I've been toying with the idea of starting a firewood business. Not much call for it as primary heating down here but plenty are willing to pay for bundles for barbecue and "mood" fires. I had a stand of mature mesquite, but that deal fell through. How do you pros find your supply? Do you pay for it, or is it just enough that the owner is getting the tree removed? Any help would be appreciated
me being only 13 not knowing alot but i would cut so many trees and then drag them out with a skidder and then junk it up.
Around here where I am Firewood comes from 3 sources. First lots for houses. Usally I can get 3-4 triaxel loads from a house lot by the time the area is cleared for the driveway a spot for the house and the septic system. This wood is usally part of the clearing contract that we get paid to do(I don't do much of this work). The 2nd source is where I get most of my wood and thats from logging. When I buy timber I'm buying as much of the tree as I deem usable. The 3rd source for wood is from tree services that take down storm damage or unwanted yard trees. Getting into the wood business I'm sure is tempting but think about the costs you will have.You will need a dump truck or dump trailer,saws and a way to split it. If you have to buy your wood from a logger or land clearer around here a triaxel load of log length wood is going for 900.00 a load thats about 100.00 a cord. If you can find a source where wood doesn't cost anything then you got it made. The way things are today there are ten people standing in line for wood where there used to be none in the summer. I could take my time picking up wood on cleared lots now when I get a call I jump in the truck and go or someone else will be there ahead of me. I have never had a summer like this where people wanted wood all summer. With heating oil what it is and sources for wood getting few and far between because nobody is building new houses or clearing lots and the log market is at a low not seen in a long time not many loggers are cutting there will be a shortage of wood soon.
Don't expect to make a killing on firewood. I have been doing firewood since I was 14. Right now we have 100 acres and are just cleaning up what is down or dead. We have quite a variety of equipment from tractors to splitter. We are even trying selling bundled firewood at a road side stand.
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We are planning to go to the city market this Christmas season and selling our wreaths, other goods and the bundled firewood. Remember the old saying, firewood heats a man at least 3 times, cutting it, splitting it and stacking it. At least we don't have to travel to get ours. I am supplying ourselves and 2 other family members plus what we sell at this time. I usally work on firewood at least 2 days a week.
To get into firewood from stratch it will take some money. You need to get your equipment, a couple of good saws, splitter, something to haul with and a place to set up. If you were thinking processor plan on minimum of $7500. Remember the more you handle the wood the less profit. If you need to buy the wood that is an addtional cost. Are you going to deliver of sell at your location? Bundles or loose? Believe me I've thought this out many times. Two years ago we moved to Virginia from New York. We had a part time stump grinding business up there that was quite sucessful and that is where at that time we got most of our firewood. Now that we have the land that is where the most comes from but we still do the stump grinding and pick up some wood from this.
I would get a good steady job where someone else has to make the investments and take home the worry every night.
If you want to do firewood start part time on week ends with an old truck, saw, splitter etc.
If you get your own wood out from the stump you will need something to haul it in the woods, ATV, old tractor etc. with a bogie wheel trailer.
Get gear that you can bring home with you as it might be gone, vandalized or burned up when you go back after leaving it in the woods all night.
Buy all your gear used in good shape and of the type that you can sell easily if it doesnt work out.
I always think of how I can get out of a business before I get into it.
I would not jump whole hog into the firewood business.
Thanks for the comments. This is just a part time deal to make a few bucks, not anything big. I've got the truck and saws, still need to work on the splitter. The mesquite I can do by hand, but the oak I'm in right now definately needs some power behind it. I'm hoping to sell it as bundles to a couple of stores, and maybe to supply some bbq operations. Nothing too big, just something to keep gas in the truck. Thanks again
If you were up here in NE I would say go ahead and start a firewood business, it is goin nuts. But, for casual/campfire I would say start slow and invest profits to get bigger.
imho, If you want to get into the firewood business the best way is to get paid for removing the trees. 8)
I took the advice of people here and many times I cut and split right on the owner's property so I do not have to handle it twice. Many times with my chainsaw. It is slow and limited, but, when I do a tree job I make sure I have 120V 15 amp for my electric made in CHINA log splitter. Cost $240 at Lowes on end of season and only weighs about 120 pounds so I can throw it into my truck bed or trailer bed pretty easy without using a trailer with ramps. Nice for small < 20" trees.
High Cost of Heating Oil Ignites Demand for Firewood
August 6 – The Associated Press (AP) has reported that the cost of seasoned firewood in Maine has jumped roughly 50 percent from a year ago. However, it still remains a bargain when compared to the cost of heating oil, which is nearly $2 per gallon more than last year. According to the AP, many customers are doubling their usual firewood orders, and some dealers have had to turn customers away.
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The E-Forester
I did a quick call around today to other sellers. Seem we're out of wood or sitting on it till around thanksgiving. One dealer sold close to 2k cords. Now I wish I had $$$ for a kiln to dry faster. Total solar would be kool but slow.
Quote from: Ron Scott on August 11, 2008, 06:27:21 PM
August 6 – The Associated Press (AP) has reported that the cost of seasoned firewood in Maine has jumped roughly 50 percent from a year ago. However, it still remains a bargain when compared to the cost of heating oil
That pretty well matches what we're seeing here. Last year, dry hardwood was going for $200/cord, cut split and delivered in the local area, maybe a little less if you were lucky. This year, most of the guys who advertise aren't putting the price in their ads. Those that do are saying $280 or $300 per cord for dry, seasoned hardwood. It's getting tough to find wood ready to burn... a lot of people are going to be burning green stuff this year. A lot of people who don't know what they are buying are going to pay for dry and get green stuff and wonder why they are having such a hard time burning it.