A NEW DIRECTION?
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- Опубліковано 18 чер 2024
- Today we are back in the yard and splitting some bundle wood on the @EastonmadeWoodSplitters Axis! I'll also talk a bit about my vision for next year and some substantial changes that I am considering. Let me know what you think about this possible new direction.
Website: www.firewoodatthefurnace.com (visit the shop for all channel merch including hats, shirts, stickers, beer mugs, whiskey glasses, and more!
Facebook: / firewoodatthefurnace
EMAIL: FirewoodAtTheFurnace@gmail.com
Equipment we use:
Eastonmade 12-22 wood splitter with 7 way box wedge and tall 4 way wedge
Eastonmade STK 24 Firewood Conveyor
Eastonmade Axis Vertical Splitter
Countyline 25 ton wood splitter
Stihl Chainsaws: MS500i, MS261, MS360
Farmertec Clones: MS660, MS460
Amish Built Firewood Bundler
1996 Gehl 4625 Skid Steer
2005 Honda Rancher 420 Quad
(2) 2020 Kaufman 7x14 Dump Trailers
2005 Dodge Ram 3500
1995 Chevrolet 3500 Dump Truck
#firewood
#firewoodatthefurnace
#eastonmade
#axis - Розваги
You cant do it all brad. Low volume/high profit is the way to fly! Great video
I have always stacked like you do. I just recently built an 8X10 ft. bin that holds about 3 cords. I have a family that comes to my cabins every Nov. to deer hunt. They have always rented a u-haul trailer to bring their firewood down. When I found out what it was costing them, I offered to sell them wood for the same price, and they wouldn't have to haul. the bin is for them. They stay 12 days a bow hunt and there are 4 families. It is working great and is so easy to put the wood away. 3 weeks before they arrive, I am going to cover the bin top. I think you will be amazed at how much easier it will be to put up wood. I don't think I would put down 2 layers of pallets. Put down black plastic as a moisture barrier to keep the pallets from absorbing water.
I think you've got a good plan figured out. Excited to see it all work out for ya!!!
There is a simple solution Brad - Two Fellowships a year - get all the firewood split in two weekends now that the gravel is there. :-)
I agree 100% you should stick to the bundles, cutting back on your bulk firewood is a smart idea. The grapple truck will pay for itself and it is easier on the body.!
Or do face cords or half cords to customers wanting high quality and willing to pay for it. The vast majority of people that want high volume firewood to heat their homes generally don’t have the money to pay top dollar especially for the high quality firewood that Brad produces
Hi Brad, the stacked timber rows in your yard were always a joy to see. Nonetheless, firewood stored in cones is probably a more efficient way to dry your wood (more air space) and as Chris found a lot quicker and far less time consuming. So long as you don’t lose the Brad we all know….go for it! Pleased your hobby is developing into good income….lord knows you have taken the risks and worked hard! Go forth with my blessing…and good luck Len (Devon 🇬🇧)
Good Morning Brad I know I'm late to the party, but as one of your original followers, I just wanted to say good luck with the changes. New adventures are full of stops and starts, and forks in the road. This is just one of them. Keep up the good work.
If you move to bins then you may not have to cut back as much as you think. You may find extra time. Good luck.
John from Georgia
Awesome and thanx for the inspiration.
Chris has changed the game to how we all do firewood now
I agree on being busy after retirement. Like you I am busier now than i was before. My opinion is about backing up. Put your children first (attend their sport games, do things with them) you will not regret that time. (I do,since I did not spend enough time with my kids). After they have "left" home, you can then put more time and energy into the firewood business. Didn't say drop the firewood business or the grapple truck, just tone back.
Good Morning Brad, sounds like a good plan, Amazing how we work harder in retirement 😂🪵👍🏼🇺🇸
It sure is
We have three seasons in Cincinnati: Winter, Summer, and Construction. I agree with your decision to keep all your endeavors but scale back some to allow things to take shape the way that makes the most sense. I am in the process of making some of the same decisions and not spread myself too thin.
You do what you want to do. I'm just looking over your shoulder and watching what you are doing. I sit here on my fuzz drinking coffee and enjoy it. Thanks for letting us watch. 😁
Thanks for the shout out Brad…! I’m honored to join Team Orange 🧡 and Blue 💙 and I cannot wait to put the Axis baby into service. Life is happening up here and the homestead needs looking after so I might get into splitting Pecan for my Sunday video by the weekend!
I like your plan for the bulk piles, but there will be some disappointed customers who call for wood in October. Maybe send them some over to LCF….?!?!
