Why Did I Buy A Firewood Processor?

I learned FAST that if I was to make a living selling firewood I would need an effective, and affordable, firewood processor. Today I discuss my thought process that went into the decision to take the plunge.
Here is the website for my Japa 365 Pro
japa.fi/en/product/japa-365/
The US importer for Japa machines is Metsa Machines in Wisconsin. They are a GREAT dealer and they come with my highest recommendation!
www.metsamachines.com/
You can buy the AM Leonard wheelbarrow here. They will mail it to your house.
www.amleo.com/leonard-6-cubic...
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[@ohiowoodburner]

Here is the link to our online store!! Check us out for your super cool, iconic OWB Tshirts and stickers! ohiowoodburner.square.site/

[@daveholmes123]

Morning Joe! Beautiful weather this week, I'm finishing up my firewood needs, hoping the weather treats you well also, keep going forward buddy 👍

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks Dave. I delivered more soaking wet wood in my life the last two weeks lol. All it did was rain! Joe

[@hardwoodharry6364]

Joe you are a man with great wisdom and knowledge I for 1 will follow you until you retire as I have learned so much from you

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks Harry. That means a lot. Joe

[@christophsonntag106]

hey joe, i just heard about you today at my japa dealer looking at a 365pro. now i'm watching and loving you from the first video. great guy you are. greetings from cloudy cold germany.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Welcome aboard Chris! I'm glad to have you here. You can't go wrong with the 365 Pro. The newer ones have more splitting power than mine and have some positive changes to the knives and the out feed. My good friend lives in Bonn and works for Alianz. If you see him tell him hello!

[@tombeckyruh5539]

Thanks for sharing Your journey Brother!! Keep on doing what You're doing!! Blessings in 2021

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks so much Tom and Becky. I wish you guys the same. Joe

[@JeffSwal]

I'm not in the firewood business, but my wife needs to win the lottery and buy me one of those! I love watching it work!

[@ohiowoodburner]

It is a fascinating machine. I notice at times i just go outside to look at it. Functional and beautiful. Joe

[@mikebrennan3451]

Great video Joe. Keep the videos coming..

[@ohiowoodburner]

You got it Mike!

[@marksparkplug7758]

You are correct for sure Joe on saying it is nice to have the dry weather in Northeast Ohio, hopefully I will be able to skid some tree's by Saturday. Great vid, take care buddy.

[@ohiowoodburner]

The ground is very soft ain't it?? LOL. Joe

[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Nice wood processor! We Looked at your machine also at Paul Bunyan show, we went with the Halverson 120, since we had a skidsteer in the farm, enjoying you videos! 👍🏼🇱🇷

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks Senior! Those Halversons look like great machines

[@LuciusC3]

Keep up the great work Joe, congrats on your success! Suggestion - have several magnetic panels lettered up for your grey truck (sides and tailgate, can be removed /installed as needed), also, you could make some nice permanent signage on your trailers.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks Lucius. The trailer is another story lol. My other truck is a keeper but if the right, white 4x4 with an 8' bed came available I may consider it. Joe

[@cvmikeray2]

Joe, great video as usual!! You should invest in some door magnets for your truck or trailer for when your not using the white truck for a delivery. Put one on the tailgate of the trailer for sure.

[@ohiowoodburner]

I had thought of that but just go "commando" with it. That truck is one of my best friends I have ever had! lol. Joe

[@sawsurgeon]

Howdy Practical Metal, We have not had much success with the magnetic signs. Perhaps it is the material our sign provider has provided as we’ve only utilized one source to date. It seems as though they begin to warp in the sun and then the wind catches them as we drive and the truck returns at the end of the day sans signage☹️. The tailgate location wouldn’t be as subject to the effect of the wind👍🏼. Bless’ns to ya! Tedd

[@jr-a-cat]

love this weather you are having .Let me know when the next Paul Buyon show we can car pool Ill drive .I have been wanting to go to it.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Early October. Great time. Better than the Canfield Fair

[@andrewslagle1974]

I have been running a splitters for years but need to go to the next level of output. I have been looking at a brute force 14-24 to start out with .I also need a quicker way to deliver my wood the pickup is to slow for the volume of wood i sell .Thank you for the videos and encouragement have a good rest of your week .

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks Andrew The Brute Force looks like a nice machine. I tinkered with one at a trade show once. Joe

[@jakebredthauer5100]

For a larger truck you could put a box on a truck tractor.

[@WoodysRTBFirewood]

Good day Joe, have you ever considered getting a couple of magnet decals made for your grey truck when you’re making deliveries?

