Michigan pallet market help please

[Tbenson122684]

I am new here and interested in starting up my own mill.    I am looking at a lt40 or comparable mill.  


I am looking for actual advice on cutting pallet stock.     I know it is a high volume low profit job.    It is something to get me started.    My problem is no pallet companies want to talk price since i do not have a mill in my possession yet.  I have access to lots of timber on my own property but it wont last forever and i would have to take time to cut is and be away from the mill.    Want to be sure i can buy materials and stay profitable even if it is low.  

Does anybody have knowledge of this market in western lower michigan?     and what are pallet cants or logs going for?   Hardwood or softwood.  

Any info is greatly appreciated and thank you for your time.

[thecfarm]

Just a thinking out loud,I have trees too. I have or had about 150 acres of timber. None went through my mill for money. I just sell logs. My Father and me bought a tractor and a 3pt winch to log with. Now I don't have time to log and have someone else log my land. BUT the real money was when we was doing the logging. Might be just as easy,quick,money wise, to sell logs instead of lumber.

[Woodpecker52]

Money is in the product not the resource.

[Ricker]

At least here the money is in what you can sell at any time. If you try to survive on pallet stock here, if you could find a market, you'd starve to death.  But you can sell pallet grade logs every day for a fair price as a one man operation.

[Tbenson122684]

I appreciate the input.      I currently cut logs for a few small mills locally.     It is decent money but would like to get out of a 60-70 hr a week job and work at home for my self.      My land will not handle many more years of logging.     It is 300+ acres and has supported me for the past 10 years       I would like to do something with my own wood to make a little extra profit on the side.    Is there a market in west Michigan for any type of milling on a small scale that would be worth entering?   

[Tbenson122684]

Ricker. Where are you from?

[Ricker]

Central maine

[starmac]

Have you considered building something that sells out of the wood you mill? There has to be something that would sell easily in your area.