Fie wood....

All this talk about alternative heat sources and fire wood made me do some thinking. I have been curouis about what it costs to cut fire wood, and some have said that you can make a lot of wood on a gallon of gas. so my question is, Has any one kept track of their expenses for cutting fire wood for a heating season?

Jared
 
I sell about 20 cord a year. I use a JD A as a skidder to drag logs out of a creek bottom pasture. This adds gas to them, but it makes a log pile that is easy to access year round and I have had problems in the past with piles of rounds left in the woods floating off when the creek floods. I then use a homemade firewood processor or a Husky 455/3pt splitter (depending on the log diameter). I estimate that I am about $30 a cord into it by the time I include bar oil, a new chain every year, and sharpening stones. I add an average of $20 per cord in pickup expenses/fuel when delivering.
I figure that I am an average of 5 hours per cord total time (including locating downed trees, skidding, maintenace on equipment and delivery)
Not incredibly profitable but it does help support the farming habit. About the only thing I do that I can guarantee a profit.
Hope this hels.
 
I'll take a stab at it....This will be for a heaped pick-up load. 1/2 gallon gas..$1.75 2cycle oil for 1/2 gal of gas $2.50...Chainsaw purchased 5 yrs ago $250 Approx 8 loads per year ..1/5 of 250=50$ divided by 8=6.25$/load; Truck IRS rate $0.32/mile x 10=$3.20...labor 5hrs@ $0.00. $13.75 per load total. A load typically lasts 3-4 weeks. For all practical purposes I would own the chainsaw and pick-up for my acreage hobby farm any way. Some people dispute, it is what it is gobble BTW our home of 1300 sqft 72 degree normal temp
 
$50/cord? I'm living in the wrong area, they all want $150 for a pick-up load around here. By the time you pay for that you may as well just buy propane.
 
I do not keep track of what it costs to cut and split wood and get it inside so if can be fed to the boiler.

I did burn oil and a cord of wood is worth 100 gallons of oil, roughly. I still have oil as a back up but have not burned a drop since 2005. At $3.50, for a gallon of oil it does not cost $350.00 to cut a cord of wood.

I have burnt a little better than 8 cords so far this year. That is a savings of $2,800.00 so far this year. Does not take long to pay for equipment and gas with year after year of savings like that.

Another plus is you get rid of storm damaged trees, dead falls, and trees you just don't want where they are at. You don't have to pay someone to haul that away or burn it in a brush pile and get nothing out of it.
 
Scot - Too bad you don't live where I do! I just go to the Amish sawmill (one of 7-8 in the area) and get waste "slabs". The closest mill will even cut them to size, and fill your truck/trailer for you as they cut! Got mine last summer for $10 a pickup load (as much as you could heap on), or $35 for as much as you could heap on an 18' trailer with 2' sides. It's about 90% Oak, too.
Even though it is winter, their price is the same.
 
It's a lot more complex than just "what does it cost". #1 I already own the land, tractors and other tools. I collect chainsaws as a hobby and repair them myself. I have to cut a lot of trees to keep them off the fences and out of the pastures anyway or to keep the woods in decent shape and the sugarbush too. I have draft horses that will cut the tractors out of the picture if I use them. I have to pay sales tax of propane/fuel oil/electric but not on farm gas and oil, chain. files, etc. It gets pretty complex to try to figure it all out, way beyond me any way.

In the end, fuel oil is almost $4.00 a gallon here, propane around $3.00 last I looked. It would take an awful lot of gas, oil and files for me to lose on this deal.
 
Old timer once was unloading firewood cute young girl jogged by had latest running shoes clothes etc he told me im getting paid for my exercise and shes paying for hers.
 
lots of great comments on here. I have an outdoor wood stove. I burn everything that WILL BURN
that includes house garbage, cardboard and oil and rags. This all heats my house and garage.
What you all didnt factor in is that when cutting wood out side you are getting plenty of fresh air, lots of excersize and you get to enjoy mother nature giving back to you. Plus most of the time its a family get together. I dont have to pay a fee to go to the gym to get fit.
Now how do you put a price on that. like they say
Just Do It. lots of places farmers are glad to get the fallen wood out of their bush, its healthier for it. Most of it is FREE.
 
