Selling paper wood vs selling firewood.

[Gordon Gould]

I get 200 per thousand on low grade logs that don’t meet the criteria for paper wood. I don’t have the option to sell unsplit for 100 a cord otherwise I’d probably do that.

To me it is the best way efficiency wise. Every one here has a chain saw, their problem is getting wood to cut and split. Many have wood furnaces. Most get the wood from loggers who will sell a 6 to 8 cord load of 16 footers delivered in a straight log truck with a loader. A one cord load of 10 footers in a small dump truck is a good option for people who have camps or just want wood for pleasure or when the power goes down.

gg

 

[MossRoad]

There's several tree trimming/arborist companies near us that charge, on average, about $600 to cut down an average tree and haul it off. They take the tree back to their business, and when they're not cutting trees down, they have their employee turning it into firewood. They're paying the laborer about $15.00 per hour, and they're cranking out about a cord per hour, which they sell for $150 delivered, or $100 per truckload if you pick it up and load yourself. Show up with a small truck, normal truck, or car hauler trailer, they don't care, $100.

 

[4570Man]

I’d like to hire that guy. I only expect about 1/3 cords an hour out of my help and that’s with me cutting it. If you’re cutting 24” long that might be be doable but pushing 3 face cord an hour through a 4 way is a lofty goal.

 

[HillStreet]

$22/ton is nothing. A 10 ton truckload for $220? You couldn't buy fuel for the truck for that. That's truck length logs, right?

I don't have any idea what I use as far as measured units. I cut and pile it, then cut and split as needed. I couldn't imagine cutting and splitting enough to sell at any type of profit when I added in costs of oil and gas to run the tools.

I pay $900 for log length, between 8 and 9 cords.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t think that would be a big success here. A cord of split firewood is only worth about $150.

 

[stuckmotor]

Is the term "paper wood" common in TN? I've don't remember hearing anything but "pulp wood" and TN and SC are very close. I'm pretty sure the term in Yazoo Mississippi is pulp wood too or Marcel Ledbetter would have never had a pulp wood truck.

 

[MossRoad]

I壇 like to hire that guy. I only expect about 1/3 cords an hour out of my help and thatç—´ with me cutting it. If youæ±*e cutting 24 long that might be be doable but pushing 3 face cord an hour through a 4 way is a lofty goal.

That's one of the reasons I never liked my in-laws purchasing wood from them.... it was a mix of 16-24" wood. No uniformity. Their wood stove is wide, so 24" is no problem for them. I would need 16" for mine. I don't recall the splitter they use.

There's another tree service a mile south that has a processor, and a conveyor to pile the splits up. Again, one guy splitting anytime they aren't on a tree job.

If you have someone always splitting when there's downtime, even if it's not a full cord an hour, even half a cord an hour, paying someone $15-$20 an hour to generate $75-$150 an hour is still a good use of his/her time.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's an aerial shot of that operation...

 

[4570Man]

Is the term "paper wood" common in TN? I've don't remember hearing anything but "pulp wood" and TN and SC are very close. I'm pretty sure the term in Yazoo Mississippi is pulp wood too or Marcel Ledbetter would have never had a pulp wood truck.

No most people call it pulp wood, but that’s what this mill calls it.

 

[stuckmotor]

No most people call it pulp wood, but that’s what this mill calls it.

4570Man,
Thanks. I guess that mill wants to be different.