Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[4570Man]

Most people would say "I'm saving a bunch of money burning wood that I cut and burn for myself". And my response is probably not, if all of the costs are considered, including time and paying yourself. An accountant would have issue with just using equipment that was already owned etc. And the second return response it nope nope, their saving a bunch of money. At some point that thinking turns around to what you said. Maybe it's after selling 1cord, maybe more, certainly after 100cord. I tend to think it's before any of that, like right away at the point of getting a stove and putting up firewood. The stove cost money, saws, fuel, vehicle, splitter whatever that may be, time, all cost something somewhere at some point, even if the stuff was laying around for 20yrs. It cost something then, what is the current opportunity cost or future value of that atv that was bought 10yrs ago and is now being consumed. I figure I have over 10k in equipment just to have a nice fire in the sitting area. How much would that be over time if invested.

I think firewood saves money if the wood was free and you aren’t valuing the time. If you have to buy the logs or if you hate chopping wood and expect to be paid your day job salary then you should probably just keep working there a few extra hours a week. Most people need the exercise firewood provides anyway. $10,000 in equipment is probably enough to last a lifetime and retains some value at the end. How much do you actually spend to produce a years worth of wood? Selling 1-2 cords a year can help offset the investment without increasing the workload a significant amount. It’s hard to put a price on the satisfaction of sitting by the fire at night after a cold day outside. Another consideration is you are basing your heating costs off energy costs right now. Energy has soared rapidly in the last few years and will likely continue that trend. At least with your $10,000 of paid off equipment your future costs won’t change by a lot.

 

[BnRidge]

I got setup in 2009. $10k, invested at 11.5% (I have a fund that has averaged that) would now be almost 60k.
just the stove and chimney was 3k, splitter 1k and/or 4k, saws 2k, trailer, truck, tractor, structures (shed and lean to)

Propane costs over that time would have been $1500/yr, if invested at 11.5% paid in once per year would now amount to 60k

It's fun poking fun at the statements of saving so much. Maybe they do, maybe not.
I do like sitting by the fire. Most of our in house time in the winter is doing just that. There's a lot of value right there.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

A friend of mine spent $50k on a bass boat. He saves a lot of money on fish.

 

[WinterDeere]

Most people would say "I'm saving a bunch of money burning wood that I cut and burn for myself".

I heat most of our 8100 sq.ft. of inefficient 1700’s construction with wood, to the tune of 8 - 14 cords of oak, hickory, and ash per year. I’ve probably put more time and thought into this, than most.

I will agree that it’s hard to make a purely financial justification for heating with wood, given the time spent on that chore could easily earn almost anyone several times more. But there are only so many hours anyone wants to spend at a desk or other “day job”, and time spent outdoors processing and moving firewood yields benefits to body and soul, other than the purely financial.

I save roughly $5k per year in heating oil, burning firewood, but I also had to buy a bigger tractor and a larger custom trailer than I would otherwise own… not to mention several expensive chainsaws. Overall, I haven’t lost money, but the amount saved versus time and money spent is probably 1/50 (2%) of my usual billable rate for consulting engineering work.

But hours outdoors, and away from my desk, are precious. In fact, I’m heading out in a few minutes to move another half cord of oak and ash up to the house, now!

 

[4570Man]

I got setup in 2009. $10k, invested at 11.5% (I have a fund that has averaged that) would now be almost 60k.
just the stove and chimney was 3k, splitter 1k and/or 4k, saws 2k, trailer, truck, tractor, structures (shed and lean to)

Propane costs over that time would have been $1500/yr, if invested at 11.5% paid in once per year would now amount to 60k

It's fun poking fun at the statements of saving so much. Maybe they do, maybe not.
I do like sitting by the fire. Most of our in house time in the winter is doing just that. There's a lot of value right there.

There’s a lot of sketchy math there. You’re assuming extremely generous returns for a small investment. You aren’t deducting taxes from the extremely generous returns. You’re not deducting heating costs of propane from the 10k. You didn’t deduct any startup cost from the propane heating equipment either.

 

[WinterDeere]

There’s a lot of sketchy math there. You’re assuming extremely generous returns for a small investment. You aren’t deducting taxes from the extremely generous returns. You’re not deducting heating costs of propane from the 10k. You didn’t deduct any startup cost from the propane heating equipment either.

You’re right, but you’re also sucking all the fun out of this.

 

[Highlandr]

But there are only so many hours anyone wants to spend at a desk or other “day job”, and time spent outdoors processing and moving firewood yields benefits to body and soul, other than the purely financial.

But hours outdoors, and away from my desk, are precious.

Amen.

Before I retired (40 years in IT) I would use vacation days to work up firewood.

 

[Loaderman22]

Amen.

Before I retired (40 years in IT) I would use vacation days to work up firewood.

Wait, you got vacation days??

