The Economics of Firewood...Buying Poles From Loggers

Very interesting. I am 74, live in S. Ontario, Canada, and for the last few years I have enjoyed access to quality trees, locust, ash, maple, apple, elm, birch, that various people have wanted removed from their premises and didn't want to pay expensive tree service companies for their work. All I want is the wood. These people answered my internet ad, and after an initial site visit to review the trees' location, (near neighbours' fences etc..) if everything was ok, I'd return with my truck and two trusty Husky saws. This year, I have been overwhelmed with work, and have been working my way through about six cords of good hardwood. I'm not finished yet, and have put to one side the lumps my 5hp splitter can't handle. (It doesn't refuse much), before I rent a large Wallenstein for a day to handle the remainder. I have decided this is my last year of harvesting my own wood. I'm going to go the triple axle trailer route, for about Cdn$1300 for 6-7 cords, and have it all delivered right to my property. I'm starting to realise my limitations. Good video.

Do you know what grows under a beach? Sons of beaches!!! Lol

There is tons of free wood and I like the exercise from it. We only split hardwood in the south. Mainly Oak, hickory.

Wow, so July 8,2020 you had 100 subscribers? It is December 20, 2020 and you have 5k. Great content!!

My dad did firewood for something like 30 years here in Oregon. Almost exclusively lodgepole pine. When he first started it was taking the truck out and selling truck loads. Then he got into selling semi loads to SoCal, then Reno. The last 15 years or so was delivering local retail buying log truck loads.

I'm in southern Ohio and have a outdoor wood boiler. I order a load of logs from a local logger - love it when I see some of that beech in the load. I'm paying equal to what the logger would get for pulp wood at the paper mill. So, I don't even think about trying to sell firewood, at my age, 74, I figure I'm doing good to keep enough cut, split and stacked in the shed just to keep the chill off the house. Thanks for the videos and stay safe out there in the wood lot.

Always enjoy watching the oldies again! Hey i wanted to say that i have recently finilized my LLC and have got our first log truck of poles scheduled for delivery. I have to say thank you Joe for the motivation and continous helpful tips, and ideas that really made me want to take my hobby 1 step further! Keep on keeping on buddy

Great video! I'm a timber guy in SD you are correct on what your saying. Most people don't understand how it works. Great job! Remember our forests are the greatest renewable resources we have. People have lost that understanding

Hello Joe, I agree with you on the fact of buying logs (beech or other species) certainly at a cost, but it allows to produce quality firewood easier to work, we win largely in time and pain, more logs have in the end a much more beautiful appearance

I always seem to learn something new about the firewood business, while watching your videos. There's no one like you on Youtube in the firewood business. Keep up the good work.

That looked like a decent load for that type of truck. I have been buying log loads for personal use for more then 15 years. It takes time to find a decent logger. My first 5 years I was dealing with anyone who could get me a hardwood load. I live in upstate N.Y. and loggers come and go quickly. After trying many loggers I started to understand how the industry works,at least how it works around here. In my area there is one logging company who buys from most of the smaller companies. They then resell the logs in bigger quantities to milling companies. The wood that's not mill quality gets sold as firewood poles. I bought from the smaller loggers in the beginning. They always seem to be struggling and there quality of wood wasn't the best. The major player around here is a company called Klein and son logging out of white sulfer springs N.Y... there wood is always top notch. They do charge $50 more then everyone else but it's well worth it. There loads are always 7/8+ cords. Sometimes I buy 2 loads at a time and they have taken off a significant amount of money. Do a little research there is probably a major player in your area who you can establish a very good relationship with. The last 10 years I have only had to deal with 2 different drivers... I always tip them as you do. They definitely remember who treats them well and they show the appreciation. Good luck in your search for a logger. Thanks for the awesome videos.

I own a tree service here in michigan and at times give quite abit of wood away simply because i dont want to deal with it. I have found a few people that heat they're homes and just send them a text with the address and they go get it. I don't sell firewood myself and my employees heat our homes so it works out well. Getting paid to heat our homes is a win win..

Nice video. I look forward to seeing more. In this part of PA, a tri-axle load of wood runs about $900. I’ve never gotten less than 8 cords from a load and it’s usually 9. All front mounted cranes though. Thanks for the tip!

Congrats ! Says 1.04K subs here, and you can add me to the list, I process my own firewood by hand, I find free wood and cut and split it by hand, chainsaw and an axe, I just enjoy relaxing at home outdoors near a nice fire....coffee, anyone ?

I used to love getting a truck load of logs. My black Lab would climb to the top and I'd join her with a cup of coffee. Then it's time to get to work.

Hi I am actually a Logger/trucker/Firewood guy from west Wisconsin. Her in WI our trucks usually are called Tri axles, with the 2 dualled drive axles plus the single drop axle, thus three, or Tri axle, plus the front steer. Our loaders are on the rear, so we pull a "Pup" trailer which has 2 axles. Usually we haul 5 to 6 logger cords on the truck, and 5 to 6 cord on the pup. It goes by tons of payload. So with greener Oak, mabe 10 cords per full truck/pup load. If the wood is seasoned for a few months and dried down some, or there is more ash/elm/maple we might get up to 12 cords per load. usually a going rate to pay for delivered F/W up to 50 miles would be about 100$ green, or up to 120$ per cord seasoned. Mostly the wood is free, what U R paying for is the cost of cutting/skidding/processing/trucking the logs. That log truck is actually a Quint, or 5 axles on the rear. If your guy is 6' high x 8' wide x 16' long would B about 6 logger cord. Good F/W vidja.

That was a good video. I want to transition from oil to firewood in a couple years. Never considered buying wood by the truckload. That’s genius for a consumer. Even with some labor, $600 for a winters worth of firewood is a good price. My neighbor pays $2k for his pellet stove every year. I still have a lot to learn about firewood. Subscribed !

Wow Joe! Going back to this old video (still great stuff) and you only had 100 subscribers back then??!? Crazy!! Today, 2 years later, you're at 36.4K!!!! That's awesome. I've been going just 1.5 years and have 60 subs..... I guess it'll take me 3.5 more years to get to your level -- probably more like 20 years! LOL Cheers. Keep up the great job!

I sometimes struggle to get loads of logs. The one guy I prefer to deal with, hauls 5.5 cords. Another guy that I am lucky to get 2 loads a year from, hauls 6-6.25. I got a load from another guy, and he had over 7 cords on the truck. He picked up his rear axle when he pulled in the driveway, and when he came up the little hill in my driveway, he could barely steer the truck. Some of the logs were 24' long. He had them piled above the bunks. I have video on my channel were I talk about why I buy logs. I think it is cheaper to buy logs, than to cut them yourself. I need to get this pile worked up I have and if I had 3 more loads I would be good for what I want to do. I also tip the driver, which the one is the owner of the company.

I sell firewood in Brookfield! Lived in Youngstown for years! Drop N chop LLC! ...love your videos! Always have firewood for sale!