Firewood Side Hustle - Worth Paying for Wood?

[jcarlberg]

Okay, advice time. Bought a new place last November; semi-rural; have about 3 acres of forest on the river (ash, oak, hackberry, a few others) with access to probably 10x that much on the river past our yard. I can't imagine anyone cares if I take fallen or standing dead trees from the riverbank next to a farmer's field. Harvested maybe 10 cords since last fall; burned two-ish myself and sold 8 or so (maybe 2 in bags; 6 bulk). I think pulling 15 or 20 cords out of the woods I have free access to yearly would be pretty reasonable.

Firewood harvester noticed my ad selling wood and reached out offering to sell me bulk wood in logs that I would then have to cut, split & sell. Pretty much everything I pull out now is dry; stuff I would buy from this guy would need at least some seasoning (mostly harvested last winter).

It's been a fun little side hustle and been great to work with my three sons (17, 14, 11) and see them working hard. I could still make pretty decent money if I paid for some of my wood and harvested some myself. Definitely have the time and equipment to process dozens of cords in a year; the only question is selling wood! Without really trying it was easy to sell 8 cords in about three months (only started selling in late May).

Any words of advice from you grizzled veterans out there? It's not gonna make me rich but it's not a bad side hustle that I enjoy.

 

[redneckhillbilly]

I don't know about your area, but in my area cords of firrwood sell for $250 for doug fir, and $300 for larch (tamarack)

I used to just cut my own and a help family get theirs, but the last few years I have cut 5 or so extra and sold them,.

every year I think long and hard about stockpiling all year long and selling in the fall, but I never do I would rather go fishing.

self loader log trucks are about $1750-1900 and they say the hold 12-15 cords, It doesnt pencil out in my mind to buy and resell, my property borders .gov land on 3 sides and I have a pretty much unlimited supply of dead standing and blow downs.

with that said and the price people are paying I truely do believe a guy could make a good living for themselves If they treated like a full or even part time job.

 

[Hoser]

I’m late to the party on this but I do both and think it depends on how much wood you want to sell.
My driver consistently pulls 15 saleable cord loads, costs $2400 and I tip him $50 every time. Cut split stacked it costs me $180 I sell it for $385
Wood I get from the bush, fence lines etc costs me like $30-90 depending on distance.
What works for me is weeknights and when the grounds soft I work the log pile, weekends I work the bush if I have one lined up.
Both ways is profitable, atleast in my neck of the woods

 

[jcarlberg]

I’m late to the party on this but I do both and think it depends on how much wood you want to sell.
My driver consistently pulls 15 saleable cord loads, costs $2400 and I tip him $50 every time. Cut split stacked it costs me $180 I sell it for $385
Wood I get from the bush, fence lines etc costs me like $30-90 depending on distance.
What works for me is weeknights and when the grounds soft I work the log pile, weekends I work the bush if I have one lined up.
Both ways is profitable, atleast in my neck of the woods

Very helpful!

 

[jcarlberg]

I’m late to the party on this but I do both and think it depends on how much wood you want to sell.
My driver consistently pulls 15 saleable cord loads, costs $2400 and I tip him $50 every time. Cut split stacked it costs me $180 I sell it for $385
Wood I get from the bush, fence lines etc costs me like $30-90 depending on distance.
What works for me is weeknights and when the grounds soft I work the log pile, weekends I work the bush if I have one lined up.
Both ways is profitable, atleast in my neck of the woods

What kind of wood you getting for $160/cord?

 

[Hoser]

Pretty near all white ash. The odd couple sticks of hard maple. All solid stuff very little rot
Atleast for me telling them you don’t run a processor gets you bigger wood which equals nicer looking wood. In my opinion

 

[jcarlberg]

Well my first season of selling firewood I think I sold about 11.5 cords; enough to pay for my chainsaws, splitter, log jack, fuel, etc and cover the depreciation on the 6x6 I bought for hauling stuff out of the forest.

Hoping to roughly double my volume in year 2 but am buying some wood in order to help get volumes up moving forward. Decided to bring in a semi-load of birch logs next week; will have to split and stack that and get it seasoning. Have quite a bit of fallen and standing dead in our forest to get processed this fall/winter/spring. I could have sold twice as much this year if I hadn't run out.

Never get rich off of this but it has been a great way to get my sons some work experience & learn how to operate saws, splitter etc!

