Re: Firewood
[Re: TheYouthTrapper]
#8046251
01/11/24 10:10 AM
01/11/24 10:10 AM
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,042 Wisconsin
Bear Tracker
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 3,042
Wisconsin
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Good advice here plus some. It is really depending on how big you are looking to go. For gas money you are fine, look into Fiskars. As stated sharper be safe. I and my brother put up around 25 log cord a year. Split some by hand but if you shop around and sell a few more bags you can find a pretty cheap wood splitter, even watch auctions. You could upscale your business if you choose. I use a picaroon a lot and also have a can't hook. You may look into a 3-1 tool for rolling it, lift when cutting. etc.
I have a former student I helped get started as an economics class project. He started like you, went to a small campground, and drove around every evening, then he purchased a splitter, let his dad use it also in exchange for chainsaw use, then he bought his own saws. The he expanded to gas stations around the area. Now he has a big processor and has contracts with major gas station chains in Wi. It is his business and making a very good living. He also employs 4 high schoolstudents part time through out the year.
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Re: Firewood
[Re: TheYouthTrapper]
#8046252
01/11/24 10:11 AM
01/11/24 10:11 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 36,265 Central, SD
Law Dog
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 36,265
Central, SD
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If you plan on expanding you will need to move up to power equipment so start thinking about a hydraulic splitter ASAP. Once you get way ahead think about expanding then. Just curious what kind of wood your splitting here in SD by hand as a lot of its not easy to split in some places like where I’m at it’s a lot of elm, ash and cottonwood here?
Worked as a Park Ranger in the State Park system here in SD and find people just want to have a fire anytime even if it’s a100 degrees out and in the middle of the day. Why you would have a fire going then was crazy to me. Some places processed their own wood some bought it pre bundled depending on the managers.
Figure out anyplace a camper visits while camping and try to get your wood in those businesses like C stores, gas stations, hardware and grocery stores higher traffic areas.
I think 2 short handle pickaroons would be a back/arm saver in handling volume wood amounts as wood gets slippery in a lot of ways. Check out a place called Baileysonline.com for pickaroon supplies.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Firewood
[Re: TheYouthTrapper]
#8046259
01/11/24 10:20 AM
01/11/24 10:20 AM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 20,347 Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
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Posts: 20,347
Green County Wisconsin
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when I briefly sold bagged wood it was Large mesh onion bags you could slide a 5 gallon pail into one. hence my loading method
the wood sold at a friends farmers market stand so it had to be easy to transport and not make too much of a mess.
the bags accomplished this , they had a supplier for them and I think it came to a quarter a bag at the time and the bags sold for 6
generally people wanted wood split to just larger than kindling
most camp grounds now are 7 a bundle and I am not even sure the bundle is as big as a 5 gallon pail
if you make the bag/bundle too large that soccer mom can't easily lift it , it also has a hard time selling so forget value like we think. it is all about convenience.
try for any camp grounds around although many have places that bring in palletized bundles that have been kiln dried , it is basically saw mill scraps in a bundle
to move wood any distance now it has to be kiln dried
you would think people would realize it would be cheaper to go buy the badly twisted wood near the door at the home depot an cut it into 16 inch pieces but that would not be convenient enough.
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
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Re: Firewood
[Re: TheYouthTrapper]
#8046262
01/11/24 10:25 AM
01/11/24 10:25 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 36,265 Central, SD
Law Dog
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 36,265
Central, SD
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Stick with the smaller bundles the killer of most firewood businesses is the idea of selling more wood to make more money when moving that weight creates new problems when the bundle sales bring in a nice income for handling a smaller manageable amount.
A logger told me in MI that they still don’t get more for the wood they move they just move more wood now to make more money. That’s where the fancy machines come into play. Seen a lot of guys try to make a living out of selling firewood by the cords but they did not last long so stick with what you can handle to make the most per cord.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Firewood
[Re: TheYouthTrapper]
#8046450
01/11/24 03:39 PM
01/11/24 03:39 PM
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Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 548 MO
Crappiekiller
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Posts: 548
MO
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I have a list of regular customers that I deliver straight from the farm to their door. I cut/split 45-50 3/4” extended cab truck loads each season. I use a Swisher 28 ton splitter and a monster maul.
I have a buddy that is over 100 loads sold already. I’m not working that hard as I’m clearing a couple old creek bottoms is the only reason I’m cutting as much as I am now. Dead ash and oak.
