Actual cost of firewood

[LD1]

What seems to be missing in the discussion here is very basic to our situation. I own 45 acres of mature hardwood forrest. The wood does not cost me a cent. If I owned an oil refinery, or a natural gas well, I might use those products. Since I don't, I use what I do own. There are always trees that need cutting, trimming or removal (called managing the forest). I seldom cut live trees, for example, we had a flood here this past spring that uprooted dozens of large oaks and hickory. Some were 36 in. diameter and over a hundred years old. Easily got 7 cords of cut wood from them. Cost, a new chain for the saw, and a couple of gallons of gas, some saw oil and my time. Cheapest heat I know of.

What's missing is.....

That while the wood is free, and you can tell yourself you are saving hundred of dollars on a fuel or electric bill every month......the wood still has value.

Around here, it's about $160 per cord.

So whatever you think you are saving.....deduct the value of the wood....what you could have reasonably sold it for. And what's left over is your "actual" savings

 

[tcreeley]

If you are not paying money to someone else, you are saving money. If you are paying less money to someone else- you are saving money. This is my way of thinking.

 

[TheMan419]

What's missing is.....

That while the wood is free, and you can tell yourself you are saving hundred of dollars on a fuel or electric bill every month......the wood still has value.

Around here, it's about $160 per cord.

So whatever you think you are saving.....deduct the value of the wood....what you could have reasonably sold it for. And what's left over is your "actual" savings

Correct and if that wood is $160 and you could have heated the home for $100 in propane you lost $60 by heating with wood.

My thought is the enjoyment some people get processing the wood is where the "Savings" is. Although you can to an extent put a price on that too. $160 a cord and how long does it take you to process. If 10 hours that is $16/hr. If you could work OT at your job for more than $16/hr you are losing money again.

 

[Deere Dude]

Something nobody mentioned is the uneven heat in the house with a Woodburner, unless it is an outside kind running through the furnace.

 

[4570Man]

Correct and if that wood is $160 and you could have heated the home for $100 in propane you lost $60 by heating with wood.

My thought is the enjoyment some people get processing the wood is where the "Savings" is. Although you can to an extent put a price on that too. $160 a cord and how long does it take you to process. If 10 hours that is $16/hr. If you could work OT at your job for more than $16/hr you are losing money again.

I seriously doubt that propane or any other fuel source could be bought cheaper unless you’re burning the wood extremely inefficiently. What if you’d rather split wood than work your day job? What if overtime doesn’t exist at your job?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

IF i have wood, that i own, its free in my books. Yes, it has a value if sold, but that also takes more time and money. if I wasnt intending to use it, i wouldnt cut it to start with. Selling anything is a big, timewasting hassle.
I would rather be cutting my own wood than work overtime, no matter the cost. People who chase every buck lose out on so much in life. Cutting your own wood, mowing your own grass is like therapy, gets you away from the stupid stuff in the world.

 

[Rock Crawler]

IF i have wood, that i own, its free in my books. Yes, it has a value if sold, but that also takes more time and money. if I wasnt intending to use it, i wouldnt cut it to start with. Selling anything is a big, timewasting hassle.
I would rather be cutting my own wood than work overtime, no matter the cost. People who chase every buck lose out on so much in life. Cutting your own wood, mowing your own grass is like therapy, gets you away from the stupid stuff in the world.

Yep, I don't get the folks trying to put a cost on something that for many is first of all, a choice and second of all a leisure activity. I also look forward to cutting wood, fixing trails, cutting grass and doing other "man things" around the place that we live. I'm not an idiot, I know that I am paying money for my tools/equipment and that translates to paying to do the things I love. I also have over $50K in a rock crawling Jeep, I pay money to do that activity as well. But I choose to, it makes me happy. I really have zero interest in trying to sell any wood. I cut it and then I burn it in ways that make me happy. It doesn't matter the level of inefficiency of the burn... I am doing exactly what the heck I want to do.

I do not see selling firewood as a profitable endeavor, it takes to much time and labor for the little bit of money you get. If you want to make money, go make money. If you want to play in the woods and cut firewood and maybe you cut so much while enjoying yourself that you really have to sell it... then sell it for whatever you can.

 

[LD1]

If you are not paying money to someone else, you are saving money. If you are paying less money to someone else- you are saving money. This is my way of thinking.

Theman419 summed it up pretty well.

I heated my house for two winter's. Took about 5 cord per winter. No ductwork. Hot basement, and cold bedrooms.

I can sell that 5 cords for $800.

