smstonypoint
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2009
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- 6,119
- Location
- SC (Upstate) & NC (Piedmont)
- Tractor
- NH TN 55, Kubota B2320 & RTV 900, Bad Boy Outlaw ZTR
What does Firewood really cost?
- Thread starter blueriver
- Start date
- Views: 11097
OP
blueriver
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
- Messages
- 5,012
- Location
- S.E.Oklahoma
- Tractor
- JD 5520 Montana 4340 Farmall Super A Montana 5720C
Well in Oklahoma its $13.99 a gallon and about $11.00 on ebay with $10 shipping ... Guess JD is better.
Lloyd_E
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2003
- Messages
- 1,475
- Location
- South Shore Nova Scotia Canada
- Tractor
- 2008 Kioti DK 45 sc
My costs:
Chain Saw: $400
Trailer: $3000
Wood Splitter (Home Built) $1400
Logging Winch: $2100
Tractor: $30,000
Boots, pants, helmet: $225
Axe and Misc tools: $200
Wood Stove & Rebuild and Liner:$ $1500.(used stove)
Sub-total:$38,825
Annual Costs: $200.
Trailer Reg., Fuel, Saw Chains etc
Total: $39,025
10 Year retro savings: $10,000(5 cords a year @ $200 per cord)
15 year savings (Future) $15-17,000 (5 cords a year @ $200 per cord)
20 year savings (Future) $15,000-$20,000 (5 cords a year @ $200 per cord)
Does not include annual costs, replacement of saw and or other parts or increase in per cord price. I almost break even.
I believe it takes eight steps(handling of wood) from start to finish:
1: Fell Tree
2: Buck tree
3: Split
4: Stack in tractor bucket - transport to shed area
5: Remove from bucket and stack in shed
6: Move to house from shed - wood box
7: Wood box to stove
8: Ash to garden
They say in BTU's, a cord of wood is equal to one 200 gallon tank of furnace oil.
We still go through almost one tank of oil per year for domestic hot water and baseboard heating.
I did the math once on my 20+ year commute... talk about scary numbers, fuel, miles etc.
Chain Saw: $400
Trailer: $3000
Wood Splitter (Home Built) $1400
Logging Winch: $2100
Tractor: $30,000
Boots, pants, helmet: $225
Axe and Misc tools: $200
Wood Stove & Rebuild and Liner:$ $1500.(used stove)
Sub-total:$38,825
Annual Costs: $200.
Trailer Reg., Fuel, Saw Chains etc
Total: $39,025
10 Year retro savings: $10,000(5 cords a year @ $200 per cord)
15 year savings (Future) $15-17,000 (5 cords a year @ $200 per cord)
20 year savings (Future) $15,000-$20,000 (5 cords a year @ $200 per cord)
Does not include annual costs, replacement of saw and or other parts or increase in per cord price. I almost break even.
I believe it takes eight steps(handling of wood) from start to finish:
1: Fell Tree
2: Buck tree
3: Split
4: Stack in tractor bucket - transport to shed area
5: Remove from bucket and stack in shed
6: Move to house from shed - wood box
7: Wood box to stove
8: Ash to garden
They say in BTU's, a cord of wood is equal to one 200 gallon tank of furnace oil.
We still go through almost one tank of oil per year for domestic hot water and baseboard heating.
I did the math once on my 20+ year commute... talk about scary numbers, fuel, miles etc.
ronjhall
Super Star Member
You need a better accountant. :confused2: I have all of those pieces of equipment. The most expensive ones were not bought to be used on firewood. It's nice to use them for firewood. But that's not why I bought them.
Lloyd_E
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2003
- Messages
- 1,475
- Location
- South Shore Nova Scotia Canada
- Tractor
- 2008 Kioti DK 45 sc
Ron,
My brother's the CA... I am the 'creative' type. He always gets a good laugh out of my logic!!!
: )... There are a lot of variables built into this account... Maybe 20% is actually used for firewood. So my commuting numbers were: almost a million kilometres and $35,000+ for fuel...
My brother's the CA... I am the 'creative' type. He always gets a good laugh out of my logic!!!
: )... There are a lot of variables built into this account... Maybe 20% is actually used for firewood. So my commuting numbers were: almost a million kilometres and $35,000+ for fuel...
Larry Caldwell
Super Member
You are paying way too much for green oil. Bar oil is just recycled motor oil with stickum additive. It's a single use, throw-away lube that goes for about $6 a gallon. If you want to make your own, buy the cheapest generic motor oil you can find and add a can of STP.
If you need to quarter a moose, clean the bar and chain thoroughly and use vegetable oil instead. A rubber butcher's apron or rubber rain gear is highly recommended.
20 20
Elite Member
SSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH they are trying to get their dirty little fingers on wood heat $$$$$ also
Larry Caldwell
Super Member
I am astonished that people spend so much for firewood. I bought my chainsaw for $345 in 1996. I'm still on the first bar, but I have gone through six chains. The wood stove came with the house, an early '70s Fisher Mama Bear that will last as long as I need it. I bought brushes and handles and sweep my own chimney. I split my wood with an 8 lb. maul, which is about as easy and quick as using a power splitter. I use a tractor to haul logs to a landing, but I use the tractor for lots of other things too.
