What a waste

That's crazy - I'd gone back with the truck and trailer and a case of beer for the guy letting me take it and another 6 pack for anyone that helps load it!

Hopefully you are able to save some of those btu's before mother nature turns them into soil. I never have had my firebox tell me that it was upset with the sizes and shapes of the wood 'nuggets' that I have used. If it is seasoned, it creates btu's yes?
Just remember that the guys on site or the 'Boss' are almost always appreciative of gifts...(30 pack,bottle of good booze, Gift card from the local coffee shop). I got about 20 cord of free wood by feeding the Tree company lunch for three days....

fespo said:

No concrete, just saw dust and scrap blocks of wood from their mill. Who wants to cut when I could burn along time with those harwood blocks of Oak,ash,

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+1, If I can pick up any BTU source that is already to a size that fits in my stove I just saved myself the vast majority of work involved in burning wood (cutting/splitting). All I have to do it pick it, bring it home, stack it up, then eventually move it into the house to burn it. I picked up a LOT of dimensional pine cut-offs a while back 2 X 8, 2 X 12, 4 X 4, & 4 X 6. I don't generally burn pine, but they were already to size for my stove, and my stove enjoyed devouring them... saved me a great deal of work and heated my home during shoulder season.

Joful said:

I used to think that way, but having really struggled to get 3 years ahead with my burn rate has changed my mind on this. When I started leaving all crotches, shorts, and gnarly stuff in the woods, production rate went way up. Stacking is also neater, faster, and more stable, when every split is 20" long and straight as a pin.

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That may be, but if the wood is already to a size that you don't even have to cut/split it the only way you would save more work is if somebody is willing to deliver those pieces at no charge to you.

CountryBoy19 said:

That may be, but if the wood is already to a size that you don't even have to cut/split it the only way you would save more work is if somebody is willing to deliver those pieces at no charge to you.

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It may depend on where you live, too. Around here, there is more wood on the ground from Sandy than the entire community of woodburners will have time to collect or burn, before it rots. Second most costly storm in USA history, ripping thru a region of the country with oak and ash aplenty. Every hour you spend fetching stuff like this is an hour spent away from collecting and processing some really primo hardwoods.

Nothing is free, if it's taking you away from something better.

Joful said:

It may depend on where you live, too. Around here, there is more wood on the ground from Sandy than the entire community of woodburners will have time to collect or burn, before it rots. Second most costly storm in USA history, ripping thru a region of the country with oak and ash aplenty. Every hour you spend fetching stuff like this is an hour spent away from collecting and processing some really primo hardwoods.

Nothing is free, if it's taking you away from something better.

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Yeah - under those circumstances I'd agree. You can choose to get picky when you're surrounded by stuff already on the ground. Your time becomes the limiting factor...

Joful said:

It may depend on where you live, too. Around here, there is more wood on the ground from Sandy than the entire community of woodburners will have time to collect or burn, before it rots. Second most costly storm in USA history, ripping thru a region of the country with oak and ash aplenty. Every hour you spend fetching stuff like this is an hour spent away from collecting and processing some really primo hardwoods.

Nothing is free, if it's taking you away from something better.

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That's true, but if that source (the large pile in the OP) is a reasonable drive from the OP, he can probably gather an entire truckload in far less than an hour and his processing is complete. For me, even if I can cut and load a truck-load in an hour I would still have to go home and split it (which would take another hour +). IMHO, there is a lot of time and labor that goes into the cutting & splitting part of wood gathering and if that's already done that makes it easy.

I guess to each his own; we may never see eye-to-eye on it so I'll let it go...

fespo said:

Now the problem, we have a winter storm heading this way

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Yea, it stinks having an extra encumbrance to retrieving your fuel, but at least the reason will probably prevent any competition from getting a jump on you.

I would be calling out sick for a couple days - you know one of them retroviruses or something... and getting that wood!

Would love to see more pics when you get a chance. Scrounge porn is my fave.

fespo said:

I checked yesterday afternoon to see how much snow was covering the wood.. No to bad but everything is frozen solid

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Take a sledge and a few swings should pop a bunch free.

adam6979 said:

I would be calling out sick for a couple days - you know one of them retroviruses or something... and getting that wood!

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Not sure what your hourly wage is, but I can't see this as being a good decision for most. Even if it somehow worked financially in your favor (your hourly rate must be very low), the person who calls out sick several days for things like fetching firewood is going to earn the reputation of an unreliable employee, and will likely be replaced at the earliest opportunity. Penny wise, pound foolish.

I hate when people use sick time as extra vacation, I have unlimited sick time and can probably get away with taking a few days here and there but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that.