Craigslist....This is Just absurd!

[PJF1313]

What I can't beleive is what electricians charge these days. You would think they were licensed and insured or something. Or that they had more than a 5 gallon bucket of tools invested. How dare they charge enough to cover expenses? Who are they to think they deserve a profit? Why do they drive trucks to jobs? Don't they know a yugo uses less gas than an f-350? Plus whats with those clothes they wear? They don't look like the clothes the homeless guys are wearing. I'm even willing to bet electricians eat food! If they weren't greedy food eaters they could do my wiring for free, like I deserve. I wonder if Obama knows about this.

W

Aren't they all a bunch of over-paid schmucks?!

Heck, I can use this H.D. 14ga for my oven/cloths dryer can't I ! That $5 breaker 'ill save my house when it fails to trip! (Think F.P.E. ) Hey, I got this magic stick that tells me that the power is on or off, (but it has dead batteries!) I won't be kicked across the room when I hit the hot and the box...

Everybody has to make a living. You have to pay for their tools, what ever the trade/service, transportation of said service (either a coil of cable or a cord of wood), upkeep/maintenance of said transportation and tools, and maybe a little to live off of - food, shelter, clothing....

 

[bboulier]

I can't help but adding that there is no right price for electricians either. There is a cost of acquiring skills to become an electrician (schooling, apprenticeships, etc.) and the cost of equipment. Only if the hourly wage were high enough would people be willing to undertake these investments. The question one has to decide is: given what electricians cost, should I do that job myself? That will vary with the nature of the task and the skills of the potential buyer. I would never hire an electrician to change a light bulb (given what I would have to pay). When I was younger and poorer, there were some wiring tasks that I did then, that I do not do now (or at least my wife is reluctant to have me do now). However, there are some jobs that I would be crazy to do myself (e.g., installing an electrical panel) given my skills and the potential for harm if the job were done incorrectly. Like the price of wood, there will typically be variation in prices of electricians in a given location. Some price differences are due to productivity differences of the electricians - some are more skilled or more experienced than others. Other variations are more or less random around the local average. My advice is to talk to your neighbors/friends to search out quality and get a sample of bids.

 

[Dune]

I charge rediculous money when I work. Anyone who doesn't like it doesn't hire me. It's that simple. My post about electricians was ironic, meant to point out the futility of the concept of wood prices being too high. If it is too high, don't buy it. Who is the O.P. to judge that someone else is charging too much? Really, where do you get off? What would be a fair hourly rate for a wood chopper? Should it be enough that they can live in a house and raise a family, or should they have to live in a tent, and eat pinecones so they are not gouging? By the way, I need some wiring done, but I didn't plan ahead enough, so you will need to be here sunday, starting at midnight, till 6:30 am, but make sure you charge me the same as if I called you a year ago, before the sheetrock and insulation was in the way. Otherwise, I am going to think you are gouging me. Then I will go on a well read forum and tell everyone how you are gouging. Even if 30 other people disagree, and point out the falacy of my argument, I will just dig in my heels and say "gouging". I will not really care whether that may hurt your business prospects, since it is more important to be right.

 

[bjkjoseph]

average workers salaries have gone down in the last 30 years..that translates to lower prices across the board...except the salaries of ceo's and shareholders....those dam socialist..

 

[golfandwoodnut]

woodporn, do you ever process wood yourself? what is your time worth? what would you sell it for?

 

[WoodPorn]

I charge rediculous money when I work. Anyone who doesn't like it doesn't hire me. It's that simple. My post about electricians was ironic, meant to point out the futility of the concept of wood prices being too high. If it is too high, don't buy it. Who is the O.P. to judge that someone else is charging too much? Really, where do you get off? What would be a fair hourly rate for a wood chopper? Should it be enough that they can live in a house and raise a family, or should they have to live in a tent, and eat pinecones so they are not gouging? By the way, I need some wiring done, but I didn't plan ahead enough, so you will need to be here sunday, starting at midnight, till 6:30 am, but make sure you charge me the same as if I called you a year ago, before the sheetrock and insulation was in the way. Otherwise, I am going to think you are gouging me. Then I will go on a well read forum and tell everyone how you are gouging. Even if 30 other people disagree, and point out the falacy of my argument, I will just dig in my heels and say "gouging". I will not really care whether that may hurt your business prospects, since it is more important to be right.

Why are you taking such offence to an opinion??

I think you (possibly several of you) may be for getting about how the tree/logs make it to the sellers hands, -tree service gets called, charges big$$ to drop a tree (as they should), it is brought to their yard where it is processed by someone @ 15$ p/hour, then sell it for $300 p/cord. payday x 2 nobody is starving

Now, this obviously is not the case for every seller so.....

