Trying to get into the wood splitting business

[damato333]

I can see that a TW 5 would be quicker with wood that could take full advantage of the 6 way splitter, I have used a Hydraulic with a 4 way, I am quicker than that with mine, spent too much time clearing split wood out of the way. Now if it had a conveyor that would even it up.

I have a conveyor.

 

[Como]

I have a conveyor.

I bought some plans of E Bay for one, I have a spare engine.

Quite when I will get around to is another issue.

That leaves the main slow down factor, picking up wood, a second person and a conveyor I think I could triple my production.

 

[johncinco]

They sure do care when I can split the same amount two to three times as fast and in the end even though charge more an hour I still will be cheaper cause a horizontal/vertical splitter will take longer and cost more.

No they don't.




People who understand cords per hour/cost per cord/cost of cutting, splitting, stacking, all do their own wood because they have taken the time to figure it out and know what they have involved into it. Other people, they are going to see you want 100 or $80 an hour, and I show up and say I am $30 an hour to do the same job. Even when I say it is $30 a MAN HOUR, meaning I plan on bringing another person and finishing in half the time, I am still at $60 an hour. THATS what people understand.

Think I am wrong? Look at the toyota prius or any car like that. People see 60 miles to the gallon and buy them. After 4 years when they have to drop $5,000 into replacing the batteries, it might dawn on them it wasn't such a great deal after all. Too late then.

This thread is like watching Special Olympics.

 

[tomtrees58]

i do over a cord and hour

 

[Como]

I looked at the TW5, 6 second cycle, 6 way wedge, I would have thought 3 or 4 cords an hour easy, what am I missing?

 

[tomtrees58]

I looked at the TW5, 6 second cycle, 6 way wedge, I would have thought 3 or 4 cords an hour easy, what am I missing?

your splitting little wood most of my logs are 4' dba or bigger

my logs

 

[kmcinms]

your splitting little wood most of my logs are 4' dba or bigger

my logs

That's a purty log.
damato, hope you get to split a lot of wood and make a lot of folks happy. I split by the cord and sell by the cord. Mild winters, storm trees, and lots of competition here, keep me from making anything worth talking about.
My splitter is 18 years old and still going strong. Nuttin' fancy, but makes a lot of folks happy :msp_thumbup:

 

[johncinco]

I looked at the TW5, 6 second cycle, 6 way wedge, I would have thought 3 or 4 cords an hour easy, what am I missing?

How fast a human being can work. Its money well spent when the slowest part of your operation is you.

 

[scotte303]

Cost of wood in north jersey

Read this on CL. In one of the most expensive areas in the country.

UNSEASONED FIREWOOD


WE ARE SELLING SPLIT OAK FIREWOOD THAT IS ABOUT 5 MONTHS OLD . THE ENDS ARE ALREADY SPLITTING AND GETTING COLOR. WE KEEP THE WOOD STACKED SO IT WILL DRY FASTER. MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE MIXING THIS WITH THIER SEASONED WOOD.

$ 75 HALF CORD

$ 145 FULL CORD

$ 125 PER CORD IF YOU BUY 2 CORDS OR MORE

CALL OR TEXT

201-206-5991

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY

Geez, if I didn't
love splitting wood so much, I would prolly call these guys.

 

[tld400]

Read this on CL. In one of the most expensive areas in the country.

UNSEASONED FIREWOOD


WE ARE SELLING SPLIT OAK FIREWOOD THAT IS ABOUT 5 MONTHS OLD . THE ENDS ARE ALREADY SPLITTING AND GETTING COLOR. WE KEEP THE WOOD STACKED SO IT WILL DRY FASTER. MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE MIXING THIS WITH THIER SEASONED WOOD.

$ 75 HALF CORD

$ 145 FULL CORD

$ 125 PER CORD IF YOU BUY 2 CORDS OR MORE

CALL OR TEXT

201-206-5991

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY

Geez, if I didn't
love splitting wood so much, I would prolly call these guys.

Im from south jersey and have seen wood for sale on CL for 90 dollars a cord of oak but mos guys in my town get 160 to 200 a cord. When its cheap it is tempting.