😂😂 I'm not even sure I'll have seasoned stuff ready for this winter to sell 🤷♂️ we'll see
hi there you will never find out what won't work or don't like lintel you try it, firewood is an ever evolving thing and every time you change one thing most the time everything down stream will be affected . your young plenty of time to change things up ,best of luck and best to all john
Might need to start looking for a bigger firewood yard close by so u can pile everything in cone bins. My setup hasn't changed in 4 yrs I stack roughly 100 facecords of firewood twice per year. Tposts every 8ft with pallets on the ground 200ft long at least I stack 6-10 wide rows the whole length. I refill empty spots as I sell the driest firewood 1st . Then I have a big cone of boilerwood and short splits on 10 10x10ft pallets and just pile up a man of boilerwood to sell come fall. I have people stop by they can pick up campfirewood out of the cone pile for $80 / facecord. I cut and split over 120 full cords a year and keep doing more every year by myself. Gotta adapt ways to do more volume and making cones saves alot of time. I have several people who get 6 -10 full cords every year just of boilerwood. The more you make the more u can sell. Working all year for hardly any income spring thru summer just to have good pay days come fall. Firewood is like investing but with endless exercise and physical work. Takes months to 1.5yrs to finally get paid for that facecord but eventually it all sells and the cycle continues. Dead dry pine can be turned over alot faster when u make bundles. Hard to have consistent cash flow throughout the year. That's why I want to build a kiln and market bundles more to campgrounds and campers around me in bulk. Over 25 campgrounds within 1 hr of me. A bigger woodyard would help u grow substantially
Hi Brad, love your videos, wish you could more of them. Nothing wrong with having a side hustle and I know family comes first. Please remember your HEALTH is the most important in life. Your family needs you more than money can buy. Al
There’s always a trade off, stacking neatly in cord rows maximizes finite space at the cost of time. Yes those of us that like neat and orderly it’s the way to go, but the way Chris is doing it is definitely more efficient use of time. I wish you the best of luck and great to hear how well the grapple truck has been doing for yourself and Chaz
Great plan Brad. You are figuring out how to accomplish more in less time. Good for you!
Sounds like a good plan! It's amazing how we can just keep taking on more and more things to do but eventually something has to give. It can be hard to say no or try to change what you're used to. Good luck to you on making those changes. - Tim
Totally agree with not stacking. Less handling means more time to do the other things. Enjoy your time with the kids. My oldest just got married and youngest just graduated college. It goes so fast.
Sounds like a good idea to me Brad! Not stacking my totes anymore was the best thing I did from a production standpoint.
I like the way you think Brad. I have a few thoughts I’d like to share. I’ll be in touch.
Sounds like you've got it figured out. Carry on.
I to have been working more in retirement but I did sell my firewood business about 2 months ago. I like the idea of a bin for the wood saves a lot of time. I sold all my firewood as green of the conveyor into the dump trailer and then delivered doing 40 to 50 tri-axle loads of wood per year I just could have never done it any other way I told every customer that it is green in 20 years I had only about 12 people that would look for firewood from sombody else. Running that grapple truck is going to be more fun and will take up much of your time stay safe and have a good week
Hey Brad, I get the feeling your idea of cutting back might involve doing more
Now, with that grapple truck, you have the best opportunity to pick the logs for yourself to maximize production and profits.. but the most important is time management.. scaling back and concentrating on small quantities is probably your best option at this point.. good luck sir
Appears that you have made a large decision to the workload. Wish you the best of luck in all you do. Stay safe.
Good news on making the bins like Chris makes. It looks like it should work very well for your Woodyard. Bundles = more $$$ so go for it.
Keep doing what you are doing. You are quite successful with your plans even when plans change unexpectedly. You have our support.
Hi Brad: I’m in a similar situation as you. I’m a retired LEO and after retirement I didn’t want to work for someone else and wanted to stay working outside, so I started a forestry services company doing logging, wildfire mitigation, and firewood out in Montana. I’m in the process of hiring someone full time to run the firewood side of the business. I think you have a good plan. Take care, Rich
My take is, and as seen on In The Wood Yard with Chris, the bin idea works. From the looks of your Woodyard Brad, it would work for you as well. Wide open on all sides for air flow as well as sun time, meaning the sun can get all sides of the bin most all of the day. Less time stacking, same if not better results in terms of drying the wood. Definitely more value in smaller quantities of wood, per Ohio Wood Burner (Joe) has proven as well, value added. With all that being said, do what works for you and don’t be afraid to try new ideas or concepts, see what works and doesn’t work. You will never know if you don’t try. Awesome video and definitely words of wisdom from facts of life and growth. Keep the great videos coming but more importantly make the most time for family. 👍🏻👍🏻
Sounds like a Great plan!! The bulk bins are catching on more and more, ive watch a guy close to me use tarps to stack his wood on with Great success!! Family First then the rest of your jobs!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day
Agree. Stack in piles round outside with totes be great. I do mine in cones. Great idea. Everyone down close me just pile it up.
