Price Undercut at a new level

[skyhuck]

  Steve Bullman said:

theres someone in our local paper actually advertising that they will come and cut down trees for wood....they are welcome to it!

 

Steve, could you not start using them as a sub contractor??

[Dean Lofthouse]

  skyhuck said:

Steve, could you not start using them as a sub contractor??

 

Yeh, and their first job could be a 120ft Black Poplar down a banking next to a stream with no access

[penfold]

nothing like starting them off on an easy one eh dean?

[conkers]

  David Riding said:

I have not seen the this recurring topic before of people doing tree work just for firewood otherwise I would not have posted

Did not intend the thread to look like another one moaning about cheaper quotes hence its in the firewood forum.

I am not phased by the people completing this work for just firewood only, it just shocked me from a firewood prospective.[/quote

 

Not trying to put a downer on this thread I just did not reply very well.

 

I think it is strange to reduce prices on treework just to gain timber.

The costs in storage, proccessing and delivery mean that profits are modest, so the initial tree work has to pay it's way.

 

So many firms just give it away if they are really busy with the main job.

[Quickthorn]

  conkers said:

 

I think it is strange to reduce prices on treework just to gain timber.

The costs in storage, proccessing and delivery mean that profits are modest, so the initial tree work has to pay it's way.

 

 

Just because they're doing it doesn't mean to say that these people know what they're doing.

 

I can't help thinking that the firewood market is in a bit of a bubble. If the price of coal follows that of oil, which it may well do as the recession continues, it 's bound to dampen the demand for firewood.

[skyhuck]

  Quickthorn said:

 

I can't help thinking that the firewood market is in a bit of a bubble. If the price of coal follows that of oil, which it may well do as the recession continues, it 's bound to dampen the demand for firewood.

 

I agree!

 

It could well be like most "bandwagons" once lots of people have set up their fire wood businesses, the competition will drive back down prices.

 

Although I think prices will remain better than they were in the past.

[Marko]

Some really good points raised in this thread and real food for thought.

 

The current surge in using wood fuel may very well tail off when gas prices eventually drop back but I think this autumn we have just had a glimps of a future where wood fuel becomes a more mainstream product.

 

If this is the case then the Arb industry may well need to seriously consider that firewood may no longer be seen as just a nice little earner from a by-product but be a viable stand alone business that requires a consistent supply. How each individual wants to position themselves in the new marketplace will be up to them.

 

I can assure you that I will not be quoting for any arb work. I have no wish to climb 12ft let alone 120ft poplars! I will however continue to volunteer to clear felled, fallen and hung trees for firewood.

 

I do resent the implication that if I do it for the firewood I must be a cowboy. I have the kit, the experience and the qualifications but my days of pure arb work are over and I am very happy to concentrate on firewood.

 

If you guys don't want the wood - I do. You can call me a subcontractor (or anything else) but I would be very happy to work along side you if it was mutually beneficial and I am sure there will be many more like me all over the country who would do the same.

[Topcat]

A few years back we used to have guys that would come to the job with their own kit and clear all the timber for free as we were dismatling. Timber wagon would take butts and any thing over 10". Now their charging so we do logs ourselves.

[Lee Winger]

Pre 87 my cousin would pay for standing timber/firewood, and so would a lot of others, I fear we're heading back to these days..

[RPA]

Some good points made!

 

I actually think the firewood situation (and the knock on effect to arb) will get worse over the next year.

 

There will be many more people out of jobs soon and some of these will no doubt see firewood as easy money (through lack of knowledge). The inflated price of firewood (just been told one person charging £90/pickup load ) will be too tempting for many have-a-goers to resist.