May have to raise prices, but CL'd an ad that I would use my Timberwolf to split for others instead of them renting a splitter. Two man crew plus splitter for $50 an hour. Did 4 cords tonight in three hours. Pile was cut and ready when I got there. This is second job I have done, and have one more scheduled. If anyone splits for hire, let me know what you charge.
I started doing some on-site splitting also. $55 for just me plus $2/ mile one way transport fee. Additional $25 if i bring second guy. Have had only four jobs so far but people were real happy. Got tipped on three. Its a lotta work to be doing for somebody else. All were about an hour away hence the transport fee.
Greg I think you are priced low, but you'll also see a lot of business that way. I see a guy here with a $25/hr minimum ?? hours and I think that's nuts, way too cheap. I guarantee he isn't as fast as your setup either, but the same price point. If you enjoy the work, keep the price. If you want less of it, go to $65/hr with 2 guys. The way I figure it, the amount of time alone I have into a cord of wood, I'm paying myself $25/hr +/- as opposed to buying it. No way I'd do it for someone else as cheap.
Wow! Had no idea that you could get that much for splitting...and there are those that are saying it's low?? Just might have to load up and turn into a splitting gypsy for a month or so every year!
you gotta be hustling tho. just splitting i average about a cord an hour as long as i can get the splitter right next to the rounds that are <16" and there is somebody there to clear the splits. most times the homeowner doesnt mind doing this. larger rounds take longer to pass through the wedge multiple times. one job i did (just me) entailed also moving the splits ~60' and down a few steps and stacking. took six hours for those 3 cords. customer was glad to pay me and i was happy to go home. what i am finding is people have a tree company take down a tree and leave the rounds instead of paying to get rid of them. i think most of them fail splitting by hand or have the intention of borrowing or renting a splitter and doing it themselves, but they just dont make it happen for one reason or another. i hate this less than selling wood. dont have to argue with people what type of wood it is or the definition of "seasoned" just do the job, preach a little if they ask some questions, and go home!
Thanks all, price is going up, $50 for me and machine, $65 for me and helper. So helper will get 15, I'll get 15, and splitter repayment fund/conveyor purchase fund will get the rest. I'll offer free transport within 15 miles, and maybe charge some time or mileage beyond that.
I have lent out my splitter for free, just asked it came back not broken and full of fuel. Guess I am REALLY cheap.
Nice work Greg. Those are nice machines. I've been working here and there cutting/splitting and selling a little wood to a brother of mine to help pay for splitter. Different brother just ordered five New York Yankee (NYY) face cord from me. Time to get to work on that this weekend. He will burn that last in the late winter/early spring after he goes through his 15 or 16 face cord he has already.
agreed. at your new rate it will take you ~250 hours to pay that off? (i think $8k+ for that machine?) much better than your original rate. longer if your fuel and maintanance come from that $35. recomended to change hydro fluid and motor oil yearly. and dont forget your tires and bearings will wear out sooner if you are towing to 250 hours worth of jobs. if aiming to pay off in a year lets say, thats 40 six hour jobs just to throw some numbers out. 3 job per month average. think there will be enough work averaging htroughout the year to keep you this busy? good news is that splittler will last you a long time. now, what about your expenses for truck? i understand every bit will be helping you pay this thing off and im typing this trying not to be so negative. to me it sounded like quick money at first. its not.
First, this is the machine. I got three options: four way wedge, 500lb log lift and sorting table. And yes it was over 8k. Here is the machine, with my muck truck and old splitter that still works great. On my payoff project: I sold a fishing boat that wasn't getting much use for $1500 So far about 18 cords of firewood for $3150. One customer buys six every year Sold about $500 in drive buy camp and back yard firewood Then have done some wood jobs I was able to charge a little for plus take the wood, about $2000 in last three years Then I have done about 5 splitter for hire jobs so far and made about $800 but got no wood So with gas, oil, chains and expenses, I'm not out yet, but think overall it has been worth the investment. And Tw-5 has freed up some time (more than twice as fast as other one) that I have been able to use to cut and haul more wood. With a pile of rounds and two guys, we can make almost 1.5 cord an hour with it, and with four guys we run both splitters and can get well over 2 cords an hour. My two buddies each need 6 cords a year, so we now just cut and haul and then split all at once. Can get both of them a season supply done in under six hours. To be honest, when I bought it, I never thought i could pay for it, but was worried that with less kids around now that I also couldn't keep up with demand. So all the back saving features I got were sort of luxuries, but having used it for three years now, I can honestly say I love that thing to death! Muck truck also pictured another story. That baby will move the splitter anywhere, and will haul 850 pounds of wood up stairs if needed. Climbs up two little ramps right in the back of my pickup or trailer. It has produced at least five sites for me this year I never would have attempted with wheel barrows that were inaccessible by truck. All of those jobs allowed some expense money due to the access. So thats the story on my two most recent toys. Still in debt but making progress!
Agreed. If i wasn't addicted to cutting firewood this whole plan would be nuts. My goal is to keep current equipment, all paid off, and heat my house for free. I don't keep exact books, but think I will be clear within four years (as i did sell some wood/boat to help along as referenced in my other post)
Great pic Greg, very nice stuff. OK, now I understand you accounting system. You are not looking at this in a money making business sense, but rather just an out of pocket, "how much did this cost me" kind of way. I do the same. It allows one to have a lot of things that one normally wouldn't buy. BTW, I call it "Mad Money".
you are on a great track! and nice toys! muck truck is awesome, i will have to look that up i think... how do you like that table that hangs off the back of the TW? wondering if i should build one for mine.
The table is in my opinion a must have feature. I have an outside burner, so split pretty big chunks if splitting is needed at all, buy my two pals have inserts and need smaller splits. Either way, the simple catching of wood at near waist height on that table to resplit when needed vs picking up halves or quarters off the ground to resplit is huge back saver. The only design flaw in my view is small. I am a little over 6'1", and it seems like the overall level of the splitter is deigned with someone maybe 5' 9" inch height in mind. If I were building myself I would have built the whole thing 4-5 inches higher. But in all, the table grate, plus the log lift arm in upright position mean that I almost never have to pick a piece up off the ground once I get it to table height to re-split. Only exception being say a 400 pound round where the halves would be 200 pounds each or something. Cool feature that's hard to see also is that four way wedge is hydraulic also, meaning it can raise and lower. Can split a 6 inch diameter log, or 24 inch diameter log in equal quarters by just raising or lowering it.
