How much for a level HiLux of well-seasoned hardwood in Mendip?

[Jack]

£80 sounds about right for a load of seasoned hardwood

[gensetsteve]

I have a theory that alot of people that sell logs are so busy cutting to sit down and do the maths. So that joe down the road is doing wood for £60 so they match it. They have only increased the price by £15 in five years yet the costs have doubled. They run out and so does joe in November. I have not sold any in November but sell it all in December for £80 a cube ( £95 next year ) . Now bearing in mind we sold loads in the summer I tend to have an extra holiday in october and November.

[gensetsteve]

I buy my timber standing, the owner of the woodland seeing that I am selling seasoned at £80 m3 has decided I'm making too much money out of him, so he has now got a team of contractors to fell, extract, split and deliver firewood at £50 m3. They are a team of three, tractor & forwarder, splitter, tipper, and they charge an hourly rate, now how can he be making money out of that?

 

They cant be making much because cord will be worth £60 a tonne plus vat soon. There is nearly 3/4 tonne of timber in a loose cubic metre before it dries out. They can make more money selling it as cord. Unless you get the wood free you need to charge nearer £100 a cube or your wasteing your time its simple maths.

 

The owner has failed to do his maths and may be cutting his nose of to spite his face now or is putting out small builders bags.

[robbo 110]

in august, i made my mind up that £120 per cube, or £60 for a builders bag, or £90 for a 3/4 cube vented bag was the way to go, decent seasoned oak.

 

we've had a good season, many new customers coming back, ive lost some by being to expensive, im not worried!! i know my overheads, i know what the wood cost to have delivered, i cannot believe anyone would process wood for any less than £80 per cube, if i sold mine for that all we would be doing is keeping busy for no profit,

 

if i wanted to keep busy an earn no money ill go an clear some ditches around the farm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cousin jack]

They cant be making much because cord will be worth £60 a tonne plus vat soon. There is nearly 3/4 tonne of timber in a loose cubic metre before it dries out. They can make more money selling it as cord. Unless you get the wood free you need to charge nearer £100 a cube or your wasteing your time its simple maths.

 

The owner has failed to do his maths and may be cutting his nose of to spite his face now or is putting out small builders bags.

 

I have calculated that if the team are charging £45 an hour, and I think that is a conservative estimate, then he would make more money as you say, selling at roadside. I don't think he has done any maths at all, he has just looked at the end figure and thinks it's all profit. The contractors are'nt going to tell him, it's well paid work for them, but this man was educated at Eton so therefore he must be right

[gensetsteve]

I have calculated that if the team are charging £45 an hour, and I think that is a conservative estimate, then he would make more money as you say, selling at roadside. I don't think he has done any maths at all, he has just looked at the end figure and thinks it's all profit. The contractors are'nt going to tell him, it's well paid work for them, but this man was educated at Eton so therefore he must be right

 

Fill up a 14 cu metre grain trailer and store it till Sep and charge £100 a cu double your money no breaking your back. I have tried this before but it starts them wondering why and what have they done wrong. You may even find they continue selling to the public but wont supply you.

[cousin jack]

Fill up a 14 cu metre grain trailer and store it till Sep and charge £100 a cu double your money no breaking your back. I have tried this before but it starts them wondering why and what have they done wrong. You may even find they continue selling to the public but wont supply you.

 

I'm going to buy a 100 cu off him, there already bagged, my prices will go up next winter so I'll make my money without half the work.

Edited March 7, 2011 by cousin jack
spelling

[Martin Jenkins]

Jon Perry (who is on here as mendip logs) did us a big load for £120 a little while back, pretty much all ash, good and dry.

 

I was at somebody's house near Shepton Mallet just before Christmas, and he was taking delivery of a hilux load - £70 I think it was - and his wife had asked on the phone "is it seasoned?" and the answer was "it'll be fine love", and it turned out he'd cut it one week ago.

 

Because it was for an open fire, didn't matter too much - but for anybody with a woodburner, that's not good.

[Danny Boy]

Could be worse there are a few in my area that think unseasoned wood is good because it burns for longer.

 

I get that as well.

 

Bless them, people say they like to burn something a bit fresh cause it lasts longer...

[Danny Boy]

Just for your information, i have a single cab hilux pickup & a level load is approx 1.2 cubic metres (taking into account the space the wheel arches take up).

 

I sell at £80 a cubic metre or £100 a level load.