My back isn't getting any younger. That could very well be my next and last splitter.

To add to your labor thoughts, do you split bigger pieces to people who buy face/full cords? That’s less handling. I know my customers prefer smaller pieces when it comes to bags or stacks at my stand. But some people want larger pieces for home heating.

I've had my 400 do the same thing a few weeds ago also. Roadside stand is looking awesome and I wear full wrap chaps over my shorts all the time and deal with the wood chips later on.

Fantastic video. Thank you for the info. Question - How big are the bundles? If the bundles are 1 cubic square foot, shouldn't you make 42 bundles for a facecord (1/3 of a cord)?

Mini bulk in a driveway stand or remote location is by far my favorite way to sell. No customer communications, they come to you, you just keep the racks filled. I’m bias though, I’m not a fan of bundling. I do it some but I certainly do not want to expand farther into bundles on the sole reason that I do not enjoy it.

It all comes down to efficiency and what works best for you. Unfortunately I have to drive 25mins one way to get to my yard from my house. So my bread and butter is selling face cords and full cords. We have a trailer in a park not too far from my yard and currently I have the monopoly on firewood there. Aside from that, I have a few heating customers and a few guys that smoke meat who keep me busy. Yeah bundles make more money but it also involves more effort…

Great points Matt , when you are putting the wood on the stacking conveyor , position your firewood box over the conveyor from the side . Tilt your bucket and then use a root rake to pull the firewood onto the conveyor . 👍🏻🇺🇸🪵

Great points Matt!👍👍

We just sell the bundles. I think that it is the way to go, at least for me. We used to sell cord wood, but I make quite a bit more per cord making bundles than I would selling it in bulk. We've been selling bundles for 13yrs now and yes, it is a little more labor intensive, but the profit margin is higher.

👍

It’s funny you made this video,, I’ve been doing some studying on getting into bundles again. I stopped b/c I hate wrapping them and didn’t want to buy an expensive wrapper. Currently working on a bagging option since I have recently gotten an opportunity to sale at some retail locations. Great points you made, and great information!! 👊🏻

For your setup, this is the best way to stack wood. I normally stack into totes from the trailer,…or I’ll stack from the wheelbarrow and into the totes. I will never stack from the ground, lol. 6’6” doesn’t agree with that method, and it also doesn’t agree with stacking on pallets alone as well 😂.

No matter if you sell bulk, roadside, or bundles the name of the game in firewood is volume. If you aren’t moving volume you aren’t making money no matter which way you sell it. Firewood is labor intense and expensive either way all the machinery and supplies.

A pole saw would work just as well if you just happen to already own one.

All good points but you must be making big bundles. .75 cubic feet should give you well over 130 bundles a cord. But it is time consuming. I personally like 1/4 and 1/3 cords. Goes faster!

The flaw in your theory is that you assume every producers firewood is equal in quality and that everyone offers great customer service.. There is more than one way to compete, if you can't compete on price with the big fellas then why not compete on quality and better customer service. It won't take much to beat the big boys on quality and better customer service.

I could see why bundles don’t make sense for you. You can’t sell them at higher prices in your area. We just started in this business a couple of weeks ago, and are only selling bundles. Our bundles are $10 each. We haven’t sold them in bulk yet. We deliver only, with a minimum of three. We’re opposite of you, in that we chose not to sell firewood in bulk. I always felt like it wasn’t worth it from a time and profit standpoint. Aspen, Spruce, and Doug Fir averages $250-$350 per cord plus delivery and stacking fees. At my current rate with those three mixed, I’ll make $980 per cord. And that’s with my currently oversized 1.3 cu ft bundles. We live in a touristy area in the White Mountains of Arizona. People are always looking for firewood to burn. Also there’s plenty of campgrounds, vacation homes, and Air BnBs to service. Before we even started our business, we ended up buying 208 IBC totes that I got a really good deal on. I think if you had more totes, that will help your process to be more efficient. I split into my dump trailer, then stack into totes, and set out to season. When I need to make bundles, I simply use my tractor to place three totes into an L shape, place my bundle wrapper in the middle, and then back my truck up to the open side. I use more totes to place extras in, and then put them away in our storage container. My business model is selling recreational firewood only. No heating wood. That means that my wood is split very small compared to the heating wood that people sell. As I build inventory, my plan is to sell 1/4 cords as well. Those splits will be the same size as my bundle splits,…so in essence, you’d be buying more bundle wood at a lower price per. I already have my numbers worked out. I would still profit more with that, than other sellers would with hardwoods. That would be about the closest to selling bulk that I would do.

