Ordered A Cord - Highly Disappointed in Mike's Blue Wheels

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I would say 90% of the time you could take a delivered "cord" and stack it to be less than what you'd consider a cord. A friend that sells firewood stopped selling it as a "cord" and simply said pickup load which he estimates to be 1/2 cord. His reasoning for doing this was because some people were getting the delivery and stacking it incredibly tight and then complaining about being shorted. I understand your frustrations, but honestly this business isn't really an exact science. I'm with the others though, looks pretty good for purchased wood. Hardly ever see a delivery look that seasoned. Shame about the oak for sure, that stuff is just a pain to season, I mean who really wants to wait 2-3 years to burn it.
 
claydogg84 said:
I would say 90% of the time you could take a delivered "cord" and stack it to be less than what you'd consider a cord. A friend that sells firewood stopped selling it as a "cord" and simply said pickup load which he estimates to be 1/2 cord. His reasoning for doing this was because some people were getting the delivery and stacking it incredibly tight and then complaining about being shorted. I understand your frustrations, but honestly this business isn't really an exact science. I'm with the others though, looks pretty good for purchased wood. Hardly ever see a delivery look that seasoned. Shame about the oak for sure, that stuff is just a pain to season, I mean who really wants to wait 2-3 years to burn it.
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Yeah, I think what your friend did makes a lot of sense. Managing customer expectations is a very large part of it. I don't stack all that tight, as I still want it to dry as much as possible. But there again lies another part of the problem - everyone does it differently. Another guy I talked to sells a loose cord (185 cu ft), but since he has to get on one of the parkways with his truck (no commercial vehicles allowed) he wanted $200 for delivery from 15 miles away. That's after $255 for a cord. He said it's primarily due to the fact that he will get a ticket nearly every time on the parkway, which I can certainly understand. Since I don't have a feasible way to pick it up yet, that option was out. Really looking forward to getting through this first season and then the following winters will be much better.
 
I run the Taconic pretty regularly with my 2500 and haven't been hassled yet (knock on wood), but with a trailer is a different story. Then again I'm usually just running one exit down which is only a few miles. I live in Salt Point, not all that far from you.
 
claydogg84 said:
I run the Taconic pretty regularly with my 2500 and haven't been hassled yet (knock on wood), but with a trailer is a different story. Then again I'm usually just running one exit down which is only a few miles. I live in Salt Point, not all that far from you.
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Ah, ok. I hadn't heard of Salt Point until now and I see that you aren't all that far away. The guy I was talking to is in Wappingers Falls and I think he's probably got a dump rig as he also has a picking truck that he can deliver bulk logs with as well.
 
Given the amount of spacing in that stack (Stacked a little loose in general), That's no more than 2/3 cord, or about 40 cu ft short. You were correct about feeling you got shorted. Just one cord of my spring delivery is probably about 25-35% more wood than what you have in the picture.
 
BigCountryNY said:
Ah, ok. I hadn't heard of Salt Point until now and I see that you aren't all that far away. The guy I was talking to is in Wappingers Falls and I think he's probably got a dump rig as he also has a picking truck that he can deliver bulk logs with as well.
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If the guy in Wappingers Falls in Mike Bachmann, then you are getting the best firewood around. period. bar none. Stand up guy, used to work with him. Tell him Ken sent you.
 
Does your state have a dept of weights and measures or a dept that regulates sales of fuels? You will see there stickers on fuel pumps at the gas stations. I would contact the wood dealer and tell them that if they don't make the situation right, you will be calling weights and measure dept. Usually works.
 
TheRambler said:
If the guy in Wappingers Falls in Mike Bachmann, then you are getting the best firewood around. period. bar none. Stand up guy, used to work with him. Tell him Ken sent you.
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No, his name is Brain Rabenda - but I might be interested in talking to Mike Bachmann. If you could PM me his contact info, I'll reach out to him.

Thanks!
 
olliek said:
really 230 for fresh splits? I get 250 for supposedly seasoned (which it was not) but at least it is not fresh. Seems a lot to me.
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Yes, sir. Prices are all over the place but you can't buy wood from a supplier around here for less than $230./cord. Real seasoned cord wood (maybe 18-24 months) is closer to the $300. range.
 
Smoke Stack said:
Yes, sir. Prices are all over the place but you can't buy wood from a supplier around here for less than $230./cord. Real seasoned cord wood (maybe 18-24 months) is closer to the $300. range.
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I've never paid more than $185 cord around here and that was for truly seasoned wood. You have to ask around and find someone that doesn't advertise.
 
I've had wood cut from the bottom of the 30 foot pile at the dumping end of a conveyor from a cut and split processor. Dunno how long it was on the bottom but it was fairly slimy unseasoned chit. Dumped into a trailer slowly by a front end loader. Not surprising why so many people (around here) have smoky fires as this guy also buys wood from the landscapers local who have no place to stack their own cut downs to sell later. He also wholesales to a few resellers. Quite a money-making labor-saving racket but it is the consumer ending up with marginal wood.
 
Is it possible that the seller stacked 1 cord stacks when green and delivered based on those? Once seasoned the stack would shrink.
 
