Part-time firewood selling

[jrider]

Philbo,
Many people have commented on wood being thrown into a pile having mold/rot issues. That may be true in certain conditions but I can tell you it isn't for me in south Jersey. I windrow the wood and usually go about 8 feet tall with a base of about 14 feet wide. The piles have run up to 140 feet long on a good year. The rows run almost perfectly north/south which believe it or not does make a big difference vs piles that run east/west - yes I've tried it both ways. These piles also sit in the middle of a field where there is nothing to block the wind or sun at all - basically, if the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, it's on the wood pile. As far as the stuff on the bottom, if you process the wood in the same spot year after year, bark and chips build up on the ground and this keeps the wood out of direct contact with the soil. It may not be the best method for some but it works for me and my customers. I have sold 65 cords so far this year and about 70% of those customers are repeat customers or referred customers.

You seem to have a good plan and I would follow your instincts but be willing to change as the size of your business grows and your market changes.

 

[Philbo]

Great info and posts from Locust Cutter and Jrider. Thanks guys! Appreciate the info and advice from folks that already do this. Especially all the truck schooling. Knew a bit of that, but it's always good to get more info.

As for trucks...did a brief search for NPRs and rollbacks (great idea!) but it seems most of them are out of my budget at the time, which is definitely under 5k to start. Starting out, I realistically need a truck with a backseat of some kind so it can double as a family vehicle on rare occasions/emergencies. Hence the search for ext cab/crew cab dually. I also feel pretty certain that I need 4WD. Some of the places I go and cut wood would be off limits at certain times of the year without it, and I don't want to limit myself like that. Will be helpful in the winter time around here too, especially if I end up with a dually. I'm a hardcore manual transmission guy, but am realizing how few of the gas engine, 1 ton, 4x4 are manuals...really tough to find this configuration. Willing to go auto trans if it's the right truck otherwise, at this point, even though I don't prefer it.

 

[mayaguana]

As a new member that has learned most everything from sites like these, I would like to share. I started out hording wood (for my self) from a site a guy was harvesting white oak from, and selling tops and branches (avg 16" dia) for $30 a pickup load. I hauled away 12 loads (12 face cords) , then the land clearing guy ask if I would be interested in a tri-axel load. he said it would be less work to process on site. I have a rental property on 2 acres in a suburb near Pittsburgh. I split the first 12 (tops and large branch stuff) face cords along with the 20 from my first truck load with a hybrid Axe/maul thing. Got pretty fast at it. Began thinking how I could increase production without excessive work. I looked into buying a splitter. Found a thread somewhere about kenetic log splitter at TS, then after looking into it father, I purchased a Super Split (many threads on this alone). Like so many others, I feel the most important aspect of this business Is to minimize how much time and effort you spend processing the wood. While I do pay $660-$700 dollars for a truck load of wood, I find it more efficient. I have calculated my time cutting and splitting, and after paying $30 for the materials, I have $50 left for profit ($80 pick up price). I average an hour total cutting and splitting with the SS, and I only stack once for delivery or pickup for each face cord. That ends up being $50/hr, and I don't have to got to the gym. Lately I have found several tools that over the long haul, provide safety as well as easing the work load. As far as delivery, I just deliver face cords, I have a "Load Handler" for $100. If you load it in two, 2' stacks in a 8' bed on the tarp, with nothing hanging over to get stuck on the wheel wells, I can unload in less that 30 second. loading the truck as well as the racks take about 15 mins. I have racks, full face cords, and ones I have divided into a half and 2 quarters. Yes 30 seconds. 50% of my customers pick up the wood on site. I sold 80 face cord last year (easily paying for my SS), but now I don't have the luxury of buying preseason logs from my guy, that had a good yr last year. I have expanded my supply chain to include 2 additional supplier. My goal it to gather 6 trucks/ yr (120 face cords) of wood for next year. Cut it into rounds and let it set for a year, then keep buying and rotating materials. I did a kiln thing and it's way too much handling. A wood conveyor is next. Expand my footprint for working and let the conveyor control gravity. Everybody's situation is likely quit different, and will have to compensate accordingly. A "60 aluminum Logrite cant hook and hookaroon, and (2) of those lockhart hose grabber things are a must. All yea, don't forget the Super Split and the conveyor. I also bought a pair of protective chaps today after reading another thread. Anybody have any thoughts on a conveyor.