[@ohiowoodburner]

I thought of it Mark but never got them made. I think this is fallilng under the heading of growing pains. I rarely used the gray truck last year for deliveries. This year with my volume I am able to make more sales using it. I have taken it to strategic locations where my image wasn't a factor. Joe

[@Deutschehordenelite]

Wow, wasn't aware the processor did cost that much... it has a different price tag here in germany, but it obviously doesn't have to be shipped over the ocean and so on. Hope to see some processor action soon! ;)

[@ohiowoodburner]

the price for mine is higher bc it has a gasoline engine. Stay tuned. Running it today hope to get some good footage. Joe

[@ericolv1636]

Love your videos Joe, I’ve watched them all! You seem to have a level head and a great plan for making a living with firewood. My only concern would be how are you going to sustain growth and still have properly seasoned wood?

[@ohiowoodburner]

That is mine as well Eric. I seem to have an internal alert that tells me when I'm cutting it close. I have been projecting my growth as a percent and convert it to # of cords I will need to fill the increase in orders. I have grown 100% over each of my 1st 3 years. Joe

[@jimrichards8703]

I have the Dyna sc14 and backhoe now Would like to upgrade to a skidsteer with a inverted splitter for those larger rounds. The Dyna is rated for 18" logs and 2 full cords an hour. I have put a 20" log through but has to be perfectly straight and round. So many options out there, my dream is a slasher setup like skidder kev runs.👍 thanks for your vidjas and helpful advice.

[@ohiowoodburner]

That's what is true about processors. You can have anything you want if you are willing to pay for it. For me I have limited funds and the machine I can afford will naturally run smaller logs. Baby steps for me! Joe

[@jimrichards8703]

@@ohiowoodburner I bought mine used 2 years ago, it was a rental through the manufacturer. I'm currently 61 and moving wood physically isn't an option but love being outside doing firewood. Just started selling firewood last March since I got a windfall of wood last couple of years. I'm on a limited budget to, most is hope and dreams but dreams do come true if I can stay focused and put in the effort.

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

Good video Joe.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks for the visit Larry! Joe

[@robertward553]

Just watching your videos for the first time, my question off the get go is how do you load logs on your prossesser? I'll look through more vids to see if you tell how.

[@markdavisson6219]

How you doin Joe enjoy watching you videos myself I am out of commission for awhile just got home from the hospital with major spinal surgery 5 discs with fusions and rods and screws my son will make my deliveries for awhile keep choppen and Hacken.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Sorry to hear of the setback Mark. I hope you get back on your feet soon. Joe

[@termitedave5356]

Good morning Joe One splitter POWERSPLIT!! 5 second cycle time Log lift Conveyor Mobility And on and on.... This machine has put me over the top with my business You can split boiler, restaurant, cord, bundle, kindling, what ever type of wood you need!! No waste what’s so ever, with a 4,6,8, way wedges you get so much odd sizes if that round isn’t the rite size. The only down size is you have to chunk the logs, but you do get the perfect length every time. If you have any questions feel free to contact me, I’d be glad to talk. Have great day!!

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks Dave. I have PS on my short list for sure. They look a little low to the ground? I notice users tend to bend over a little running it. Also I notice the foot pedal is a little high off the ground where you have to bend your knee to get your foot on it? Maybe I'm just being paranoid but they certainly have a great reputation. Joe

[@termitedave5356]

@@ohiowoodburner Yes Joe it is low, I am only 5’4” so it is ok for me. I’m sure they can make a taller machine. Foot pedal is off the ground a bit, it don’t seem to bother me. The guy that sold my machine to me was great, his name was Luis. If you do get one, I would suggest the longer stroke cylinder, it comes standard with a 18”. I upgraded to the 24’ stroke. Also I regret not getting the 24’ conveyor.

[@chrisallen399]

I appreciate your vids & input for this industry. What options would you get now if you were buying a processor today knowing what you know?

[@ohiowoodburner]

Honestly if I had to do it all over again I would still get this one. It is that good. Biggest options IMO are an adjustable knife, positive log stop, ability to trailer, and a log lift. Not many people need the log lift but if you want to save money on other equipment a log lift is the way to go

[@MrPcoz88]

Great video Joe ,keep making them ! Was wondering about how you have heath insurance working for your self ? I know it’s not cheap. Thanks for great video’s.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Hi Pete. This is a very sore subject for me right now and honestly have been losing sleep over it. I have intentionally avoided discussing it bc it dabbles into politics and this is a politic free zone. I am one of those Americans with a pre-existing condition and cannot buy coverage outside the ACA. If they take my healthcare I may be out of business...it's that simple. I may have to go back to my cubicle and get onto a group plan. Ugh. Joe

[@MrPcoz88]

Sorry, didn’t mean to stir up any thing. Your video got me to thinking about stuff like that when you’re self employed. Keep up the great videos

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

I am looking at the same thing (return on investment) as I am looking towards my next splitter.. The equipment I have is efficient enough for now. But later it won't be as I am getting just a little more wood every year..

