RE: Anyone ever buy a truck load of wood and . . .

I think if you split and stack the wood for a year you can sell it as seasoned wood. Maybe the oak won't be as seasoned as it could be, but your stuff would be a lot better than most of the seasoned wood for sale. I would consider this but I bet I'd end up keeping the firewood.

Wood Duck said:

I think if you split and stack the wood for a year you can sell it as seasoned wood. Maybe the oak won't be as seasoned as it could be, but your stuff would be a lot better than most of the seasoned wood for sale. I would consider this but I bet I'd end up keeping the firewood.

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I think you'd end up getting ridiculed by members of the hearth forums.

Feel sorry for yall. Going rate for a cord of oak around here is 100 bucks. I cut my own though regardless

I process my own and stay 2 years ahead (well i was until this year). all white oak, as that is what i have access to for free. I have many times considered selling a few cords of the "good" stuff (3-4 years) but after this year, not a chance. it comes down to economics basically. you are buying the logs to start so that is your initial investment. after cutting, splitting, stacking, seasoning, reloading and delivering you would be into each split a good deal of time and effort. IMO its just not worth it. the only way i would see it working is if you bought a cord of green logs, cut and split it into a pile and had people come pick it up green. you could probably make enough to pay for half a cord and it would be minimal effort.
its only my opinion but a cord of good seasoned oak is worth way more then you would be able to get from it.

BrotherBart said:

If it was a hundred a cord here my saws and splitters would be on craigslist.

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It is awful tempting but right now I'm new to all of this and enjoying doing it myself. I'm sure that will change with time

also keep in mind the shrinkage factor.8 cord log length cut and split will yield approx 6 1/2. State of Maine forest service states to allow for 20% loss to the kerf as well as the stack from long length to fitted.Each stick will end with a short piece. Now add in the seasoning shrinkage and your 6 1/2 becomes 6 maybe.The 100 ish price goes up quick.
I sell firewood every summer for camp wood. Honor system. Haven't lost yet.I wrap it and stack it by the road.The total at end of summer is what I deduct from my wood bill. My price is less than the convenience stores so I do OK.
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firefighterjake said:

. . . process it . . . keep half for yourself and sell off the other half?

Since I no longer have access to the wood lot where I was getting my wood . . . and I am cheap . . . and scrounging is a challenge up here since so many folks heat with wood I have been thinking about buying a truck load of tree length wood, processing it, keeping half and selling the other half as it should just about pay for the truck load of wood.

I am also thinking of keeping the wood for a year and then selling it as seasoned wood as this would fetch a better price vs. green wood. Been thinking about this and figured I would even throw in a wheel barrow load or so of kindling (I can get free softwood slabs from my Uncle.)

This wouldn't really be a money making endeavor as I would only be selling 5-6 cords . . . it would be more of a case of covering the cost of the wood.

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OR. . .

burn half this year, and half next year, eh?

When I did it a few years ago I sold off three green cords. I guess in hindsight if I wanted to make a better return on it I should of seasoned and sold off smaller quantities at a time. It might of made my effort more worth it. It's hard to watch wood grow up from green to season over a few years. Think about the time and effort to make it just right. Just watch it leave without you burning it.

BrotherBart said:

If it was a hundred a cord here my saws and splitters would be on craigslist.

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I'd like to say the same, but probably only the splitter would go. Sawing and hand splitting (maul) a few cords per year is very enjoyable time outdoors, for me.

In the process of doing that now. But my son is going to do all the cutting, splitting, advertising. Kinda a side job for him. He's a hard worker and smart kids going into forestry at the local voc school. Nobody will hire him yet because of his age. We got a truck load for $650 nice oak/birch logs. Guys says there should be 8 cord in the load. I looked at the pile looks more like 6 1/2 to me.....we will see how this works out

If you like to cut and split go for it. But be aware that buyers can be just as bad as sellers.