What do you do for a living Dune? I mean beside trying to split the atom at home. You don't know me, or anything about me, don't pretend like you do. If you don't like the fact that I think $300 for a cord of wood that might be dry... and might be a full cord (not likely on either account), then make sure you unsubscribe from this thread!

P.S. I never said word one about being right, or anyone else wrong.. it is an OPINION

 

[WoodPorn]

woodporn, do you ever process wood yourself? what is your time worth? what would you sell it for?

Yes I do, I generally process between 5-9 cord per year. I don't sell it however I do supply friends in need of wood.

I wouldn't by any means charge $325 for a delivered cord of wood.

Again folks -just my opinion

 

[krex1010]

woodporn, do you ever process wood yourself? what is your time worth? what would you sell it for?

Yes I do, I generally process between 5-9 cord per year. I don't sell it however I do supply friends in need of wood.

I wouldn't by any means charge $325 for a delivered cord of wood.

Again folks -just my opinion

I think when alot of people look at firewood prices and get upset they are really missing the point. The point is this: people sell firewood for one singular reason. That reason is not because they enjoy splitting wood, loading it into a truck and delivering it, it's not because they enjoy knowing that the wood they split is heating someones home, and it certainly isn't so they can be known as the guy who has cheap firewood. Nope, the one reason people sell firewood, or any other commodity, is to MAKE MONEY. The fact that he wouldn't starve and would still make money if he charged less is besides the point. Woodporn; I don't know what you do for a living but I will assume you work for someone. What if your boss said he was going to cut tour pay by15% and he thinks you should be ok with that because you won't starve. Would you be ok with that? I am guessing you wouldn't because if he could afford to pay you what you were making then why should you accept less. Now let's say you make a decent salary at your job and your boss tells you he is going to give you a raise for doing the same job you have been doing, would you decline the raise because you and your family were doing ok at your previous salary? I'm thinking you will take the money because it will benefit you and your family, right? If enough people can afford
To pay $325 a cord then why should he sell it for less?

 

[Dune]

I charge rediculous money when I work. Anyone who doesn't like it doesn't hire me. It's that simple. My post about electricians was ironic, meant to point out the futility of the concept of wood prices being too high. If it is too high, don't buy it. Who is the O.P. to judge that someone else is charging too much? Really, where do you get off? What would be a fair hourly rate for a wood chopper? Should it be enough that they can live in a house and raise a family, or should they have to live in a tent, and eat pinecones so they are not gouging? By the way, I need some wiring done, but I didn't plan ahead enough, so you will need to be here sunday, starting at midnight, till 6:30 am, but make sure you charge me the same as if I called you a year ago, before the sheetrock and insulation was in the way. Otherwise, I am going to think you are gouging me. Then I will go on a well read forum and tell everyone how you are gouging. Even if 30 other people disagree, and point out the falacy of my argument, I will just dig in my heels and say "gouging". I will not really care whether that may hurt your business prospects, since it is more important to be right.

Why are you taking such offence to an opinion??

I think you (possibly several of you) may be for getting about how the tree/logs make it to the sellers hands, -tree service gets called, charges big$$ to drop a tree (as they should), it is brought to their yard where it is processed by someone @ 15$ p/hour, then sell it for $300 p/cord. payday x 2 nobody is starving

Now, this obviously is not the case for every seller so.....

What do you do for a living Dune? I mean beside trying to split the atom at home. You don't know me, or anything about me, don't pretend like you do. If you don't like the fact that I think $300 for a cord of wood that might be dry... and might be a full cord (not likely on either account), then make sure you unsubscribe from this thread!

P.S. I never said word one about being right, or anyone else wrong.. it is an OPINION

Certainly Sir. I will unsubscribe from your thread. Sorry my opinion is so different from yours.

I gave up trying to split atoms when I realized my backyard is too small. Did recently invent a new heat cycle engine though. Runs on firewood. http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/52348-hot-air-turbine-prime-mover/

 

[gyrfalcon]

I must be a gold digger.
My price for 3-4 year seasoned beech is $350/cord delivered right now.

I would absolutely cough up $350 for 3-4-year seasoned beech and consider myself lucky. That stuff is like gold. Or heating oil...

 

[gyrfalcon]

The actual problem is that now is probably the best time to get some new fuel in, any hardwood felled now will have the sap down.

I used to believe that many years ago, but my botany professor convinced me it just ain't so.

