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.

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.

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.

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.

Your lucky you have a bundle market. Small market here and the Amish dominate. Their kids have to quit school age 12. Free labor. lol.

I have split 3 cords/year for the last 3-4 years with my fiskers. Sure beats using the maul.

I have no use for a heavy splitting maul anymore after switching to a Fiskars splitting axe. It's a pleasure splitting firewood with a Fiskars compared to using a heavy maul in my opinion. If you buy a Fiskars, be sure to get the longer handled one.

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.

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 agree. I cut down the handle on mine.

Make sure you put 15% back into a roth. Never to late to plan for the future. Start now and retire early a millionaire

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!

How do you split with a pickaroon?

You don't. I was misreading white 17's comment.

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.

I’d go bigger pieces less work and preferred by the consumers over kindling sized stuff.

I’m not sure about where you are at but if you’ve got any local bbq restaurants close you could sell to them year round.

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

I considered borrowing someone's splitter and I might if I can find someone local with one.