I agree with you, people preach that bundles are worth more. Yes they are worth more but they also take a lot more time to make. When putting wood in your conveyor try holding your bucket at waist height, no more bending over. That’s how I stack all my wood out of my firewood bucket, lot less fatiguing.

You should be getting way more bundles per cord. You should be producing 165 bundles per cord minimum.

I've been selling some bundles, face cords, and cords without trying to expand. I can only devote a minimal amount of time for such low wages.

A thought...for loading wood in the conveyor... Lift the bucket so it comes a bit over the conveyor then you could probably pull out 90% of the wood with a rake into the conveyor.. probably also be faster !

Good Job ....I think you're pretty much Bang on you thinking !!😊

Well there is 128 cubic feet in 1 cord. So you should get minimum of 120 bundle per cord if you getting 100 bindles per cord your giving away money so we're is the 28 cubic feet going to

Bundles have been selling good where I'm at in Wisconsin. I also have premium dry firewood tho. Wood I split last year. Only put the nicest straight pieces in the bundles. I have 3 bundle racks. Oak for $5 ,pine &cedar bundles are only $3 each bc It dries fast and I'm still trying to sell the remaining 2023 firewood. I already have 120 facecords of this yrs hardwood split for fireplace wood this winter. I Still have 50 cords of logs and rounds to split. 26 of that is from tree removals my brother and I did or dead trees I logged on our property this year. 24 cord of Iogs I bought cheap from our logger that brings us sawlogs to buy and sells our pulpwood pine. I do at least a cord every day some days I can get 2 cords cut split stacked. Bulk campfirewood deliveries has basically disappeared this summer compared to the past 5 yrs. Free wood everywhere and people I've seen ads, people delivering facecords for $40- 60 which is crackhead pricing. Yes I've had customers tell me before that they've had methheads bring them a bunch of junk firewood. used to deliver 60 facecords of campfirewood this yr only did maybe 8 facecords. I give business cards out and free kindling bundle to new customers. Idk if u can get applewood or not but try getting into selling bbq chunks or apple, cherry, white oak, and hickory cooking wood. U can get 2 benjamin Franklins at least a facecord delivered to restaurants or bbq guys. I've got 10 facecords of apple. Its Easier to sell the hard to get wood bc its more in demand and way less sellers actually have sorted species of high quality Seasoned smoking/ bbq wood

I think you need to go back and watch your video again where try to explain your math. You said "full cord" in one breath and "face cord" in the next. Which is it?

I do mainly bulk, 1-2 cords at a time, sometimes up to six. I'd love to slowly change into mainly bundles in the next year. My reason is because it's difficult to compete in selling cords in my area. We are in a forest and although we sell out every year, when log prices went up over $400 per truck we we forced to raise prices and calls have been slow. It's a race to the bottom trying to compete with those who sell low quality wood at a lower price

I sell in bundles, face cord and full cords. If someone is expecting to get rich selling firewood, tgey neex to rethink selling firewood. Most of us do it for a littke extra play money!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day

I call it YT math...There is way to much of it that just doesn't add up at all in my book!🙄 I watched a video yesterday day on how to make $100 bucks in 20 minutes making bundles. Nothing was subtracted for buying the wood, labor,fuel,machine depreciation and maintenance,delivery time and fuel, and time in billing and collecting. Did he even make anything or minimum wage in 20 minutes should have been the title! I like everything about firewood but stop trying to sugar coat everything for clicks!👍