I see a wood hound video last week, he made a 3’ wall all around left front center open & made a huge pile without using any side pallets. I know you had to pile some but his wood bin was huge & no worries of the pallets kicking out. Just food for thought. Love ❤ your videos. Dave D. from southern Maine.👍
Hey, brother. I think your new ideas make a lot of sense because it'll be Becaueasier and a lot more fun. Chip
Thank you, enjoyed the video very much. I thank you for showing, we your UA-cam viewers just what it is like to start a one person business and fairly quickly have it grow into something that would consume you if you let it. I applaud you for making the decision to change you business plan so that, hopefully, you continue to run your business and not the other way around!
Chris has a unique situation being on a farm that is wide open, so his piles of wood get wind and sun all day
Yes being in the field I will have the same thing
Over 1000 bundle to the store next to the campsite so far
Sounds good. Stacking takes a lot of time, less times you touch the wood the better
Good to see the hot weather great stuff for corn 🌽. Corn 🌽 make whiskey 🥃 beautiful with iceberg ice 🧊 Brad . 😊😊
I’ve been doing something I haven’t seen anyone else do… lay out your pallets in a big row and use 16’ cattle panels from Tractor supply and 7’ posts to hold them , basically fencing in your pallets. The wire on the cattle panel is wicked strong and that does 16’ of area at a time and would be significantly less labor intensive then cutting up the IBC totes for very minimal cost.
Then use the IBC totes for bundle grade wood or specialty premium wood !
Hello Brad! I remember that this started as a hobby, and I think you should cut those tasks you enjoy the least honestly, and do more of what you enjoy the most. I'm wondering if making piles of wood will, first of all, keep your full sense of accomplishment you mentioned at the beginning of the video (which makes sense, seeing the firewood stacked is literally a pleasure), and secondly, if it's going to keep the quality and seasonality of the product you offer (because of the room each piece has to breathe basically). My humble opinion would be to do as much as you enjoy doing (even those little things).
"Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient" - JP
Have a wonderful week my friend!
Sounds like a good plan
Hi Brad, I think you gave a great plan. I sell mostly Bundle wood today at my 2 firewood stands: I am hoping to get some more stands in the future but yes it is more lucrative. Every piece of wood starts looking like a potential piece of bundle wood. I think the wood bins could work out great for you as you certainly have the room.
id really consider building a 30x50 asphalt pad. save ur money from 1 season of firewood and build it. its a life changer and you have the skid steer already ull be able to scoop and dump right into your trailer and go. takes me less then 5 min to load a cord of wood
Sounds like a plan. This is all new to me this season so I learn from guys like you. Not sure where I'll land but enjoying my new commercial firewood equipment and am trying my hand at videos as well.
Brad ~ maybe more "All hands on Deck" once a month would help implement the plan? Keith
Hi Brad, Yes what a dilemma to have, for me you could have two choices, 1. cut back on something, or 2 time to hire someone to help with the cutting and splitting the firewood. Ron USCG RET
chris gave you good advise it works for him eliminate the hand stacking
I followed Chris’s advice last year about piles, i have not noticed any difference in piles vs stacks.
Good luck with your downsizing
I would go wirh bins and cones . Drii
There is something very satisfying about rows of firewood, but I think Chris is right about doing bins. It would save a lot of time and effort but isn't nearly as pleasing to the eye.
Pace yourself and keep an eye on your health! I went full throttle for too many years and paid for it with a heart attack a few years ago... all is well, but I can't accomplish nearly as much as I used to.
Good plan on using piles. You might consider using two piles,1 for bundles and one for bulk,or the pile for bulk and the totes for bundles. But you will have to keep it separate.
Just a thought, if you use totes around the outside of your bins and fill them with wood you will effectively be building a wall around them and I doubt you will get the air flow through the bins to dry the firewood, may have a mold issue in the bottom of the piles. I use portable round pen panels with wire cattle panels welded to them. They are about 5 feet high and 16 feet long and pin together. (Not cheap but they were leftover from having horses and show steers.) I put steel t posts at the connections and corners and load it with a 24 foot conveyor. I end up with bins 16x32 mounded up to around 10 feet high. It works really well for me. All the best in whatever you decide.
