MacLawn
Veteran Member
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- Aug 1, 2007
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- JD 2210
I know y'all mentioned it in this thread that's too long to read, but nothing is better than watching a wood fire and feeeling and smelling the heat. Done.
Actual cost of firewood
- Thread starter majorwager
- Start date
- Views: 23248
4570Man
Super Star Member
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- Apr 7, 2015
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- Crossville, TN
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- Kubota M59, Kubota L3800, Grasshopper 428D, Topkick dump truck, 3500 dump truck, 10 ton trailer, more lighter trailers.
It’s got truck fuel, splitter fuel, chainsaw fuel, bar oil, tractor fuel, 2 stoke oil, carbides to sharpen the chain, and chain use factored in. And it’s not a pencil and paper figure. It’s a that seems about right figure.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Not to mention the equipment.
Factor in the depreciation on $50k+ of equipment
Mileage for delivery
Trailer tags and expenses
Cost of saws and splitters etc etc etc
On paper there is no money to be made selling firewood. Which is why many people who sell a mere 10-20 cord dont even bother uncle same with taxes.
Whats the point of saving and documenting everything, filing schedule C.....just to break even?
And one could claim selling firewood as a "hobby" rather than a business. One of the determining factors is hobby vs business is if it is solely for profit. And cleaning up ones property, getting rid of "bi-product" of felling trees, exercise, enjoyment, etc.....all valid reasons to call it a hobby if one sells a few cord a year.
For me, my primary purpose of cutting wood is to sell. Thus I claim it. Its hard to segregate out the "wood selling" portion of my schedule C, since I earn far more in the summertime with the tractor and bushhog. So all of those tractor expenses, truck expenses, etc are all lumped in.
But if the only side money I made with the tractor was selling a mere 20-30 cord a year, and had no other reason to file a schedule C, I'd probably opt not to claim it.......and chalk it up to "hobby" based on the parameters the IRS lays out in distinguishing hobby vs business.
Factor in the depreciation on $50k+ of equipment
Mileage for delivery
Trailer tags and expenses
Cost of saws and splitters etc etc etc
On paper there is no money to be made selling firewood. Which is why many people who sell a mere 10-20 cord dont even bother uncle same with taxes.
Whats the point of saving and documenting everything, filing schedule C.....just to break even?
And one could claim selling firewood as a "hobby" rather than a business. One of the determining factors is hobby vs business is if it is solely for profit. And cleaning up ones property, getting rid of "bi-product" of felling trees, exercise, enjoyment, etc.....all valid reasons to call it a hobby if one sells a few cord a year.
For me, my primary purpose of cutting wood is to sell. Thus I claim it. Its hard to segregate out the "wood selling" portion of my schedule C, since I earn far more in the summertime with the tractor and bushhog. So all of those tractor expenses, truck expenses, etc are all lumped in.
But if the only side money I made with the tractor was selling a mere 20-30 cord a year, and had no other reason to file a schedule C, I'd probably opt not to claim it.......and chalk it up to "hobby" based on the parameters the IRS lays out in distinguishing hobby vs business.
gladehound
Veteran Member
I guess it's all situational. I live in a 300 year old house with no insulation (2ft thick stone walls) and 300 year old windows (yes, the glass is 2-3x thicker at the bottom of the panes than the top). I conservatively estimate that I don't burn 600 gallons of oil each winter because I heat with wood (Friend with similar house burns 1,000 gallons in winter). That a savings of $1,800 a year burning "free" wood. I might use 10 gal of gas / diesel a season to gather wood between the saws, splitter and tractor and boy is it a blast. Like playing in a sand box with my neighbor. I cut them down, he picks them up with the excavator I drive the forks under and we cut logs. Half to his pile half to mine. I feel like I should be paying someone to have that much fun!
