For many, firewood is a necessity. However, because purchasing firewood can be rather expensive, many people wonder whether it is worth processing their own wood. For this, they consider the idea of a firewood processor. As the prices for buying one can be a little extreme, most people consider renting one.
Renting a firewood processor isn’t going to be cheap. The price will vary based on the size and where you are located. However, it is not uncommon to pay between $40 and $100 per hour, not including transportation costs.
Let’s go into a little bit of depth on this. This way, we can help you to decide whether it is worth getting your hands on a wood processor or whether other options may be worth taking advantage of instead.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Firewood Processor?
The rental cost of a firewood processor can vary. A lot of the cost will be based on your location. Even the smallest of wood processors can be quite heavy, and these will be expensive to transport to you. Most will need to be carted around on very large trailers.
You can expect to pay a minimum of $40 per hour for a firewood processor. However, the rental costs can get pretty close to $100, depending on who offers the firewood processor. They are not going to be cheap.
Do bear in mind that you won’t be able to rent one for just an hour. Well, you may be able to rent one for just an hour or so. However, wood processors can take a good amount of time to cut up wood.
If you plan on running out of firewood, you will probably need to rent a firewood processor for a day or so. If you don’t, you won’t get through much wood.
Portable log splitters are a good alternative to using an industrial sized firewood processors, especially for smaller jobs. To check the current price and availability of the SuperHandy Portable Log Splitter, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
What Does a Wood Processor Do?
The job of a wood processor is to cut up wood. In the past, a wood processor would have chopped wood up into rather large pieces, suitable for working with machines (e.g. furniture making). However, nowadays, you can get a wood processor to chop up wood for firewood.
Although, do bear in mind that even those can be some rather bulky machines. You still have to chop larger pieces of wood down into smaller ones, after all.
A wood processor allows you to slide a piece of wood into the machine. With a push of a button, the machine will chop the wood down into smaller pieces for you. While the process isn’t always quick, it is going to require a lot less effort than chopping up the firewood yourself, which is always a plus.
It means that if you tend to process firewood on your own, you are going to be saving yourself hours, if not days of time.
Is a Firewood Processor Worth It?
This is a tricky question to answer. This is because firewood processors can be expensive, whether you are looking to buy one or to rent one.
If you get through a lot of firewood and you have ready access to wood that you can chop up, then it may be worth renting a firewood processor. They are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but if you rent a decent machine and you work hard in feeding those logs into the machine, then you are probably going to find out that your wood works out a lot cheaper than if you purchased it ready chopped.
The issue comes when you are buying a wood processor. The cost can easily be $10,000 to $20,000. Some of the best machines cost a lot more than this.
Even if you are cutting up a lot of wood for the winter, it is still going to be incredibly tough to justify the price. Sure, the job will be done a whole lot quicker, but it is probably going to take years to repay your investment.
That being said, if you own a firewood processor, then there will be a business idea there. If you know a lot of people that use firewood, then you can talk to them.
You may be able to make some money chopping it up for them, or even renting your machine out. A lot of firewood processor owners have made some serious cash going down that route.
How Much Does a Cord King Wood Processor Cost?
This will be dependent on the model that you purchase. A good Cord King wood processor can start at $36,000, but these machines can go all the way up to $100,000+.
Do bear in mind that one of the reasons why these machines are so expensive is down to the fact that they are regarded as the best machines in the world. They are built to last, and they will cut through wood quickly.
If there is a company out there professionally cutting wood, then you can be sure that they are probably using a Cord King wood processor.
Who Makes a Firewood Processor?
There are a lot of companies out there that make firewood processors. Some of the biggest names in the world of firewood processors include:
- Cord King
- Hahn
- Posch
- Range Road
Yes, there are other manufacturers of firewood processors out there. However, if you are looking for a high-quality firewood processor, then anything from one of those names would be fantastic for you.
Final Thoughts
It is not cheap to rent a firewood processor. You could be paying $40 to $100 per hour.
It is cheaper to rent than to buy a firewood processor, though. If you buy one, you are looking at a minimum of $10,000, although quality machines will be at least $30,000.
If you get through a lot of firewood each year, then it may be worth renting them. You will be able to save a lot of cash preparing your own firewood. It may be tough to justify renting one, though.