[@ohiowoodburner]

I think too when we are small operations that ROI isn't the biggest consideration. It is more about keeping you in the game. Joe

[@armandshighlife]

Soon enough you'll lose your freedom once the multiple cord sales start rolling in on a daily. Love your set up Joe!

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks Armand. Growth certainly is a double edged sword! Joe

[@stannelson2582]

Hi joe. I ve watched and listen and enjoy your channel for a while. The dilemma or spot your in is interesting. I was just wondering. With the larger size logs. You can’t use your processor. Have you considered hiring an experienced logger to hire part time to help you cut, chunk your log loads into 16 inch pieces. They tend to not work every day as the weather gets crummy. Them it might take some pressure off. I know you leave some money on the table but your time may be more valuable than the time you would spend doing the chunking. You may end up with a value added to the company. Just a thought. Have a fun day

[@ohiowoodburner]

Great idea Stan. I was put in contact with a young man who has a landscaping company who is looking for side work this winter. Kinda the same thing. I think your thinking is pretty appropriate for where I need to go. I want a strong back to help me but someone who isn't looking for steady, ft work. Joe.

[@JoesFirewoodVideos]

What I don’t like about processors is you can’t control the size and shape of the pieces and you get a lot of kindling. Plus you need supporting equipment to feed them.

[@ohiowoodburner]

True. At least with this Japa and my old Dyna you can run them without a loader as they pick the log off the ground. The trade off is they are limited in the size log they can take. Joe

[@campagnacarpentry3593]

What you should do is get a skid steer instead of another splitter and use the skid steer to get the heavy rounds on the splitter

[@bwillan]

That would help a little bit. The challenge still becomes that you are still manhandling the large splits and need the space to stack them on the splitter.

[@Deutschehordenelite]

The main problem is not getting the logs on their, but that the splitter itself can't handle bigger logs as schon in the video.

[@jimrichards8703]

A skidsteer with a inverted splitter for those 200 lb rounds. Eastonmade makes a nice one.

[@bwillan]

@@jimrichards8703 If you already had the skidsteer to being with, that might be an option. I think any commercial splitter he chooses with a log lift will work better for the really big rounds. I think the Eastonmade Axis vertical splitter with the conveyor would be a good option.

[@ohiowoodburner]

That would certainly work. It seems my dilemma is the cost of the skid steer and the overall impact a commercial splitter would have in me generating more $.

[@drewmurphy2796]

Any thoughts on getting a 4wd truck for the business? Having 2wd certainly is going to limit you in the winter as well for deliverd and such.

[@ohiowoodburner]

I still use my other truck which is 4x4 but it is not lettered. The 2wd was $10k cheaper and gets over 20mpg. Yesterday I got it stuck in my own yard lol. Had to pull it out with the other truck lol. I rarely go off pavement and don't deliver when the roads are bad. Still I will look to add a new truck, hopefully 4x4 if I can find the right one at the right price. Joe

[@jng3150]

Joe Joe Joe. Let's talk about deliveries. They seem to take up alot of your time. I've always thought that a beverage truck with the slide up side doors would be perfect for your type of business. You spend many hours restacking wood in your pickup or trailer which takes a toll on your body. Give it some thought this winter. I also think a skid steer is the best all around answer for your situation. That extra $60 per cord will pay for your continued growth.

[@ohiowoodburner]

THanks Jay I agree with you. I am in that gray zone where I'm too small to hire and too big to expect exponential growth. I'm sure I will figure it out sooner than later. Joe

[@JoesFirewoodVideos]

Jay shockingly he doesn’t allow customer pickup, I beg customers to pickup so I have time to do splitting and sometimes and cutting

[@happycamper9300]

Just a friendly advice, don't wait for you to be at full capacity to hire help. I recommend to get some part time staff for some task and eventually increase the load and hours in that personnel. Remember that staffing will require some training to get to do things the way you want. You hire part time and if the guy is good, and business keep growing he can get more hours up to get full time. About equipment, no matter what you would like at some point it will be required to keep growing

[@ohiowoodburner]

That sounds like some sound advice HC. Thanks for that. I will keep that in mind. Joe

[@jasone9]

My 2 cents is do the best you can with yourself and your daughters when they are available. Adding an employee to enable growth will likely not be of much benefit once you consider the cost of that employee with wages, payroll taxes, time and headaches of hiring, training, babysitting the employee, etc. All that being said if you found a guy that was retired, and still physically capable, that wanted to work a few hours a day a few days a week then absolutely I would give them a try. But to try to find someone that has the same passion for firewood as you do and puts in the effort you do will be tough and ultimately just cause you frustration.

