Good video and pretty good summation of costs, good job, makes it worthwhile. A couple of things you may want to consider on the tractor, Kubota recommend running my 4760 HST at 2000 rpm or more if I do this I do not have to burn crap out of the particulate filter, if I run the tractor idling around and not at 2000 rpm or higher I have to rev-up and burn crap from the particulate filter more often than I care to. On the wood I have been doing firewood for likely more than 40 years, I started with my Pa when I wasn't allowed to run the saw, a long time ago, in my experience if you want to make money with firewood you need to handle a stick once and then sell it, watching your video you are handling the wood, to split it, pile it in the 4 wheeler, pile it in the yard, pile it in the buyers truck or trailer, you are doing a lot of physical labour there besides cutting up the wood. The sweetest tool I have ever finally fabricated to make firewood way easier is a steel frame on a plastic pallet. I had a welding shop fabricate me a frame with angle iron outside and flat bar inside supports and expanded metal inside the angle on the sides only, I bolted the steel frame to the pallet 4 bolts thru frame and the pallet one 3/8" bolt in each corner, pallet size is roughly 48" by 48"my frame is 48" high. I have never heard of a 1/3 cord here we have 1/2 cord and full cord (4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet), so one pallet load is 1/2cord. I have a quick connect on the front of the 4760 and I can change implements and the forks for lifting was about $300.00, from the dealer. Cost of the metal and welding of the metal frames was $285.00 each pallet, I got pallets for free. And I see that you are cross piling the ends to keep the wood piles straight and from falling over, looks good but not necessary anymore, splitting and loading the wagon bringing in the wood to stack it in the yard not necessary anymore, taking the wood and piling it in a truck to sell it not necessary anymore, this is a major time saver for me. I can load the metal framed pallet on the tractor take it out to the woods besides the wood splitter and I leave pallet up a foot or more so it's easier on my back to pile the wood inside the frame, as I split the wood I load it in the pallet frame and when I have the frame full I have a half cord and I take it out and I set them in an area where they have full sun all day to dry them until they are dry. When it's time to put the wood in the house for the winter I load the pallet on the 4760 and take it around front of the house and I can open the double doors to the basement and set the pallet in on the floor, but have these little dolly wheels for snowmobiles and I put a little dolly under each corner of the pallet and I can wheel the pallet over to the wall beside the wood stove. So with all of this I handle the wood when I take it off the splitter and put it in the pallet and then I handle the wood again when I take it out of the pallet to put it in the wood stove. This is a real timesaver, I also have a piece of thin conveyor belt attached to the top of the pallet frame to shed water but you can stack a pallet on top of one another if you wish. I tried this method without the metal frame and every time you hit a bump the wood would shake and some would fall off the pallet but with the frame it works very well. I like working in the woods myself and I used to split by hand, now that I am older I am looking for the wood heat the easiest method possible as I like to spend more time in the garden now. If you want to sell firewood people can come and get it all I do is tie the pallet to the fork on the tractor and dump the wood in there trailer or truck, there is no arguing about the amount of wood the frame is 1/2 cord size very visible. This is what I do and it works well for me.
I notice you're a "bark side down" guy. I'm in the "bark side up" camp, but honestly I don't think it matters. I'm almost finished cutting, splitting, hauling and stacking my wood for next winter. It's 13F and snowing here today in south-central Missouri but the house is toasty warm. Lately I've been enjoying your old videos and seeing how far you've come. Well done, Mike. Looking forward to seeing where you are in another five years.
Back when I still had a truck and drivers license I used to cut up and bundle driftwood on the banks of the Mississippi River here near St. Louis, MO. on the IL. Side of the river. It was just me with a chainsaw and my pick-up truck. It provided pocket money for gas, drinks, and helped pay for lunch, but it's not like I made a killing at it or anything.
Could you remake this video with your newest setup I would like to know how much more effective you are now at production of firewood. Congrats on how far you have made it to date.
I like your technique using the loader to lift the log out of the dirt. I will be adopting this method. I started cutting wood a few years ago, so I have a lot to learn.
Mike, I recently added your channel and love it! I own a small acreage in Missouri and would love to have a setup like you guys! I have watched many videos (usually daily) and tonight I went back to 2016 or so. You seem much happier two years later, I hope it was just newness and now you're really into your groove. I'm literally laughed out loud when you raised hell about the round about and this is not Europe!
I'm in western NY state (southern Livingston Cnty., cut on my own land and from a few others who have hunting camps and want their woods "passable". I mostly use a Honda Foreman with a homemade skidding arch. I'm retired now but have done this since the '70s (I used an old Dodge power wagon then) and still love to do it most every day. It's nice to see you take pride in your stacks, I do too.
Yep I came to the conclusion that making a living at firewood... pretty tough... but for a side income or for your own heat it's good exercise. Thanks for posting!
Wood Cutting split and stack a lot of work!! My Dad used to say You get Heated out of wood 5 times! Cutting, splitting, stacking, carrying into house, burning it!! 👊
Those Cherry logs are probably worth about 5x more as sawlogs than as firewood. One 16' log is probably around $400. You should consider having your land professionally logged or buy a small sawmill so you can market the high grade at higher values and sell only low grade as fuel.
Zach Lowry my wife knew a couple in SW Ontario who had professional loggers come into harvest 3 or 4 trees a year for lumber. Massive trees. That was their income for the year.
Here in Central Indiana our cherry trees are huge your Woods no offense but looks like 3rd growth Timber. They won't even buy a cherry tree around here unless it's at least two foot in diameter at the base and has 16 foot no knots or blemishes which would be great if you're lucky it'll be veneer most of time it'll just be grade and it's all sold for pallet wood. It's worth more for firewood around here then Lumber value. Be careful burning Cherry that sweet smell that you smell is arsenic. FYI if you have horses get rid of all the cherry trees the leaves fall in the horse tank and also make arsenic. I have a firewood business I can't keep up I quit advertising it's a lot of work. Thanks for doing the cost for me I wondered if I make any money or not. Not to mention the hours I spend sharpening my chains and working on the saws. And it is really good for your health keep it up and have a nice day thanks for the video.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to show your costs. This was good information. The thing that some of the other commentary's are complaining about is irrelevant to you. You enjoy doing the work, you are proud of your work, and you do great, neat, and beautiful stacks. Spreadsheet showed you enjoy the work - you did the same neat and formatted job. You could add the cost of 2-cycle oil and bar and chain oil. Thank again for sharing. Jim
Noticed no chain saw chaps? We always brougth our paultry 12-14 cords of firewood in by the log (6-6ft) then blocked/split and stacked at home. It was easier to handle/haul, the nearly 100 miles down from the mountain. Differant strokes! Enjoy your videos
Hello from Northern Michigan (Mancelona area).Great vid. I have an L3301. My first regen was this weekend at 35.9 hours. I try to keep my rpms in the 2k and up range and shut it down when there is a possibility of idling for more than 10 minutes. It is pretty amazing what these tractors can do. I am glad I went with the L series vs the larger tractors due to the areas I can go in the woods to build trails, gather wood and work on hunting blinds
I guess it depends on how much you need the cash. The old timer who owns the mountain that my home is on used to cut up firewood for his place and to sell. He had land taxes to pay. He sold field stone, and anything else that he could. Instead of a 9-5 job he worked his land and lived off it.
You should try to find a small trailer. build some sides up on it. that way can haul more wood to stack. can pull it with the tractor. plus if some bad weather happens to come thur can just leave the trailer in the woods.
yea , im looking at a dump trailer to go with a backhoe/farm services business im thinking of starting. Multi use.. can haul a tractor , dirt, firewood etc acts like a dump or a flatbed.