Here is a bit of a shortcut to getting a reasonable idea of the actual cost.....

First a few "constants."
1) Assume a cord of wood = 100 gallons of oil. To be fair, I will say that the 100 gallons would equal a FULL cord and not a FACE cord. Most wood around my area is sold for about $175 for a full cord.

2) Home heating oil runs right around $3.50 per gallon.

3) 100 gallons of oil @ $3.50=$350.00

4) Assume that the guy that sold you the cord of wood actually made a small profit selling it yo you. After all, he IS doing it for a profit isn't he??

So far, it looks to me that using wood as a fuel costs about half as much as oil. Now, if you own the land and the equipment already, this defrays some of the costs. After all, if you own the land, you do not have to purchase the wood. And, if you own the land, and are farming it, the necessity will arise where you have to remove fallen/dead/rotted trees whether you burn them or not for heat.
 
One thing a lot of people are missing is they think there time is worth zero. If that's the case, come visit, I have lots of zeros to pay you with. If you are working, don't matter at what, changing oil, doing a repair or cutting and stacking firewood your time is worth minimum wage at least. You old guys can make 8.25 an hour as a greeter at Wal Mart plus get the employee 10% discount card. But your time is worth at least 7.25 an hour. Plus the value of the wood had you sold it as uncut wood. Most can save money burning wood at current price of fuel but it's more expensive than they think unless they themselves are worth nothing.

Rick
 
it depends on circumstances, if you live in town, and you are buying your wood from a dealer, and paying him to haul it and stack it at your place ,and you try to use it as your main heat source it would cost more, it would only be cost effective for a backup source of heat. Out on the farm, we generally come up with most of the wood during the year thru general mantenence of the property, we may cut some just for heat depending on how much we have on hand, we already own the equipment to handel split and store it, to its "cost" is cheap, we had to do something with the wood anyway, so me, i heat the house with it,
 
About a gallon on 4 cords of softwood per season. Maybe a few gallons in the tractor running the splitter and moving it to the shed, hard to say for the tractor as I never sit down and do it all at once.

I'd bet a pto saw table would use less wood.

We figure it saves us about 500$ vs buying wood here.
 
Let's see I get $7.25 an hour for eating breakfast,
watching TV, bird watching and the list goes on.
Who pays that. I can make $7.25 an hour watching
someone paint my house or I can paint it myself for
$7.25 and hour plus paint. Sounds like it is a lot
cheaper for you do do it yourself. Probably a lot
better job if you do it yourself also.

If you get paid 24 hours a day it is most likely
not worth it to cut wood.
 
In my case, I have a farm to keep cleaned up as others have mentioned. Along with having a farm I have a Gator and chain saws, a wood splitter that is on it's second rebuild, only thing original to it is the engine and oil tank. I bought it in 1981.
Same with the small trailer in the photo, its been rebuilt and up sized. Originally used it behind my garden tractors.

So I been cutting wood since 1976, clearing old fence rows, keeping the brush cut back, gathering down trees, dead or dying trees, and getting some off the edges of fields to keep the shade away.

So, no way to figure cost of cutting wood, I see it as exercise and a necessity, if I want to continue to have a clean farm.

Those walnut logs are for sale or will be cut into lumber!
a148069.jpg

a148070.jpg
 
Walmart eliminatd greeters.And many people would be sitting in front of the TV if they weren't cutting wood.Cutting wood is great exercise gets the blood flowing lifting and splitting and keeps the wife in good physical shape during the Winter
so she's ready to hit the garden running come Spring(LOL)
 
jd,you said farmers are glad to get rid of it free,in our area that don't work.PEOPLE WON'T take it,even with it laying there on the ground, but they line up at a firewood place that sells it by the ton to BUY it or call for it tobe brought to them.WE have some big brush fires at times.
 
I'd bet that those that heat with wood are in a lot better physical shape and healthier than those that don't and most also probably plant a garden and do other outdoor activities.Also heating or not heating with wood or planting a garden or not the L-A-Z-Y factor comes into to play.
 