What does it cost me? in 12 years I put $2,300 in my stove / flu. (so a winter's worth of oil). My share of the splitter was $280. The saws and tractor I'd have anyway and paid for themselves doing other jobs. So I'm in the neighborhood of $20K ahead and counting.
Uneven heat is a bonus. Who wants the same temp everywhere anyway. Over rated. I can exercise in a cold room, read a book in a warm room, horse play with my kids in an in between room. The whole thing is perfect all around! Even the ants on the table (extra protein!).
What does it cost me? in 12 years I put $2,300 in my stove / flu. (so a winter's worth of oil). My share of the splitter was $280. The saws and tractor I'd have anyway and paid for themselves doing other jobs. So I'm in the neighborhood of $20K ahead and counting.
Uneven heat is a bonus. Who wants the same temp everywhere anyway. Over rated. I can exercise in a cold room, read a book in a warm room, horse play with my kids in an in between room. The whole thing is perfect all around! Even the ants on the table (extra protein!).
beowulf
Veteran Member
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We have 90 wooded acres in central California in Sierra Nevada foothills. We have more fire wood available to us from trees and branches that fall and scrap wood left over from projects than we will ever use. Enough stored now to last 3-5 years I would guess, given that we use the fireplace maybe from 30 to 50 days a year, and enough on the property for years more. Fire authorities came on with bulldozers and cut a fire break so now many very large trees are down and waiting to be cut up. Mostly oak. I have taken down a few more which are partially cut up.
I will continue to harvest a bit each year to replenish our stock of firewood, but I have no interest myself in cutting, loading, stacking and selling firewood - just don't want to deal with all that. We used to give it away to friends but it seems there is not as much demand as before, so I am letting a local high school kid take as much wood as he wants to cut and take and sell. He is a nice kid and we hire him to take care of our animals when we are gone. He wants to buy a truck and this is a way he can earn some money toward that.
I will continue to harvest a bit each year to replenish our stock of firewood, but I have no interest myself in cutting, loading, stacking and selling firewood - just don't want to deal with all that. We used to give it away to friends but it seems there is not as much demand as before, so I am letting a local high school kid take as much wood as he wants to cut and take and sell. He is a nice kid and we hire him to take care of our animals when we are gone. He wants to buy a truck and this is a way he can earn some money toward that.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Ahead, maybe. $20k+ in 12 years....unlikely.
How many cord of wood do you burn a year, and what is the going rate for it locally?
buckeyefarmer
Epic Contributor
Heck, I'm $20k ahead by buying a hyundai instead of a lexus.
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
I burn around 10 cord a year, mix species of what ever I have, including slab wood...
That SAVES me $1,700.00 a year over propane that would cost me $2,500.00 per year...
IF I tried to sell that wood, I would have to cut it shorter, split it smaller and then no one would want the slab wood or pine OR aspen!! Plus, I'd have to compete with the guys selling oak at $120.00 a cord!
Another thing, my splitter and tractors have resale! My splitter tractor is now worth MORE than what I paid for it more than 30 years ago! That means I've used it for FREE, for more than 30 years if I never start it again! (actually better than FREE, as it's made me a pile of $ over the years)
There's NO question that I've saved many thousands of dollars by burning firewood and on top of that, we LOVE wood heat over all others!
SR
That SAVES me $1,700.00 a year over propane that would cost me $2,500.00 per year...
IF I tried to sell that wood, I would have to cut it shorter, split it smaller and then no one would want the slab wood or pine OR aspen!! Plus, I'd have to compete with the guys selling oak at $120.00 a cord!
Another thing, my splitter and tractors have resale! My splitter tractor is now worth MORE than what I paid for it more than 30 years ago! That means I've used it for FREE, for more than 30 years if I never start it again! (actually better than FREE, as it's made me a pile of $ over the years)
There's NO question that I've saved many thousands of dollars by burning firewood and on top of that, we LOVE wood heat over all others!
SR
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
Many guys will deliver it for $120 a cord, if they don't have to drive too far...