How to up production?

[labradorguy]

To answer some of the questions... Yes, I often split it and put it right on the trailer. I've been working though a lot of white oak and red oak that's been down 5 years and I'm getting no complaints about it burning, so I figured why not cut a step out. When I do get ahead, I buck a lot of logs and put them under the roof of the barn. In my area, there does not seem to be any price difference between split for six months and just split. It is so cut-throat and there are so many con artists.... People assume that they are going to get taken no matter what. They price shop right down to the dollar too and won't give an extra five bucks for wood that has been under a roof. It's nuts...

It makes it difficult, but it also has a lot of possibilities. A person could take advantage of that by offering a quality product that burns well, honest volumes, and timely service. It might take a couple years but there is a good possibility of lining up a lot of repeat business and rising above the Craigslist ilk (not everyone, but 99% of them seem to be bad around here).

I don't know if just a wedge will make the difference I am looking for. It would help for sure, but I don't believe my splitter is up to the task.

I have just about made up my mind to purchase a firewood processor. I thought maybe I could rig up some kind of a tumbler too. A clean product would help a person stand out with the city crowd who want their driveways spotless.

I have been looking really hard at the Multitek 1620SS and a similar one from Cord King. There are some others out there, but I definitely want to stay away from the "chainsaw" versions. I see that as a pain.

I'm thinking a person could cut the 10-14" logs while doing TSI then stack them so they can start seasoning. Then you could use the Cat to feed the processor the logs. A conveyor with a debris removal could then drops it right into a dump trailer or into the barn just depending. I am going to use the info I gained here and weld up a panel to divide the trailer in two. I can drop a "thrown cord" into the front and a second one in the back. I don't know if the trailer has the nuts to lift both up, but at worst, I would have to throw half a cord off, then dump the rest. I could then remove the gate and dump the second cord. I lose a cord per trip, but I also don't have to stack three cords before I go or hand bomb two cords at the customer's site. That is going to help a lot!

[Dave Shepard]

Logs don't season well. I've cut red oak left on a header for three or four years and it's just as soggy as when the tree was dropped, maybe worse. :D Most of the water in a log escapes through the end grain, so it really doesn't start to season until it is bucked to firewood lengths.

[Corley5]

I longer attempt to sell seasoned wood.  It's green and my clients now it.  I'm getting them trained to buy it early and season it themselves  ;)

[labradorguy]

Logs don't season well. I've cut red oak left on a header for three or four years and it's just as soggy as when the tree was dropped, maybe worse. :D Most of the water in a log escapes through the end grain, so it really doesn't start to season until it is bucked to firewood lengths.

I'm pulling mine off of a south facing slope that gets a lot of light and air. So far, no complaints, none last year either and several repeats. I should have said that the bigger ones get bucked and then sit. The smaller diameter, no problems so far. I heading out now to knock on some wood. :D

The name of the game is to get ahead of the curve. That is the plan anyways....

[Philbo]

I agree that logs don't season well. Health of the tree and time of year that it was felled plays a bigger part.  Oak especially; it just holds water forever till it is split...but if the customers seem happy with fresh split oak, more power to em!  That's less work for you.

That's nice for those of you that can get the same price selling green wood.  We couldn't get away with that in our current situation, but at the same time we get $300/cord delivered for mixed hardwood (including tulip poplar) split to 4" average splits.  That's top dollar in this area.

I'll be following this thread closely.  We have some of the same goals and scale going on in our operation and a 40+ acre TSI job coming up soon that will yield as much firewood as we can skid out.  Not really in the financial position to buy a new processor by any means, but still dreaming.  How much does the Multitek go for that you are considering?

[Firewoodjoe]

I sold my processor. A 4 way wedge is a must for production with any machine you choose and if your not handling it by hand a cleaner is a must. I don't stack anytime any where. Way to time consuming. And I buy my wood early early spring like February and March and sell it as Seasond the next winter. Never any complaints. Except oak that needs a little longer. If your running split loads put a divider gate in your rig. You can't up production with a sore back. Handle less faster and keep a clean consistent product and they have no reason to go elsewhere unless it's cheap. Then they'll be crawling back. I've never had wood left over for the next season. And you'll never get rich.

[labradorguy]

I agree that logs don't season well. Health of the tree and time of year that it was felled plays a bigger part.  Oak especially; it just holds water forever till it is split...but if the customers seem happy with fresh split oak, more power to em!  That's less work for you.