 

[Philbo]

Cool story mayaguana!

Quick question to the truck savvy browsing this thread:

What do you guys think about an late 80s flatbed F350 4x4 with a Cummins 12V swap out of a '93 with new turbo, new injection pump and lift pump, new exhaust manifold, new power raid intake, new radiator and intercooler. 5spd Getrag tranny. Tons of other new parts it seems as well and within my budget. I was hesitant at first with diesel costs, but I keep reading that the first couple of versions of the cummins are so simple and reliable.

Anybody have any feedback specific to this? It's likely a regular cab (no pics yet) but I may be able to talk the lady into that for the right truck?

 

[3fordasho]

Hard to go wrong with the cummins / 5 speed manual combo. Swapped into a ford even better.

Just did the maintenance routine on my newly aquired 7.3 powerstroke. No more difficult than a gasser as far as doing it, Oil change & filter, fuel and air filters ran me about $90 in parts/oil. Good for 5k on the oil and 15k on the others. Not so far out of line from a gasser. Lots of Cummins 12V's out there, like my 7.3 powerstroke, lots of aftermarket support to keep prices down on parts when/if you need them.

Cool story mayaguana!

Quick question to the truck savvy browsing this thread:

What do you guys think about an late 80s flatbed F350 4x4 with a Cummins 12V swap out of a '93 with new turbo, new injection pump and lift pump, new exhaust manifold, new power raid intake, new radiator and intercooler. 5spd Getrag tranny. Tons of other new parts it seems as well and within my budget. I was hesitant at first with diesel costs, but I keep reading that the first couple of versions of the cummins are so simple and reliable.

Anybody have any feedback specific to this? It's likely a regular cab (no pics yet) but I may be able to talk the lady into that for the right truck?

 

[Wood Doctor]

Without advertising, you can probably expect to sell about 8 to 12 truckloads a year, or about 5 cords that could reach about $1,500 gross. Your expenses will run about 30% of sales. Look into selling firewood bundles for campers. I average about 20 bundles a week at $4.50 apiece, 8 logs to the bundle, and only need one store near a campsite to do this. Bundles require more time, but the potential is there.

Regardless, try not to get rich selling firewood in bundles or by truckloads. Enjoy yourself, your hobby, and the customers that you meet. One of my friends ended up marrying one of his customers.

 

[blackdogon57]

Hard to go wrong with the cummins / 5 speed manual combo. Swapped into a ford even better.

Just did the maintenance routine on my newly aquired 7.3 powerstroke. No more difficult than a gasser as far as doing it, Oil change & filter, fuel and air filters ran me about $90 in parts/oil. Good for 5k on the oil and 15k on the others. Not so far out of line from a gasser. Lots of Cummins 12V's out there, like my 7.3 powerstroke, lots of aftermarket support to keep prices down on parts when/if you need them.

Not sure where the myth that diesels are more expensive to maintain comes from. My 24V cummins needs oil change/filter every 9000 miles. Costs about $50 or 80 at a garage. Fuel filter $30 every second oil change. Aftermarket air filters like K&N never need to be replaced, just cleaned. Not much else to do.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Cool story mayaguana!

Quick question to the truck savvy browsing this thread:

What do you guys think about an late 80s flatbed F350 4x4 with a Cummins 12V swap out of a '93 with new turbo, new injection pump and lift pump, new exhaust manifold, new power raid intake, new radiator and intercooler. 5spd Getrag tranny. Tons of other new parts it seems as well and within my budget. I was hesitant at first with diesel costs, but I keep reading that the first couple of versions of the cummins are so simple and reliable.

Anybody have any feedback specific to this? It's likely a regular cab (no pics yet) but I may be able to talk the lady into that for the right truck?