I have the same splitter and its is possible to split a full cord and stack it in 1 and 1/2 hours. Now thats with 2 people so u r pretty much on the same timeline. I run a Firewood Buisness and the way u do it os perfectly fine for 15 cord per winter. Good job. I am looming at 75+ cord this year so i will be running 2 splitters. 22 ton huskey and a 35 ton witj 4 way wedge. And i am glad u know what a full cord is. Lots of people dont have a clue. Hard work but never hurt any one.
Here in Connecticut we sell around 1000 full cord of firewood per season, we get $240.00 per cord delivered. My firewood business is only a 7 month of the year business. So, yes you can make a few bucks if your setup right.
"If your set up right!" And "In the business". That detail is lost on most , even many who think they are in the business. Selling 10 cords a year is not in the business, not say that was said here or not. I'd bet money your not using a splitter seen here. I'd also bet you don't have 7 hours per-cord in labor. Cheers.
I've been cutting firewood for a couple of years now. If you want to make decent money you need to be able to haul out big loads at once; having to make 4 or 5 trips to the woods almost doubles your time spent. I bought an old 5 ton m54 military cargo truck from Vietnam era for 5k. I can haul out 7 cords in the bed. Spend half the day cutting and quartering by hand and loading, then bring it in for a late lunch and fire up the log spliter after. If you're doing it for sale don't bother stacking it, just pile it on pallets and tarp it when it rains. Its a hell of a weekend gig.
Not a bad income. Lots of work but honestly I love hard work. May start doing a bit of this to fund other activities. If I want more "play money" I have to work more. Simple math. Keep up the good work Mike. I have lived my entire life taking care of my family. Now my son and I are building a homestead and two houses for our families. There is nothing better than working your own land. Terry
When you consider all the machinery, the expenses, depreciation, and time, you can make some money in the woods; it's more like encouragement though, not profit. Selling the resource for firewood v. lumber is worth analyzing, too. But those of us who enjoy being outside and doing manual labor for its own sake, gladly overlook the practicality of what we are doing. Having a piece of property to work on and the vitality to be active outdoors is a great blessing. The freedom to do as much or as little as you choose, and perhaps one day retire to easier work, makes all the difference. As long as you have the interest, you will find time and effort to keep happily working in the woods.
Interesting. Since you like machinery, you should consider a WoodMizer sawmill. It is a shame to see big cherry and oak logs go to firewood. The sawmill is a blast to operate for yourself, not so much though if it is to make a living. You could probably get more money for the boards out of the butt log than you get from firewood. And don't worry, the Woodmizer would be a perfect color match for your tractors ;)
I sell wood for profit but I do it a bit differently. Everything gets skidded to the processing area. Once it is split it does not get touched until sold and getting loaded. Stacking is up to the buyer. I also avoid any trees that are smaller. I aim for roughly 20 inch diameter.
if you enjoy doing it and can make money at it its a win win for you, and if you are taking care of leaners and down trees[keeping you wooded area clean] than thats another plus .well done
Great video. I have always wondered how much I save cutting wood. By the time you add in all the cost but like you say making or savings money being in the woods is hard to beat. I think if I was going to try to do it for a living in would order a logging truck load of green logs with no branches, let it sit 2 years, then all your cutting and splitting is in one place.
that's a very interesting video you did. I used a Honda 350quad 4x4 to pull woods out, I timed it was faster than using a tractor I could pull in 3trips a ton of firewood this was mostly all down hill v steep slopes all Oak the wood drag behind would help hold quad back, cut up by pick up and Chuck on and deliver.keep up with videos loved stacked fences
You could look at selling bundles of firewood near campgrounds and at gas stations for single use camp fires. You could probably get a premium price per bundle to give people that convenience factor.
I like your video because you do it much the way any of us could... by hand and with the tools/toys at hand. Wouldn't want to do it every day, but could make a few extra bucks.
Hi just watching your video... great stuff! I am Scottish but live in France. The main source of fuel for heating where I live is wood. We burn mostly oak, sweet chestnut and hornbeam on a glass fronted stove and kitchen cooker. Any way I have to pay €60 for a stere ( loose 1 cubic metre) delivered. It comes in split 1m lengths which I cut into smaller pieces for my two stoves 500mm and 250 mm with a Stihl 038 and split really big bits down with a small electric splitter. I leave it for another year before I burn it. The question asked though is can you make money from cutting wood...well I say yes if you are getting pleasure from doing the job and it keeps you fit and active do it! I COULD have my wood delivered ready to go but I, out of choice, buy it with work to do on it because it is cheaper in longer lengths and being retired it gives me a purpose... love to be 40 years younger and doing the same where you are. Back to can you make money from fire wood ?...Well if I can save money by cutting and a little splitting to shorter lengths there must be profit in the initial part... you do have some really nice mechanicals there though ! All the best and take care!!
man i made a killing salen firewood in Oklahoma. i would cut a full truck load in the morning, unload and go to work for 8 hours. come home split and stack at night. did it every day if it was not raining. i would sale over a 100 cords a year. did it for 12 years. i dont do it no more, man i miss the work out. take care and be safe out there buddy.
WILSON! As I said. It depends on how you live! When I retire in a little under 6 years my retirement will be a touch over $1000 a month. My property taxes are $350 a year. I own my land, my house, my vehicles. I live off grid. My bills are 2 cell phones and internet, vehicle insurance. See. It depends on how you live.
Lol that is a heck of a lot of firewood. You could heat the whole state of Pennsylvania with that stash. I agree with you about not wanting to do that kind of work full time. It is fun, occasionally, but it is hard. Down here on the Texas Gulf Coast we don't have much need for firewood but I do cut up an occasional oak or pecan tree that falls. I love all your equipment, my life would be a breeze to have equipment like that. Hurricane Harvey destroyed just about everything I owned so the last tree I had to cut up I did it with a handsaw. And part of it still hasn't been done lol. I'm thinking about starting my next burn pile on top of it and just deal with it that way. I really enjoy your videos. They are down to earth and a real help.
Hey thanks for responce..beautiful...very envious..lot of work...plus got to have the tractors...but wow what property..great vid by the way...the speeding up stuff...very cool..still envious...very...good luck..
Good video. Thanks. I have a Kubota similar to yours and one of the best investments I made for it was getting a fork lift attachment for the front loader. I'm older and all that bending and kneeling was killing me. Just slide the fork under and lift to have the tree up off the ground. With the quick attach system it only takes a couple minutes to change between the fork and bucket.
Cutting firewood in Idaho sells for $250 a cord takes four-man hours to cut and split, process a cord if you don't have to pay for the wood that's around $60hr. A very hard work very fulfilling meet lots of great people who come back year after year plus teaches young boys how to be real men and they'll be proud of it when they grow old makes for great stories around the campfire
I'm guessing the tractor is in the $35,000.00 range,side by side is a nice to have but not a necessity.Drop back to a good used 45HP utility tractor with FEL($8000.00 range) delete side by side and your equipment cost per hour drops a lot. You can make money with firewood but Lordy you are earning every single penny of it! Just recently found your channel and really enjoy your videos. Amos
Perhaps you could streamline the workload by dragging your logs close to where you can split them then stack the wood instead of cutting the logs up in the woods then dragging a logsplitter over to them then loading them up into another vehicle then staking seems to me too much handling is going on.
He wouldn't even have to drag them. Get a grapple bucket for the tractor and haul 10' sections to a central splitting and stacking location. He's right, the less handling the better.
Grapple bucket used is $600, new youre looking at $2000. You'd have to be selling a hell of a lot of firewood to justify that purchase. I suppose you could justify that cost if you were doing landscaping or stump grubbing, but the OP has a fulltime job already. The firewood is his sidejob. If anything, it'd be fairly efficient to drop the tree, leave it on blocks to dry , skid it out during the fall or winter and cut/stack in central area for sale in the following year.
