Anyone in the firewood business?

[338_MtRushmore]

Prior to last week I had probably only cut 4 cords of pine in my life. A buddy of mine told me he found some oak and I'm thinking cool, you found a few trees. I finally go to help him and find a pile of at least 300 cord of oak.

One thing led to another and I am picking up an 11k pound mini excavator tomorrow. We are hoping to haul 15 cords a day for 30 days. I would have never guessed I'd be getting into the firewood game. It almost feels like a grownups lemonade stand... a get rich quick scheme lol

 

[Eldorado828]

It almost feels like a grownups lemonade stand... a get rich quick scheme lol

The way you said that....
That's funny right there!

 

[midnight special]

at 25 dollars a wheelbarrel load that yankees pay for it here in florida because to lazy to pick up off the road side on yard waste days pickup,, they might make some cash,

 

[338_MtRushmore]

Owning 150 to $200k worth of firewood in a month or so sure seems worth it. Granted it would take another 2+ months to buck and split, but would be decent filler work for a while.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Sounds like a lot of fun. (Work) Rent yourself a processor. We used to split and burn about 10 cords a year, my in-laws about 7, my parents about 5. I could put $600 a weekend selling the extra we had, and even with a log splitter, by Monday morning I felt like I got hit by a truck. About 7 years ago we got a gas furnace and never looked back. Be safe.

 

[whiteastro]

Spent most of my younger years hand processing firewood to heat my huge older home. It is a younger man's game. Spent last Saturday processing a little firewood for my garage and at 72 my old carcass talked to me for the rest of the day & night. Yesterday was Senior citizens hunting day for deer and went to a woods that had been timbered off. All I could do is see all the firewood left behind and weep because it will go to waste while I spend a fortune to heat this house with coal and fuel oil.

 

[Keto]

I've been burning wood the last few years in a little house. Mostly cut off of the family farm, and bought a little 25-ton splitter that was sure a shoulder and back saver.
I bought wood last year and I'm trying to stay up a couple of years because of the catalytic blaze King stove I have.

 

[Keto]

So you're going to use the excavator to haul in logs and then when you get it to your location you're going to cut and split it, or how?

 

[338_MtRushmore]

So you're going to use the excavator to haul in logs and then when you get it to your location you're going to cut and split it, or how?

Basically just using the excavator to dig through the pile, move stumps, and load 10 foot logs on the trailer.

 

[Keto]

Basically just using the excavator to dig through the pile, move stumps, and load 10 foot logs on the trailer.

It sounds like a nice way to get him back to the place you're going to cut and split.

 

[AudioShockwav]

We used wood as our primary source of heat for many years, even the family home has wood heat.
Decided that I had abused my back long enough cutting and splitting 5 to 7 cords a year, went to central heat.
Seasoned and split oak is around $300 a cord delivered and stacked for those who buy it.
It's a lot of work as you get older.
Felling trees, cutting splitting, hauling, stacking,
yearly maintenance on the stoves, pipe cleaning, replacing gaskets.

73
Jeff

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

We used to burn about six cords a year. We had a wood furnace and an oil furnace. Got rid of them bith ten years ago and installed a ducted heat pump. The AC is nice. Three years ago we installed a Harmon pellet stove and couldn't be happier. It supplies 95% or better of the winters heat. Nice and ckean and it takes less than an hour to put three pallets, 195 bags, of pellets into the basement.

 

[whiteastro]

Three years ago we installed a Harmon pellet stove and couldn't be happier. It supplies 95% or better of the winters heat. Nice and ckean and it takes less than an hour to put three pallets, 195 bags, of pellets into the basement.

Considered switching to pellets but will have to do some investigation and see if the availability has got better around here. The price of coal has got worse but so has everything else also.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Considered switching to pellets but will have to do some investigation and see if the availability has got better around here. The price of coal has got worse but so has everything else also.

No problem getting them here in early fall. I usually get three pallets delivered around the end of September/first of October while they are plentiful. Several years ago there was a shortage when a major supplier had a fire but the past few years supply has been great. Just don't expect to top off your supply in the spring however. The pellets I buy are made about 50 miles away at Marwood Industries which actually make the pellets as a byproduct of their other wood manufacturing business and as such they can control what goes into them better. Despite hardwood being better to burn for heat, softwood pellets actually produce a bit more heat due to the higher resin content that burns hotter. Not that you can really tell the difference from appearance or texture mind you.

 

[338_MtRushmore]

The first day went ok considering I've never operated a hoe before. After a few hours I got a little cocky and when I dropped the end of a log on my blade I tried to tooth it and drag it out with the tracks. Didn't go as planned and I broke a hydraulic line, that cost me 3 hours and $120.

Oak goes for $450/cord with close delivery. If they ask about stacking, well... we don't do that for less than $100, maybe more. We haven't decided yet. I'm honestly not even interested in selling pine for $300, just not enough profit unless using a processor, and then it turns into a job. I'm not looking for a job.