That's nice for those of you that can get the same price selling green wood.  We couldn't get away with that in our current situation, but at the same time we get $300/cord delivered for mixed hardwood (including tulip poplar) split to 4" average splits.  That's top dollar in this area.

I'll be following this thread closely.  We have some of the same goals and scale going on in our operation and a 40+ acre TSI job coming up soon that will yield as much firewood as we can skid out.  Not really in the financial position to buy a new processor by any means, but still dreaming.  How much does the Multitek go for that you are considering?

Yeah, it sounds like we have the same ideas. $300 a cord is a dream where I am. Too many oaks trees in the Ozarks and too many competitors. I average $200 a cord. I can tack on a $20 delivery on each of three cords so by the time the diesel is paid for, I could say I add a little to that, but not much.

It seems anything decent starts at around 40k.

[labradorguy]

I sold my processor. A 4 way wedge is a must for production with any machine you choose and if your not handling it by hand a cleaner is a must. I don't stack anytime any where. Way to time consuming. And I buy my wood early early spring like February and March and sell it as Seasond the next winter. Never any complaints. Except oak that needs a little longer. If your running split loads put a divider gate in your rig. You can't up production with a sore back. Handle less faster and keep a clean consistent product and they have no reason to go elsewhere unless it's cheap. Then they'll be crawling back. I've never had wood left over for the next season. And you'll never get rich.

Why did you sell your processor Joe? Just curious to hear the other side of the story. It's never as easy as the videos the sales folks send out I'm sure...

[Firewoodjoe]

There worth the money if you can feed it wood steady. I was buying and trucking 100" into my yard and the price of pulp is high enough I wasn't happy with the ending numbers. Figured I'd try cutting at the stump again and handle it less. But now I'm driving loader truck so I may not do as much firewood anyway. Funny how things work out when other things change.

[labradorguy]

There worth the money if you can feed it wood steady. I was buying and trucking 100" into my yard and the price of pulp is high enough I wasn't happy with the ending numbers. Figured I'd try cutting at the stump again and handle it less. But now I'm driving loader truck so I may not do as much firewood anyway. Funny how things work out when other things change.

What kind did you have and what did you think of it when you could keep enough wood in front of it? I wonder about how they handle small stuff? I don't like to waste wood and I want to split everything right down to the branches that are big enough. The videos only show trunks getting split and usually they are pretty nice ones. I can't see feeding a nice straight 18" white oak into it like they seem to do. That doesn't make sense to me. I always have a hard time figuring firewood vs. sawmill on a lot of smaller straight logs, but an 18-20" log seems like a no brainer to me.

[Firewoodjoe]

It was a Dyna. A smaller one. 16" max cut. But we cut our logs down to 8" if it's straight and solid enough to get a cant out of. It was a good machine. I'd buy another one. The harvester chain is only real good in winter cut wood. Those big ones that will cut anything standing with a slasher saw is out of firewood price range as far as I care. $100,000+ is not firewood equipment. And I don't think they would handle 3" stuff well. And you only get that big money production if you cut at full campasity diameter. Mine would cut 2".

[outlawcowboy]

I'm overwhelmed with all the great advice here guys. There is A LOT of knowledge on this forum. Joining it is going to be one of my best moves in a long time...lol. I hope at some point I will be able to repay it with some advice of my own. The only advice I have so far is to tell you to tell your kids not to grow up to be firewood salesmen.

I've been charging $10 to stack a 1/3rd. I feel that's pretty fair. Some people are okay with it, others look at me like I have an arm growing out of my forehead. What are others seeing?

How does a person get into the bundled firewood business? I thought about taking some bundles around to area stores to see if I could work out a deal or two, but I don't even know where to start. Are the stores buying the wood themselves then marking it up however they please and selling it or is the firewood supplier keeping the racks full and paying so much per bundle sold to the store? I would not even have a clue what to ask the store for a bundle.

there are quite a few different ways to do it on the bundle end of firewood. I have a few accounts that just buy a couple cords from me and then they stack and sell it at there price. then i have some accounts that want a 2x2 stack and plastic wrapped. On the accounts that want it 2x2 they just hold the wood for me and sell as people want it then i give them a percentage for letting me store at there store or where ever it maybe there is a few ways to do it i pefer to do the cord accounts and let them deal with it but i make a little more off of the 2x2 stacks cause in state parks you are not allowed to take any wood to burn so people have to buy it. Hope this helps on the bundle. The best advice is to work with the store owner and firgure out what would be the best way for both parties.