It's Here!!!!

[Corley5]

I just tallied my firewood production as of this evening and it's right at 80 16" face cords 8) 8)  I let my ads lapse week because I was getting low on wood and what I had wasn't as seasoned as it should have been.  I had one complaint and quit selling it.  I checked with the other customers I sold some of it to and they were happy.  The retired Catholic school teachers (nuns) were more than happy with it and said that the guy that complained must not know how to burn wood ;) ;D   He did say that he had a real good stove and the wood just sizzled.  Didn't bother to tell him to give it some air.  I did tell him I had different wood coming that was drier and offered to take him a face cord free of charge and he told me not to bother if it wasn't any drier than what he'd already gotten.  I guess he's not getting anymore :  I was by his place today and there was smoke coming out of his chimney so he must be getting along with it ;D  One observation that I've made is most people don't know what a cord (face cord or standard) is and have been taken advantage of.  When I deliver a two cord load I quite often have the buyer tell me they've never gotten that much wood before : ;D 8)  I backed into one guys drive with a load and he came out and looked in the trailer and asked "So how mucha that goes here ???"  "All of it" was my reply ;D  "Oh, OK That'll last us a couple years" he replied.  At another place they wanted a single cord but I told them it was gonna cost them more so they ordered two.  When I got there they had a SMALL blue tarp laid out between a couple trees beside the garage where I was supposed to throw it off :  I'd told the guy that it was coming in dump trailer and asked about access etc and was assured that it wasn't problem.  He of course wasn't there which I think was planned so I had to deal with her.  The driveway was a semi circle that was downhill on both ends, there were scarred trees at both ends because it was so narrow and 5 inches of wet snow to boot.  After much discussion with her I convinced her to let me dump it where they'd been pushing snow but she only wanted me to dump one face cord : :  I explained to her that I couldn't just dump one and they'd ordered two and it was a long trip for only one anyway.  The compromise came in the end I dumped about 1.25 cords and charged her for 1.5 but then the weight was all on the back of the trailer and it took some effort to get out of the driveway.  I thought I was gonna have to throw the remaining wood back to the front of the trailer to put the weight back on the truck but I made it out after roughing up the ice and snow in front of the tires.  She was still very pleasant as 98% of the people I've dealt withhave been thus far.  The only time I felt that I was taken advantage of was when I dumped the load and was informed that I'd quoted them the price to include stacking.  She didn't speak real good English or wanted me to think that and had, I feel, used that to her advantage : :( She's the one that told me that someone else had called back and would deliver and stack for $50.00 a cord.  I told her they'd better buy from him next time ;)  I agreed to stack it.  It was the only way I was gonna get paid, but her old fat husband had to help me.  I just about worked him to his end and it was only 1 face cord ;D ;) 8)  It only took an extra 15 minutes but just the same that wasn't the deal I'd made.  Chalked that one up as learning experience ;) ;D  Most people have the money in hand as soon you get there.   I've only had the one bad check and I got my money anyway, most people pay in cash 8) 8) 8) 8)  A lot of what I've sold is destined for fireplaces.  I've had different customers tell me they don't burn wood for heat they burn it because they like to watch the fire 8) 8)  I'm enjoying myself thus far.  Expenses are high for 100", and fuel for the machines and truck but it's still worthwhile and I'm working for myself not someone educated beyond their intelligence.  As soon as spring breaks I'm going to start producing my own wood to process and sell green and to stockpile for next winter.  I'd like to go into next years heating season with 120+ pulp cords in the yard 8) 


Here's Mark Everingham of Everingham Enterprises of Afton Mi unloading the second of two loads for the day.  The wood came from a new homesite and is mixed sugar maple, beech and ash.  It isn't quarantined ash ;)  Mark's a good operator.  The site was less than ideal and not plowed as well as the owner said he'd have it but we got in and out twice with about 15 cords total.  The truck is Western Star and he normally pulls a pup but left it at the shop for this job ;)  Payment for the wood is a portion processed into firewood and three black cherry logs cut into 1X.  Works for me.


Bob Lashuay delivering  the last of three  three cord loads today.  Quite a difference between the two trucks  eh?  ;D  I just happened to drive by this pile of wood last week that had been cut for several months and after a couple attempts caught up with him Thursday.  He started delivering Friday.  He's got four stakes on the back of the dump bed.  Two are wood two are steel.  Since by law you can't use wooden stakes.  He pulls the steel stakes as they don't touch the load and cuts the wooden ones with a chainsaw and jumps back  ;D  Then tips the bed.  Another operator used the same system around here years ago.  It wooks


My log yard as of this evening.  There's 35+- cords and I've got another supplier bringing in another ten.  That should get me through the winter ???  Mark also told me he may be able to get another load (10cord) of stained dry maple saw bolts