Note guys I said while you are working you are a worth minimum wage. Don't matter if it's for someone else or yourself.

Didn't know wally world got rid of greeters, I don't shop there.

Thing of it is when you are working, for yourself or others your time is worth money. You may save a good deal of money but to be very honest you have to add in your value to really figure out what the true cost are. If you do an hour long car repair and the local shop rate is 90 an hour you really saves 82.75 in labor. You could have been fixing a friends car and making 7.25 an hour. That is unless you really feel that you are worthless.

:wink: :wink:

Rick
 
I would think if you factored in your labor cost it would be a wash. I enjoy the exercise working up the wood, and consider it as entertainment.
 
In my case - with a dozen chainsaws, 80 acres woods (taxes every year), tractor, dozer, truck, log splitter, wood furnace,wood stove, - it's not easy to calculate. Easy to figure if you buy all your wood. 1/4 the cost easily of what propane or oil is and cheaper yet if compared to electric heat. Note I'm not counting time spent stacking, carrying, loading wood, cleaning chimneys, etc.
 
Save $$$?
Heat with Wood

First year costs:

2 stoves and installation $1385.
Removal of hot water baseboard and boiler $238.
Search for reputable wood dealer N/A $76.
Chain saw $210.
Ax, wedges, maul, cant hook, etc. $119.
Old truck (junk after 1st load) $595.
Newer truck $8645.
Tire chains $88.
Replace truck's rear window (twice) $310.
Fine for cutting wrong trees $500.
5-acre woodlot $4995.
Splitting machine $950.
14 cases of beer $126.
6 fifths ginger brandy $38.
Fine for littering $250.
Towing charge (brook to road) $50.
Gas, oil, files, Band-aids $97.
Doctor's fee (sawdust in eye) $45.
Medical cost for broken toe (dropped log) $128.
Safety shoes $35.
Attempt to fix burned hole in carpet $76.
New living room carpet $699.
Paint living room $110.
Taxes on woodlot $44.
Woodlot boundary dispute settlement $465.
Roof repair after chimney fire $840.
Fine for assaulting fireman $50.
Extension ladder $55.
Chimney brush $22.
Medical fee for broken leg (fell off roof) $478.
Chimney cleaning service $90.
Replace coffee table (chopped up and burned while too drunk to bring firewood up from cellar) $79.
Divorce settlement $14,500.
EXPENSES $36,388

Sale of hot water boiler system $125.
Fuel oil savings $376.
CREDITS $501.

NET COST OF FIRST YEAR WOOD BURNING OPERATION; $35,887.
 
Yup I know what you mean. its in the bush if you want it for free, you just have to do the work
or let someone else get physically fit and complain about the price.
Another thing not mentioned on here is that if you have a nice pile of wood like pictured above, if the hydro goes out, you still have a heat source.
I know when our hydro goes out, my little generator comes out and my place is back up and running in 10 min. toasty warm. wood stove, hydro and water system.
 
This is one big one for me. With my woodstove I can make the front room and kitchen nice and warm on nights it's been -5 (it actually heats the whole house). That way it keeps Mrs. happy and everyone knows that always helps out any situation.
 
You have the right idea, it is a lazy man who will not keep his wife busy. Or is it a smart man who will keep his wife busy.
 
I like your post. I think it's a joke when people say they saved money heating with wood. WOOD ISN'T FREE.

However wood heats many times:
The time you cut it.
The time you split it.
The time you load it.
The time you stack it.
The time you carry it in the house.
The time you clean the chimney.
The time you remove the ashes.
The time you burn it.
Finally, the time you clean up the mess left behind when you burn your house down.
 
David I only cut and split when I am on break from my regular job. My regular job is everything else except cutting wood. I sort of enjoy cutting wood.

Are breaks paid or non paid?
 