OWTM: have you considered using a timber jack? Similar to a peavey but lifts log off ground same as your tractor and only costs 40-50 here. Just a hand tool but essentially cuts tractor out and time going back and forth. Just use the SxS to bring in the splitter and go to town
Good information I'm sure you have a good reason for doing it the way you do and you still make a little money, enjoy what you're doing and getting good exercise. I doubt the sale of firewood paid for the tractor, side by side, splitter, saws and everything else anyway. Keep doing what you do brother...
Ron Barfield thanks, you hit the nail on the head. No, there's no way the amount of wood I sell paid for tractor or side x side. But, that's not what I primarily use them for anyway. Just general maintenance and projects around the property mostly. You are also right about there are reasons why I do it the way I do. Mostly because I don't like making a mess that I have to clean up later. Many people say skid those logs to your yard cut and stack there. True that would be less handling but it would also tear up all my trails and make a real mess back where I stack.
I've always sold by the cubic foot. Easier to handle and more $/foot. Easy sale in Northern NJ because plenty of occasional burners who don't want to move 1/3 cord (me included). Only up to 4-5 cords/year, but it's growing.
up in Michigan in the winter you do anywhere from 50 to pert near 85 or 90 a face cord depending on how green the wood is and how small they want it split wood stove vs. outside wood boiler system.
Question, how much would you say selling oak firewood? Reason I ask, is that someone has been cutting oak down over 3 acres. Some of the trees have been there for 45 to 50 years. On undeveloped property.
As your doing your videos show , at different stages, what you’ve done. You take all that time explaining what you do but you don’t show what it looks like at that point or r the finished product. Love your videos
Thanks for this video Mike! I’m like you I love being in the outdoors and in the woods. Cutting wood clears my head and it’s not as stressful as my regular job. I been thinking about trying to sell some firewood but unsure if it’s worth it. My parents have a big wood burner to heat their house so I typically just cut wood for them. But with COVID I’ve had more time than usual and have a pretty hefty pile of wood. Thanks again for the actual breakdown. I use that same log splitter and it’s a life changer!
Can you explain why splitting it in the woods and handling all the split pieces twice (load, then unload) is easier than hauling (dragging) the biggest pieces you can back to the house, then chopping and splitting it there where it can go directly on a drying pile? Thanks.
Ty for information . I can cut and split 2 cords a day by hand. I have a log splitter but it's just too slow . Consistently day in day out 1 cord per day ,so it's nice to know I can make money at 250 per cord
Good job.I watch the videos of you cleaning the old apple orchard.Just wondering what you do for a living.You seem to know how to operate heavy equipment pretty good.Good job,and a very nice place.You can tell you enjoy it a lot.Your wife does not mind you spend all your time playing on your property.LOL
How come no vertical splitting ? Sit on a milk crate with a wood hook, tractor to push logs closer, no lifting and when it's split just chuck into small trailer ? And you are right about doing everything in the woods, keeps all the mess off your yard. Just my 2 cents. Thanks.
Adam over on Hometown Acres (RUclips) found cutting a tree into logs back home is more efficient than in the forest. That way saves stacking and then moving the rounds to where they will be split. That might work for you, too.
I sweat cutting it (unless it's below freezing), I sweat hauling it (unless...), I sweat splitting it, and I sweat stacking it (unless...), then it warms me once!
Actually, when you cut the tree down it heats you, when you cut the branches and cut the logs down to side it heat you, when you stack and split it, it heats you. When you move it into the area to burn it in the house, it heats you. When you burn it, that finishes getting the heat. A lot more than twice, anyone cutting woods knows the value of cutting your own wood. And throw in when you take the ashes out and throw them away, and you were heated 6 times for every tree you cut.
thanks for the explanation it does seem stupid. will have to check if mine has that filter in UK mine is a b1620 done 45hrs so far had it a month now brilliant machine.look forward to more videos.thanks for replying
I have a tractor and split wood too. I put an extension on my front loader (just made of plywood)...it lets the front loader carry way more wood. I roll the rounds into the front loader, lift all level with the splitter and roll them right onto the splitter. Throw the split wood right onto the trailer and stack it. Lifting those rounds and putting them on the splitter is too much work.
Do you find the need for a skidder winch set up? I have many fallen trees across a stream on my property that I can't safely get at without getting stuck or putting the tractor in a compromising position. I live in NE Ohio, my property is very mucky at the moment. Thanks, Dave.
interesting video idea maybe you could save some trips back and forth with the side X side and get a large trailer for the Kubota. You could take more wood per trip and could just throw it into the trailer, and not have to take time stacking it into the back of the Polaris. Save you time in both less trips and less stacking. Cool video, either way. Liked the cost breakdown, very thorough.
Seriously, get a grapple and bring larger logs to where you want instead of cutting tiny pieces in a remote spot. The grapple will also be quick in stacking the cut logs within that area once they are cut ... just something to think about. But if you enjoy what you do and feel it is good enough, just do it.
Very nice video. Well done. I do believe you have a built in measuring tape in your head - the uniformity in your cuts appear to be supremely accurate! I also think you have a laser line when you stack. It's a beautiful thing to see wood stacked like that! Seriously. (I think I'm type A and a bit OCD) :)
I find myself hating New vehicles and equipment since they brought in all this emissions b.s. and really before that even since they've made everything so computer centric. I went from brand new truck and fairly new equipment 8 years ago to now driving a 1986 truck and a 1958 john deere tractor and couldn't be happier. Mostly because I can actually work on them myself and when I have a problem I can usually solve it rather quickly on my own. I live in a logging area up north. I don't often go out and fell trees for selling firewood anymore I buy red oak logs by the truckload. I pay $1000 for a straight truck load of logs delivered to my homestead. that works out to 8 full cords by the time I process it and I'm getting $400/cord when I sell it by the cord. (Keep in mind this is all in canadian dollars). I do go out and cut some birch every year for myself because 1) you don't really need kindling to get the red oak going when you have dry birch and 2) it smells awesome lol
great vid, well done. Envious of your trails. Need to clear my new farm with new tractor and new grapple. I don't know how to use any of it and learning from your vids! I don't mind the tier 4. 40 hrs and I've only had one 15 min regen. Not breathing the diesel exhaust is worth it.
West Tennessee. New MX5200, 7' landpride brush cutter. 62 acres. 2 acre Catfish pond hasnt been fished in 8 years! My ears perked up when you mentioned backing down steep terrain. I've got very steep hills.
I have been in the firewood business for 8 years, with my own land clearing and planning and making a tree farm. When my tractor breaks down it cost about 2,000, a new bar a new chain gas there's no way he's making $31 an hour. There's a lot more involved then what he is saying yeah, he's making it look way too easy
There should also be a cost associated with those cherry trees that you haven't factored in, here, yet. But great video, and thank you for all of the information.
Just wondering would it be worth spending more time cutting and loading into say a 6x4 trailer and thus reducing the amount of trips to your wood stack. Your track seems to accomodate a small trailer, you'd spend more time splitting and less time hauling, just a thought. I cut timber for campers and don't charge for it, I'm clearing land and saving the campers taking wood from the national park at the end of our road, it's a win win because I burn the stumps and branches for potash and help out campers who either pay $25 for 15kg of split wood or go cut up timber in a national park which carries heavy fines. Great vid btw but I think you could spend more time splitting and less time carting using a bigger trailer to haul out
Very good video for those of us considering same. I might be able to get my cost a little lower as I don’t have a side by side, so I’d be dragging a trailer behind the tractor. But my tractor cost would be higher. Thanks.