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brian89gp said:
Is it possible that the seller stacked 1 cord stacks when green and delivered based on those? Once seasoned the stack would shrink.
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Since a good portion of the wood that I received was still wet (30%+ MC), I don't think it would have shrunk that much. Even if it was all below 20% MC, I don't think it would be enough to make up 1/2 face cord - or as Cory S suspects, a whole face cord.
 
weatherguy said:
I've never paid more than $185 cord around here and that was for truly seasoned wood. You have to ask around and find someone that doesn't advertise.
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Consider yourself very lucky, I guess. I never have, nor never will I, pay for fire wood.

At $185/cord why don't you PM me the supplier so I can pass it along to my brother in law and get him off my back. He's accident prone and already nicked his knee with his saw while cutting with me.

Every non advertised supplier that I know of in my area is no less than $230/cord. And I know a lot of them.
 
I received a call from the woman I had spoken with at Mike's yesterday and was asking if Mike had brought me some additional wood. I explained that unless it was that day, I hadn't received any additional wood and mentioned that when I talked to Mike he felt that I wasn't short and that he wouldn't make a special trip to bring the additional wood.. She mentioned that she had seen my review on Yelp and was concerned. She said she would speak to him and get back to me. I asked about how they season their wood and she confirmed that they season it in piles, as I had suspected. That confirms why I have some dry pieces (from the top of the pile) and why the majority of it is as wet as it was the day it was cut. I'll post any further updates. I know that if he does bring over more wood it's not going to be dry, but at least I won't be short.
 
This past summer, I had the unfortunate situation of putting a machete into the back of my hand. I cut two tendons, clean through. Dumb mistake, as I have been using machetes' for brush clearing for most of my 44 years.
This took away 3 valuable months of wood cutting for me. Around these parts, we cut a lot of standing dead from fires. This stuff is usually a couple years old, dry as a cotton ball in the sahara and costs about $10 per cord for a permit from the borough. My property is loaded with Aspen, Birch and a little White Spruce. I cleared a few cords last summer, and downed a few trees this year, before the accident.
I am looking into buying some 'cut' wood this winter, as my supply of seasoned wood is running low. For a cord of seasoned birch, from a reputable seller...I am looking at just under $400. For a mix of birch and spruce, it is running $370. For green wood, I can "season myself and save money"....it is about $300.
Regardless of price, wood is what I heat with. We do have electric heaters...but at 28.6/kwh...I am better off buying wood.
I get about 6-8 weeks from a cord of wood. I think the previous owner was paying $1800 in power for EACH of the cold months. That is a LOT of firewood, at any price....
Happy Holidays and Happy Wood Burning!
Cheers,
PJ
 
It could have been worse. 18 cubic feet isn't a huge loss.

Personally, I'd look around for guys who sell quarter cords in bins. I have a guy who I found after much shopping around who sells 40 cubic feet for $50. It's all seasoned. And it's great wood. Hickory, oaks and Ash with some Beech here and there. I just split an oak split and MM'd it, 16.8%. I get 2 to 5 bins a year from him just to keep a good contact. It has really helped me get ahead. And you know he's honest because last week he refused to sell me wood because, "it wasn't seasoned". That's how he does business. He's a keeper.

Also, it' much hard to short someone when the quantity is smaller.
 
Very good point about the quantities being smaller. Someone else in my area posted that he found a supplier with kiln dried splits for $275/cord which is a very decent price for what it is. I've got most of next season's wood split and stacked already so I will be in good shape after this season. So far, it hasn't turned out to be too bad but who knows what the next 3 months will bring. Depending on location, I think it can be pretty tough to find someone like you mentioned about who sells firewood the right way and is completely honest about it. I'm just thankful that moving forward I likely won't have to worry about it, but at the same time I worry about those who do have to buy firewood.
 
BigCountryNY said:
Yeah, I suspect that he is seasoning in piles and that's why I have some dry and some wet. But this is why I am cutting and splitting like crazy now - if I control the process, I know it will be right. Sometimes it's better to do things yourself. :)
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I hear ya man. In the same boat here. Just started burning last year and I haven't been able to get ahead on my wood - so, i've been buying wood this year. I will say this, after going through this experience, I'm doing everything in my power to get ahead with wood from my lot. I received a face cord and a half last week and it was soaking wet. Great wood (maple, oak, etc) but it went right into my racks in hopes of using it next year or the year after. Sucks getting up and running with wood heat!

All that said, I'm already set for next year and I'm starting to work on wood for the year after. Just have to get ahead and then things become a lot easier.

Good luck!
 
Bigg_Redd said:
"My wood guy delivered the exact amount of wood I payed for and it's ready to burn," said no one ever.
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In most cases this is true. It's frustrating when they advertise that it is and it isn't, which is the whole point of my review with these guys. I found a wood guy who's been in the tree business for over 20 years and I wish I'd have found him sooner. He actually pressure washes his logs before running them through his processor. I asked him why he would bother and he explained that he feels that people should get clean, nice-looking splits for the $200/cord he charges for his seasoned wood. There aren't many people like that around anymore.
 
Ordered 4 Cords from Mike's Blue Wheels, perfectly seasoned and a more then I ordered... Perfectly seasoned, I ordered and it came the next day, awesome customer assistance
 
kplvnurhrt said:
Ordered 4 Cords from Mike's Blue Wheels, perfectly seasoned and a more then I ordered... Perfectly seasoned, I ordered and it came the next day, awesome customer assistance
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First post from a new member...not suspicious at all...
 
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