It ought to be very stout, easy to maintain and cheap for parts. Rust could be a major concern (especially around all of the frame moorings). The Cummins is a very good engine, the biggest concern being which 12 valve variant it is. The 1st Gen "B" series had NO cylinder liners (for rebuild you simply remove the piston and liner, replace them and you're back to factory stock, like the semis and many farm tractors run). What this means is that if it's overheated, the bores are damaged, etc, it has to be bored like a gasser. The fuel pumps differ a bit as well if it's a '94 or earlier it will have a Bosch VE rotary fuel pump (looks like a flying saucer with lines coming out of it). If it's a '94-99 engine, it will have a P7100 In-line pump which is an in-line plunger style pump which is long and rectangular with all six lines coming vertically out of it. The VE is reliable pump, but the 7100 is what built the legend. Either way, if the truck runs-out well, doesn't smoke to beat the band, and is "sorted out" the buy it. It may be one of the best vehicles you'll ever get, especially with the manual.

I'm in the process of buying an '02 F-350 CC/LB Dually/4x4/7.3psd/ZF-6spd. Other than I needed a good wood truck and the price is right, my main intent is to shoe-horn a Cummins in it to bolt to that 6spd manual. Then I will be happy (and either -450 springs or airbags)... It already has a flatbed, so I'm good there. I'm always leery of other people's mechanical adventures, as many can be an internet genius, who have no practical knowledge or business touching a wrench... That said, if it works well and you're happy, buy it and laugh all the way to the bank. I would.

 

[Philbo]

Small update: The Cummins swap F350 was a bust. No call back on that one. It seemed too good to be true for $4k anyway.

Still figuring out what kinda truck to go after. I thought at first that I should stick to a gasser, but after doing a lot of research on the TBI/Vortec 454, it seems there are plenty of fuel/intake related issues with them that are getting to be real headaches at this age in their life cycle. There's the Ford 460, but I haven't put in any time researching common problems with that motor yet. I know the MPG on it hauling/towing are terrrrrible.

A 12v cummins powered truck would be awesome, but out of my budget (can't really find anything 4x4 for under $6k.) The 7.3L powerstrokes are also a bit out of budget, but also seem to have some pretty pricey parts costs (injectors for example) and the cost to rebuild one is pretty high. It seems like the na IDI 7.3 powered trucks could work well for my situation. I'd love to get to the point with a vehicle to have it so simple that I can work on the engine myself without any electrical gremlins or specialized tools. Seems like the IDI is a bulletproof, reliable, simple motor. Only issue I've seen from researching is the coolant additive / cavitation issue, which seems like a big deal but if you can find one that has been well-maintaned then you're probably good. Also, the only 1 ton 4x4 diesels I'm finding in my price range are the IDI or the 6.5L turbo GM, which I've read not so good things about...thoughts?

Also, we have a singlewide mobile home sitting on our property that was here when we bought it. I put it up on Craigslist a couple weeks back with a flexible price on it and had the 1st guy to come look at it hand me cash on the spot for it. He's working on tearing down the added-on mudroom to prepare it to be moved and paying to move it to his new spot. Pretty pumped about this, because it will soon free up the space where I want to either start stacking lots of wood and/or build a simple solar kiln. It also provided some extra tax free income to put towards the truck budget or wood splitter budget!

Things are moving along slowly but surely. Thanks for all the input so far in this thread. Lots of great info given!

 

[zogger]

Write up on the Detroit diesels. I know the enthusiast community has come up with fixes for the earlier problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Diesel_V8_engine

edit: also wanted to say, you can stick a small block chevy in them and vice versa, they were designed to fit with everything else in their light truck and van line. and you can look up how to adapt the existing wiring, etc.

I just did a mechanical lift pump on mine (still in project truck status...new lines are next...), if I had to do it over again, I would have used a blockoff plate and gone to an electric fuel pump..just saying.....

 

[origionalrebel]

them older GM diesels ain't much count. the idi 7.3 is weak as pondwater. you ain't gonna get in no hurry with one.