I checked the hours on the engine tonight and there's 51.7 on it.  I guess it's broken in   I changed the oil and filter at 20 hours per Honda's recommendation.  No problems at all with machine just me :  I had one big log with an even bigger knot coming ahead on the chain and just as it got to guard over the saw it rolled and the knot caught the guard beding it before I could get it stopped :(  Not a big deal to take it apart and straighten it but just them same.  I also spread one of the sides next to the splitting wedge.  A buddy stopped and I was talking and operating at the same time and a piece got a little sideways : :.  Some people shouldn't talk and operate at the same time


Of course the Logrite 30" cant hook and matching hookaroon have become indispensible parts of the operation.  The canthook is much handier than the 48" wooden handled one I've got and the hookaroon is great to straighten out the log piles and level off the wood in the trailer.

[Paul_H]

Good write up Greg I'm glad to see it's all coming together for you with the processor.Nice Farm too!

[Fla._Deadheader]

Sure looks great, Greg.  Beats Hammer and Wedges and Mauls, EH ???

[Tom]

Go gett'em Chief!   You make seem almost fun.   It's hard for a customer to complain when you "nice'em" to death, eh?   Keep a little book so you know when they talk to you next time.  To some folks, that "use you up" attitude is a lifestyle.

[SwampDonkey]

Wow, that's quite a bunch of firewood processed. I was reading and grinning over all your adventures with the buyers and suppliers.  ;D   8)

[Captain]

Jeez, Corley.  This thread just came back to the top...and I'm trying to hide it from my wife.  She is the firewood processor now  ;D  and would want one of these contraptions in a heartbeat....congrats and it is looking good.  Seriously, keep up the reports.

Captain

[Norm]

Thanks for the great write up and pictures Greg.

[Coon]

Sounds like you have upped your production since you got the machine.  I would love one of em but..... the $$$ is hard to come by.  Keep up the good work.  Remeber you just can satisfy all customers no matter how hard you try.  Next time one of b***h's about it tell them to go cut their own and haul it home, somebody else would be more than happy to buy it.  Keep that lil black book at hand and doulble the price for them the next time they call.
Brad.

[OLD_ JD]

way to go Corley5 ;) 8)...sound like u having good time 8) ;)

[Corley5]

Thanks guys 8)  I am having a good time and that's the best part ;D ;D ;D ;D  Every load delivered is an adventure.  I've been doing some more figuring today both in my head and on paper and the outlook for the operation isn't bad 8)   Buying the logs to feed it is profitable but costly.  I need to move a larger volume to make more $$$$$$$ but it's hard to be cost competive when you're paying 65-70 dollars a cord trucked in especially with fuel costs and there's always one guy........  The last couple weeks I've been the only one in the Gaylord shopper papers 8) 8).  This week I'm the only ad in one but the other has two other ads one for the same price as mine and the other @ 45 bucks a face cord delivered in Otsego County : : : :  What an idiot ;)  He's fifteen bucks less than the rest of us and could get $55 just as easy as 45.  I'm sure he's doing it with a chainsaw and a pick up and man!! that's a lot of work for not much money.  He'll sell out quick ;D if he can keep up ;) and there's a bunch of heating season left here ;D   March'll be good ;D  I quit wasting my money advertising in Petoskey's papers as there were five other ads advertising the same thing at the same price as me.  In the latest edition one of them dropped to $55.00.  Wonder who's selling wood over there this week ???   I'm still the only ad in the Cheboygan papers.  By harvesting my own wood from the farms I can be MUCH more competive.  Depending on demand this summer I'll see how it figures out.  Is it more productive to produce the firewood logs myself or would that time be better spent processing purchased wood ???  My plan as it is now is to cut our own properly managed wood to pay for machine.  After that is accomplished and my market is better established I'll go back to buying pulp wood.
  One wish I have is for a regular firewood conveyor.  The old hay elevator is working but it really isn't made for firewood ;) and can be a PITA at the worst times >:( ;)  I've got a lead on an old coal elevator that looks like it would work better but is a bit narrow.  If it was setup inline with processor I think it'd be alright.  I also know of several more old hay elevators around the country ;).  I can buy a bunch of old hay elevators for the cost of a new or even used one built for firewood.  There is also a LOT scrap from the operation.  The .404 X .080 chain makes big piles of sawdust pretty quick, and there's always lots of slivers, splinters, bark etc.. to shovel out from underneath the machine.  After the Big Rush it was easier to pull the machine ahead and use the loader bucket to scoop up the pile.  There were several buckets ;D   
  I've got tenative plans to do some bundle wood for some of the local stores but that won't be til next year and with a State Forest Campground just down the road a few piles of dry firewood in the yard with a sign should do good ;).  The State Parks also let bids for firewood supplies.  I'm investigating that market as we speak   Ya, I'm having a good time.  Especially doing what I want and acting on my own ideas rather than acting out someone else's.         