 

[kmcinms]

Is it a full cord

I'd like to go to their wood yard,measure out a full cord, then hand him $90 and see what he says.

 

[Matt Bourdon]

I just bought this log splitter in December and I'm trying to get into splitting other peoples wood for them. I figure for a tree company or a land clearing company it would be worth it cause they will be paid 2 or 3 times for the same wood. Also homeowners that had trees cut down or fall down and want firewood. I can do a cord in a little over an hour. If it's straight and no knots than an hour. I calculated it out and figured out that $100 an hour would cover my expenses. That includes my truck, log splitter, 2 people do the work, gas, and any clean up that is needed. I had one guy call me and he said he needed 60 cords split and he told me it was already cut into firewood length. I told him it would be $750 a day for an 8 hour day. I gave him a little break because of the volume of work. I thought that price was reasonable for everything that I am putting out. He told me he already got a qoute from a guy with a processor for $500 a day. I just don't believe that. That seems really low. If anyone can give me some input on this. Let me know if my quote is high, low, or right on. I also would like some input on how to go about getting people to pay me to split their wood.

I just bought this log splitter in December and I'm trying to get into splitting other peoples wood for them. I figure for a tree company or a land clearing company it would be worth it cause they will be paid 2 or 3 times for the same wood. Also homeowners that had trees cut down or fall down and want firewood. I can do a cord in a little over an hour. If it's straight and no knots than an hour. I calculated it out and figured out that $100 an hour would cover my expenses. That includes my truck, log splitter, 2 people do the work, gas, and any clean up that is needed. I had one guy call me and he said he needed 60 cords split and he told me it was already cut into firewood length. I told him it would be $750 a day for an 8 hour day. I gave him a little break because of the volume of work. I thought that price was reasonable for everything that I am putting out. He told me he already got a qoute from a guy with a processor for $500 a day. I just don't believe that. That seems really low. If anyone can give me some input on this. Let me know if my quote is high, low, or right on. I also would like some input on how to go about getting people to pay me to split their wood.

Business is political. Some businesses will do jobs at cost just to get their work in before you, because word of mouth is number one marketing. Even if they lost a few bucks, it would be profitable long term. Business is pretty much a political war, and you gotta get dirty and take hits for the team. $500 would cover the cost of 2 employee's making $12/hr, working a 60 hour week (a $1680 labor fee to them)/ (That's including over time). Meaning they will make double their costs with over time included. Being as you'd be making $3500 for say...75 hours/ 150 man-hours is still $50 coming in, and only $24 going out per hour...or 108% profit. I think $750/day is a little high myself. And if I was just about to spend $3500, I'd be shopping around and doing the math.

 

[tomtrees58]

this is a back saver

 

[tomtrees58]

 

[shamusturbo]

That was one of the toughest threads to read through. However, a TON of good points made by a hundreds of years of experience. I know the thread is almost 4 years old but is your splitter paid for itself yet?

I charge $100 hour for a $55k processor and 2 guys for mobile processing. Keep in mind I am burning 3-5 gallons of fuel an hour with almost 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid and a $4k spinning buzz saw. I have had limited success in a very distinct, profitable market. D+B Mack mentioned about the yuppies of Western PA. He is absolutely correct. I live between a very affluent part of the area (we have a ton of medical and technology companies in Pittsburgh) and a very, very old farming community. I have had very different levels of success doing a lot of the things referenced here. (processing for hire, splitting for hire, light landclearing etc.)

I've had a TW-5 for 5 or so years and have changed the oil maybe 10 times in it and the hydraulic fluid once. That's it. And it was our main piece of splitting equipment for 2 years at 120-140 full cords a year. And really, how much is an engine replacement?

As for the flywheel splitter, we kick ourselves for waiting so long to get one. If we had to downsize and keep one of the 6 splitters we have, that would be the one. As mentioned, leave the big pieces behind. They aren't worth the hassle. Or get an inverted skidsteer splitter and never leave the seat.