Around here in NJ, they get about 350 a cord delivered....highway robbery really. The interesting part is that it's the tree service companies that are selling it. SO they get paid to take the limbs and trees down, then they split it and get paid again. Quite a business. Who else gets paid for their waste products?
Wow! $100 for a 16" by 8' by 4' stack of wood?! In Northern Michigan prices range from $50-$65 delivered and anymore it's 90% Ash. Ash I don't feel puts out near the heat as cherry, maple, beech, birch, or oaks-the main woods I cut around here. I have access to unlimited tree's to process into firewood and I still hate selling it. I've got a fast splitter, 440 Stihl, all the equipment, skid steer, you name it. I still can't justify all the time and work that goes into it. To me it feels like I'm getting paid for the labor and giving the face cord of wood away for free. I'd rather stockpile and burn it myself. Maybe I'm just cheap and looking at it wrong though.
its the market where you live.. you are selling snow to eskimo's Maybe consider delivering the wood to a customer in town? or go after the more valuable wood that will burn better or even some that will be useful for smoking? just thoughts
Very interesting thanks for taking the time to do this. How many acres do you have? I am familiar with Butler worked in that area for 8 years. We Built our forever home in a 20 acre spot on 1200 frontage feet of the Milwaukee River in SE Wisconsin 9 years ago. 5 years ago in this area the Emerald Ash Borer has destroyed all the Ash trees. The borer simply followed the river. We have 3-4 hundred dead ash trees. I have one friend who is cutting them down and hauling them out to heat his business and home and my wife and I are doing a few a week when the weather is right. So a lot of time in the woods. Often thought about selling the some wood. This wood cannot legally be removed from the county. Lastly when i bought the property we put in 12 ladder stands all but 3 are on dead widow maker trees now. We have good maple and poplar trees to re-hang these but everywhere close is another widow make. We now call it the Dead Forest a real shame...
Lots of changes in a couple of years😁 really starting to motivate me to start a channel for our new property and timber frame build starting in the spring in northern Michigan!
You should be able to make good money there in Indiana selling firewood to those families who have fireplaces, and wood heaters in their homes. I live here in Arkansas and there is so many people looking for firewood and usually there isn't enough people selling wood. We have plenty of oak wood here and that is the preferred type for wood stoves, and fireplaces.
After having your tractor for a while now, what is the biggest and heaviest tree you have ever pulled out of the woods and did you notice much power loss from the hydro trans? I was told by a guy who worked on tractors that with a hydro trans it loses power when pulling very heavy stuff and i needed a std trans.
Camaro Love I can only speak for mine but I have never ever lacked power to pull anything. I once pulled a 36" cherry tree, almost the entire tree up over a hill. It will break traction long before it runs out of power.
My thing would be , ya have to make 12 payments a year on each of those pieces of equipment to do the job ,, now you have to sell enough wood each of those months to make all the payments on each of those pieces of equipment ,,side by side,,wood splitter, tractor ,,,chainsaw ,, etc.. before you can count any of that money as profit ,,so lets say all together "approximate" $800 a month for all combined thats a little more than 3 cords of wood every month before you make a penny profit,,, this is simplified of course , then well there is the wood itself, so your property would have to be substantial to keep that kind of pace up,, and at least large enough to last until the equipment is paid off,, cause if ya run out of wood prior to paying them all off well thats another problem,, so the real pay off for me would be when all equipment is paid off then if nothing else the wood paid for that stuff other wise as a business it can be quite nerve racking with those payments hanging over your head and having to sell 3 cords of wood just to pay for the stuff,, anyway just the ramblings of another 52 year old man lol...
If you're making payments on equipment whose sole purpose is firewood, you made a huge mistake. I'm a farmer, so I already have a tractor and skidloader, although I usually don't use them for firewood. Most of the time I don't think it's worth the fuel and hours on the equipment. I already have a chainsaw (stihl 026, I love that saw) and truck, all I needed to purchase for firewood was a splitter. And I did that to burn firewood for myself. Gnarly cherry and mulberry, stringy hackberry, etc., life is too short to split that by hand, if it was all walnut that'd be a different story. :) I have excess trees on my property, as well as trees on the fencelines of crop ground that I rent. When I have time, I cut wood. If I have excess, I'll sell it. If I don't sell it, more wood for me. It's nicely stacked on pallets outside, it could sit there for years and not rot. If I didn't make firewood with them, they'd eventually be burned in a huge brushpile anyway. And if the trees are in a sheep pasture and the leaves are still green, the leaves are a food source, they love it!
It doesn't matter how you cut it ( ;-) ). You have to make the money in the first place and replace it after you spend it. Interest these days doesn't amount to much. You still have to factor in the money you spent for the equipment!
He said he included $81 per cord just for equipment. Sounds reasonable to me. 14:15 Ramble less, listen more. God gave you two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.
Thanks for the introduction to the IBC baskets. These are soooooo much easier to manage firewood.
Excellent spreadsheet at end and nice track of expenses !
Great video, enjoyed. Been cutting firewood in Northern PA for many years. That 036 Pro is one of the best saws Stihl ever made.
Good video and pretty good summation of costs, good job, makes it worthwhile. A couple of things you may want to consider on the tractor, Kubota recommend running my 4760 HST at 2000 rpm or more if I do this I do not have to burn crap out of the particulate filter, if I run the tractor idling around and not at 2000 rpm or higher I have to rev-up and burn crap from the particulate filter more often than I care to. On the wood I have been doing firewood for likely more than 40 years, I started with my Pa when I wasn't allowed to run the saw, a long time ago, in my experience if you want to make money with firewood you need to handle a stick once and then sell it, watching your video you are handling the wood, to split it, pile it in the 4 wheeler, pile it in the yard, pile it in the buyers truck or trailer, you are doing a lot of physical labour there besides cutting up the wood. The sweetest tool I have ever finally fabricated to make firewood way easier is a steel frame on a plastic pallet. I had a welding shop fabricate me a frame with angle iron outside and flat bar inside supports and expanded metal inside the angle on the sides only, I bolted the steel frame to the pallet 4 bolts thru frame and the pallet one 3/8" bolt in each corner, pallet size is roughly 48" by 48"my frame is 48" high. I have never heard of a 1/3 cord here we have 1/2 cord and full cord (4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet), so one pallet load is 1/2cord. I have a quick connect on the front of the 4760 and I can change implements and the forks for lifting was about $300.00, from the dealer. Cost of the metal and welding of the metal frames was $285.00 each pallet, I got pallets for free. And I see that you are cross piling the ends to keep the wood piles straight and from falling over, looks good but not necessary anymore, splitting and loading the wagon bringing in the wood to stack it in the yard not necessary anymore, taking the wood and piling it in a truck to sell it not necessary anymore, this is a major time saver for me. I can load the metal framed pallet on the tractor take it out to the woods besides the wood splitter and I leave pallet up a foot or more so it's easier on my back to pile the wood inside the frame, as I split the wood I load it in the pallet frame and when I have the frame full I have a half cord and I take it out and I set them in an area where they have full sun all day to dry them until they are dry. When it's time to put the wood in the house for the winter I load the pallet on the 4760 and take it around front of the house and I can open the double doors to the basement and set the pallet in on the floor, but have these little dolly wheels for snowmobiles and I put a little dolly under each corner of the pallet and I can wheel the pallet over to the wall beside the wood stove. So with all of this I handle the wood when I take it off the splitter and put it in the pallet and then I handle the wood again when I take it out of the pallet to put it in the wood stove. This is a real timesaver, I also have a piece of thin conveyor belt attached to the top of the pallet frame to shed water but you can stack a pallet on top of one another if you wish. I tried this method without the metal frame and every time you hit a bump the wood would shake and some would fall off the pallet but with the frame it works very well. I like working in the woods myself and I used to split by hand, now that I am older I am looking for the wood heat the easiest method possible as I like to spend more time in the garden now. If you want to sell firewood people can come and get it all I do is tie the pallet to the fork on the tractor and dump the wood in there trailer or truck, there is no arguing about the amount of wood the frame is 1/2 cord size very visible. This is what I do and it works well for me.
