Jack@$$ Craigslist Ad

[richg]

guys,

Check this out. He wants $170 for a half day, $350 for a whole day, to come out and split logs. YOUR logs. He says he can split a cord in 3 hours, so let's do the math. If you provide the wood and he splits for four hours, he can do 1.33 cords for $175.00. If YOU provide the wood, he can do 2.66 cords for $350.00. Now, call me crazy, but dontcha think that you could get two cords of unseasoned wood split wood DELIVERED to your house for $350.00? But wait, I'd rather drop the trees, limb and buck them, load them on my trailer and bring them to my house so this idiot can charge me $131.00 per cord to split the rounds. Man, I know times are tough, but this is comical.


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Log splitter for rent - $170 (north of I78)

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Date: 2011-04-24, 10:02AM EDT
Reply to: [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]

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Mobile wood splitter, log splitter service. We come to you and split your cut rounds. Experienced operator with dump truck, tow behind gas 30-ton commercial splitter. Splitter works vertical or horizontal with a 4-way wedge.

We can make firewood out of nearly any tree. Under the right conditions can split and toss a cord of wood in about 3 hours. Best raw material to split is a pile of rounds 16" long by 16" diameter.

Site conditions have a lot to do with how fast it goes. Things like standing trees, uncut logs, rotten wood, poor drive-up access, rounds too big for one man to lift, stacking, and wheelbarrow work can be handled but take extra time.

Willing to work alone or with your labor.

Available to schedule 7 days. Half day minimum $170, full day $350

 

[woodsmaster]

If you were going to hire him you could get him for 2 half days and save $10.00 Ya thats pretty expensive for manual labor and a spliter rental. Should be more like 160 / day

 

[snowleopard]

That's under ideal circumstances. Remember, "site conditions have a lot to do with how fast it goes". I knew a fellow who said he bet a friend a case of beer that he could split a cord by hand in under an hour. He did it in an hour and six minutes--so he bought the beer and his friend got the wood split. Now there's a bargain for you . . . why don't you ever see that on CL?

 

[smokinj]

heck 3 full days a week and thats really good money in these parts! lol

 

[weatherguy]

There was a similar ad in craigslist for my area but the guy as much cheaper, I thought it was $50 per hour. Stll doesnt make sense when you can buy a cord split and delivered for $150.

 

[wkpoor]

I'm going to take a completely different approach to this. First off his is charging 43.75/hr. We all know firewood has zero value. Its the labor your paying for when you buy firewood, not the wood. So he is coming to you with his equipment and gas and simply providing a service same as if you bought wood off him and he split it there. So if you consider all that plus if anything breaks down its his baby so he had better be charging enough to pay for oil, gas, and repairs, plus something needs to be in there for equipment replacement when it wears out. And BTW I think firewood is too cheap. If you sell like I have in the past you might make 5.00/hr with no consideration for repairs. It sounds to me like he is a bargain.

 

[Loco Gringo]

It might actually be a fair price.......MIGHT be. So long as you have absolutely no free time whatsoever to work for yourself. Unless Im on the job or sleeping I have free time. But thats just me.

 

[HardWoodW]

I'm wondering... if I have a tree service take a tree down- would they charge less or more if I told them to leave the wood in my yard instead of hauling it away? I'm guessing it costs less based on the fact that when the city hired some guys to take down my ash tree they were all too happy to leave it for me- it meant they just had to get it on the ground. So as a city dweller I could see this making sense is if I could save a few hundred bucks on a tree removal by having them leave it at my house then pay this guy to split it and if I didn't have the ability to do it by hand. Maybe I could come out about even + split wood.

I agree that firewood is cheap considering the labor and equipment involved. If I didn't enjoy it I'd be better off to work extra time at my day job and pay somebody to deliver wood.

 

[wkpoor]

I agree that firewood is cheap considering the labor and equipment involved. If I didn’t enjoy it I’d be better off to work extra time at my day job and pay somebody to deliver wood.

you got it!

 

[woodsmaster]

I agree, but wood is cheap and therefor not a bargin to hire him. A spliter is what ? about $50 a day to rent. $8.00 in gas and lets say 20.00 / hr for manual labor. Lets face it. It don't take a lot of brains to split wood. that = $218.00 for a day and $20.00 / hr is to much in my opinion. It makes more since to Just buy it split or rent the splliter yourself.

 

[SolarAndWood]

A guy with a commercial splitter and a 4 way wedge better be able to do better than 3 hrs/cord with 16" diameter rounds.

 

[Thistle]

When temps are under 70 degrees I can still split a cord of normal straight grain Red/Black Oak in about 2 hrs tops with monster maul.If its between 8-10 diameter,can do pretty close with double bit axe.

 

[leeave96]

Sounds like a pretty good deal compared to my splitter. My brother says I should get a log splitter. I tell him I got one (my oldest boy) and have been paying on it for almost 16 years now! The splitter I got is MUCH more expensive than that one on craigslist and he ain't college educated - yet. Can't wait for that bill

Bill

 

[wkpoor]

A guy with a commercial splitter and a 4 way wedge better be able to do better than 3 hrs/cord with 16" diameter rounds.

All depends on the type of wood and how small you split them. With the size I split its hard to split a cord in 4/hrs with a splitter moving 4xs faster than the average one moves.

 

[wkpoor]

I agree, but wood is cheap and therefor not a bargin to hire him. A spliter is what ? about $50 a day to rent. $8.00 in gas and lets say 20.00 / hr for manual labor. Lets face it. It don't take a lot of brains to split wood. that = $218.00 for a day and $20.00 / hr is to much in my opinion. It makes more since to Just buy it split or rent the splliter yourself.

Whether it takes brains or not, if its your business then you have to make money, make your expenses, and buy health ins. Doesn't matter if its mowing your grass, digging your ditch, replacing your roof, replacing your windows, ect ect ect. If you are hiring someone who is doing something professionally, then he will need to make professional wages, otherwise buy your own equipment and hire the kid down the street to work for you. See how cheap that is!
When my neighbor comes down with his bulldozer, trackhoe, or landclearing machine, he charges 100.00/hr and I don't balk a minute. Sure I could run all those things plenty good myself, but guess what I didn't spend the gazzillions to own them and maintain them. That 100.00/hr is mighty cheap to me.

 

[SolarAndWood]

A guy with a commercial splitter and a 4 way wedge better be able to do better than 3 hrs/cord with 16" diameter rounds.

All depends on the type of wood and how small you split them. With the size I split its hard to split a cord in 4/hrs with a splitter moving 4xs faster than the average one moves.

That is 60 16" diameter rounds. It shouldn't take 3 minutes to make a single pass with that splitter on a round. I guess the real question is what is he putting into his 3 hour estimate. If I back my cord plus trailer of rounds up to my splitter, the load gets split in an hour and a half. If I have to cut it off a log pile, move it to the splitter and split it, it takes 4+ hours. If I have to go gather it, who knows.