I never cared or tried to keep tract of the expense side of burning wood, I know how much some of the inputs cost but not all of them. As far as wood vs fuel oil, 11 years ago oil was maybe .99 to $1.12 a gallon, a tri axel log truck of log lengeth wood was $325 a load. Now oil is over $3.50,?? I don't buy any so I'm not real sure, but logs are up to $700 a load because of high demand for pulp wood, the mills would only take soft wood years ago, now they take hard wood also. A load is between 6-8 cords. If I burn 5 gallons of fuel to cut and split the wood, that's just around $25.00 maybe. I already have a tractor, and an atv, which both can be used for other things rather than just making firewood, I did a job for a guy and he traded me for a 3pt wood splitter, I deducted off his bill. I also have chainsaws for my landscaping business, so they have another purpose other than just making firewood. I did buy a indoor wood boiler, and a fireplace insert, both used, and I built a 16x20 wood shed. All of them have already paid for themselves. So is heating with wood cheaper, vs other sources of heat? I can't say for anyone else, but it is for me. I'd guess less than $800 per heating season to heat a 5 bedroom 2500 or so sqft house. Some inputs i dont know is the cost of electricty run a circulator 24/7 for the wood boiler, I also gather some wood off my land and the farm, or landscaping jobs, after a storm land clearing ect, I don't know what that costs either I also have oil back up, but we hardly use it, just in the spring or fall to take the chill out of the house, if I don't want to bother starting a fire.
 

Not much I disagree with oldtanker on but....the wood I gather, cut,split,stack and burn IS my pay!
 
(quoted from post at 05:46:02 03/05/14) One thing a lot of people are missing is they think there time is worth zero. If that's the case, come visit, I have lots of zeros to pay you with. If you are working, don't matter at what, changing oil, doing a repair or cutting and stacking firewood your time is worth minimum wage at least. You old guys can make 8.25 an hour as a greeter at Wal Mart plus get the employee 10% discount card. But your time is worth at least 7.25 an hour. Plus the value of the wood had you sold it as uncut wood. Most can save money burning wood at current price of fuel but it's more expensive than they think unless they themselves are worth nothing.

Rick

In that case I'm paying myself minimum wage and not being taxed on it. That's a win-win as far as I can see. In fact, if I had to buy oil/gas/electric I'd have to have another job to pay for it plus travel gas, tires, etc.

The logic of your argument kind of fails Rick. By that line of thinking I'd have to be paying myself for sleeping, cooking supper, washing laundry, sweeping the floor, fixing tractors and feeding livestock. I don't think it makes much sense.
 
In the process of keeping our property neat and orderly, we remove some dead trees, For exercise we make it into firewood! We go to church up at the cabin occasionally and do some fishing up there, so we might as well bring back a load of wood. So, firewood is a fringe benefit, I know it's not free, don't care what it costs, wouldn't do it any other way!
 
(quoted from post at 06:56:13 03/05/14) Save $$$?
Heat with Wood

First year costs:

2 stoves and installation $1385.
Removal of hot water baseboard and boiler $238.
Search for reputable wood dealer N/A $76.
Chain saw $210.
Ax, wedges, maul, cant hook, etc. $119.
Old truck (junk after 1st load) $595.
Newer truck $8645.
Tire chains $88.
Replace truck's rear window (twice) $310.
Fine for cutting wrong trees $500.
5-acre woodlot $4995.
Splitting machine $950.
14 cases of beer $126.
6 fifths ginger brandy $38.
Fine for littering $250.
Towing charge (brook to road) $50.
Gas, oil, files, Band-aids $97.
Doctor's fee (sawdust in eye) $45.
Medical cost for broken toe (dropped log) $128.
Safety shoes $35.
Attempt to fix burned hole in carpet $76.
New living room carpet $699.
Paint living room $110.
Taxes on woodlot $44.
Woodlot boundary dispute settlement $465.
Roof repair after chimney fire $840.
Fine for assaulting fireman $50.
Extension ladder $55.
Chimney brush $22.
Medical fee for broken leg (fell off roof) $478.
Chimney cleaning service $90.
Replace coffee table (chopped up and burned while too drunk to bring firewood up from cellar) $79.
Divorce settlement $14,500.
EXPENSES $36,388

Sale of hot water boiler system $125.
Fuel oil savings $376.
CREDITS $501.

NET COST OF FIRST YEAR WOOD BURNING OPERATION; $35,887.

Sounds like the type of person too cognitively limited to be trusted with any tool or to take on any type of self reliant project.

