just probably the most boiled-down and direct. It's one of a million ways of approaching the reality of getting 'waste' wood off your clients' property.

 

[DDM]

Thought this was amusing
http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/advice/start_a_firewood_business.htm

 

[Toddppm]

That's wishful thinking isn't it
I like the whole log idea, rent out splitters, chainsaws and axes and invite do-it yourselfers to split their own Better have an onsite medic and a good lawyer for that one.