Chris, has said on his channel, less touching of the wood is better. He has shown big piles do dry well. I think you will save time and time is money. Good luck with that idea.
That Axis is surly a great tool in the wood yard! RO GA LA!!!
Looking forward to see the construction of the bulk firewood bins. When the next Firewood at the furnace event rolls around, you'll be able to produce a good chunk of your bulk firewood.
Yes Brad I do think you are Right on with your thinking of Downsizing. Excellent thoughts on your Loyal Customers and Definitely keeping them Supplied with Wood. I do think your Grapple Truck was a Super Idea. Within your way of thinking you can get Log Length Wood to use for Firewood for yourself, and your Customers. I am like you even at almost 72yrs. I can not set Still. This Heat Wave We have here in Upstate NY, is downright Terrible. I am forced to do very Little. Just looking at my Logs in the Yard has me looking to when it starts to get cooler so I can start to cut some up. I do not sell it yet, but need it for myself in Winter for the Stove. I like to have enough in by October to start to use. Stay Safe out there Well Hydrated. Great Video my Friend. Ron from the Woodyard in Duanesburg NY.
Sounds like you’ve thought it through Brad. And it makes sense to me. Not one to tell people what to do just support your decision 🪵👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Could hire a person to cut, split and stack your firewood as you run the grapple truck. Chris from "In the Woodyard" uses bins for his firewood and says it dry's just fine and he save a lot of time for not having to stack his firewood.
Can't wait to get my new axis
I think you have a good plan Brad. I too am juggling time, though I still have the day job. My focus this year is to get the yard cleaned up and move the firewood production from the front yard to more the front pasture and away from the house. I don’t think for the foreseeable future I’ll be changing the stacking process. I still see value in using the IBC totes.
good luck, no stacking, Chris is right.
Been rethinking a new direction for life/firewood business too. Haven't been having much fun with it lately. So am probably switching to mobile splitting jobs and then worry about building inventory. Want to get to the point where I can take a day or two off work to do tree service wood dumps. Already this year, I've almost gotten nearly as much wood as all of last year. If only had the funds to have two splitters. For now, choices need to be made to make life easier now and more fun in the days to come.
Years ago (I am talking over 40) I had sold firewood that we stocked in a giant cone. The problem was it was in the woods. No sun or much wind. My point is, the location has to have the right conditions to dry down properly without getting moldy. Chris (In the Wood Yard) has probably the best conditions for that kind of storage. Also, it looks like you do, too. I think it's a good idea. And we all seem to migrate to where the money is. Nothing wrong with that!
It works great!
Nice to see you back in the woodyard. I’m not the biggest fan of the multi wedges but that stuff looks like perfect diameter for the 4-way.
The Axis is about as good as it gets as far as splitters goes producing the highest quality firewood as possible hence why it’s perfect for bundle grade wood.
I’m still very happy with the Ultra as it continues to meet all my needs.
#TeamOrangeAndBlue
Good plan. Firewood piles make good sense. The grapple truck lets you pick your best logs for processing. Smart thinking. Move the 12-24 around as required.
Go for it Brad! Do what you gotta do. Hopefully the bundles pic up even more and you can sell it all that way.
Brad i would certainly go for the piles . The only downfall i see to piles is you have to hand load out of the pike . This is my 1st year & i currently have right at 50 cord since fall all in totes or bags but im thinking about the piles also . The only thing i can see that would beat piles on pallets is piles on concrete . That way i can use equipment to load it in the trailer . Good luck .
I like the cone bin it sure beats hand stacking I watch Chris every day and I watch every time you post y'all doing good 👍
And age has a big factor.
#NoStack 😉🔥
I agree Brad you can’t burn 🔥 the candle 🕯️ at both ends because it’s just going to create health issues down the road two hands 🙌 can only do so much 😮😊❤
And stack them 3 high cover the top one. Get a rotator forks so you can dump the totes right into truck for delivery
I stopped stacking because of Chris the pallet racks work great doubling the bottom pallets is the key I don't do any bulk wood bundles and seasoned face cords
Brad cool up here went there Iceberg ice floating around the lobster 🦞 boat 🛥. Hey 👋 tmw is last day for me lobster 🦞 fishing for this season on big Blue Atlantic Ocean 🌊. 😊
Brad my goal is very similiar to yours, 20ish cords per year with a good base of loyal customers and grow the bundle side of the operation. My issue is efficiency and time as well. Finding the happy medium is essential for us.
