Blog | Halverson

Is a Firewood Processor Worth It? 5 Reasons To Buy One

Written by Admin | Jun 9, 2025 1:45:01 PM

Let's be honest — splitting firewood by hand is brutal work. Your back aches, your hands blister, and you're still staring at a pile of unsplit logs after hours of swinging that maul. Meanwhile, winter's coming whether you're ready or not.

If you heat with wood or manage timber property, you know this reality all too well. But here's the thing: you don't have to keep doing it the hard way. Firewood processor attachments for skid steers, tractors, excavators, and loaders are changing the game for landowners and contractors who are tired of the old grind.

But maybe you're wondering if a processor attachment is really worth the investment. Fair question.

Let's cut through the sales pitch and talk straight about why upgrading from manual processing makes sense for folks who mean business about wood.

1. Time Is Money You Can't Afford To Waste

Here's what nobody talks about: manual firewood processing is a time thief. 

The Manual Processing Reality Check

You know the drill. Cut to length with your chainsaw, split each piece by hand, throw the splits into a pile, repeat until your shoulders give out. Most folks figure they can knock out a cord in 6-10 hours if they really push it. That's a full day's work for one cord.

What a Processor Actually Does

A decent firewood processor attachment cuts that time down to 1-2 hours per cord. No joke. You're sitting in your cab, working the controls, and watching split wood pile up while you stay comfortable and productive.

One of our customers put it best: "I appreciate the fact that I can do the whole process without leaving the cab." No more stumbling over logs, no more working in whatever weather Mother Nature throws at you.

Let's Talk Numbers

Say your time is worth $25 an hour. Processing 10 cords manually costs you $1,500-2,500 in time you could spend doing something else (or making money elsewhere). With a processor, you're looking at maybe $500-750 of your time for the same 10 cords.

That's real money you're leaving on the table every season.

2. The Investment Actually Pays for Itself

Yeah, a firewood processor attachment costs money upfront. But if you're serious about processing wood, it's one of those purchases that makes you wonder why you waited so long.

What You're Really Buying

You're not just buying a piece of equipment — you're buying your time back. You're buying the ability to process 2-3 times more wood in the same day. You're buying the option to take on bigger jobs or just get your own wood done without killing yourself.

The Payback is Real

Most of our customers tell us their processor paid for itself within the first season or two. Between time savings and not having to hire help, the math works out pretty quickly.

Here's the kicker: while other big processors need 2-4 people to run them, ours are designed for one person. That's fewer people to pay, less coordination, and more money in your pocket.

Smart Money

When it comes to costs, we often ask customers, "What is your time worth?" That's the real question at the end of the day. Your time has value, and this equipment gives you more of it.

3. One Machine, Multiple Jobs

The beauty of a processor attachment is that it works with equipment you probably already own. Skid steer, tractor, excavator, loader — if you've got it, chances are we can make it process firewood.

Equipment You Can Actually Use

Unlike those massive standalone processors that sit around most of the year, your attachment works whenever you need it. Storm cleanup, land clearing, regular property maintenance — it's ready when you are.

Year-Round Capability

Trees don't just fall during "firewood season." When storms hit or you need to clear land, having processing capability right at your fingertips means you can turn problems into profit (or at least useful firewood) immediately.

Built for Real Work

These attachments handle different wood types, various log sizes, and the kind of unpredictable conditions that come with real-world property management. They're not delicate. They're built for people who have work to do.

4. Work Smarter, Not Harder


Safety isn't just about regulations — it's about being able to do this work for years without breaking down your body.

Your Body Will Thank You

Manual splitting destroys your back, shoulders, and joints. Every swing adds up, and eventually, something gives. We hear from older customers all the time: "I'm too old to run a wood splitter all day and throw wood around."

With a processor attachment, you're working from the cab. Protected from the weather, protected from flying debris, and your body isn't taking the beating.

Comfort in Any Conditions

We've got a customer north of Fairbanks, Alaska, who can stay in his warm cab and process wood in conditions that would make manual work miserable (or dangerous). Weather doesn't stop the work anymore.

Simple Operation

Here's something that surprises people: these machines are easier to run than you think. We had a dealer show a young guy who'd never operated a skid loader how to use our processor. Within 5 minutes, he was not only processing wood but running the whole machine like he'd been doing it for years.

The equipment is straightforward. No complicated processes, no steep learning curve — just practical engineering that gets the job done.

5. Turn a Profit While You're Turning Cords

If you're already in the land management or equipment business, a processor attachment opens doors you might not have considered.

New Revenue Streams

The efficiency gains make commercial firewood sales actually profitable. You can take on contracts that wouldn't make sense with manual processing, serve more customers, and compete with the big operations.

Expand Your Territory

Because these attachments are portable, you can bring the processing to the customer instead of hauling logs around. That opens up service areas that might have been too far or too expensive to serve before.

Competitive Edge

While your competition is figuring out how to staff their big processors with multiple people, you're getting the job done with one operator. Lower labor costs, higher margins, and the flexibility to take on jobs others can't handle profitably.

The Bottom Line

Look, we're not going to tell you that a firewood processor attachment is magic. It's a tool — a really good tool that does exactly what it's supposed to do without a lot of fuss.

What You Get:

  • Cut your processing time by 60-70%
  • Work from the comfort of your cab in any weather
  • Handle bigger jobs with less physical strain
  • Turn your existing equipment into a money-making machine
  • Build a business around reliable, efficient processing

What You Don't Get:

  • Complicated equipment that breaks down
  • Machines that need a crew to operate
  • Flashy features that don't add real value

The question isn't whether a processor attachment is worth it — it's whether you can afford to keep doing things the hard way while your competition (and smart landowners) are working smarter.

Ready To Cut Smarter?

We build no-BS firewood processors right here in America with the kind of quality that comes from understanding this work. Our patented skid-steer-mounted processors can't be replicated because we designed them for people who actually use this equipment day in and day out.

Want to see what doubling your daily processing output looks like? Get in touch with us and let's talk about which processor fits your setup and your work.

Your back will thank you, and your schedule will thank you. And come winter, when you're sitting by a warm fire instead of out splitting wood in the cold, you'll really thank yourself.