It took 3 pages of discussion to make it to the fireworks BUT, ALWAYS GIVE A TOTAL, HARD PRICE! People aren't smart enough to do the math that if I have 10 cords (or so I think) then $100 an hour for 2 cords works out to $50 a cord, split and piled. THEY DON"T THINK IT THROUGH LIKE THAT.

Instead this is the thought process: "I want this pile turned into firewood and I have $653 in my bank account. I can swing $400...." There is no production, cord an hour thought process. I promise. I have seen it 1000 times.

This is the foundaition to an old barn. The pile is 3 tri-axles (6 cords per) and another 4-5 cords gathered by the landowner. This was 6 machine hours, 2 mobe and demobe. 20-24" length and bigger splits. Processor in the background. The landowner loaded the processor himself and struggled to keep up with an older JD 8875.

 

[damato333]

That was one of the toughest threads to read through. However, a TON of good points made by a hundreds of years of experience. I know the thread is almost 4 years old but is your splitter paid for itself yet?

I charge $100 hour for a $55k processor and 2 guys for mobile processing. Keep in mind I am burning 3-5 gallons of fuel an hour with almost 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid and a $4k spinning buzz saw. I have had limited success in a very distinct, profitable market. D+B Mack mentioned about the yuppies of Western PA. He is absolutely correct. I live between a very affluent part of the area (we have a ton of medical and technology companies in Pittsburgh) and a very, very old farming community. I have had very different levels of success doing a lot of the things referenced here. (processing for hire, splitting for hire, light landclearing etc.)

I've had a TW-5 for 5 or so years and have changed the oil maybe 10 times in it and the hydraulic fluid once. That's it. And it was our main piece of splitting equipment for 2 years at 120-140 full cords a year. And really, how much is an engine replacement?

As for the flywheel splitter, we kick ourselves for waiting so long to get one. If we had to downsize and keep one of the 6 splitters we have, that would be the one. As mentioned, leave the big pieces behind. They aren't worth the hassle. Or get an inverted skidsteer splitter and never leave the seat.

It took 3 pages of discussion to make it to the fireworks BUT, ALWAYS GIVE A TOTAL, HARD PRICE! People aren't smart enough to do the math that if I have 10 cords (or so I think) then $100 an hour for 2 cords works out to $50 a cord, split and piled. THEY DON"T THINK IT THROUGH LIKE THAT.

Instead this is the thought process: "I want this pile turned into firewood and I have $653 in my bank account. I can swing $400...." There is no production, cord an hour thought process. I promise. I have seen it 1000 times.

This is the foundaition to an old barn. The pile is 3 tri-axles (6 cords per) and another 4-5 cords gathered by the landowner. This was 6 machine hours, 2 mobe and demobe. 20-24" length and bigger splits. Processor in the background. The landowner loaded the processor himself and struggled to keep up with an older JD 8875.

View attachment 512230

Is that a woodbine processor?

 

[shamusturbo]

Is that a woodbine processor?

It is. It's a 2013 rapid Loco 20. It has about 400 hours on it. We bought it outside Jacksonville Florida last New Years Eve. We had the green monster splitter from the same company before that. I wish we could have afforded to keep it too. It lives in Clyde Ohio. I still keep in contact with the owner.

 

[damato333]

It is. It's a 2013 rapid Loco 20. It has about 400 hours on it. We bought it outside Jacksonville Florida last New Years Eve. We had the green monster splitter from the same company before that. I wish we could have afforded to keep it too. It lives in Clyde Ohio. I still keep in contact with the owner.

From the videos I've watched they make a quality processor.

 

[ponyexpress976]

this is a back saver

Tomtrees, how much can you pick up with that grapple? I have the bucket style on my mini and was wondering if there was any appreciable difference in the two styles. I use mine for logs and boulders.

 

[no tree to big]

Tomtrees, how much can you pick up with that grapple? I have the bucket style on my mini and was wondering if there was any appreciable difference in the two styles. I use mine for logs and boulders.

It's not just the weight capacity, u can drag brush and pick up long logs and take them through a narrow opening vs cutting shorter to go sideways.

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