Making Money selling Firewood?
- Thread starter MMfrompa
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Dadnatron
Veteran Member
Great video.
The real question might be...
Can you make money doing something you enjoy doing?
Did you haul all that wood to your stacks in the back of that side by side? Small trailer would hugely increase your efficiency.
The real question might be...
Can you make money doing something you enjoy doing?
Did you haul all that wood to your stacks in the back of that side by side? Small trailer would hugely increase your efficiency.
Citydude
Elite Member
Nice video and I liked the music. Did you figure in the lost time for that re-gen? 
Looking4new
Super Member
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- Northern Ontario, Canada
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- 2012 Kioti CK27HST w/cab
If you added sides and a headache racks to the side by side and a 4x4 to the tailgate you could haul more IF the machine would haul it.
Also you could get yourself a firewood machine and take it to the bush and just load the tree lengths onto the belt.
I don't mind spending your money. :laughing:
Also you could get yourself a firewood machine and take it to the bush and just load the tree lengths onto the belt.
I don't mind spending your money. :laughing:
DieselnHooters
Platinum Member
Yep I have a 5 ' x 10' dump trailer on the back of a MX5000....huge time saver but I am not sure a 3901 could handle something that big, they do make smaller ones but they are scarcer , cost almost as much and are a tougher resell.
I have the same kind of small operation, I figure the firewood that heats my place is the real money maker. What I sell is almost exclusively for woodlot improvement.
But hey we save on gym membership and get to breathe fresh air instead of someone else's sweat.
I enjoyed the video and the music
Yes a trailer would get more out per trip, one problem though I would have with a trailer is I have some pretty steep trails. Going up would be ok, it's the going down thing that concerns me lol. I can see a trailer load of wood pushing me down a hill and ending up in a big heap at the bottom. Like Dieselnhooters said my 3901 probably a little small. The Ranger hauls about 1/2 a face cord, not much but decent. What I like about the ranger is the bed is like waist high, maybe just a little lower and you can reach the entire bed. less bending over is a good thing for me lol.
keegs
Veteran Member
Great video MMfrompa.
Did you factor in the cost associated with property ownership, taxes, your health insurance, seasoning and delivering the wood, the opportunity cost associated with alternative land use and your own time? What about the real risk of injury and any associated losses you might incur as a result?
I also harvest wood and use it to heat our small farm house. I'm getting older and wonder whether the risk of injury associated with this activity is increasing as I age.
Did you factor in the cost associated with property ownership, taxes, your health insurance, seasoning and delivering the wood, the opportunity cost associated with alternative land use and your own time? What about the real risk of injury and any associated losses you might incur as a result?
I also harvest wood and use it to heat our small farm house. I'm getting older and wonder whether the risk of injury associated with this activity is increasing as I age.
TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark
Veteran Member
I ran across a guy who is 72 and still splitting his 10 cords by hand ever year. He's built like a brick.... house and feels great.
Use it or lose it.
PILOON
Super Star Member
My friend gets free soft wood from arborists and they cut to nice 16 inch lengths, mainly to be manageable.
He only needs to split.
Folks pay him $50/cord (pick up only) or $60 delivered within one mile.
Selling 40-50 face cords/year is good profit.
Folks buy mainly for ambiance and not heating around here which is mainly a week end resort area with many being rented condos.
A crackling fire is all part of the ski weekend thing, that and hot wine!
So I guess you can say he makes money!
He only needs to split.
Folks pay him $50/cord (pick up only) or $60 delivered within one mile.
Selling 40-50 face cords/year is good profit.
Folks buy mainly for ambiance and not heating around here which is mainly a week end resort area with many being rented condos.
A crackling fire is all part of the ski weekend thing, that and hot wine!
So I guess you can say he makes money!
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Keegs, No I don't factor in the property ownership, taxes or health insurance. I do consider seasoning and delivering wood is extra. Most people pick up here though. Obviously if this was a full time gig I would have a huge overhead compared to what I do now. I look at it this way, It's just supplemental income and it's like my land giving back a little all the while improving my woodlot. I get monthly royalty checks as well from oil and gas. It's expensive maintaining property and the royalty payments and firewood sales help with that substantially. As far as safety goes you're right, it's dangerous business felling trees and cutting wood but I look at it this way. At least when I'm in the woods my safety depends totally on me. At my real job I spend most of my days on the road driving for hours on end for 1/2 hour meeting then back on the road. The things I see on the highway and the way people drive scare me lol, and all I can do there is buckle up, hold on, and drive defensively lol