[@jasone9]

Hey Joe, how'd you like that snow Sunday night?? Yuck is what I said. Have you talked to your cut wood supplier about getting a better price? Maybe there would be some way to change the arrangement that would benefit both of you. Maybe a guarentee that you would buy a minimum amount of wood from him each month or each year. I'm just thinking that if the price difference between a cord of logs and a cord of finished wood is 60.00 then if you were able to get a 15 or 20.00 per cord discount then maybe this is a better way to continue going. I'm a fan of investing in equipment because if you take care of it, it generally holds its value well.

[@ohiowoodburner]

I am always looking to getting a better deal but in this case the wood is exactly what I want with no other work on my end. They also load my trailer which is worth $20 for me... if Only I could get them to unload it for me too! I agree with you about equipment. Plus it is so COOL to run them! Joe

[@ishure8849]

G'day Joe, my second saw was a Sachs Dolmar around 80cc I couldn't fault It i had a piece of rubber mat that it always sat on whether it was in the ute the truck or on the ground. When I traded it in on my first my first 066 Magnum the dealer turned it over and noticed it still had all the paint on it needless to say I received a good price it pays to look after your equipment it had only bucked 3000 ton 👍

[@ohiowoodburner]

No doubt the prowess of the Dolmar Ish. What a mean machine! Joe

[@TheTorkerman]

Awesome chainsaw, love Dolmar equipment. They invented the chainsaw after all.

[@Deutschehordenelite]

Good old germany at it again ;)

[@ohiowoodburner]

That Dolmar is an angry monster. What a great saw! Joe

[@Cinder2008]

It was a happy day when I bit the bullet and hired an assistant. I went 4 years without a day off. Not full time, but I had the freedom to take some time off. I enjoyed the video.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Good to hear your hire worked out for you David. Joe

[@BarryB382]

What do you do with all the sawdust?

[@daveboyt6810]

So... when you get that bigger processor, are you going to sell the Jappa?

[@ohiowoodburner]

Hmmm... That remains to be seen! LOL. Joe

[@OntarioFirewoodResource]

Hands free is best, You can handle each log 15 times in the worst case scenario. Looking to phase out the intensive labour myself

[@ohiowoodburner]

There is still a lot of labor involved. There are a lot of support machines you can use but that costs a lot of $

[@OntarioFirewoodResource]

Well the more equipment you have means the more output you have which means more work. It never ends. Firewood retailers put in work!

[@jacrispy8802]

Why do so many of these wood guys on KZbin not have a dump body, or at least a dump insert? They aren’t that expensive and damn do they save a ton of time.

[@ohiowoodburner]

I had looked into them but my method is to hand load. It brings a value to the customer bc they can take the measurement right on the truck. It also helps me keep all the crud off the customers ground. Joe

[@gregchapman6190]

It’s just a tough business even with a processor because u can’t do the big logs ,or if u do pretty big logs than u end up with big peices ,u gotta have the same size stuff even know the monster logs that people don’t like is like five times the amount of wood ,I went to check out a operation the other day of a guy with a processor and it does a lot of wood but I noticed they were all monster pieces after they were split ,to big for a lot of people ,because once he runs it through the machine it’s done even if it’s big ,where with a splitter u can just run it through again ,it’s just a tough business,I do it but I get tired of it sometimes

[@ohiowoodburner]

Not to mention Greg that to have a processor that can run big logs would take major $$ that normal people like us can't afford.

[@stonecropfirewood3393]

Do u use the load handler for firewood

[@ohiowoodburner]

To unload my truck? Yes. Great invention. Best $30 I have ever spent. Joe

[@outsidewithrodney8240]

What size is your trailer & how much wood does it hold???????

[@ohiowoodburner]

It is 6x10. With the sideboards it holds exactly 1 cord neatly stacked into 4 rows. Joe

[@johnpaulik]

where do you get the logs to process

[@ohiowoodburner]

I buy them off a local log hauler. Mill rejects and tops from logging jobs.

