Weather was perfect for cutting, splitting and stacking today. Bucking up some fallen sugar maple on my property today. Ran out of beer so I quit early.
ATTACH=full]374912[/ATTACH] CSS two cords yesterday and today. Have about 45 cords ready to sell this coming Winter. Need about another 35 to keep from running out. Deliveries tomorrow will have more going out than coming in. Oh well.
72 today and delivered a truckload to my best customer this year. They must think I’m loaded, have fallen on hard times, or want some of their money back. They were trying to sell me parts saws, motorcycles, and a 25hp Kubota. I told them I’d bring someone back that has money.
36.5 face cords sold as of yesterday YTD; 50% above last year. Selling a lot of cherry and hickory smoking firewood. Hijacked this photo for one of my CL ads.
Overall, about 10% I would guess. But closer to a quarter from March-August. Have spoke with a few BBQ restaurant managers about supply them cherry and hickory, but no takers yet. I think my price is too high for restaurants, but why sell it cheaper than what I get from residential folks? I really can't do much more volume without a processor and buying logs. Rumor has it that a guy who buys hickory from my local logger sells it to restaurants in Nashville for $200 a face cord. He pays $65 to the logger for large splits that he has to load, unload, split, stack, load and deliver. So less than $100 profit for I am guessing 6-8 hours of work and driving. Not great wages.
Firewood still flying out of the wood yard. Smokers and fire pit burners are keeping me from building inventory.
Haven’t had a sale in five days, but received four orders this evening. Always feast or famine in the firewood business. Cut and split 4 face cords of hickory and white oak today. Wife was not happy about my tardiness for dinner tonight and having to help load four face cords tomorrow afternoon.
Have approximately 60 cords of cherry, hickory and oak stacked in the Woodyard. Hope to add another 20 or so before the brutal summer heat moves in.
Made my four deliveries yesterday and then cut into some massive white oak to finish the day. Wife and I had a passport appointment today. So I slipped her gloves and boots into the back of the truck. She knew something was up when we passed our turn. Couldn't have loaded these without her. I normally split these size logs into quarters, but they weren't giving in to my mauling, sledging and wedging.
Busy May so far. Sold six face cords, bought six and cut my twelfth truck load. I will be cutting until this Fall at this location just a few miles from me. It is always a dilemma on what to cut; sugar maple, white or red oak or hickory. I feel like a kid in a candy store.
More future Benjamin’s coming back to the Woodyard. Decided to cut mostly hickory this morning. Every round split with ease. Hate sledging; hard on the elbows.
Have been doing exactly what you said the past few days. I always feel I need to take away most of the tree and pile up small limbs as pay back for allowing me to cut on their property. However, with the heat and humidity just around the corner, I am trying to get as much as I can in the next few weeks. This landowner is a big ATV rider and likes running his dogs on his property, so trying to also open up all of his trails for him. All the properties I have been cutting on are either retired military or law enforcement. They are very careful who they let on their property.
I am also passing up all the big stuff 22" and above even though some are straight as an arrow for 60-80'. Hard on my back and a lot more difficult to split on site with my maul.