If you enjoy what you're doing, how and where you're doing it, any money is pure gravy.
Exactly!
do what you love and get paid! heck ya!
I notice you're a "bark side down" guy. I'm in the "bark side up" camp, but honestly I don't think it matters. I'm almost finished cutting, splitting, hauling and stacking my wood for next winter. It's 13F and snowing here today in south-central Missouri but the house is toasty warm. Lately I've been enjoying your old videos and seeing how far you've come. Well done, Mike. Looking forward to seeing where you are in another five years.
Back when I still had a truck and drivers license I used to cut up and bundle driftwood on the banks of the Mississippi River here near St. Louis, MO. on the IL. Side of the river. It was just me with a chainsaw and my pick-up truck. It provided pocket money for gas, drinks, and helped pay for lunch, but it's not like I made a killing at it or anything.
Could you remake this video with your newest setup I would like to know how much more effective you are now at production of firewood. Congrats on how far you have made it to date.
I like your technique using the loader to lift the log out of the dirt. I will be adopting this method. I started cutting wood a few years ago, so I have a lot to learn.
Mike, I recently added your channel and love it! I own a small acreage in Missouri and would love to have a setup like you guys! I have watched many videos (usually daily) and tonight I went back to 2016 or so. You seem much happier two years later, I hope it was just newness and now you're really into your groove. I'm literally laughed out loud when you raised hell about the round about and this is not Europe!
I am looking at buying WoodMizer's best splitter. Would you be interested in operating it?
BLESS YALL HEART BUTCH SPRINGHILL ,LA YA'II COME A LONG WAY ,,,, SEEN IN 4/6/2020 LOCKDOWN LOVE YA'LL THANK YOU FOR UR TIME
I'm in western NY state (southern Livingston Cnty., cut on my own land and from a few others who have hunting camps and want their woods "passable". I mostly use a Honda Foreman with a homemade skidding arch. I'm retired now but have done this since the '70s (I used an old Dodge power wagon then) and still love to do it most every day. It's nice to see you take pride in your stacks, I do too.
Yep I came to the conclusion that making a living at firewood... pretty tough... but for a side income or for your own heat it's good exercise. Thanks for posting!
Wood Cutting split and stack a lot of work!! My Dad used to say You get Heated out of wood 5 times! Cutting, splitting, stacking, carrying into house, burning it!! 👊
Those Cherry logs are probably worth about 5x more as sawlogs than as firewood. One 16' log is probably around $400. You should consider having your land professionally logged or buy a small sawmill so you can market the high grade at higher values and sell only low grade as fuel.
Zach Lowry my wife knew a couple in SW Ontario who had professional loggers come into harvest 3 or 4 trees a year for lumber. Massive trees. That was their income for the year.
Not too rain on the parade but , cherry log prices suck right now. White oak is king this year. $1700 per thousand for stave logs...
Cherry is almost worthless in South Central PA.
Many mills and brokers won't even buy it.
Here in Central Indiana our cherry trees are huge your Woods no offense but looks like 3rd growth Timber. They won't even buy a cherry tree around here unless it's at least two foot in diameter at the base and has 16 foot no knots or blemishes which would be great if you're lucky it'll be veneer most of time it'll just be grade and it's all sold for pallet wood. It's worth more for firewood around here then Lumber value. Be careful burning Cherry that sweet smell that you smell is arsenic. FYI if you have horses get rid of all the cherry trees the leaves fall in the horse tank and also make arsenic. I have a firewood business I can't keep up I quit advertising it's a lot of work. Thanks for doing the cost for me I wondered if I make any money or not. Not to mention the hours I spend sharpening my chains and working on the saws. And it is really good for your health keep it up and have a nice day thanks for the video.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to show your costs. This was good information. The thing that some of the other commentary's are complaining about is irrelevant to you. You enjoy doing the work, you are proud of your work, and you do great, neat, and beautiful stacks. Spreadsheet showed you enjoy the work - you did the same neat and formatted job. You could add the cost of 2-cycle oil and bar and chain oil. Thank again for sharing. Jim
Thanks Jim, You are spot on, If I had to make a living at I would do things a little differently and probably wouldn't enjoy as much as do now lol
I’m going to do that at perimeter of my woods and put openings for the deer where they have established trails.
Awesome job Mike.
Noticed no chain saw chaps? We always brougth our paultry 12-14 cords of firewood in by the log (6-6ft) then blocked/split and stacked at home. It was easier to handle/haul, the nearly 100 miles down from the mountain. Differant strokes! Enjoy your videos
Hello from Northern Michigan (Mancelona area).Great vid. I have an L3301. My first regen was this weekend at 35.9 hours. I try to keep my rpms in the 2k and up range and shut it down when there is a possibility of idling for more than 10 minutes. It is pretty amazing what these tractors can do. I am glad I went with the L series vs the larger tractors due to the areas I can go in the woods to build trails, gather wood and work on hunting blinds
From your screen name and Northern Michigan I'm sure your a big snowmobiler? Sounds like your activities are very similar to mine
I guess it depends on how much you need the cash. The old timer who owns the mountain that my home is on used to cut up firewood for his place and to sell. He had land taxes to pay. He sold field stone, and anything else that he could. Instead of a 9-5 job he worked his land and lived off it.
You should try to find a small trailer. build some sides up on it. that way can haul more wood to stack. can pull it with the tractor. plus if some bad weather happens to come thur can just leave the trailer in the woods.
A trailer would be helpful but I have some really steep hills and don't think I have enough tractor to stop it lol
could try a small trailer
I purchased a MUTS trailer for the back of my ATV, that plus your side by side would be quite nice! www.muts.ca/ Great videos, thanks for sharing!
yea , im looking at a dump trailer to go with a backhoe/farm services business im thinking of starting. Multi use.. can haul a tractor , dirt, firewood etc acts like a dump or a flatbed.
great video, great property..I love the outdoors, and if I can make some money, love it even more.
I have the same splitter and its is possible to split a full cord and stack it in 1 and 1/2 hours. Now thats with 2 people so u r pretty much on the same timeline. I run a Firewood Buisness and the way u do it os perfectly fine for 15 cord per winter. Good job. I am looming at 75+ cord this year so i will be running 2 splitters. 22 ton huskey and a 35 ton witj 4 way wedge. And i am glad u know what a full cord is. Lots of people dont have a clue. Hard work but never hurt any one.
Here in Connecticut we sell around 1000 full cord of firewood per season, we get $240.00 per cord delivered. My firewood business is only a 7 month of the year business. So, yes you can make a few bucks if your setup right.
"If your set up right!" And "In the business". That detail is lost on most , even many who think they are in the business. Selling 10 cords a year is not in the business, not say that was said here or not. I'd bet money your not using a splitter seen here. I'd also bet you don't have 7 hours per-cord in labor. Cheers.
I've been cutting firewood for a couple of years now. If you want to make decent money you need to be able to haul out big loads at once; having to make 4 or 5 trips to the woods almost doubles your time spent. I bought an old 5 ton m54 military cargo truck from Vietnam era for 5k. I can haul out 7 cords in the bed. Spend half the day cutting and quartering by hand and loading, then bring it in for a late lunch and fire up the log spliter after. If you're doing it for sale don't bother stacking it, just pile it on pallets and tarp it when it rains. Its a hell of a weekend gig.
you're really good, great to see pride in work.