 

[mainer_in_ak]

My opinion: I think your math is a bit fuzzy. I honestly don't see how 11 cord did anything profitable split between multiple people and absurd overhead.

For example:
I can't see how an absurdly expensive can am 6x6 would do anything valuable for firewood gathering. That toy alone, could be resold, and put into tree work equipment that would make you more money and land you more jobs and opportunities at getting free firewood.

Secondly, that brand new ms 400 yah just bought, cuts even further into your profits.

I'm learning in my third year of doing paid tree work, chainsaw milling and selling firewood, that the dollar bill has to go as far as possible. I can tell you honestly, that I can't afford new Stihl chainsaws. They're too overpriced and I can't afford the special tools to diagnos or work on mtronic saws in the bush.

My saws have to be cheap, reliable, the parts have to be cheap and I have to be the saw mechanic. If somebody were to give me a new ms 400, I would immediately flip it and go buy 3-4 used echos: cs 6700's cs 590's, cs 620's.

My first firewood hauler/beater was a chevy tracker(rebadged Suzuki sidekick) converted to a truck bed. Paid $800 for it. Chained up, airbags in the rear, it would haul .5 cord of green birch per load, ANYWHERE. Thats 2000 lbs of wood, when it broke, it was way cheaper than ATV parts.

That CAN-AM 6x6 could easily be resold, for a rusty/dented Toyota truck that could haul 3 times as much weight, skid heavy logs, etc.

Things used for hauling firewood get destroyed. No place for expensive toys. All my 90s yamaha ATV's and snowmobile used for wood, gets scratched/dented/gouged/bent to the point that it can't even be resold. But the cheap sht keeps hauling/skidding year after year.

And my old one ton trucks look no better. Firewoodin completely destroyed my first truck, a 1992 1 ton cummins. Truck fell apart around the motor.

With inflation, sht is so tight, I can't even justify anything but versacut and power-cut bars. I run nothing but exl 3/8 .050 chain. I can't afford or justify the cost of fancy light bars, stihl rs chain or any of that sht. Most I've ever paid for a bar, was $116 for a 42 in power cut bar for milling. Second most expensive was $96 for a 36" tsumura, also for milling.

Only ever splurged once with a "collector saw". A cs 900 evl, full wrap with period-correct new-old-stock 32 inch bar. All up, it was a $1000 dollar saw and it won't make a me a lick of money.

Anyhow, be frugal bud! Diversify your equipment!

 

[jcarlberg]

My opinion: I think your math is a bit fuzzy. I honestly don't see how 11 cord did anything profitable split between multiple people and absurd overhead.

For example:
I can't see how an absurdly expensive can am 6x6 would do anything valuable for firewood gathering. That toy alone, could be resold, and put into tree work equipment that would make you more money and land you more jobs and opportunities at getting free firewood.

Secondly, that brand new ms 400 yah just bought, cuts even further into your profits.

I'm learning in my third year of doing paid tree work, chainsaw milling and selling firewood, that the dollar bill has to go as far as possible. I can tell you honestly, that I can't afford new Stihl chainsaws. They're too overpriced and I can't afford the special tools to diagnos or work on mtronic saws in the bush.

My saws have to be cheap, reliable, the parts have to be cheap and I have to be the saw mechanic. If somebody were to give me a new ms 400, I would immediately flip it and go buy 3-4 used echos: cs 6700's cs 590's, cs 620's.

My first firewood hauler/beater was a chevy tracker(rebadged Suzuki sidekick) converted to a truck bed. Paid $800 for it. Chained up, airbags in the rear, it would haul .5 cord of green birch per load, ANYWHERE. Thats 2000 lbs of wood, when it broke, it was way cheaper than ATV parts.

That CAN-AM 6x6 could easily be resold, for a rusty/dented Toyota truck that could haul 3 times as much weight, skid heavy logs, etc.

Things used for hauling firewood get destroyed. No place for expensive toys. All my 90s yamaha ATV's and snowmobile used for wood, gets scratched/dented/gouged/bent to the point that it can't even be resold. But the cheap sht keeps hauling/skidding year after year.

And my old one ton trucks look no better. Firewoodin completely destroyed my first truck, a 1992 1 ton cummins. Truck fell apart around the motor.