FYI- forget the beer and brandy and I bet a lot of the mishaps are reduced in occurrence. Drunks and chainsaws don't mix.
 
Let it go George, we all know how you feel. You've told us over and over, Just us poor people with run down shacks polluting your air. Heck, you've even supplied us with pictures. Your way is best, we all get it.
 
(quoted from post at 07:15:41 03/05/14) I like your post. I think it's a joke when people say they saved money heating with wood. WOOD ISN'T FREE.

However wood heats many times:
The time you cut it.
The time you split it.
The time you load it.
The time you stack it.
The time you carry it in the house.
The time you clean the chimney.
The time you remove the ashes.
The time you burn it.
Finally, the time you clean up the mess left behind when you burn your house down.

My late MIL was famous for setting her drapes and curtains on fire, several times, with no more than a light bulb. The number of pots and pans she set fire to on her electric range wold fill the back of an average PU truck. Operator cranial/rectal inversion malfuncs are just as likely with your 100% electric house as with a wood stove.
 
Hey D.

I can see yer problem right away.

Everbody knows that if yew bust the back winder in
yer pickup yew put used plywood in!!

Brad
 
(quoted from post at 07:15:41 03/05/14) I like your post. I think it's a joke when people say they saved money heating with wood. WOOD ISN'T FREE.

However wood heats many times:
The time you cut it.
The time you split it.
The time you load it.
The time you stack it.
The time you carry it in the house.
The time you clean the chimney.
The time you remove the ashes.
The time you burn it.
Finally, the time you clean up the mess left behind when you burn your house down.

Hmmmm....lessee, I've heated strictly and soley with wood for 34 years. Never had a flu fire or burned down by house, btw.

We all have hobbies like drinking beer (don't do it), or going to NASCAR races (never did, never will), maybe even owning a bass boat and fishing all the good lakes (never did that either).

But what I do enjoy is an eclectic collection of old chain saws, old tractors, home made trailers and a home made wood splitter and countless hours spent with all my kids learning the benefits of work and fun in and around the wood pile.

That having been said, I couldn't even buy a good bass boat with the money I've spent on the above mentioned stuff...AND I would have bought all that stuff anyway because of the fun factor. So to me it's better to use the stuff than let it sit and what better way to use them than cutting and hauling wood !!!

So say the normal heating bill for the winter in the midwest for a 2100 sqft house was $500 back in '80.

Say it raised to $800 per season in the 90's. And just for grins say it is $1,000 per season now. I took that first 10 years of unspent heating money and invested it in gold...the next years of unspent heating money was invested in McDonalds stock....and for the last ten years, that unspent money has been invested in internet upstarts like Amazon, google and 3D printing.

Have you by chance even seen how much any of the above mentioned stocks have changed in 30 years ? To think, if I would have only spent those conservative figures on heating my house for the last 34 years, I might possibly still be actively involved in the work force paying taxes to fund all the other retirees Social Security.

The way I see it, heating with FREE wood not only saved me a lot more than my low balled annual estimates above, but the exercise gleaned from it has kept me healthy, gave all three of my kids a wonderful start towards understanding the fruits of hard work AND had funded a very comfortable RETIREMENT from the work force....

Soooo.....just which of our two differing opinions seem the most logical ??? Just sayin....

By the way, I am really enjoying this friendly discourse.... and conversely, I think its a joke to hear someone say a fellow is not saving money heating with FREE wood.
 
I remember heating with slab wood. We had racks set up at the mill, they set the slabs on the racks, and we'd cut down through the pile. Fill the single-axle dump and pick-ups several times a day.

The mill was set up at the back of a field we rented.
 
Dunno....I realize most folks don't have it like we do, but...The wood I get is from a Amish sawmill. They cut it to whatever length I tell them, AND load my truck! I use a 1 ton dump bed to haul it the 2 miles to my house, then stack it. Since it is all "flat" it stacks nicely. It takes me no time at all to stack it (one of them even came over to help), and it is about 25' from the outdoor wood stove. They charge $35 a truckload - winter or summer. I KNOW I save money burning wood.
We piled enough wood for two years for right at $140. No chainsaw, no splitter, no mess. Takes about an hour for two guys to stack a load.
My other choice would be propane - and we won't go there on this thread!
 