Not a bad income. Lots of work but honestly I love hard work. May start doing a bit of this to fund other activities. If I want more "play money" I have to work more. Simple math. Keep up the good work Mike. I have lived my entire life taking care of my family. Now my son and I are building a homestead and two houses for our families. There is nothing better than working your own land.
Terry
When you consider all the machinery, the expenses, depreciation, and time, you can make some money in the woods; it's more like encouragement though, not profit. Selling the resource for firewood v. lumber is worth analyzing, too. But those of us who enjoy being outside and doing manual labor for its own sake, gladly overlook the practicality of what we are doing. Having a piece of property to work on and the vitality to be active outdoors is a great blessing. The freedom to do as much or as little as you choose, and perhaps one day retire to easier work, makes all the difference. As long as you have the interest, you will find time and effort to keep happily working in the woods.
Interesting. Since you like machinery, you should consider a WoodMizer sawmill. It is a shame to see big cherry and oak logs go to firewood. The sawmill is a blast to operate for yourself, not so much though if it is to make a living. You could probably get more money for the boards out of the butt log than you get from firewood. And don't worry, the Woodmizer would be a perfect color match for your tractors ;)
Beautiful place to spend time in the woods. And making a few bucks too. Very nice!
Tim
FHC
Thanks!
I sell wood for profit but I do it a bit differently. Everything gets skidded to the processing area. Once it is split it does not get touched until sold and getting loaded. Stacking is up to the buyer. I also avoid any trees that are smaller. I aim for roughly 20 inch diameter.
if you enjoy doing it and can make money at it its a win win for you, and if you are taking care of leaners and down trees[keeping you wooded area clean] than thats another plus .well done
Thanks Phil, I do enjoy it
Great video. I have always wondered how much I save cutting wood. By the time you add in all the cost but like you say making or savings money being in the woods is hard to beat. I think if I was going to try to do it for a living in would order a logging truck load of green logs with no branches, let it sit 2 years, then all your cutting and splitting is in one place.
I enjoyed the video! I'm an engineer, so I loved the detail to the numbers and spreadsheet! Very interesting to see what it costs. Great video!
that's a very interesting video you did. I used a Honda 350quad 4x4 to pull woods out, I timed it was faster than using a tractor I could pull in 3trips a ton of firewood this was mostly all down hill v steep slopes all Oak the wood drag behind would help hold quad back, cut up by pick up and Chuck on and deliver.keep up with videos loved stacked fences
You could look at selling bundles of firewood near campgrounds and at gas stations for single use camp fires. You could probably get a premium price per bundle to give people that convenience factor.
I do sell small quantities to people just for patio fire rings and things like that, not bundles yet but 2 x 2 stacks that they can fit in their trunk
A stacking maestro !
There is not one thing about processing firewood that I don't absolutely love. Including the look of well stacked cordwood.
I like your video because you do it much the way any of us could... by hand and with the tools/toys at hand. Wouldn't want to do it every day, but could make a few extra bucks.
Hi just watching your video... great stuff! I am Scottish but live in France. The main source of fuel for heating where I live is wood. We burn mostly oak, sweet chestnut and hornbeam on a glass fronted stove and kitchen cooker. Any way I have to pay €60 for a stere ( loose 1 cubic metre) delivered. It comes in split 1m lengths which I cut into smaller pieces for my two stoves 500mm and 250 mm with a Stihl 038 and split really big bits down with a small electric splitter. I leave it for another year before I burn it. The question asked though is can you make money from cutting wood...well I say yes if you are getting pleasure from doing the job and it keeps you fit and active do it! I COULD have my wood delivered ready to go but I, out of choice, buy it with work to do on it because it is cheaper in longer lengths and being retired it gives me a purpose... love to be 40 years younger and doing the same where you are. Back to can you make money from fire wood ?...Well if I can save money by cutting and a little splitting to shorter lengths there must be profit in the initial part... you do have some really nice mechanicals there though ! All the best and take care!!
man i made a killing salen firewood in Oklahoma. i would cut a full truck load in the morning, unload and go to work for 8 hours. come home split and stack at night. did it every day if it was not raining. i would sale over a 100 cords a year. did it for 12 years. i dont do it no more, man i miss the work out. take care and be safe out there buddy.
I did a little bit of that dance in my late 20's....came a bit too close to death a couple a times....from 40-65 I've just been cutting for myself!
$15,000 a year? Could you pay your bills?
WILSON! That’s a lot of money. I guess it depends on how you live.
$1250 per month is a lot of money? Literally below the poverty line. I personally eat more than that in food every month.
WILSON! As I said. It depends on how you live! When I retire in a little under 6 years my retirement will be a touch over $1000 a month. My property taxes are $350 a year. I own my land, my house, my vehicles. I live off grid. My bills are 2 cell phones and internet, vehicle insurance. See. It depends on how you live.
Lol that is a heck of a lot of firewood. You could heat the whole state of Pennsylvania with that stash. I agree with you about not wanting to do that kind of work full time. It is fun, occasionally, but it is hard. Down here on the Texas Gulf Coast we don't have much need for firewood but I do cut up an occasional oak or pecan tree that falls. I love all your equipment, my life would be a breeze to have equipment like that. Hurricane Harvey destroyed just about everything I owned so the last tree I had to cut up I did it with a handsaw. And part of it still hasn't been done lol. I'm thinking about starting my next burn pile on top of it and just deal with it that way. I really enjoy your videos. They are down to earth and a real help.
Hey thanks for responce..beautiful...very envious..lot of work...plus got to have the tractors...but wow what property..great vid by the way...the speeding up stuff...very cool..still envious...very...good luck..
Thanks Grant, I'm learning and in it for the long haul
Good video. Thanks. I have a Kubota similar to yours and one of the best investments I made for it was getting a fork lift attachment for the front loader. I'm older and all that bending and kneeling was killing me. Just slide the fork under and lift to have the tree up off the ground. With the quick attach system it only takes a couple minutes to change between the fork and bucket.
Cutting firewood in Idaho sells for $250 a cord takes four-man hours to cut and split, process a cord if you don't have to pay for the wood that's around $60hr. A very hard work very fulfilling meet lots of great people who come back year after year plus teaches young boys how to be real men and they'll be proud of it when they grow old makes for great stories around the campfire
hard satisfying work never killed nobody, good job.
Amen
Well, actually, it's killed tons of people...Logging is in the highest category of risk for workman's comp,etc!
I'm guessing the tractor is in the $35,000.00 range,side by side is a nice to have but not a necessity.Drop back to a good used 45HP utility tractor with FEL($8000.00 range) delete side by side and your equipment cost per hour drops a lot.
You can make money with firewood but Lordy you are earning every single penny of it! Just recently found your channel and really enjoy your videos.
Amos
Perhaps you could streamline the workload by dragging your logs close to where you can split them then stack the wood instead of cutting the logs up in the woods then dragging a logsplitter over to them then loading them up into another vehicle then staking seems to me too much handling is going on.
viol999 Do you realize how much landscape you gonna mess up doing that?
He wouldn't even have to drag them. Get a grapple bucket for the tractor and haul 10' sections to a central splitting and stacking location. He's right, the less handling the better.
Grapple bucket used is $600, new youre looking at $2000. You'd have to be selling a hell of a lot of firewood to justify that purchase. I suppose you could justify that cost if you were doing landscaping or stump grubbing, but the OP has a fulltime job already. The firewood is his sidejob. If anything, it'd be fairly efficient to drop the tree, leave it on blocks to dry , skid it out during the fall or winter and cut/stack in central area for sale in the following year.