With inflation, sht is so tight, I can't even justify anything but versacut and power-cut bars. I run nothing but exl 3/8 .050 chain. I can't afford or justify the cost of fancy light bars, stihl rs chain or any of that sht. Most I've ever paid for a bar, was $116 for a 42 in power cut bar for milling. Second most expensive was $96 for a 36" tsumura, also for milling.

Only ever splurged once with a "collector saw". A cs 900 evl, full wrap with period-correct new-old-stock 32 inch bar. All up, it was a $1000 dollar saw and it won't make a me a lick of money.

Anyhow, be frugal bud! Diversify your equipment!

I appreciate you taking the time to explore this topic. Almost all of my wood comes from forest along a winding river and the 6x6 is the most effective way to get through the forest. I guess I could maybe push a wheelbarrow but I'd have to find an absurdly expensive one for it to be as effective LOL. The 6x6 is narrow enough to squeeze through places not even a side-by-side could get through, and nimble enough to climb the riverbank where needed, scramble up and over fallen logs, etc etc etc. It is an absolutely integral part of what we do, plus providing the boys with a bit of a fun (imagine that!). The MS 400 does not get as much use as the 261 but I ran it all day Sunday bucking through some giant logs we were given by a tree company. We do come across 100 to 130 year old downed oak or ash trees in our own forest that bigger saws chew through that the daily workhorse 261 isn't quite as easy to get through. Based on what I have seen, those saws will last a very, very long time with the amount I use them, and spreading the work out over multiple saws does not seem like a bad thing to do.

I think you are right on the money with the need to minimize costs if running as a business. For me, it's a side hustle that is basically used in place of a gym membership and a way to get my sons familiarized with work. Because most of what I sell is in bags, the per-cord margin is pretty high (120 or so bags [1 cubic foot each] at $10/bag although there are quantity discounts) for wood that so far I have mostly obtained for free.

 

[jcarlberg]

Well here’s the birch that showed up today! 18.5 cords.

 

[Dustin4185]

I appreciate you taking the time to explore this topic. Almost all of my wood comes from forest along a winding river and the 6x6 is the most effective way to get through the forest. I guess I could maybe push a wheelbarrow but I'd have to find an absurdly expensive one for it to be as effective LOL. The 6x6 is narrow enough to squeeze through places not even a side-by-side could get through, and nimble enough to climb the riverbank where needed, scramble up and over fallen logs, etc etc etc. It is an absolutely integral part of what we do, plus providing the boys with a bit of a fun (imagine that!). The MS 400 does not get as much use as the 261 but I ran it all day Sunday bucking through some giant logs we were given by a tree company. We do come across 100 to 130 year old downed oak or ash trees in our own forest that bigger saws chew through that the daily workhorse 261 isn't quite as easy to get through. Based on what I have seen, those saws will last a very, very long time with the amount I use them, and spreading the work out over multiple saws does not seem like a bad thing to do.

I think you are right on the money with the need to minimize costs if running as a business. For me, it's a side hustle that is basically used in place of a gym membership and a way to get my sons familiarized with work. Because most of what I sell is in bags, the per-cord margin is pretty high (120 or so bags [1 cubic foot each] at $10/bag although there are quantity discounts) for wood that so far I have mostly obtained for free.

My son is looking at going into the firewood business. Like you, we have most of the equipment that would be needed that is used for other purposes, but can be used for his venture as well. As a teenager that plays sports and lives in a pretty rural area, a regular part time job is hard to work into the schedule and is a 30-45 minute commute. He can work logs here and we can deliver as it fits in his schedule. Since I manage a WMA that has a campground, he has talked about selling bagged wood. He can’t sell it on site (we live on the WMA), but the neighbor that has a little inholding said he was welcome to use one of his sheds to set up a firewood stand. The same neighbor owns a tree service company so it’s a win-win. He has told us we are welcome to come cut at his dump lot or he can haul them here when he comes on the weekends.

My question is, are you using a “bagger” to help bag or just stuffing them by hand? I think Wolf Ridge and a few others makes a bagger and I’ve looked at trying to fab one. I’ve also saw that a 5 gallon bucket with the bottom cut out works as well.

 

[Hoser]

Bag Loading Trays | BAG Supplies Ltd.

Bag Loading Trays available from stock for delivery throughout the United Kingdom & Europe - Contact BAG Supplies Ltd. today for Bag Loading Trays

www.bagsupplies.com

Idk if links from non supporting business is allowed but this is what 3 of the bagged firewood guys use and speak highly of.