[DoubleD]

Corley that's a really nice processor, I really like those american style firewwod processor. I see in the pic a lot of wood in your yard  You could have a lot of fun 8) 8) 8)

[Corley5]

Had another 10 cords come in tonight.  This batch is 90% sugar maple and appears to be nice and dry 8) 8) 8)  Jaroche Bros supplied this load.  It came out of Mike's personal stash 8) 8)  This should get me through the season especially since we're headed south for a bit in few days;) and provide lots more fun.  The wood and the trip ;) ;D  I've got orders for 9.5 face cords currently and some guys who are doing a winter camping excursion in the Pigeon River SF may pick up a cord Friday.  Don't understand why you'd want to camp in the winter but if that's what you're into and you buy firewood from me  8) .  I don't like horses either but like people buying hay from me to feed them ;).  I looked into the Scandinavian processors namely the Hakki Pete and they seemed like a good machine but I just wasn't sure.  The price was comparable between the Block Buster and the Hakki 1X Easy.  I was talking to Jerry from Block Buster a few days ago and he said they've sent 2 18-22 processors to Denmark to a guy who was former dealer for Hakki ;)  

[DoubleD]

 I was talking to Jerry from Block Buster a few days ago and he said they've sent 2 18-22 processors to Denmark to a guy who was former dealer for Hakki ;)

Thank you for the advice one of this Block Buster is on my wish list ;D  8) ;D 8)

[Weekend_Sawyer]

When I sold Firewood I kept a book with coustomers Name, Phone, Address, A tick mark for each cord they bought and an X if I would not sell to them again.

I have to write everything down. The first page of my book had my notes to the buyers.
Went something like this.

I sell only TRUE half or full cords. Price.

I deliver and dump where I can get my truck.

I don not stack.

My wood is all hardwood, seasoned and split to 18" unless otherwise requested.

Every now and then someone would want to argue about stacking or price and I would show them the first page of my book.  Like you said earlier, a lot of times the coustomer would be surprized about the amount of wood saying "We only got half that from the last guy." and I would inform them that they had been took.

I only advertized for the first 2 years, after that it was all word of mouth.
I still enjoy cutting and splitting wood but I don't do it for profit anymore.

Good luck, looks like a great machine.
Jon

[Corley5]

I delivered 2 face cords yesterday and the guy was really pleased with the wood and the amount of it 8)  He then proceeded to tell me about the last bunch of wood they bought.  It was six cords of wood that was so damp it wouldn't burn so he left it stacked to dry to burn this season.  Once dry it burned up fast.  He had a little bit left and it was nice dry basswood ;D  I've got a delivery tomorrow and the woman was very concerned about the size of the cord.  I told her it was a stack 4' high X 8' long of wood 16"s in length, that she'd get enough wood to make two of those stacks and if it stacked up to less to let me know and I'd make it up.  She then told me that the last wood they bought came in two single cord loads from the same guy and the "cords" were different sizes.  The 2nd one was much smaller :(

[UNCLEBUCK]

When I would drive across the u.p. in the winter I always liked to crack the window a hair and smell the woodsmoke coming out of peoples homes . Pine was the best smelling . Everyone seemed to have a woodpile somewhere near their homes. Get over my direction and it is not as common as its all farm fields . Glad to hear your wood chopper is working good for ya Corley .  My dad is burning basswood right now and it works but a cold arctic snap I heard is a few weeks away so I guess it will be time to get some ash scrounged up.  Be careful so you dont get your boot laces caught in that monster !

[crtreedude]

When we were first married (like more than 20 years ago) we heated with wood. This was in Ithaca NY. I used to put up 8 full cords a year. I really prefered a mix. Most of it was oak, maple and ash - but I always liked to have some lighter stuff for getting the fire going quick and to take the chill of the house in the spring and fall.

I really did enjoy cutting wood and such. A local man had 200 acres of forest, and he had people come in and just drop trees to improve the lot - as long as I shared wood with him I cut, there was no problem. We would go up there and camp for the weekends while I cut. He had a nice bass pond too.

It is interesting - but in my software job, there were many many experiences that I had that I can vaguely recall - but those times working out in the woods are very clear to me.

8 full cords of wood was something like 3 small pickup truck full if I remember correctly. That was a lot of wood!

[SwampDonkey]

They was the smallest cords of wood I ever heard tell of. :D :D

[Murf]

I think I like Fred's definition of a "pickup truck" if he can get 8 cords of wood in 3 loads.

Dat sounds like a real truck, da kinda ting dat would make Tim Taylor proud.  :D