Looking to start a business

[foxtrot5]

What about dedicated firewood trailers? Something with side high enough to stack split stuff and an arch or two plus a mounted winch for loading logs.

 

[jrider]

Playing off the already mentioned gadgets for zero turns, I saw a landscape outfit around here had some very light weight metal boxes made up to attach to the front of the zero turn to push piles of leaves to the curb for removal. Looked like they could clear a yard out in no time with a guy and blower following behind to pick up what little was left behind.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Small logging trailer would be cool. This just popped up on Facebook marketplace.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/317973288704858

Make it a wagon so the hitch doesn't carry any weight so it can be pulled by something small.

sent from a field

 

[lknchoppers]

A towable unit with 15" wheels, a solid splitter with a hydraulic adjustable 4 way wedge, a 10 second cycle time with auto-cycle/auto return, a Honda gx motor, a log lift and a 10ft long conveyer for under $5000 would sell like hot cakes. I'm ok with bucking logs to 16" or 18" with a chainsaw. Something beefier than this minus the saw but with a log lift.

 

[OnTheRoad]

Playing off the already mentioned gadgets for zero turns, I saw a landscape outfit around here had some very light weight metal boxes made up to attach to the front of the zero turn to push piles of leaves to the curb for removal. Looked like they could clear a yard out in no time with a guy and blower following behind to pick up what little was left behind.

That's a commercially available product called a leaf plow.

To the op; sorry to discourage you, but for $10k, you aren't starting a manufacturing business. Use that money to start a lawn service and then build from there.

 

[blackdogon57]

Build this. Older guys will love it and only needs a small tractor to run it. One set of outlets for the clamp because the chain allows it to swivel. I've been planning to make a few more and sell them but just too busy doing life. There are some on the market that are about the same. You could even make a small scale one on wheels for 4 wheelers or lawn mowers. Same idea as a log arch but don't have to get off machine. Could use 12 volt power pack to run it. You could make it much lighter than I did, I prefer to build things once.
View attachment 624195

Looks pretty cool. Any video ?

 

[cantoo]

blackdogon57, no videos on here but I just posted a couple on a facebook site. hopefully this link works. It's called Small scale tractor/ ATV logging and forestry. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1681294782089656/

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I would like two live log decks on trailer wheels, and if I had a processor a 4' x 10' live bottom hopper for re-splitting after the processor. I'm sure that would be useful for people re-splitting for bundling as well.

 

[sb47]

Your in for a big surprise if you think designing and building any equipment that you intend to sell is going to be easy.
Put aside the design, material, engineering, and building.
Before you jump in head first, I suggest you do some investigation.
Make up any kind of idea, and make an appointment with a patent firm and sit down and discuss your idea with them and let them walk you through what's needed to get anything to market.
That 10 grand you have saved up, that won't even cover patent research and marketing study's.

You can do it on a small scale and hand build each unit, but if you sell if for profit as a business, the red tape can be lengthy and expensive.
That's why small business's are so hard to start up.
I wish you all the luck in the world, just be prepared to work harder then you expected and it won't happen overnight.
If you do go for it, I strongly suggest you set up a LLC

 

[Marine5068]

Firewood prices around me are about the same as the 1980's. Can't imagine a processor being in high demand.

Zero turn mowers and ATV's are everywhere. How about accessories for those? I was thinking of putting a snow blade on my zero turn. I might buy a pull behind trailer for my ATV with a 3 point hitch set-up on it. That way I could disk the garden and such.

How much do you pay for a cord of seasoned hardwood there?
It's about $350 CAD here.($290 USD)

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Start with a repair and fabrication business. Charge a flat fee for design and engineering or partner with an engineer with appropriate skills, and charge flat fee for fabrication and a standard markup on materials and components. Make a couple machines and map out the costs to make them, so customers can estimate what it will cost for similar sized projects.

Then if you have some designs that work particularly well you might be able to have a list price for the machine to be built. There's certain loopholes like the customer coming to you with a design, that absolve you of patent liabilities and safety certification burdens, and lets you focus on the fab work that you like and gets away from the red tape. After a bit you could grow into a manufacturing company by using your example fabricated machines and financial statements and a business plan to seek venture capital or business loans for purchasing manufacturing grade equipment.

 

[Ikeholt]

How much do you pay for a cord of seasoned hardwood there?
It's about $350 CAD here.($290 USD)

I'm more of a seller than buyer, but it's about 50 bucks a pickup load. I just looked on the nearby (Fort Wayne, Indiana) Craigslist and there was a cord advertised for $150. I doubt it's really a cord. There are sawmills that sell cut-offs and such really cheap, I think the price is about 20 bucks per pickup load. It's about all hardwood species here, i.e. no conifers, but some hardwoods are not as good as others...

Most people who burn wood for heat around here, cut it themselves, at least in my opinion. So the demand for wood is more of the campfire, occassional holiday fire thing.

 

[Stihl310]

I'd say pick one thing, design it, refine it, prototype it and have someone test it in real use. Focus on that one thing and make it the best possible.

This will be your platform for getting started. Don't let your mind wander to a thousand different products. Hone in on a niche and make your home there.

I started my own design company a few years back, it has been unbelievably difficult to get a footing especially with a regular full time job. That being said don't let anyone stand in your way. There's plenty of "no" people out there that'll tell you it can't be done or you'll never be successful. Do it anyways.

If you have time check out Elon Musk... all anyone tells him is his ideas are impossible and it can't be done... he's never slowed down.


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