CK
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Re: Firewood
[Re: Trapset]
#8046587
01/11/24 07:25 PM
01/11/24 07:25 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 22,264 St. Louis Co, Mo
BigBob
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 22,264
St. Louis Co, Mo
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I sure find a hookeroon to be a handy item. I have made a few short pickaroons for using around the splitter and while stacking. Real handy in spots where a long handle gets in the way. I have a Fireman's hatchet from Harbor Freight that works great for this. Around here, those gas station Apartment bundles are labeled 2/3 cu ft, cost around $5. That's 192 bundles, and $960 per cord. YOWZER!
Every kid needs a Dog and a Curmudgeon.
Remember Bowe Bergdahl, the traitor.
Beware! Jill Pudlewski, Ron Oates and Keven Begesse are liars and thiefs!
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Re: Firewood
[Re: run]
#8046592
01/11/24 07:32 PM
01/11/24 07:32 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,107 SEPA
Lugnut
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,107
SEPA
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Just bought my first pickaroon . Didn't know you could split wood with it. Like my pickaroon so far. Splitting wood during a cold spell seems to work best for me. How do you split with a pickaroon?
Eh...wot?
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Re: Firewood
[Re: Lugnut]
#8046608
01/11/24 07:55 PM
01/11/24 07:55 PM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 15,055 Greene County,Virginia
run
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Greene County,Virginia
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Just bought my first pickaroon . Didn't know you could split wood with it. Like my pickaroon so far. Splitting wood during a cold spell seems to work best for me. How do you split with a pickaroon? You don't. I was misreading white 17's comment.
wanna be goat farmer.
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Re: Firewood
[Re: Scuba1]
#8046684
01/11/24 09:52 PM
01/11/24 09:52 PM
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Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 1,434 South Dakota
TheYouthTrapper
OP
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OP
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Posts: 1,434
South Dakota
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In hardwoods I found a pickaroon works best. I made my own so cant help with a specific brand. The fishers splitting axes are the best things I have used for splitting by hand but I am lazy and now use a hydraulic splitter. Craigslist and Facebook market place are the places to advertise and should give you enough customers or more than you can handle if splitting by hand. But they want their wood delivered. If you are on a semi busy street, a road side stand is a good way to sell it as well. You get more per cord if you sell in bundles that you do selling per face cord or cord. So I would try that route first. if I was producing the product by hand splitting. There is only so much you can split in a day. Split it small enough so that the lady of the house can pick a piece up with one hand and put it on the fire. Do not make those big boiler wood chunks as that is not what people that buy small quantities want. They don't heat the house with that stuff. just want a nice looking fire in the evenings. Yep, I split all my pieces down to what most would consider kindling sizing. I do include a couple of bigger pieces but majority of it is small kindling sized.
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Re: Firewood
[Re: TheYouthTrapper]
#8046693
01/11/24 09:59 PM
01/11/24 09:59 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 36,265 Central, SD
Law Dog
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Posts: 36,265
Central, SD
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I’d go bigger pieces less work and preferred by the consumers over kindling sized stuff.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Firewood
[Re: Law Dog]
#8046726
01/11/24 10:26 PM
01/11/24 10:26 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 20,347 Green County Wisconsin
GREENCOUNTYPETE
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Green County Wisconsin
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I’d go bigger pieces less work and preferred by the consumers over kindling sized stuff. I think it depends on the consumer for heating wood split to the largest thing I can move one handed mostly but if your selling bundle wood / handle wood/ bag wood you are selling to the people who have a recreational fire at 90*f while camping in July not cooking over it just a fire to watch. 2x6 & 2x4 size and even some 2x2 size enough pieces to make a little log cabin out of a bundle 8-12 pieces if you split small you can also dry it out faster to sell it sooner
America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
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Re: Firewood
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8046727
01/11/24 10:27 PM
01/11/24 10:27 PM
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Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 1,434 South Dakota
TheYouthTrapper
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Facebook Marketplace is going to be the best bet for advertising. Splitting by hand is okay but maybe you could find someone who would let you use their splitting in exchange for splitting their wood or something?
If you can get really decent quality wood (typically aged Oak) and can find a BBQ place or restaurant that cooks with wood you can sell ALOT and have a steady contract. Also talk to campgrounds. Offering delivery is key to a higher value client, "Yes Sir, Yes mam, Where do you want me to stack it" are all good lines that will help you make a few dollars more. I considered borrowing someone's splitter and I might if I can find someone local with one.
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