Your math makes sense but have you thought of making smaller bundles.. we bag 42 per facecord and sell at 8 delivered.. at 5 bucks a bundle you should be bagging .75 per bundle giving you 56 per facecord.. smaller quantity demands a higher price.... your product and consistency will pay for itself.. don't sell yourself short my friend

You made some great points, Matt. This is a topic that I have been considering and I came to the same conclusion as you. There’s definitely more money and selling and smalls. But dealing with 70+ convenient store customers in my regular job on a weekly basis I could get a lot of business for bundles. But you’re never gonna be able to compete with the big outfits that are out there and believe me from experience they will come in and cut your throat because they can afford to! Good stuff keep doing what works for you, brother👊🏻

Hi Matt, I totally agree with you on bundles. I haven't made on in a year. Still sell everything I can produce. Splitting is enjoyable, wrapping isn't.

Thanks for the video! Do you have a preference for tote size or is it “whatever is available”? Thanks.

My favorite part was the counting along outloud!! It reminded me of watching Sesame Street! 🧛

Good demonstration- AND THE bag has a handle. In case that matters

Taking ownership shortly of a new Kioti NS 6010 HST, dealer recommended R4 tires because of the overall strength as I'll be in the woods mostly skidding logs running over and digging out stumps, running over boulders and old abandoned dump sites, but the RT14 have my attention just confused which way to go and the dealer needs to know ASAP to get the tractor ready for me. Because they being loaded with Rim Guard I can't exactly have a spare set and swap them out later on.

We started with wrap but switched to bags this year. With wrap, the bundles tend to get loose over time. This has a lot to do with our bundles being so big. With bags, that was no longer an issue and we are able to build inventory without worrying about it

Hey Matt , nice comparison . 👍🏻🇺🇸

I bought the bagger. My stands not took off yet. I wanted the bagger so I can do bbq chunks with it. Good way to burn up your cut off of your smoker wood.

Good video 👍 I think the difference comes down to customer preferences overhead aside. Bundles are more visually appealing but bags are easier to carry. Smoker customers appreciate being able to see what they are getting, campers care more about being able to move them.Your merch look great 😊

Bags unless you have very very dry wood. When the wood shrinks the wrap will loosen up. Bags don’t hold up well in the sunlight either though. Good video composing the two units.

They are both good. Hello from Western North Carolina.

Bundles look better, if that counts for anything.

I used to bundle firewood for our bait shop at the local state park. I had the mesh bags. I cut the bottom out and spit the side of a plastic trash bin. I would put the modified trash container in a mesh bag. The spring of the plastic held the bag open as the wood was put in. Then just use the trash bin handles to lift it out of the now filled bag. It was very cheap to make and worked great. It must be a round plastic container or it would not work as well.

Glad to see you back again Matt. Both bundlers are good. It's what ever attracts the customers the most I say and whatever is the easiest for your woman 😅. Great pile of split wood you have there. Nice to look at even for the people who drive by. Your a hard worker I got to give you credit for that. Take care.

I have to take my gloves off to tie the bags. 👍👍

We have always used bags and the customers say they like them better than the gas station shrink wrap🤷‍♂️ We did bags just to be different and have never looked back! Take care Matt👊🏻

Bags over bundles.. reason being is they are more durable and when the wood drys a bit you would need to rewrap the wood besides tou can't dump and dash 320 bundles

No preference here. I'm sticking with the bundler because that's what I have. I was just breaking the wrap with my hand but found I was fighting the stuck wrap when starting the next bundle. Now I'm cutting it with a long sharp knife in a way that leaves a loose tag end on the roll of shrink wrap I can grab with one hand and wrap the next bundle.

Nice vid Matt. I am all bundles so far. Now i have an electric bundler so that is helpful. Also just figured out about 10cents per bundle for wrap. Also I can rewrap the bundles if deteriorate where have seen some bags that need theown away. Take care.

I think I just like bags better regardless of speed or cost. Goot video Matt!