Too Much Wood Dilemma

[Benchwrench]

What does a guy do when he has too much wood to split?
My neighbor is in the tree business. He has so much firewood ready to be split that it's overwhelming. It takes up all of his property and is becoming an issue. He is at the point of pushing Maple into the burn pile since there is no more room and better wood there with higher BTU's. He has asked me if I wanted to take over his firewood business, and will even provide a tractor, splitter, and a truck for deliveries however I don't have the time or desire to personally cut firewood for a living and he doesn't want just anyone on his property. He is more interested in salvaging this hardwood than making any money off it. Just pay for the gas and stuff like that.
So my question is;
Is there a viable means of making money here?
How can we work together to salvage this much wood? the older stuff is starting to turn into trash.

 

[TedyOH]

I'd hire a couple of high school kids, show them how much a cord of wood is that's split and stacked, pay them $100 for every cord they split and stack, then you guys sell it for +$200.

 

[DougA]

I'd hire a couple of high school kids

Except that they would have to have proper training on using a splitter. If a student loses a few fingers, it would be your worst nightmare.

There are a ton of un and under employed adults out there who would love to work.

 

[24vcummns98]

Maybe take a look on Craigslist. Find a guy or two looking for work. Employ them to split,stack, and sell. You keep a x dollar amount of every cord sold. This is a commission based situation. Keeps your risk low that way. This also empowers them and gives them drive to sell it.

Marketing your business and service will be key. What's the competiton in your area? How much does a cord on average go for? If your neighbor/friend has a book of clients (emails and phone numbers) I would contact them and let them know what you are doing. Again this is free keeps your overhead low. Then I would use social media, Facebook etc... start a page use your friends business page to again market your business for free.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Get a bandsaw mill and cut the wood into boards. Let it dry and sell it for much more than you can as firewood. That'll get rid of most of it and the rest can be burnt as planned.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Even better, have a guy come in and saw it for a cut of the wood.

 

[woodsHAM]

I'd be clearing a spot in my own yard before id let it go to waste !

 

[claydogg84]

Has he considered selling the wood in rounds?

 

[Beer Belly]

Has he considered selling the wood in rounds?

I was thinking the same thing

 

[Benchwrench]

He doesn't want anyone on site, rather prefers delivering firewood.
Once the trees are felled, they're bucked up into manageable sized rounds on site to be hauled away by trailer.
I'll talk to him tomorrow, thanks guys for the feedback!

 

[Ashful]

I'm wondering what value you add as a middle man in any of these schemes? Seems he's offering to let you do the work yourself. If you bring a third party into the deal, there's little need to keep you in the mix.

 

[Benchwrench]

I'd be clearing a spot in my own yard before id let it go to waste !

I am up to the gills with rounds already, the dedicated firewood area is about 6' high of rounds ready for next year's splitting season.
With about 9 palletized cords split, stacked, and covered for this season and next. I have no more room either.

 

[Benchwrench]

I'm wondering what value you add as a middle man in any of these schemes? Seems he's offering to let you do the work yourself. If you bring a third party into the deal, there's little need to keep you in the mix.

I'm not worried about that. Sometimes he'll pre call in order to trailer rounds to my yard for "disposal". Or I will go to one of the work sites he's going to clear with my personal truck and load my own trailer with rounds that I buck before he and his guys get to that site.
These guys who are in the tree business "dispose" of their wood. Their bread and butter is felling the trees, not really dealing in the leftovers which makes me wonder if it's worth it to pursue his offer. I mean if he's not interested in it then it must not pay enough to be in the firewood business.

 

[drz1050]

Every tree service company up here is also in the firewood business.. or at least every one I've spoken to. Where do you live? Warmer climate?

 

[Ashful]

Same here, although most I know treat it as an aside to the business. In other words, they're not pulling their skilled tree climbers off jobs to process firewood, they just do it as filler work when there is down time. Climbing trees pays much better than splitting wood, I guess.

 

[Squisher]

For certain. When I had my tree business I had a never ending supply of good wood and never once found time to actually sell any of it as firewood. I'd sell mill able logs and basically just kept the rest for myself, family, and friends. Anything that wasn't primo firewood just got pushed up in a pile and burnt.
Wood like this would come home!

 

[Omaha419]

I wish I had a neighbor like that!

 

[Shane Collins]

Send it all my way!

 

[The Weimar]

Correct me if I am wrong but, are you looking to get rid of some of this "too much wood"? Where is it, how much per cord/load, when are you avail? I will come get it.....

 

[bag of hammers]

What does a guy do when he has too much wood to split?

Or too much hair, or too much money, or too much beer, or too much free time, or too many saws, trucks, toys...? Unfortunately these are all problems I don't get to offer any advice around.......

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Pile it all in 1 spot, get a keg of cheap beer and invite all of us over for a bonfire!

 

[heavy hammer]

Where are you located I have the saws trucks and ability to process a lot of firewood me and a buddy did almost forty cords just to sell couple years ago and almost all was split by hand a lot of work but love to split wood not overly interested in the money just free wood but could work something out let me know if interested

 

[Wainwright63]

What does a guy do when he has too much wood to split?
My neighbor is in the tree business. He has so much firewood ready to be split that it's overwhelming. It takes up all of his property and is becoming an issue. He is at the point of pushing Maple into the burn pile since there is no more room and better wood there with higher BTU's. He has asked me if I wanted to take over his firewood business, and will even provide a tractor, splitter, and a truck for deliveries however I don't have the time or desire to personally cut firewood for a living and he doesn't want just anyone on his property. He is more interested in salvaging this hardwood than making any money off it. Just pay for the gas and stuff like that.
So my question is;
Is there a viable means of making money here?
How can we work together to salvage this much wood? the older stuff is starting to turn into trash.

Im almost to that point myself. i offered free beer to anyone willing to come split wood. And if they burn wood i send em home with some too boot. Didnt take long to find a willing candidate.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

LOL, I wish I was closer to some of u

 

[Wainwright63]

LOL, I wish I was closer to some of u

Drive on down here and get you some. Haha