Are logs worth doing anymore ?

[mendiplogs]

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.

 

Hi eggs your right there £60 a sq

Mt is a joke mate more 120 for good hard wood jon

[Crazy Cutter]

Hi eggs your right there £60 a sq

Mt is a joke mate more 120 for good hard wood jon

 

I'm at 60.00 for hardwood, people are gulping at that!

[mixedangased]

£74 cm3 here im not going to all this trouble for nothing and i recon thats too cheep

[gensetsteve]

Logs are so cheap round my way might buy some in for my own house:biggrin:

[Stereo]

I think the problem with the whole log industry is that it kind of doesn't add up. According to most sources, a 3 bed house heated exclusively with wood will use up to 16t per annum. So what's that? 25 cube at least of hardwood. Probably 30-35 soft at a guess. Some basic maths tells us that even at £60 a cube for hardwood that's £1500 a year. That seems a lot to me. Maybe it's not.

 

But £60 is way too cheap as far as I can see. If I were in logs I would want to be charging £100 a cube. That takes it to £2500 - £3500 a year for heat.

 

The problem with wood as a fuel is the sheer amount of handling it needs. I suspect the answer is some large scale mechanisation of the firewood business. Or chip everything into briquettes.

[farmer_ben]

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.

 

where abouts was the Simon? Dont no anyone around me that cheap!

[StephF]

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.

 

We do the same as you, understand completely where you are coming from. I just remember the last few years; every Autumn there is a spate of new Log adverts in local papers,(this year seems the same). By Christmas they have gone, either have run out or selling wet logs.

We find it does not really make any difference to us, who are in it for the long haul and sell all year round.

Sold more through this summer than ever, and regulars are quite happy. Prices are all similar out there, but I've noticed some are starting to undercut, this must mean they are struggling for business, & wont be making much profit, just 'Keep calm and Carry on'!

[Michael C]

I suppose it has to be looked at from the customers point of view too. Its all very well saying that it should be £100 per cube to make a decent profit, (and I am sure this is true) but how many on here would actually be comfortable paying maybe £350 for an 8x5x3 trailer with a slight heap tipped in their driveway?

 

It takes a LOT of cord to fill the above trailer, but its not a massive load when tipped, and when stacked neatly in a shed, it doesnt take up much real estate!

 

You have to offer value for money, but doing this AND making a decent living for yourself is where it gets difficult.

[skyhuck]

Producing fire wood is very labour intensive, labour is very expensive.

 

Bought in fire wood as your primary heat source is very expensive.

 

For a lot of people fire wood is a luxury, they light the fire to create an atmosphere, for this the cost of fire wood is more acceptable.

[eggsarascal]

where abouts was the Simon? Dont no anyone around me that cheap!

 

Bury-st-Edmunds....My mate told me that it was an 01359 phone number, which IIRC is a Elmswell, Woolpit area number.....If so the guy as driven about ten miles to deliver that load!!!

 

How he makes money at that I dont know.

Edited October 27, 2012 by eggsarascal