I installed geothermal. I average $700 per winter, and have a more comfortable house and more even heat.

So how is cutting my own free will saving me anything if I choose to burn it and shut my Geo off for the winter?

I still get all the perks, exercise, enjoyment, etc of cutting wood. But don't have to deal with the mess in the house and those related hassles. All the while saving money by selling the wood and buying heat rather than burning it.

Kinda best of all world's.

What I don't understand is those that say they would not cut wood just to sell.

What's the difference between burning and selling? By burning your FREE wood....you are in essence burning money. (Whatever the value of the wood is). But too many people are so proud to thumb their nose at big utility that they fail to see the bigger picture. That they aren't saving nearly as much as they think. And that they could possibly be loosing money....just depends on firewood cost in their area, alternative heating costs....and what type if any alternative heat they have.

There is no doubt in my mind that with wood prices of $160 around here.....geothermal is most certainly the cheaper way to heat my home

 

[Rock Crawler]

LOL, I guess this post isn't meant for people like me. I don't heat with firewood, I drink beer and have fun with my friends and family with firewood. I happen to do a lot of drinking beer and having fun with my friends and that takes a lot of firewood! It's not a lot of fun to stand around your camp area in your property without a fire and drinking beer staring at the trees in the dark. And a fire to that and suddenly you have a great evening! For about 6 months out of the year we have fires every weekend at the camp area and invite friends over to hang out and socialize and drink. During the cold part of the winter we often have fires every weekend at least one day in the living room. It's all pure Leisure for me, I have no interest in trying to heat with firewood. That sounds like too much work when I have a nice furnace and thermostat hanging on the wall.

 

[Creamer]

I figure fuel and chainsaw chains is $5 a rick. Figure maybe another $5 a rick for a splitter but I doubt it痴 that high. I壇 have have a tractor and chainsaw anyway so not fair to factor that cost in. I don稚 know if I壇 have a dump truck or not if I wasn稚 selling firewood. Insurance is $600 a year for it, but it痴 the only truck that actually drives that I致e had since July so it痴 not fair to hit that cost entirely on firewood. I知 starting in the business of house flipping so it痴 probably a necessary vehicle anyway.

How do you figure fuel and chains at $5 a rick? that seems really high. I can cut a cord of hardwood easily on a quart of gas, my chain lasts for a few years and it costs $15 so it would be less than a $1/cord or $.33/rick. My chain oil is $10/gallon and lasts well over a year so it is about a $1/cord or $.33/rick. I can't even get close to your numbers.

BTW - I cannot compare splitter numbers as mine is a 12 lb maul.

 

[MacLawn]

I know y'all mentioned it in this thread that's too long to read, but nothing is better than watching a wood fire and feeeling and smelling the heat. Done.

 

[4570Man]

How do you figure fuel and chains at $5 a rick? that seems really high. I can cut a cord of hardwood easily on a quart of gas, my chain lasts for a few years and it costs $15 so it would be less than a $1/cord or $.33/rick. My chain oil is $10/gallon and lasts well over a year so it is about a $1/cord or $.33/rick. I can't even get close to your numbers.

BTW - I cannot compare splitter numbers as mine is a 12 lb maul.

It’s got truck fuel, splitter fuel, chainsaw fuel, bar oil, tractor fuel, 2 stoke oil, carbides to sharpen the chain, and chain use factored in. And it’s not a pencil and paper figure. It’s a that seems about right figure.

 

[LD1]

Not to mention the equipment.

Factor in the depreciation on $50k+ of equipment
Mileage for delivery
Trailer tags and expenses
Cost of saws and splitters etc etc etc

On paper there is no money to be made selling firewood. Which is why many people who sell a mere 10-20 cord dont even bother uncle same with taxes.

Whats the point of saving and documenting everything, filing schedule C.....just to break even?

And one could claim selling firewood as a "hobby" rather than a business. One of the determining factors is hobby vs business is if it is solely for profit. And cleaning up ones property, getting rid of "bi-product" of felling trees, exercise, enjoyment, etc.....all valid reasons to call it a hobby if one sells a few cord a year.

For me, my primary purpose of cutting wood is to sell. Thus I claim it. Its hard to segregate out the "wood selling" portion of my schedule C, since I earn far more in the summertime with the tractor and bushhog. So all of those tractor expenses, truck expenses, etc are all lumped in.