I think he should find a spot in the woods to stack it instead of on that nice lawn. Unless he likes to look out his window and stare at it.
Rob Frere get two skateboards and a metal bar and volla done
OWTM: have you considered using a timber jack? Similar to a peavey but lifts log off ground same as your tractor and only costs 40-50 here. Just a hand tool but essentially cuts tractor out and time going back and forth. Just use the SxS to bring in the splitter and go to town
Good information I'm sure you have a good reason for doing it the way you do and you still make a little money, enjoy what you're doing and getting good exercise. I doubt the sale of firewood paid for the tractor, side by side, splitter, saws and everything else anyway. Keep doing what you do brother...
Ron Barfield thanks, you hit the nail on the head. No, there's no way the amount of wood I sell paid for tractor or side x side. But, that's not what I primarily use them for anyway. Just general maintenance and projects around the property mostly. You are also right about there are reasons why I do it the way I do. Mostly because I don't like making a mess that I have to clean up later. Many people say skid those logs to your yard cut and stack there. True that would be less handling but it would also tear up all my trails and make a real mess back where I stack.
I've always sold by the cubic foot. Easier to handle and more $/foot. Easy sale in Northern NJ because plenty of occasional burners who don't want to move 1/3 cord (me included). Only up to 4-5 cords/year, but it's growing.
up in Michigan in the winter you do anywhere from 50 to pert near 85 or 90 a face cord depending on how green the wood is and how small they want it split wood stove vs. outside wood boiler system.
Question, how much would you say selling oak firewood? Reason I ask, is that someone has been cutting oak down over 3 acres. Some of the trees have been there for 45 to 50 years. On undeveloped property.
As your doing your videos show , at different stages, what you’ve done. You take all that time explaining what you do but you don’t show what it looks like at that point or r the finished product. Love your videos
Thanks for this video Mike! I’m like you I love being in the outdoors and in the woods. Cutting wood clears my head and it’s not as stressful as my regular job. I been thinking about trying to sell some firewood but unsure if it’s worth it. My parents have a big wood burner to heat their house so I typically just cut wood for them. But with COVID I’ve had more time than usual and have a pretty hefty pile of wood. Thanks again for the actual breakdown. I use that same log splitter and it’s a life changer!
Beautifully neat and extensive wood piles. Very impressive! That equipment is very expensive, can't imagine it breaks down to $81/cord.
Can you explain why splitting it in the woods and handling all the split pieces twice (load, then unload) is easier than hauling (dragging) the biggest pieces you can back to the house, then chopping and splitting it there where it can go directly on a drying pile? Thanks.
Ty for information . I can cut and split 2 cords a day by hand. I have a log splitter but it's just too slow . Consistently day in day out 1 cord per day ,so it's nice to know I can make money at 250 per cord
Nothing like cutting a bunch of firewood. It seem therapeutic to me. A way of chilling out but yet accomplishing something at the same time.
I know right? I feel the same way
Good job.I watch the videos of you cleaning the old apple orchard.Just wondering what you do for a living.You seem to know how to operate heavy equipment pretty good.Good job,and a very nice place.You can tell you enjoy it a lot.Your wife does not mind you spend all your time playing on your property.LOL
How come no vertical splitting ? Sit on a milk crate with a wood hook, tractor to push logs closer, no lifting and when it's split just chuck into small trailer ? And you are right about doing everything in the woods, keeps all the mess off your yard. Just my 2 cents. Thanks.
Enjoy the videos. I'm in Pa. also and got a Kubota last spring.Love it
Try it with a 4 way splitting tip for the splitter... You'll cut down splitting time....
One thought would be using your tractor to pull your tree up to the point where you stack and process it there. Cuts out a lot of handling.
Adam over on Hometown Acres (RUclips) found cutting a tree into logs back home is more efficient than in the forest. That way saves stacking and then moving the rounds to where they will be split. That might work for you, too.
Wood warms you twice when you're cutting it and then when you burn it.
3 times, you need to stack as well.
I sweat cutting it (unless it's below freezing), I sweat hauling it (unless...), I sweat splitting it, and I sweat stacking it (unless...), then it warms me once!
Actually, when you cut the tree down it heats you, when you cut the branches and cut the logs down to side it heat you, when you stack and split it, it heats you. When you move it into the area to burn it in the house, it heats you. When you burn it, that finishes getting the heat. A lot more than twice, anyone cutting woods knows the value of cutting your own wood. And throw in when you take the ashes out and throw them away, and you were heated 6 times for every tree you cut.
thanks for the explanation it does seem stupid. will have to check if mine has that filter in UK mine is a b1620 done 45hrs so far had it a month now brilliant machine.look forward to more videos.thanks for replying
@Outdoors With The Morgans I saw a video of a Jeep you own or owned and I was trying to find out the color, please. Thanks so much for any help. :)
I see a love for firewood. Almost hate to burn such a pretty stack of wood.
Agreed ...."Ya gettin' paid in the woods is a pretty cool thing "
I have a tractor and split wood too. I put an extension on my front loader (just made of plywood)...it lets the front loader carry way more wood. I roll the rounds into the front loader, lift all level with the splitter and roll them right onto the splitter. Throw the split wood right onto the trailer and stack it. Lifting those rounds and putting them on the splitter is too much work.
Do you find the need for a skidder winch set up? I have many fallen trees across a stream on my property that I can't safely get at without getting stuck or putting the tractor in a compromising position. I live in NE Ohio, my property is very mucky at the moment. Thanks, Dave.
interesting video idea
maybe you could save some trips back and forth with the side X side and get a large trailer for the Kubota. You could take more wood per trip and could just throw it into the trailer, and not have to take time stacking it into the back of the Polaris. Save you time in both less trips and less stacking.
Cool video, either way. Liked the cost breakdown, very thorough.
A trailer would be helpful but many of my trails have some very steep hills and I don't think the tractor is big enough to stop it going down lol
Seriously, get a grapple and bring larger logs to where you want instead of cutting tiny pieces in a remote spot. The grapple will also be quick in stacking the cut logs within that area once they are cut ... just something to think about. But if you enjoy what you do and feel it is good enough, just do it.
How do you feel about it now with the WolfRidge etc...how much can you make cutting firewood?
Very nice video. Well done.
I do believe you have a built in measuring tape in your head - the uniformity in your cuts appear to be supremely accurate! I also think you have a laser line when you stack. It's a beautiful thing to see wood stacked like that! Seriously. (I think I'm type A and a bit OCD) :)
I think I'm a little OCD as well lol
I like your system for stacking fire wood.I might try it on our farm.thanks
What State you in?
I find myself hating New vehicles and equipment since they brought in all this emissions b.s. and really before that even since they've made everything so computer centric. I went from brand new truck and fairly new equipment 8 years ago to now driving a 1986 truck and a 1958 john deere tractor and couldn't be happier. Mostly because I can actually work on them myself and when I have a problem I can usually solve it rather quickly on my own.
I live in a logging area up north. I don't often go out and fell trees for selling firewood anymore I buy red oak logs by the truckload. I pay $1000 for a straight truck load of logs delivered to my homestead. that works out to 8 full cords by the time I process it and I'm getting $400/cord when I sell it by the cord. (Keep in mind this is all in canadian dollars). I do go out and cut some birch every year for myself because 1) you don't really need kindling to get the red oak going when you have dry birch and 2) it smells awesome lol
great vid, well done. Envious of your trails. Need to clear my new farm with new tractor and new grapple. I don't know how to use any of it and learning from your vids! I don't mind the tier 4. 40 hrs and I've only had one 15 min regen. Not breathing the diesel exhaust is worth it.
Nice, Where you from Bill?