 

[jcarlberg]

My son is looking at going into the firewood business. Like you, we have most of the equipment that would be needed that is used for other purposes, but can be used for his venture as well. As a teenager that plays sports and lives in a pretty rural area, a regular part time job is hard to work into the schedule and is a 30-45 minute commute. He can work logs here and we can deliver as it fits in his schedule. Since I manage a WMA that has a campground, he has talked about selling bagged wood. He can’t sell it on site (we live on the WMA), but the neighbor that has a little inholding said he was welcome to use one of his sheds to set up a firewood stand. The same neighbor owns a tree service company so it’s a win-win. He has told us we are welcome to come cut at his dump lot or he can haul them here when he comes on the weekends.

My question is, are you using a “bagger” to help bag or just stuffing them by hand? I think Wolf Ridge and a few others makes a bagger and I’ve looked at trying to fab one. I’ve also saw that a 5 gallon bucket with the bottom cut out works as well.

Sounds like great firewood business for your boy - hope it all works out!

I bought this bagging tray; exact same as Hoser (post above). Works very well with the 24x24 bags we use. Before I got it, I bagged our first 50 by hand, piece-by-piece. Veeeeerrrrrrry slow!

Firewood Bag Loading Trays - Bag Supplies Canada Ltd (BSCL) | Ontario Wholesale Bags

The Bag Loading Tray is a device that helps make the filling of Net/Mesh bags easier, faster, and more enjoyable which will increase production. The Loading Tray is adjustable, fitting pieces of wood or kindling from 7″- 16" in width. The sides are fixed or adjustable in height. Fill the tray...

bagsupplies.ca

 

[jcarlberg]

My son is looking at going into the firewood business. Like you, we have most of the equipment that would be needed that is used for other purposes, but can be used for his venture as well. As a teenager that plays sports and lives in a pretty rural area, a regular part time job is hard to work into the schedule and is a 30-45 minute commute. He can work logs here and we can deliver as it fits in his schedule. Since I manage a WMA that has a campground, he has talked about selling bagged wood. He can’t sell it on site (we live on the WMA), but the neighbor that has a little inholding said he was welcome to use one of his sheds to set up a firewood stand. The same neighbor owns a tree service company so it’s a win-win. He has told us we are welcome to come cut at his dump lot or he can haul them here when he comes on the weekends.

My question is, are you using a “bagger” to help bag or just stuffing them by hand? I think Wolf Ridge and a few others makes a bagger and I’ve looked at trying to fab one. I’ve also saw that a 5 gallon bucket with the bottom cut out works as well.

BTW the bagging trays are expensive-ish; but extremely sturdy and at the end of the day in my opinion worth the money due to time savings and very solid construction. One piece of advice, if you are used to cutting 16 inch lengths (bagging tray designed for this) it's infinitely better to cut them a bit too short than a bit too long as the pieces can easily get jammed in the tray. You'll figure out what works for you but I'm down around 15.5 inches. Once snagged piece doubles your bagging time.

 

[Hoser]

If I can ask what did the bagging tray run in Canadian $?

 

[jcarlberg]

If I can ask what did the bagging tray run in Canadian $?

$430 CAD plus tax & shipping. Worth it though IMO.

Firewood Bag Loading Trays - Bag Supplies Canada Ltd (BSCL) | Ontario Wholesale Bags

The Bag Loading Tray is a device that helps make the filling of Net/Mesh bags easier, faster, and more enjoyable which will increase production. The Loading Tray is adjustable, fitting pieces of wood or kindling from 7″- 16" in width. The sides are fixed or adjustable in height. Fill the tray...

bagsupplies.ca

 

[Hoser]

It was mainly curiosity. The only bags I do are for 12” kindling so it’s not a thrill to do by hand but not bad. I give out a bag with each cord

 

[jcarlberg]

It was mainly curiosity. The only bags I do are for 12” kindling so it’s not a thrill to do by hand but not bad. I give out a bag with each cord.

Good money in bagging. More work, but higher margin.

 

[Hoser]

It is pretty good, plus a lot lower quality wood can be sold as long as it burns good it seems. I sell wood to a couple different guys who do bags though and I’ve never been one to cut another man’s grass.