I figure the annual cost for the 2.5 cords of firewood that I burn is about $50. Up until 2004 I used to burn twice that, but then I did an energy upgrade on the house, and any more than two dinky little sticks in the wood stove will run us out of the place.
I'm not counting the $100/month health club membership that I don't need because I get all my exercise at home. I'm 63 years old and can still cut and split a cord of oak in four hours.
I figure the annual cost for the 2.5 cords of firewood that I burn is about $50. Up until 2004 I used to burn twice that, but then I did an energy upgrade on the house, and any more than two dinky little sticks in the wood stove will run us out of the place.
I'm not counting the $100/month health club membership that I don't need because I get all my exercise at home. I'm 63 years old and can still cut and split a cord of oak in four hours.
ronjhall
Super Star Member
I have not heard the Fisher wood stove name in years. I bought one 30 years ago. Used it a couple years. My Uncle (who was a welder) said we could do better. Between the 2 of us we built on that was very similar. Better baffles and thicker metal has made a great stove 30 years later. Sold the oringinal Fisher for more than I paid for it.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Firewood always seems to be cheaper in my area
I am lucky if I can get 120-130 per cord delivered here. I see several ads on c-list of guys selling for 150-175 but I wonder if they are actually selling any cause I posted and ad for 120 and only got two calls, which was good cause I didn't have a whole lot left to sell.
I don't burn wood in the house, just in the shop which is only about 1.5 cord per year. I cut firewood with Dad. He burns wood. Half of what we cut is his and half is mine. So we usually end up with about 10 cord each per year.
The reasons I don't burn wood are many. First, my house is small, only 1350sqft with a full basement and it is very well insulated. With my current heat pump with propane backup I am heating my house for about 100-150 per month. Which is about 800 on the season. It would take me ~800 worth of firewood to heat my house for the season. So instead of spending $$$$ to install a wood burner and chimney, and then having the mess in the house, and have to keep feeding the fire, and worry about the wife feeding it when I am at work (12HR shifts), I opt to sell that $800 of firewood and use that money to buy my heat.
I do enjoy cutting though. And since dad burns wood, I am sure he enjoys having a cutting buddy as well. But he is always telling me with the equipment and time invested, there is very little "profit" in firewood.
It is hard to get an accurate # because we buck and haul wood and split it at a later date. But if we set out to the woods to cut two cord of wood, that takes roughly 3-4 hours by the time we load it and haul it home. Add another two hours to split it and another hour to load it and deliver my half (1 cord) to a customer for $120. So I am looking @ about 6 hours. Gas for the equipment and saws is minimal, maybe $10 per cord. So 110/6 is UNDER $20 per hour. And we havent even factored the cost of the splitter, chainsaws, bar and chains, etc. So no there is not a lot of money to be made, but the way I see it is, I enjoy it, and if I wasnt out cutting, I'd probabally just be sitting at home on the couch watching TV making nothing.
I am lucky if I can get 120-130 per cord delivered here. I see several ads on c-list of guys selling for 150-175 but I wonder if they are actually selling any cause I posted and ad for 120 and only got two calls, which was good cause I didn't have a whole lot left to sell.
I don't burn wood in the house, just in the shop which is only about 1.5 cord per year. I cut firewood with Dad. He burns wood. Half of what we cut is his and half is mine. So we usually end up with about 10 cord each per year.
The reasons I don't burn wood are many. First, my house is small, only 1350sqft with a full basement and it is very well insulated. With my current heat pump with propane backup I am heating my house for about 100-150 per month. Which is about 800 on the season. It would take me ~800 worth of firewood to heat my house for the season. So instead of spending $$$$ to install a wood burner and chimney, and then having the mess in the house, and have to keep feeding the fire, and worry about the wife feeding it when I am at work (12HR shifts), I opt to sell that $800 of firewood and use that money to buy my heat.
I do enjoy cutting though. And since dad burns wood, I am sure he enjoys having a cutting buddy as well. But he is always telling me with the equipment and time invested, there is very little "profit" in firewood.
It is hard to get an accurate # because we buck and haul wood and split it at a later date. But if we set out to the woods to cut two cord of wood, that takes roughly 3-4 hours by the time we load it and haul it home. Add another two hours to split it and another hour to load it and deliver my half (1 cord) to a customer for $120. So I am looking @ about 6 hours. Gas for the equipment and saws is minimal, maybe $10 per cord. So 110/6 is UNDER $20 per hour. And we havent even factored the cost of the splitter, chainsaws, bar and chains, etc. So no there is not a lot of money to be made, but the way I see it is, I enjoy it, and if I wasnt out cutting, I'd probabally just be sitting at home on the couch watching TV making nothing.