The price of firewood
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and at $150/cord my 20 or so CSS'd is valued at 3G - I look out there and see a LOT more than 3G worth of effort not to mention that would only get me through a winter and maybe 1/2 burning propane. At the recent prices only 1yr keeping the house barely tolerable(translation COLD)
Again, I have no clue how anyone can make money selling firewood and certainly would not expect primo 2yr seasoned stuff at those prices. I just don't get it sans the tree cutters for a living that sell instead of pay to dump.
Again, I have no clue how anyone can make money selling firewood and certainly would not expect primo 2yr seasoned stuff at those prices. I just don't get it sans the tree cutters for a living that sell instead of pay to dump.
I don't worry too much about what prices people are asking for firewood since I can just go out and get it myself for free, I'm much more worried about the price they are asking for gas and oil related products, because I've never been able to find them anywhere for free. Also, and I'm just spitballing here, but I think the oil companies are making a little more profit then most firewood companies. I'd say when we start seeing firewood company CEOs flying around in their personal jets, and company stocks trading online, maybe it's time to start worrying if they are overpricing their cords a little bit too much.
I just purchased 2 cords of douglas fir rounds for $100/cord + tax. What was actually delivered was more like 2.5 cords. It's from a service that collects wood from tree services and sells it. I'm quite pleased with the purchase. I know a lot of people outside the Pacific Northwest may scoff at fir, but douglas fir is not actually a fir. It's quite good for a soft wood, same BTUs as Silver Maple, according to (broken link removed to http://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm).
brokenknee
Burning Hunk
splitoak
Member
shoot-straight
Minister of Fire
timely thread. i was looking to pick up a cord of semi seasoned wood for next year. i have 10 cords of split and stacked oak and BL, but it wont be ready for next year. started the CL search. called one ad that said 2 yr seasoned hardwood. i asked if it was truly seasoned for 2 years. "oh yeah"... then i asked how long the splits were. "what ever length you want"... ? so i asked, so it hasnt been split? "no, but its been down and drying for 2 years"... i politely said no thanks, and he asked why i wasnt interested. i said it wouldnt burn right in my stove. he replied "oh no it burns nice"... again, i said no thanks and he responded "what are you looking for some kind of super-wood or sumpthing?".... (said in your best redneck twang) again, i politely thanked him for his time and hung up.
looking now to scrounge some maple or poplar that i can split small and put in the best drying location.
looking now to scrounge some maple or poplar that i can split small and put in the best drying location.
bigbarf48
Minister of Fire
I'm a little surprised by all the people that voted overpriced, but say they wouldn't let one of their cords go for anywhere near the going price 
There's a lot of work that goes into processing a cord, and I think someone getting ~150 or 200 bucks for it is perfectly fine
There's a lot of work that goes into processing a cord, and I think someone getting ~150 or 200 bucks for it is perfectly fine
I'm a little surprised by all the people that voted overpriced, but say they wouldn't let one of their cords go for anywhere near the going price
I think the idea is that "my time and labor is worth more than someone else's".
Dang, the alder's all sold out! I can't imagine who they're selling to at those prices. May as well heat the home with oil as it's probably cheaper than their wood.
I'm a little surprised by all the people that voted overpriced, but say they wouldn't let one of their cords go for anywhere near the going price
There's a lot of work that goes into processing a cord, and I think someone getting ~150 or 200 bucks for it is perfectly fine
I don't have a processor that will buck, split and load three cords an hour like the outfit down the road has.
And he gets paid to take the trees.
I've always felt that anybody who makes more money then me is making too much.
On the other hand, the higher the price price tag the local wood dealers are asking for their firewood, the more my own wood goes up in value.
On the other hand, the higher the price price tag the local wood dealers are asking for their firewood, the more my own wood goes up in value.
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
He has had that same processor for at least 17 years so I figure he has gotten his money's worth out of it. Biggest firewood seller in the area and gets $575 for a truck load that is "between two and a half and three cords". Like after a thousand loadings he doesn't know pretty much exactly what the truck holds.
The guy down the road that has the processor here also supplies all the mulch and firewood to all the small landscaping businesses that own a truck and try to keep a driver employed.I don't have a processor that will buck, split and load three cords an hour like the outfit down the road has.
Anyone else that just has a few cords from tree work as a side job is usually sold out by Christmas.
brokenknee
Burning Hunk
Do they tax pellets in your area? Wood is a home heating source and not taxed in MN. That being said, I am not sure if they tax the little bundles of wood sold at grocery stores. I also have a pellet stove and purchase pellets at the big box store and they are not taxed.
Just curious as I know laws vary from state to state.
Looks like (broken link removed to http://dor.wa.gov/Docs/Pubs/SpecialNotices/1996/sn_96_fwood.pdf). I assume the same applies to wood pellets, but that page doesn't mention it.
If you're curious, our sales tax rate is 9.5% in the Seattle area. May be lower in other parts of the state. However, we have no state income tax.
Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
As a homeowner that does it as a hobby and to burn in a family room insert using 1 1/2 cord a year, I will give you my take on it. If you buy a cord of logs for say $100 and still have to buck and split it yourself, your talking 6-10 hours of labor, what is your time worth, add in gallons of gas and bar oil, you can't tell me you would sell that cord for $180, there just is no profit in all of your hard work, so when you look at it like that, buying it for $180-230 is probably worth it if you have to buy..... I get all my wood for free, thankfully, I have to saw some to size, the rest is ready to go, I have about 4 cords split and another 2 in rounds, I have several face cords of premium red oak splits that I wouldn't sell for less than $150 per face cord.
My point being, the only way selling wood is worth it is if you got the wood for free and you were way ahead of the 3 year plan. So what I'm trying to say is if you have to buy, buying a cord of wood for $200 isn't all that bad when you look at what it takes to make a cord of split wood....
My point being, the only way selling wood is worth it is if you got the wood for free and you were way ahead of the 3 year plan. So what I'm trying to say is if you have to buy, buying a cord of wood for $200 isn't all that bad when you look at what it takes to make a cord of split wood....
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