Are logs worth doing anymore ?

[Marko]

As Eric Morcambe once said "I resemble that remark!"

[Crazy Cutter]

Some big stereo typing going on now... I suppose no firewood producer has ever used a comparison website to change gas supplier or decided what telly they want on (what's left of) the high street but gone online to find where to buy it at the cheapest price? Why is it so different when the boot is on the other foot. Please don't blame the customer.

 

After taking all costs into account, if you can't sell at a profit it is time to stop.

 

Fair play but logs are personal to a lot of us. I can supply the best quality at the lowest price and still people will go elsewhere. So like you say prehaps its time to stop.

[gensetsteve]

As Eric Morcambe once said "I resemble that remark!"

 

Yeah luckily its only a stereo type

[Woodworks]

Crazy Cutter

 

I don't know your situation but can you just sit tight and wait for the new sellers to run out. You only have too sell out March, April time. I hope you don't get pushed out as I understand about logs being "personal".

 

Good Luck this season.

[gensetsteve]

Hang in there crazy cutter. Maybe use it as cherry on the top to suppliment another income if you rely on it you are under pressure to compete. If we have a few mild winters it will be a waste of time for anyone who buys in timber because the arb waste will last through. But if we have a hard winter market is yours as the rest will run out. Once the stuff is seasoned and stored right will last for years. There is a glut of firewood about after last winters mild weather and customers can shop around. If the weather come in hard and its in short supply you have to be hard and put it out for £100 a cube +

[ThrustSSC]

It's an odd season so far in Berkshire where I shift most of my output. Last year it was all "0.5m3, please" then another order later in the winter - everyone was budgetting month to month. As I ran out by December quite a few of these ended up having to look elsewhere and got rubbish.

 

This year they've learned and orders are generally rather larger. I've not done any marketing so far, and have shifted over 1/4 of my stock already. I think I'll take a risk and not push it - if we get a cold winter, I'll be a happy boy. If not, I guess I'll be carrying stock through to next winter or having a spring sale.

[Marko]

Fair play but logs are personal to a lot of us. I can supply the best quality at the lowest price and still people will go elsewhere. So like you say prehaps its time to stop.

 

I fully understand; it is very personal to me as well; it is my money in the kit and my sweat on the logs.... all the more reason to only do it for a sensible and fair return.

 

I have to buy cord in so I know I am at a disadvantage to those suppliers who acquire waste but it doesn't change the price we charge which is always calculated bottom up. There are no exceptions.

 

I can think of many ways that I might choose to give away money but to help heat a strangers house isn't one of them.

[Crazy Cutter]

Thanks for the replies you guys. Until three years ago logs were just a by product of my forestry work then we had two cold winters and i've now moved almost solely into firewood production which could be a mistake. I cut and fell my own wood and currently knock out 300 tonne a year. I find that if i do other stuff to keep the money coming in i fall behind on the woods/logs and then quality suffers. I just can't get it out of the woods quick enough! I'm caught in the middle really nether one thing or the other? Big kit and harvesters i can't afford and don't rock my boat so i don't see going bigger as an option.

 

Thrust said about people having bigger loads with him currently its the opposite for me!

[gensetsteve]

Thanks for the replies you guys. Until three years ago logs were just a by product of my forestry work then we had two cold winters and i've now moved almost solely into firewood production which could be a mistake. I cut and fell my own wood and currently knock out 300 tonne a year. I find that if i do other stuff to keep the money coming in i fall behind on the woods/logs and then quality suffers. I just can't get it out of the woods quick enough! I'm caught in the middle really nether one thing or the other? Big kit and harvesters i can't afford and don't rock my boat so i don't see going bigger as an option.

 

Thrust said about people having bigger loads with him currently its the opposite for me!

 

Thinking out loud 300 tonnes is 450 cu m of loose logs at £80 = £36,000 turn over. I roughly worked out with everything accounted for about 25% is left for my labour. So £9000.00 per year wages. The only way you can earn a living from firewood is 300 tonnes, plus something that pays 20k a year. Or do 1000 tonnes 1500 metres = 120k turn over should leave you with 45 wages.

 

If you sell your logs for £55 a metre there is no profit in it at all.

[eggsarascal]

I just got back from a blokes house i do a bit of work for now and again, he'd just took delivery of 2 m3 of mixed hardwood (the load looked about right) don't know about the m/c as i had not got my meter with me.

 

The load delivered cost £120!!! £60 a cube!!!

 

Glad i got out of the log game.