The end of firewood?

[gensetsteve]

I think people need to start recognising the possibility that the last 2 winters could be the norm in future. I'm not saying we couldn't get winters like 08/09 and 09/10 again but they could not be for another 30yrs. Market forces such as climate change, inc competition, social changes, etc will force a lot to adapt and/or explore different revenues. You see this all the time in farming, fishing, rural estates, etc and it's normally those who are more forward thinking succeed.

 

 

That is a very good point. The reason we gave up logs was we were flat out busy beating processors trucks and tractors in to the ground for two years around 2009 - 10. I sat down and thought the money we earnt was it worth the amount of work and the answer was not in month of Sundays and what would happen if we had a mild winter we would not even break even so canned it. We only did 300 tonnes so had time to do other things but that may of been our down fall as being bigger may of been the making of us with more efficency. I tend to think no matter how cheap you made the logs your stuffed if you cant sell them.

[openspaceman]

And to think in 1974 I was writing doom laden essays about the end-of-oil (for "O" Level English)

 

A decade before that in our first geography lesson we were told oil would only lat 40 years and then we would be back on coal which we had 300 years reserves.

[oldwoodcutter]

Yes,like most of us in the log game my sales are down by half for 1 reason or another. Ime not loosing any sleep over it as my cord and logs are all inside and can sit there til next year when i will then revue whether to keep in the log business or chuck it up.

Was talking to a friend who supplied a good petrol forecourt with 400 25kg bags on first nov and they havn't sold one so far.

[briquette_seller]

Yes,like most of us in the log game my sales are down by half for 1 reason or another. Ime not loosing any sleep over it as my cord and logs are all inside and can sit there til next year when i will then revue whether to keep in the log business or chuck it up.

Was talking to a friend who supplied a good petrol forecourt with 400 25kg bags on first nov and they havn't sold one so far.

 

Hope your mate got paid on delivery

[cessna]

I think some guys go to a firewood processor demonstration,where they have ideal processor sized wood and think WHOA that is money for old rope. They then buy a processor on finance ,a truck load or two of cordwood much of which is 18" and above in size. It is not long before that they realise that selling firewod is good for pocket money and not much else.

[Mortimer Firewood]

I think some guys go to a firewood processor demonstration,where they have ideal processor sized wood and think WHOA that is money for old rope. They then buy a processor on finance ,a truck load or two of cordwood much of which is 18" and above in size. It is not long before that they realise that selling firewod is good for pocket money and not much else.

 

Somebody with that mentality is not going to succeed in any buisness.

You need a lot of different machinery to cope with a wide range of cord if you can get it right there's money in it. Buying 50 tonne is only ever going to be pocket money.

 

Selling over 500 is the start of a viable buisness. Don't get me wrong there's a local firm doing 10000+ ton kiln dryed with the introduction of RHI on kiln drying wood there feeling the pinch and discounting there products so even the big boys can hit in hard times.

[R5log]

How many cubic metres of logs to a lorry load? 55ish?

[Hodge]

I gave up trying to be competitive with the bulk bag for beer money boys long ago, let them get on with it. I have seasoned or kiln dried logs to sell and if they don't sell this year then they will sell next year. I stopped buying in cord and sold my processor and now just use a log spliter and a saw, less messing on I have found. I have a couple of lads that come and graft if I need them. The wood I now use is all the arb waste I have got which last year I sent for kiln drying and sold at a good price, I was still making £40 profit on a bag! I don't advertise logs anymore, just word of mouth and I prefer it like this as I don't get as many plonkers and tight wads calling up.

[Woodworks]

Somebody with that mentality is not going to succeed in any buisness.

You need a lot of different machinery to cope with a wide range of cord if you can get it right there's money in it. Buying 50 tonne is only ever going to be pocket money.

 

Selling over 500 is the start of a viable buisness. Don't get me wrong there's a local firm doing 10000+ ton kiln dryed with the introduction of RHI on kiln drying wood there feeling the pinch and discounting there products so even the big boys can hit in hard times.

 

Would have thought it's pretty hard to run a large logs business with delivery being such a major cost. We are in a small rural area so unless we get a good percentage of all logs sales we either stay small or charge a lot for distance deliveries. If you are in a densely populated area you may have the customers but probably have very high business rates and rent. Can see it works when you are delivery by pallet and can charge premium prices.

[briquette_seller]

Would have thought it's pretty hard to run a large logs business with delivery being such a major cost. We are in a small rural area so unless we get a good percentage of all logs sales we either stay small or charge a lot for distance deliveries. If you are in a densely populated area you may have the customers but probably have very high business rates and rent. Can see it works when you are delivery by pallet and can charge premium prices.

 

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.