Seasonal moisture content is trees in general varies by 2% MC or less throughout the year. There is more sap movement during the warm season, but not more total sap. Just where would the sap go to anyway? The tree is somewhat of a closed system, and the only way for sap to go downward and out of the tree would be for it to pass through the tiny root hairs at the very ends of the roots. That would take a very, very long time.

Thank you, once again, Battenkiller. One more thing I don't have to worry about. I'd been scratching my head wondering whether it was worth trying to get somebody to cut wood for me and have it dumped in a pile of snow and then get buried by snow. Now I know it's totally not.

Seems there's just as much myth in this wood business as there is in, say, cooking or flower gardening. I hate that. Thanks for providing the actual facts.

 

[Dune]

The actual problem is that now is probably the best time to get some new fuel in, any hardwood felled now will have the sap down.

I used to believe that many years ago, but my botany professor convinced me it just ain't so.

Seasonal moisture content is trees in general varies by 2% MC or less throughout the year. There is more sap movement during the warm season, but not more total sap. Just where would the sap go to anyway? The tree is somewhat of a closed system, and the only way for sap to go downward and out of the tree would be for it to pass through the tiny root hairs at the very ends of the roots. That would take a very, very long time.

Thank you, once again, Battenkiller. One more thing I don't have to worry about. I'd been scratching my head wondering whether it was worth trying to get somebody to cut wood for me and have it dumped in a pile of snow and then get buried by snow. Now I know it's totally not.

Seems there's just as much myth in this wood business as there is in, say, cooking or flower gardening. I hate that. Thanks for providing the actual facts.

So is it 2% drier in the winter? Even a small advantage is worth taking.

 

[CTYank]

woodporn, do you ever process wood yourself? what is your time worth? what would you sell it for?

Yes I do, I generally process between 5-9 cord per year. I don't sell it however I do supply friends in need of wood.

I wouldn't by any means charge $325 for a delivered cord of wood.

Again folks -just my opinion

Nobody should get their knickers in a twist here, not about mere opinion. There are many much more important things to get worked up about- like climate-change deniers, or fracking the Marcellus shale all over the place and gasifying peoples' water.

If I wanted to advertise super-extra-primo apple, sugar maple, and black locust cut to 8" for $1000/cord, who's got a problem with that? Step right up.

You might think the price idiotic, rapacious, whatever. I don't really care; it's that valuable to me, and I wouldn't sell it anyway. (I do give longer splits away.)

Wood-sellers are not regulated utilities. They are participants in an open market. You ask, haggle, transact or move on. Without defamatory or libelious actions.

The good news is that this price may help to confirm the value you put on scrounging wood. Accentuate the positive.

 

[bjkjoseph]

do any of you wood sellers hire people or do it yourself,if not..what do you pay your help...my guess, as little as possible..so if a guy shows up for a job,and wants fifty bucks an hour,you would slam the door in his face.

 

[North of 60]

I charge rediculous money when I work. Anyone who doesn't like it doesn't hire me. It's that simple. My post about electricians was ironic, meant to point out the futility of the concept of wood prices being too high. If it is too high, don't buy it. Who is the O.P. to judge that someone else is charging too much? Really, where do you get off? What would be a fair hourly rate for a wood chopper? Should it be enough that they can live in a house and raise a family, or should they have to live in a tent, and eat pinecones so they are not gouging? By the way, I need some wiring done, but I didn't plan ahead enough, so you will need to be here sunday, starting at midnight, till 6:30 am, but make sure you charge me the same as if I called you a year ago, before the sheetrock and insulation was in the way. Otherwise, I am going to think you are gouging me. Then I will go on a well read forum and tell everyone how you are gouging. Even if 30 other people disagree, and point out the falacy of my argument, I will just dig in my heels and say "gouging". I will not really care whether that may hurt your business prospects, since it is more important to be right.

Dune, I very much like the way you are able to travel both sides of the street and understand it is not one way. Great analogy.
+1 for hitting the nail on the head.
You must have a great Mom. ;-)
Cheers.

 

[okotoks guy]

do any of you wood sellers hire people or do it yourself,if not..what do you pay your help...my guess, as little as possible..so if a guy shows up for a job,and wants fifty bucks an hour,you would slam the door in his face.

I do all the work myself, I can't afford to hire anybody.

I also do not go around to peoples' homes trying to peddle wood. I advertise my product and my price.
If I did need to hire somebody and I looked at a resume and the fella wanted $50 an hour I would just
disregard it. I would not have the guy come to my place so that I could " Slam the Door in his face " I
believe it is similar to my wood price being advertised; if people don't like the deal they can disregard my
ad. Nobody is being forced to buy my wood and nobody is forced to pay a guy $50/hour.