marketing your downed trees

[PTS]

I am just curious what others are doing with their downed trees/limbs.

We firewood as much as possible and sell it.

We also save sawing logs and sell them to a local buyer. I still haven't decided if it is a bigger profit to sell a log... no cutting, no splitting or making it into firewood, where we get more $$$$ for the log but we have all of the labor in splitting, not to mention wear on the additional cuts.

 

[Ny finest]

The guys I work for do all diff things the smartest is the guy who chips up th 5 in picks up everything else with the log truck.Pine and cottonwood can sell in log form at the local mill(not much but it covers fuel cost for the day and then some)Hardwoods get brought back to the yard and is sorted.The straight ones are divided by type and the irregular ones get stacked and go through a fire wood prosessor that cuts and splits about 75 face cords a day.Get a log truck(or trailer) and its almost like running a second business.Smart eh?

 

[PTS]

we are looking into a firewood processer. What kind do you guys use?

 

[Ny finest]

Try not to buy oneYoud have to cut 10,000 face cords a year to be worthwhile.We renta machine for about $300/day. Also I forgot to say always bring staight logs to mill by the time you get done playing with firewood theres not much money there.We get 60-75 a face cord and its still not really worth it-its just something to do when your slow in the winter

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If you're sellin small amounts of fire wood then big splitter, like Timberwolf or Faver are the way to go instead of a cut off prosessor.

Do the math on each and see how many cords you would have to sell to make the mill proffitable.

Allso look at your delivery cost on the wood, I've known people who realize after doing it for a while that they are pricing to cover splitting cost and do not have everything factored in.

 

[Ax-man]

I'm going to give as much wood away as I can this year. If you have a way to move whole logs I would get rid of them that way and be done with them. Most of the tress we run into are not worth the effort to cut twice and split. If you get paid for them so much the better, anyone who would pay me to deliver bulk loads of firewood logs would become my best freind, I know I'm dreaming, it could happen, ya right

Larry

 

[PTS]

I have customers that would pay for bulk load. I make a good profit on the firewood when we sell it in the campgrounds. We drive through and deliver. $5 a wheelbarrow load. Found just the right wheelbarrow that gives us roughtly $350 a cord. Thats good money.

We go through a lot of firewood and I am contiplating having someone this summer just cut and split. I think the processer would be really nice.

The make the one sold in Baileys here in Iowa. Could pick it up for around $15,000. And to be honest, I really like my toys

 

[Newfie]

Just be aware that some processors are going to limit the diameter you can process in a big way. The cheaper the processor the smaller the diameter. The blockbuster that Bailey's has only does a 14" log up tp 14' long. Not that big.

You need to sit down and do a real cost analysis of your firewood operation. $350 a cord - labor-fuel-wear & tear on vehicle,splitter,saws = your real profit.

Compare that to your $$ per MBF for just taking the logs to the mill - trucking costs. See which comes out better.

Also keep in mind that the time spent processing might also be better spent doing tree work that has a greater return per man hour.

BTW 70 wheel barrow loads to a cord seems like way to many wheelbarrow loads. More like half of that (or less) is more accurate.

The biggest thing to consider before buying a piece of machinery is whether or not your market will buy your production. Increasing production becomes pointless if you can't sell the product.

Just some things to consider.

 

[SteveBullman]

i bought a firewood processor last year....sure it means you're making less money on your logs but............you wont sweat a drop doing your firewood ever again and you'll do it in half the time

 

[glens]

BTW 70 wheel barrow loads to a cord seems like way to many wheelbarrow loads. More like half of that (or less) is more accurate.

Yowza!  It depends how you load it.  I'd think 20 would do it easily.

 

[Ny finest]

Bring them logs to the dang mill!!Or those firewood hogs.Too much work and not enough return for me doing firewood.But I still do it-'till I get a log trailer
.

 

[Newfie]

Yowza!  It depends how you load it.  I'd think 20 would do it easily.

I agree. About 18 loads moves my cords to the house. I figured I'd give him the benefit of a small wheelbarrow w/ only a 4 cu.ft. capacity.

 

[Ax-man]

$5 bucks for a wheelbarrow sounds like a bargain, they charge almost that much for those bundles at the gas stations, some have actual firewood, others have just sawn sawmill scraps from squaring logs, which is mostly bark and a little bit of wood.

Larry

 

[ozy365]

Try tapping into outdoor wood boiler guys. I can load 4 foot lengths unsplit. As long as I lift it, I can burn it.

 

[glens]

I agree. About 18 loads moves my cords to the house. I figured I'd give him the benefit of a small wheelbarrow w/ only a 4 cu.ft. capacity.

I prefer the 5 ft³ size, and I typically get it done in 16, if memory serves...

 

[PTS]

Trade secret.... it is all in marketing..... We selll it by wheelbarrow however finding the right wheelbarrow is key. Small enough in the bottom that the wood won't touch which looks good to the camper but in reality they are only bying aprox 1.5 Ft cubed. That is how it is working out to our figures...