[@stefanandersson4015]

I'm a firewood producer in Sweden working on my 16:th year in buissnes selling to Stockholm 4 hours away with my Scania loading 15 pallets of 1m3 net sacks and on top of them 300 60 litre /22kg netbags with 30cm/1 foot long firewood. I don't understand why you don't cut your wood into big netbags on a pallet and then put it away with the tractor for drying, and when it's dry put it in smaller net bags? Lifting your firewood like you have to doo seams like a terrible waste of time all the way to the customer. How many times do you handle each piece of firewood ? It must be at least 5 times so there is where you lose your time instead of standing in front of your processor.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Hi Stefan. Thanks for your comment and nice to see you are watching from Sweden! I totally agree with you but you are seeing me operate an evolving firewood delivery service. I am not in a position yet to have a loader, skid steer, tractor with forks etc so for now the bags are a no go. I see the day when that comes. My volume right now is in a sweet spot where the time commitment doesn't affect my sales but I will soon get to a point where it will affect my growth. In order for me to stay in the game as it is now I needed a processor first. That is why I went with the Japa bc it picks the log up off the ground for me. Please subscribe and follow along on my journey! It has been a lot of fun. Joe

[@catfishstalkeroutdoorswith530]

Go Stijl my man.

[@ohiowoodburner]

No arguing from me. They make a heck of a saw. Joe

[@jakebredthauer5100]

Right to left may be considered frivolous, not flippant.

[@ohiowoodburner]

If I had two years since this video was made to come up with a better word I would have used it.

[@ridingwithdan1337]

having firewood be your business sounds like a big decision, one of the biggest things i worry about in my firewood business is how will i pass this on

[@ohiowoodburner]

Hi Dan. I doubt either of my daughters will want to take over OWB when I move on. I will just enjoy it while I still can! Joe

[@jakebredthauer5100]

Try to find someone who will supply your customers. Both of you.

[@traviscover590]

I like your new video today you did a really good job please pray for my son he is sick he's in the hospital he's white and pale please pray for us buddy good jop today buddy

[@ohiowoodburner]

Hang in there TC. I hope all works out. Joe

[@traviscover590]

Take you guys so much buddy good night too you guys

[@kevinkaczowski1254]

I liked the video. I am a subscriber, but this vid was too long and you didn’t run a log thru your processor.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Thanks for the feedback Kevin. I was getting ready to leave on a delivery so the processing will be shown on the next video. I run it when I can. Deliveries are primary right now. Joe

[@kevinkaczowski1254]

@@ohiowoodburner thanx for the reply. You know the KISS rule, right? You did mention that you were going out on a delivery. I wish you much success with your “for profit” business!!

[@cosinesquared4125]

I still don't understand why people process firewood. I find the process interesting but the amount of time and effort it takes to go from logs at $100 to split wood at $160 just doesn't make sense to me. 1) Get the machine 2) Man handle the logs 3) Split the wood 4)Stack it 5)Store it. I mean sure, if you can do all of that in an hour you are getting somewhere but it isn't even close to that. Why do all of that work for 60 bucks? Can you pay someone $12/hr and still make out okay? If you can't, you really need to reevaluate things. I would say you are 10x better off flipping wood. Not only flipping wood, but try to touch it as little as possible. For example, buy the wood from someone, but only move it when you have a buyer. You buy a firewood processor to work smarter, not harder. It's all about finding more things to improve on. The accountant may be "right" but he isn't the one doing the work either... Haha.

[@ohiowoodburner]

Great post Cosine. At least for this video I may have not explained clearly the $$ for me. For the log trucks I pay approx $100 a cord for the wood. For buying pre-made firewood I pay approx $160 per cord. My profit margin is much higher I am pushing $600 per cord when I'm all done. However you are seeing things the way I did when I got started. The suppliers I buy firewood from are living on the margin you mention above. They don't make a lot of $$ per cord. They make A LOT of firewood but I see their work MUCH more labor intensive then mine. Joe

[@Smiling_mike]

👍🇺🇸👍

[@garyallison4246]

U make me laugh...don't like: cold Hot, snow, mud, wind, bundling, answering phone. Your sneaking up on staying in the house😄😁😆

[@ohiowoodburner]

don't forget the way oak firewood smells! hate that too!

[@garyallison4246]

😄

[@stonecropfirewood3393]

Never mind 😂

[@ohiowoodburner]

LOL... I'm here if you need me. Joe

[@wernerfleischer4436]

Use QuickBooks ?

[@ohiowoodburner]

I do not. I have a program that does my invoices and creates sales data and reports.

[@wernerfleischer4436]

@@ohiowoodburner Sounds right.