I sell a little to a couple co-workers. My brother used to sell and warned me not to, but I decided to advertise some of my excess oak this year. I have a few years ahead on 3 year dried oak (20% moisture) and the big sellers are selling full cords of wet fresh split wood for $400 dumped in the driveway. I asked $160 for a 6.5' F150 heaped load (just under 1/2 cord) of my nice dry wood on Craigslist (see picture). No one called for 3 weeks until the day after the blizzard the phone started ringing. I couldn't get to my wood, but that wasn't a problem as everyone wanted wood I didn't have or a better price. One guy wanted dry unsplit oak. I don't have any dry unsplit oak. Maybe I should have sold him some rounds anyway. One lady wanted me to carry it all around the side of the house thru 3 ft snowdrifts to her walkout. I offered (on the fly while on the phone) to for $20 extra and she declined - I am glad because $20 isn't really worth it. 2 other price-checkers asking questions on what type of wood, dry, how big truck - all things I had on my add and pictures. So you have a long box? No I have a 6.5' box. So you have a short box? Well if you want to call it that there are 3 main sizes and mine is a 6.5'; it will hold half a cord if heaped up. I felt like the more honest I tried to be the worse it is to deal with people. I figured if I am advertising half a cord, I will need to overload my truck and it is just not worth it. I took my ad off.

Then my brother called and a neighbor of mine down the road was out and needed wood. Took me 1.5 hours to plow a path and get the truck loaded. I sold a load to them and now have 3 people I know that might buy a load here and there. Perfect. The 4 cords I allotted to sell will be even better next year at 15-20% moisture for me anyway.

I like cutting wood, but don't have time to deal with random customers. Family time is more valuable than minimum wage cutting wood. I would rather enjoy cutting like I am now for my own needs than overdo it.

It does not cost anything to season wood if you have the room,,,,, it just sits there.Walk by and straighten the stack once in a while if you feel guilty making money for doing nothing,,,,,

It is worth more money "per year" of seasoning, in my mind. Let it set there and season more if they do not want to pay the price you set. It is always burnable in YOUR stove.

LOL,,, sometimes buyers do suck! I just shrug my shoulders and say thanks for calling!

osagebow said:

- a seasoned cord on hand is worth 2 in the bush

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You must have some wicked huge bushes around there.

firefighterjake said:

. . . process it . . . keep half for yourself and sell off the other half?

Since I no longer have access to the wood lot where I was getting my wood . . . and I am cheap . . . and scrounging is a challenge up here since so many folks heat with wood I have been thinking about buying a truck load of tree length wood, processing it, keeping half and selling the other half as it should just about pay for the truck load of wood.

I am also thinking of keeping the wood for a year and then selling it as seasoned wood as this would fetch a better price vs. green wood. Been thinking about this and figured I would even throw in a wheel barrow load or so of kindling (I can get free softwood slabs from my Uncle.)

This wouldn't really be a money making endeavor as I would only be selling 5-6 cords . . . it would be more of a case of covering the cost of the wood.

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seems you have it all figured out!

I sell wood by the face cord as that is what most people want to buy anyways. I don't deliver the wood is stacked between T posts so they know what there getting I tell them when it was CSS I don't discount for buying more. If they don't want to pay what I am charging don't matter to me somebody else will. You call me and don't show up when you said you will be there without a call saying plans changed then I will not sell to you . I don't even have to advertise anymore all wood i have is usually gone by dec 1

This is what I am up against and why I stopped selling, taken from a local ad on CL, bolded the part of interest:

PLENTY OF VERY WELL SEASONED FIRE WOOD FOR SALE

SPLIT TO ORDER

---SEASONED ALMOST TWO YEARS
---$170.00 PER CORD OF HARDWOOD (for local ONLY)

-$225.00 FOR AREAS NORTH OF MIDDLETOWN DE and south of HARRINGTON (newark,wilmington and salisbury areas)

---$25.00 TO HAVE WOOD STACKED...(additional fee if wood cannot be stacked directly off truck)

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