West Tennessee. New MX5200, 7' landpride brush cutter. 62 acres. 2 acre Catfish pond hasnt been fished in 8 years! My ears perked up when you mentioned backing down steep terrain. I've got very steep hills.
$31.00 an hr?...respectable. Fresh air, staying physical by workin and doin what you love doin?.... $$priceless!
Exactly
I have been in the firewood business for 8 years, with my own land clearing and planning and making a tree farm. When my tractor breaks down it cost about 2,000, a new bar a new chain gas there's no way he's making $31 an hour. There's a lot more involved then what he is saying yeah, he's making it look way too easy
There should also be a cost associated with those cherry trees that you haven't factored in, here, yet. But great video, and thank you for all of the information.
Just wondering would it be worth spending more time cutting and loading into say a 6x4 trailer and thus reducing the amount of trips to your wood stack. Your track seems to accomodate a small trailer, you'd spend more time splitting and less time hauling, just a thought. I cut timber for campers and don't charge for it, I'm clearing land and saving the campers taking wood from the national park at the end of our road, it's a win win because I burn the stumps and branches for potash and help out campers who either pay $25 for 15kg of split wood or go cut up timber in a national park which carries heavy fines. Great vid btw but I think you could spend more time splitting and less time carting using a bigger trailer to haul out
Very good video for those of us considering same. I might be able to get my cost a little lower as I don’t have a side by side, so I’d be dragging a trailer behind the tractor. But my tractor cost would be higher. Thanks.
Around here in NJ, they get about 350 a cord delivered....highway robbery really. The interesting part is that it's the tree service companies that are selling it. SO they get paid to take the limbs and trees down, then they split it and get paid again. Quite a business. Who else gets paid for their waste products?
I have heard that before about firewood in Jersey, even 400 dollars a cord!
I thought your woods looked familiar. Or type of woods, i live in central PA myself... im a tractor guy my self ,,only from the green team 😂
Its hard to see straight cherry cut up for firewood.
what should be done with it?
Lol, I agree
smoking meat!
@@chtomlin google live edge slab black cherry tables....one coffee table $1200.00-$2000.00 no joke!
@@Albatr0ss222 thanks
Wow! $100 for a 16" by 8' by 4' stack of wood?! In Northern Michigan prices range from $50-$65 delivered and anymore it's 90% Ash. Ash I don't feel puts out near the heat as cherry, maple, beech, birch, or oaks-the main woods I cut around here. I have access to unlimited tree's to process into firewood and I still hate selling it. I've got a fast splitter, 440 Stihl, all the equipment, skid steer, you name it. I still can't justify all the time and work that goes into it. To me it feels like I'm getting paid for the labor and giving the face cord of wood away for free. I'd rather stockpile and burn it myself. Maybe I'm just cheap and looking at it wrong though.
its the market where you live.. you are selling snow to eskimo's Maybe consider delivering the wood to a customer in town? or go after the more valuable wood that will burn better or even some that will be useful for smoking? just thoughts
You need a versatile kinda wide axel small basket trailer for getting back there and loading up a nice load of split wood
Should add in the time fuel consumption. For loading and delivery also drive time and Return home trip. Unless they come and pick it up?
Jeremy Thompson, good point. I thought I mentioned they pick up but maybe I didn't
Ok maybe I missed it. Great video btw
Question, would you make more money selling cherry as milled lumber?
did you estimate the value of the wood and when you will have used up all the trees in your woodlot?
The most important thing is that you enjoy being outside working, it is a great feeling.
Exactly
Using the tractor to lift up the tree was a great idea and the splitter saves so much time compared to an axe.
Very interesting thanks for taking the time to do this. How many acres do you have? I am familiar with Butler worked in that area for 8 years. We Built our forever home in a 20 acre spot on 1200 frontage feet of the Milwaukee River in SE Wisconsin 9 years ago. 5 years ago in this area the Emerald Ash Borer has destroyed all the Ash trees. The borer simply followed the river. We have 3-4 hundred dead ash trees. I have one friend who is cutting them down and hauling them out to heat his business and home and my wife and I are doing a few a week when the weather is right. So a lot of time in the woods. Often thought about selling the some wood. This wood cannot legally be removed from the county. Lastly when i bought the property we put in 12 ladder stands all but 3 are on dead widow maker trees now. We have good maple and poplar trees to re-hang these but everywhere close is another widow make. We now call it the Dead Forest a real shame...
Really fun video to watch, really enjoyed it. I use the same type of Eagle gas cans because they pour fast
Fine choice of music as usual. Thanks
Lots of changes in a couple of years😁 really starting to motivate me to start a channel for our new property and timber frame build starting in the spring in northern Michigan!
Where at in north Mich?
You should be able to make good money there in Indiana selling firewood to those families who have fireplaces, and wood heaters in their homes. I live here in Arkansas and there is so many people looking for firewood and usually there isn't enough people selling wood. We have plenty of oak wood here and that is the preferred type for wood stoves, and fireplaces.
After having your tractor for a while now, what is the biggest and heaviest tree you have ever pulled out of the woods and did you notice much power loss from the hydro trans? I was told by a guy who worked on tractors that with a hydro trans it loses power when pulling very heavy stuff and i needed a std trans.
Camaro Love I can only speak for mine but I have never ever lacked power to pull anything. I once pulled a 36" cherry tree, almost the entire tree up over a hill. It will break traction long before it runs out of power.
I really enjoyed the video! Nice guy, wish we were neighbors, I learned a lot...
My thing would be , ya have to make 12 payments a year on each of those pieces of equipment to do the job ,, now you have to sell enough wood each of those months to make all the payments on each of those pieces of equipment ,,side by side,,wood splitter, tractor ,,,chainsaw ,, etc.. before you can count any of that money as profit ,,so lets say all together "approximate" $800 a month for all combined thats a little more than 3 cords of wood every month before you make a penny profit,,, this is simplified of course , then well there is the wood itself, so your property would have to be substantial to keep that kind of pace up,, and at least large enough to last until the equipment is paid off,, cause if ya run out of wood prior to paying them all off well thats another problem,, so the real pay off for me would be when all equipment is paid off then if nothing else the wood paid for that stuff other wise as a business it can be quite nerve racking with those payments hanging over your head and having to sell 3 cords of wood just to pay for the stuff,, anyway just the ramblings of another 52 year old man lol...
I think his point was turning a profit for just equipment. Not including time/labor.
PhatboyHD88 or save your money and don't have payments
If you're making payments on equipment whose sole purpose is firewood, you made a huge mistake. I'm a farmer, so I already have a tractor and skidloader, although I usually don't use them for firewood. Most of the time I don't think it's worth the fuel and hours on the equipment. I already have a chainsaw (stihl 026, I love that saw) and truck, all I needed to purchase for firewood was a splitter. And I did that to burn firewood for myself. Gnarly cherry and mulberry, stringy hackberry, etc., life is too short to split that by hand, if it was all walnut that'd be a different story. :) I have excess trees on my property, as well as trees on the fencelines of crop ground that I rent. When I have time, I cut wood. If I have excess, I'll sell it. If I don't sell it, more wood for me. It's nicely stacked on pallets outside, it could sit there for years and not rot. If I didn't make firewood with them, they'd eventually be burned in a huge brushpile anyway. And if the trees are in a sheep pasture and the leaves are still green, the leaves are a food source, they love it!
It doesn't matter how you cut it ( ;-) ). You have to make the money in the first place and replace it after you spend it. Interest these days doesn't amount to much. You still have to factor in the money you spent for the equipment!
He said he included $81 per cord just for equipment. Sounds reasonable to me. 14:15 Ramble less, listen more.
God gave you two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.