Sometimes we have to adjust on the fly when situations change and we end up stretched to thin! Whatever direction you end up going I’m sure you will make it the best, you never do anything halfway and that is quite an inspiration.
Brad I saw this coming! As you said, too many irons in the fire. I'm a firewood rack/IBC tote stacker, but when time becomes such a limited commodity, stacking goes out the window. It looks nice but I've never seen a large-scale, commercial firewood supplier rack their wood...it's always in a huge pile that gets rotated when its being loaded or delivered. I think you'll be amazed at the time savings by just piling it. Just don't replace that spare time with another project!
There's no doubt cones are easier. However, as a guy who wants and needs things to look professional around the woodyard... I think it's going to be an extra step for you to dismantle after you decide it looks like a heap not a woodyard.
A couple of rows around the cones might take away from the eye sore but they will have to be stacked pretty high. Basically saying it's going to take work to get out of doing the work.
I like you am unable to just sit around in retirement. I’ve been selling small quantities of firewood for over 40 years so there was no reason to stop. Finding the trees, felling, transporting, bucking splitting and stacking turned into a full time job with overtime.
As you get older and your body begins to disintegrate that became too much and I needed to make some changes. I changed to just bundle wood. I also set up a weather dependent schedule for myself. Day 1: Fell the trees, cut to log length, transport. Day 2: chip branches. Day 3: Buck, split and stack. Day 4: Bundle.
The concept is to never have more to do that what I can accomplish in a day. At the end of the day you have something to show for your work. At the end of the week you have a finished product. I also clean up the area every day so my wood yard doesn’t look like a mess.
The trick is to keep busy without becoming overwhelmed. Like any job or business, change is a necessary part of life. Finding the perfect mix is the best course of action.
Just one more thing. I may be wrong, it might have just been the camera angle, but be careful where you place your hands when using that splitter. There are times when wood will POP and knock your hands and fingers where you really don’t want them to be. It took me over 40 years of splitting before I got my amputation reversal surgery.
Brad stay safe.
Go for it!
Sounds like you have a reasonable and doable plan. The positives you stated far out way the negatives. Family time is put first, as it should be. You are taking care of your oldest and most loyal customers, which is honorable and fair to the loyalty they have had to you. You are expanding your business in a more profitable way. And you are able to start up a new partnership that interests you and presents new challenges. Good job on evaluating what you need and making a plan for carrying it out 👍 I'm personally glad you are going to still make content and include us in your journey 😊
I think that your new plan is a good idea.
Yeah.
Chris seems to be pretty successful at with the men's. No one how much he's gotta put in each trailer to make the deliveries. And you're seeing more and more people going that way. I think it's firewood on the hill. The channel's call he's switched to bins. So you take a vacation an hour and a 1/2 or so to stack a full quarter of wood or even an hour.If you're selling fifty cords that's fifty hours so now that can be splitting time or that's another week a year on the grapple truck
It's about time you do some bins for wood and do no stacking. You'll wish you did it sooner.
Firewood can season better in piles and piles save a lot of time and effort.
You might still be able to make 50-60 cords a year if you are going to do bulk piles.
EASTONMADE made a pizza wedge 16 way wedge. Think 🤔 it is 2” by 2” bundle size Brad . 😊
After a lifetime in business self-employed, I have one piece of advice: Do what pays that you enjoy!
splitting the wood right into big bins is a lot more efficient.
hey, why not bigbag, I've been cutting for 15 years, it works great, if no one wants soldered wood, then they're tractors and wagons.
I wondered if you would go to bins with the volume that you do. It'll save time on two sides. No more stacking and it should dry out faster. Would you redesign the woodyard then?
Hey Brad I agree with you. What about your 10 cord green wood every year? Are still gonna do that. On top of the 20 cord?
Yes I will still take care of him
Awesome videos you have been blessed with opportunities 🙏 great grabble truck I have 21k dump trailer 18x8x4 do the same thing as you. You will have unlimited wood supply
1. hire a person to do the firewood a lot baby boomers looking for something to do part time possible maybe 2 part timers
2. Conveyor ur wood directly into IBC totes
If you downsize too much, I call dibbs on the Axis!! 😅
LOL, the Axis is my bundle wood maker!
Found a place to buy bags for 38 cents each going to bag instead of wrapping will have a brute force bundler forsale
run the truck this year and see if business grows or stabilizes off. Sticks with bags only ! Focus on profits. no money in bulk wood