 

[DarkBlack]

On a frigid winter day entering someone’s home, when it’s just adequately warm, they’re probably heating with propane, oil, electricity.
When you enter a house , and it’s boarder line hot.. put you to sleep kinda warm, they’re likely heating with firewood they cut/split.
Priceless , guilt free home heating

 

[dodge man]

The log splitter is the only thing I own for firewood that I wouldn’t own otherwise. I also have I better chainsaw but would need a chainsaw no matter what. I’ve never paid for firewood but I also get the point the wood is never free.

Selling firewood in my area. I’m sure I could make money but it’d pay about $5 an hour.

 

[Hoobie]

A friend of mine spent $50k on a bass boat. He saves a lot of money on fish.

 

[John_Mc]

The log splitter is the only thing I own for firewood that I wouldn’t own otherwise. I also have I better chainsaw but would need a chainsaw no matter what. I’ve never paid for firewood but I also get the point the wood is never free.

Selling firewood in my area. I’m sure I could make money but it’d pay about $5 an hour.

As slow as I am at it, I'd probably be the same. The main thing for me is that I enjoy doing it. It gives me an excuse to work in the woods, good exercise, and fun. I do just a few cords for myself, some for our local wood bank (firewood donation program), and occasionally some for some friends. I might feel quite a bit differently about it, if I was trying to make real money at it.

 

[cholland]

Firewood is kind of like having chickens for eggs. Its really doesn't pencil out most of the time. But wouldn't have it any other way.

20 acres. Fore me the firewood is a by product of maintaining the land. I rarely cut down a tree. most of it is pruning or cleaning up from the winter storms.

 

[ning]

Firewood is kind of like having chickens for eggs. Its really doesn't pencil out most of the time. But wouldn't have it any other way.

20 acres. Fore me the firewood is a by product of maintaining the land. I rarely cut down a tree. most of it is pruning or cleaning up from the winter storms.

Firewood & chickens cost less than a therapist.

 

[Eagle1]

Firewood & chickens cost less than a therapist.

I'd add cows and dogs. All help keep me sane - ish

 

[Hay Dude]

More logs and fallen trees and branches today.

HOA grounds care are a nice source of extra income in slower months.

One of my guys waist deep in vines & stickers cutting this fallen mess up while I grapple-up the junk cut free. I cannot over-emphasize how useful a single arm log grapple is for this work. Everyone that does this kind of work should have one.

 

[WinterDeere]

Firewood is kind of like having chickens for eggs. Its really doesn't pencil out most of the time. But wouldn't have it any other way.

My son must have been 5 or 6 when he asked if we could get chickens. I thought, "why not? Could be an interesting and fun learning experience."

So, I got four pullets, feeder, waterer, tub with a warming light, and we were off to the races. Next came a coop, enclosed run, bigger feeder and waterer... all the usual stuff. Five months later, we finally had our first egg, right around St. Valentine's day.

My son was very excited to show his grandparents "our first egg" when they came for a visit that weekend. My father-in-law looked and me, grinned and said, "how much did that egg cost you?"

Answer: "About a thousand bucks."

It's been fun, most notably when my wife accidentally imprisoned herself in the chicken coop late one night, while I was away on business in Europe... but that's a story for another day.

 

[grsthegreat]

My son must have been 5 or 6 when he asked if we could get chickens. I thought, "why not? Could be an interesting and fun learning experience."

So, I got four pullets, feeder, waterer, tub with a warming light, and we were off to the races. Next came a coop, enclosed run, bigger feeder and waterer... all the usual stuff. Five months later, we finally had our first egg, right around St. Valentine's day.

My son was very excited to show his grandparents "our first egg" when they came for a visit that weekend. My father-in-law looked and me, grinned and said, "how much did that egg cost you?"

Answer: "About a thousand bucks."

It's been fun, most notably when my wife accidentally imprisoned herself in the chicken coop late one night, while I was away on business in Europe... but that's a story for another day.

thats nothing...each ear of corn my wife produces costs about $400.00

and now she wants a new fence around the garden. estimates now are about $5,800

 

[BackRoad]

But there's comfort in knowing those ears of corn are organic...!

I just spent $800 in T posts and 2x4 x 6' welded fence wire to keep 15 raspberry plants safe from the deer.

They are some precious raspberries! The math doesn't seem to matter...5 quarts a year at $5 per quart...

Only 32 years to break even...

We won't live long enough to see a profit!!!

 

[4570Man]

But there's comfort in knowing those ears of corn are organic...!

I just spent $800 in T posts and 2x4 x 6' welded fence wire to keep 15 raspberry plants safe from the deer.

They are some precious raspberries! The math doesn't seem to matter...5 quarts a year at $5 per quart...

Only 32 years to break even...

We won't live long enough to see a profit!!!

At least the firewood actually keeps me warm. I can’t get behind the gardening idea when it’s not by a long shot enough to actually feed you self substantially.