early spring, will it effect firewood sales?

logman81 · February 02, 2016, 06:34:27 PM

So its official we are supposed to have a earlier spring and I'm a little concerned it's going to hurt green firewood sales what do you guys think?

Jeff · February 02, 2016, 06:49:19 PM

I'd get your own groundhog with a more personal favorable forecast.

wesdor · February 02, 2016, 07:49:13 PM

Firewood sales here in Western Illinois are just about non-existent. Father and son near us have several cords stacked under cover but no buyers.

logman81 · February 03, 2016, 09:35:00 AM

I've been talking with a few of the other loggers in the area and they seem to think firewood sales is going to drop for this coming season do to the weather being warmer. They won't have burned all their wood so they will have some left over. I would have to agree if it continues to be warmer than normal. I'm probably going to have to lower my price just a tad to keep sales up and hope I sell enough to off set the lower cost. I've got about 400+ cords of standing firewood I'm sitting on right now.

starmac · February 03, 2016, 10:49:14 AM

A combination of warm winter, oil prices and new solid fuel laws here put a huge dent in the firewood and pellet market here this winter, I doubt next year is better.

ForestryEquipment · February 03, 2016, 10:57:30 AM

Starmac, what do you mean when you say "new solid fuel laws"? Are you referring to the new OWB regulations or something else?

rjwoelk · February 03, 2016, 11:49:35 AM

Most of my sales are camp fires so as long as it does not get so dry they put a ban on we will be ok

firechief · February 03, 2016, 01:52:24 PM

1. Heard on the radio yesterday that the groundhog is right 39% of the time.

2. I purposely didn't fire up my OWB until January 1st since natural gas prices were so low. November heating bill was $63 and December bill was $70. Two story house is 2500+ square feet built in 1964. Saved quite a bit of good wood for little cost.

logman81 · February 03, 2016, 10:14:16 PM

We run our boiler year round cause we only have that to heat our home and my work shop. But hopefully the demand from the diehard customers that insist on using wood to heat with.

sandsawmill14 · February 03, 2016, 10:31:56 PM

i feel for you northern guys and all the cold

i still have about 1/4 of my first cord left :D way it looks i may get by with 1-1/2 cord for the year ;D :D :D

starmac · February 03, 2016, 11:26:22 PM

Quote from: ForestryEquipment on February 03, 2016, 10:57:30 AM
Starmac, what do you mean when you say "new solid fuel laws"? Are you referring to the new OWB regulations or something else?

The epa has changed our air quality regulations as far as ppm's go several times the last few years and our borough mayor has been in a tizzy to comply.
It was on the ballot several years and we always voted it down, last yeat they kept it off the ballot and passed some new laws that not only covers owb's, but anything that burns wood,coal or even waste oil.

BargeMonkey · February 06, 2016, 09:07:43 PM

The rules changed last yr on the cheaper indoor stoves, like the stuff you see at TSC. They had to quit production / importing certain types by June 1st, and sell all stock on hand by Dec 31st. I know Taylor won't even bring a stove into NY now after they lost 1 stove to the EPA. Used clean OWB are hard to find, seeing more and more gasification stoves, which are actually alot more efficient.

thecfarm · February 06, 2016, 09:20:14 PM

BargeMonkey,Maine did that too.

BargeMonkey · February 06, 2016, 09:27:19 PM

Quote from: thecfarm on February 06, 2016, 09:20:14 PM
BargeMonkey,Maine did that too.

The biggest changes came thru on the Fed level, but NY always has to out due that and go overboard. About 1/2 an hr this summer @ a meeting about new stove laws, and how FW was going to be HUGE this fall. Had 3-4 FW processor company's there selling machines, I don't think it worked out to well for a few guys this yr. :D we have narrowed it down, my father wants a new built-rite and I want a cord queen. A new one for us would have to be modified to fit inside so it kind of kills buying a used machine, and after watching the new 20" circle saw from cord-King my mind is made up.

thecfarm · February 06, 2016, 09:31:00 PM

Ayup,I meant to say the Feds did it. We have a phamplet in the store for all the ones that don't believe us.
Just like the Dcon pellets. Can't buy them anymore either in Maine. They all went to a bait station and a block.

OH logger · February 07, 2016, 01:25:28 PM

and after watching the new 20" circle saw from cord-King my mind is made up.
[/quote]

I cant find that on their website?? is this that new for them??