But if the only side money I made with the tractor was selling a mere 20-30 cord a year, and had no other reason to file a schedule C, I'd probably opt not to claim it.......and chalk it up to "hobby" based on the parameters the IRS lays out in distinguishing hobby vs business.

 

[gladehound]

I guess it's all situational. I live in a 300 year old house with no insulation (2ft thick stone walls) and 300 year old windows (yes, the glass is 2-3x thicker at the bottom of the panes than the top). I conservatively estimate that I don't burn 600 gallons of oil each winter because I heat with wood (Friend with similar house burns 1,000 gallons in winter). That a savings of $1,800 a year burning "free" wood. I might use 10 gal of gas / diesel a season to gather wood between the saws, splitter and tractor and boy is it a blast. Like playing in a sand box with my neighbor. I cut them down, he picks them up with the excavator I drive the forks under and we cut logs. Half to his pile half to mine. I feel like I should be paying someone to have that much fun!

What does it cost me? in 12 years I put $2,300 in my stove / flu. (so a winter's worth of oil). My share of the splitter was $280. The saws and tractor I'd have anyway and paid for themselves doing other jobs. So I'm in the neighborhood of $20K ahead and counting.

Uneven heat is a bonus. Who wants the same temp everywhere anyway. Over rated. I can exercise in a cold room, read a book in a warm room, horse play with my kids in an in between room. The whole thing is perfect all around! Even the ants on the table (extra protein!).

 

[beowulf]

We have 90 wooded acres in central California in Sierra Nevada foothills. We have more fire wood available to us from trees and branches that fall and scrap wood left over from projects than we will ever use. Enough stored now to last 3-5 years I would guess, given that we use the fireplace maybe from 30 to 50 days a year, and enough on the property for years more. Fire authorities came on with bulldozers and cut a fire break so now many very large trees are down and waiting to be cut up. Mostly oak. I have taken down a few more which are partially cut up.

I will continue to harvest a bit each year to replenish our stock of firewood, but I have no interest myself in cutting, loading, stacking and selling firewood - just don't want to deal with all that. We used to give it away to friends but it seems there is not as much demand as before, so I am letting a local high school kid take as much wood as he wants to cut and take and sell. He is a nice kid and we hire him to take care of our animals when we are gone. He wants to buy a truck and this is a way he can earn some money toward that.

 

[LD1]

I guess it's all situational. I live in a 300 year old house with no insulation (2ft thick stone walls) and 300 year old windows (yes, the glass is 2-3x thicker at the bottom of the panes than the top). I conservatively estimate that I don't burn 600 gallons of oil each winter because I heat with wood (Friend with similar house burns 1,000 gallons in winter). That a savings of $1,800 a year burning "free" wood. I might use 10 gal of gas / diesel a season to gather wood between the saws, splitter and tractor and boy is it a blast. Like playing in a sand box with my neighbor. I cut them down, he picks them up with the excavator I drive the forks under and we cut logs. Half to his pile half to mine. I feel like I should be paying someone to have that much fun!

What does it cost me? in 12 years I put $2,300 in my stove / flu. (so a winter's worth of oil). My share of the splitter was $280. The saws and tractor I'd have anyway and paid for themselves doing other jobs. So I'm in the neighborhood of $20K ahead and counting.

Uneven heat is a bonus. Who wants the same temp everywhere anyway. Over rated. I can exercise in a cold room, read a book in a warm room, horse play with my kids in an in between room. The whole thing is perfect all around! Even the ants on the table (extra protein!).

Ahead, maybe. $20k+ in 12 years....unlikely.

How many cord of wood do you burn a year, and what is the going rate for it locally?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Heck, I'm $20k ahead by buying a hyundai instead of a lexus.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I burn around 10 cord a year, mix species of what ever I have, including slab wood...

That SAVES me $1,700.00 a year over propane that would cost me $2,500.00 per year...

IF I tried to sell that wood, I would have to cut it shorter, split it smaller and then no one would want the slab wood or pine OR aspen!! Plus, I'd have to compete with the guys selling oak at $120.00 a cord!

Another thing, my splitter and tractors have resale! My splitter tractor is now worth MORE than what I paid for it more than 30 years ago! That means I've used it for FREE, for more than 30 years if I never start it again! (actually better than FREE, as it's made me a pile of $ over the years)

There's NO question that I've saved many thousands of dollars by burning firewood and on top of that, we LOVE wood heat over all others!

SR

 

[Peter 315]

Oak for 120.00 a cord, its 250.00 or 275.00 around here

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Many guys will deliver it for $120 a cord, if they don't have to drive too far...