LOL!!! The cheep beer, reason for breaking back glass twice and falling off roof maybe the broken toe also!!! LOL!!
 
About 50/cord to put your own wood roadside in 8' lengths. That's assuming you pay someone to do the cutting and hauling. If you do the cutting yourself deduct probably 15 bucks a cord. If you do the hauling yourself, add in all the things you smash on the tractor.

Rod
 
I have to work 35 hours to earn enough to get the co-op out here to deliver propane, and it's not going to fill my tank. In 3 hours I can cut enough wood to heat the house for a week.
 
I was simply agreeing with the author, heating with wood isn't free.

You can add to the list, where I live, a fire place increases your property taxes. Not sure if an outside boiler will increase taxes. If they cost $15K I can't see why it wouldn't. I get taxed for a sidewalk and a garden shed.

Insurance companies will raise your rates, if not cancel you out for having something that isn't safe.

Massey, Cut me some slack, I didn't mention air pollution. However, I just got back form a 2 mile hike in the country. The thought of breathing fresh, smoke free air did cross my mind. Guess I was thinking of you:)
 

Fire Safety
While it is contained inside the wood burning stove, an active fire inside your home can pose a serious risk. The USFA cites 36 percent of residential home fires in rural areas are caused by heating fires, largely due to unsafe practices.

Wonder why the article mentions RURAL AREAS?

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/list_7550220_hazards-wood-burning-stoves.html#ixzz2v7gWVvwM

If you haven't burned your house down yet, you are part of the 64% who haven't. Give you a gold star.
 
Read it again, not 36% of homes catch on fire, 36% of those that do, which is a small number. So instead of 64% of us giving ourselves a gold star it's more like 95% or more. The other 64% if houses that catch in fire are probably people falling asleep with lit cigarettes or oil spatter from ranges so heating issues of the small number of fires is still the minority.
 
I sell mine for $130 per cord and then $1 per mile to deliver after the first 10 miles. At that rate I figure the profit in firewood is right at $20 per hour Works pretty good for me. I agree that it's an expensive way to heat for those that buy it (just so you know I'm about 10-20% low, lots of wood around here sells for $150).
 
(quoted from post at 06:05:34 03/05/14) Let's see I get $7.25 an hour for eating breakfast,
watching TV, bird watching and the list goes on.
Who pays that. I can make $7.25 an hour watching
someone paint my house or I can paint it myself for
$7.25 and hour plus paint. Sounds like it is a lot
cheaper for you do do it yourself. Probably a lot
better job if you do it yourself also.

If you get paid 24 hours a day it is most likely
not worth it to cut wood.

I paid someone to paint my house about fifteen years ago and for someone to put a new roof on about eight years ago. I don't believe that I was there either time to see one drop of paint applied or one shingle applied. I had to be doing what I got paid to do.
 
(quoted from post at 14:20:45 03/05/14) Read it again, not 36% of homes catch on fire, 36% of those that do, which is a small number. So instead of 64% of us giving ourselves a gold star it's more like 95% or more. The other 64% if houses that catch in fire are probably people falling asleep with lit cigarettes or oil spatter from ranges so heating issues of the small number of fires is still the minority.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious. A good deal of the fires we have locally are caused by Kerosun type heaters, electric milk house type heaters and the classic lead cord under a carpet. As I said in my other post in much nicer terms, when you have your head up your backside there are bound to be problems.
 
(quoted from post at 12:38:47 03/05/14) I have to work 35 hours to earn enough to get the co-op out here to deliver propane, and it's not going to fill my tank. In 3 hours I can cut enough wood to heat the house for a week.

Excellent point. Propane is an average of $4.21 in my county as of 3/4/14. Figuring a minimum wage job, taking out gas to get to work at least 20 miles away and then the taxes taken out of that min wage job....I think I'd almost break even at an hour of work for a gallon of propane. I can cut a heck of a lot of wood in an hour with no travel time or fuel or wear and tear on the car and no taxes taken out.

"Free wood" is looking more and more applicable.
 

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