JJ · February 07, 2016, 05:28:28 PM

Here in my area process firewood price went up by >25% when price of fuel went up over last couple of years.
Now that price of fuel is down, I hope the price of firewood would fall (sorry you firewood guys), or else I will just burn oil.

Before putting in my wood stove I was burning about 1000gal/year during heating season. I replace that with about 10 cord/year, so if oil is 1.85/gal, then firewood better be less than $185/cord; otherwise I will just shut the OWB down and burn oil.

Currently processed green firewood is $225/cord while #2 oil is $1.80, so I have had my OWB shut down for last 2 weeks; but its been in 40's anyways.

JJ

beenthere · February 07, 2016, 06:10:58 PM

I recall when I built my house, installed the oil boiler for baseboard radiant heat, I burned average of 1850 gal of oil a year... at the per gal cost of $0.158. Oil cost went up so I looked into supplement wood heat.. with oil backup. Now have propane backup and tomorrow will find out how low the propane per gal price is going to be. A year ago it was $1.49.
I've been relying on the propane backup fairly often this winter because the temps have been so mild and feeding the wood boiler is not very efficient in warmer weather.

BargeMonkey · February 07, 2016, 11:53:41 PM

Wish I could have doubled my fw price when on-road fuel was 5.15 gal a few yrs ago. >:( we see an influx every yr of 10-15% with customers switching from oil-pellets or fw. I do alot of government subsidized fw, most of these homes/people don't have the money to pick between fuel sources and wood is relatively low maintenance, I know alot of oil stoves haven't seen much use around here in the last few yrs.

BargeMonkey · February 07, 2016, 11:59:39 PM

Quote from: OH logger on February 07, 2016, 01:25:28 PM
and after watching the new 20" circle saw from cord-King my mind is made up.

I cant find that on their website?? is this that new for them??
[/quote]
http://www.cord-master.com/products/firewood-processors/cord-king-cs20-40/
I would probably go with the larger model, but same speed. I'm not looking for 10 cord an hr, let's be realistic. Even at 3-5 an hr I could do all my wood orders in 1 day a week and get back to the woods, by the time it was delivered I've got another truck and trailer waiting.

FYRWOOD GUY · February 08, 2016, 06:51:34 PM

Quote from: OH logger on February 07, 2016, 01:25:28 PM
and after watching the new 20" circle saw from cord-King my mind is made up.

good choice.i've been runnin' one i bought from them new in '86. that machine will mix in good with your outfit!!

i just hauled in 185+ cords of red oak,and plan on shipping it out in the spring

BargeMonkey · February 08, 2016, 07:10:55 PM

I like your container building. ;) how have they been for support ? We have had a "brute-built-rite" for a LONG time, never had much trouble except stuff just wearing out. I think about 8k hrs on the dial right now. I'm not looking to be the guy doing 2k cord, but 5-600 cord and you could pound out 15-25 cord in a day and get back to something else, I think that's the way to go.

FYRWOOD GUY · February 08, 2016, 07:24:45 PM

thanks!!....the containers are a lot cooler with the roof on,and they support the roof great. i used 2 foot square 1 foot thick cement blocks with re-rod in them on each corner.and i like to do about 10-12 cord a day also if i get the chance. that don't happen often for me. i do about 150-175 in the spring/summer/fall,then it's back to the chainsaw shop next to the woodstove for the winter months. ;D

beenthere · February 08, 2016, 07:26:21 PM

Quote from: beenthere on February 07, 2016, 06:10:58 PM
I recall when I built my house, installed the oil boiler for baseboard radiant heat, I burned average of 1850 gal of oil a year... at the per gal cost of $0.158. Oil cost went up so I looked into supplement wood heat.. with oil backup. Now have propane backup and tomorrow will find out how low the propane per gal price is going to be. A year ago it was $1.49.
I've been relying on the propane backup fairly often this winter because the temps have been so mild and feeding the wood boiler is not very efficient in warmer weather.

$1.099 for Propane this morning.. seems almost that the gas is near nothing and storing cost, handling, distributing, and delivering would eat up most of that per gallon price.

OH logger · February 08, 2016, 07:42:08 PM

[/quote]
http://www.cord-master.com/products/firewood-processors/cord-king-cs20-40/
I would probably go with the larger model, but same speed. I'm not looking for 10 cord an hr, let's be realistic. Even at 3-5 an hr I could do all my wood orders in 1 day a week and get back to the woods, by the time it was delivered I've got another truck and trailer waiting.
[/quote]

I see you mean model 20. I thought you meant they are comin out with a model with a 20 inch circle saw on it. my bad :-[