Any CL alternatives?

Jay106n said:

I'm sick of replying to CL ads and never getting responses or putting up ads that dont get any hits...not to mention the scams. Any other sites out there that you guys use to get wood scores? Local dealers are only interested in selling split wood for max profit. I can split my own so its hard to come by somebody willing to part with logs for marginal price.

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Tree companies, scrounging, etc.

I made some half sheet signs to hang on local boards. Will clean up fallen trees, cut some dead standing trees, free.. Just want the firewood. I put those out over this past weekend and have scored a big poplar blowdown, with the bonus of a stack of 4' hardwood logs the homeowner wants gone. Once you start, word gets around and it doesn't take long to run short on time.

For many, a fallen tree is a nuisance. An expense that they will have to pay to get someone to clean it up for them. I also clean up the brush. I can take it to the dump at no out of pocket cost.

Barmstrong2 I never had to hang signs as people in town knew I liked to get my wood as close to home as possible so I scored a lot of wood that way and used my burn pile to burn the branches and brush. I have turned down a lot money over the years as most people want to pay you for your time. Now days I have gotten old and lazy and have a logger dump we logs in the yard. They charge you the rate they make from the chipper about $60 a full cord here in Oregon.

Jay106n said:

Any other sites out there that you guys use to get wood scores?

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Facebook. I don't have an account myself, but others here have used it to spread the word that they're willing to solve other people's problems of downed trees. You might get a higher success rate because at least people there know you and are more likely to contact you than to invite in a world of unknowns from CL.

DoubleB said:

Facebook. I don't have an account myself, but others here have used it to spread the word that they're willing to solve other people's problems of downed trees. You might get a higher success rate because at least people there know you and are more likely to contact you than to invite in a world of unknowns from CL.

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We have an 'online garage sale' page here, as I'm sure many places do. Depending on the rules, that could be a good place to post.

Some communities will have a wood dump, compost operation, etc where you may be able to scrounge.

Personally, I have farmer friends that always have someplace I can cut. I just show up at busy times ready to work. I help them, they help me.

Local sawmills

Jay106n said:

I'm sick of replying to CL ads and never getting responses or putting up ads that dont get any hits...not to mention the scams. Any other sites out there that you guys use to get wood scores? Local dealers are only interested in selling split wood for max profit. I can split my own so its hard to come by somebody willing to part with logs for marginal price.

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Hey Jay - as a local CT man myself I started burning last year and had to buy my first years worth of wood. Over the winter and spring I took alot of the wood off the streets that the power company were dropping close to the power lines. Also alot of family and friends heard I was burning wood so they would say they had a neighbor drop a tree that I can pick up or they saw wood on the side of the road somewhere. As most posts are alluding to, the more eyes you have looking for you the better. I wish I could get a wood company to drop off at my house but no luck. You should try to reach out to local area tree cutting companies as well. Good luck hunting and burning......

Local tree cutting companies around here keep the wood and then sell it. They're not dumb, and realize a few extra bucks when they see it. Half the wood around here for sell on CL is from small tree cutting companies. They want just as much as the next guy trying to get rich off of a cord of wood, regardless of type, or dryness. You gotta be quick on the draw to reply to the free wood on CL here as well, since it's these guys that will scoop it up fast, in order to sell it to you.

It's too bad more people didn't use cl to get rid of their free wood they just want gone. Driving out to the country while picking up the free wood I've found on cl I've noticed tons of houses with fresh cut trees unstacked. I almost want to stop by and ask if they're selling or giving away, but im already in the process of filling my truck, and never drive all the way back out there.

Guess I've never looked at the 5 seconds it takes to reply to a CL ad as too much work for the possibility of free wood... reply to 12 ads is a minute of my time and if it pays off in free wood all the better. ...and I mean literally 5 seconds to reply / 1 minute per 12 ads. Maybe you just need a faster/easier way to reply?

I set up an "auto correct" in my email so if I type "ifsx" (sort of an mash-up acronym for If you have Free wood Still available Xontact me) ...it needs to be something you wouldn't normally type) But then when auto correct sees that word, it automatically corrects to a couple of sentences "Hi, Happened to see your ad for free wood on craigslist. If you still have the wood available, please give me a call at XXX-XXXX. I have truck and chainsaw at the ready and would be happy to clean up when I'm done."

So if I see an interesting ad, I literally click reply, type "ifsx" an hit space which auto-fills in my message, click send.... 5 seconds. Many times I forget who all I replied to and there is a note in my in-box..."come get the free wood".


As far as driving/seeing free wood/ filling truck. Guess I would not drive "all the way back out" just to see if it's free. But a 5 minute stop on the way out or back might pay off. If they say 'no' then it cost you 5 minutes. If they say "yes" then you've already driven further out to get the load you have, so I guess not much wrong with driving a shorter distance for another load?

I have been getting a good bit of free wood off craigs list. Around here if getting the free wood involves any kind of exertion more than picking up rounds and throwing them in a truck people pass it up. Scored some oak last week and about half cord of ash yesterday. Found a hickory that needs bucked, but too far away.

Just stop by and ask if you see a down tree in someone's yard.

Let your neighbors know if they're having any tree work done, you'll take the wood. I've found if I'm friendly with them, they'll go out of their way even if it doesn't get them a discount on the tree work. I always try to get it out of their yard ASAP, but I'm one guy with an 18" saw and a small trailer. If they're a neighbor I know but I'm not too friendly with, if it saves them a little money since the tree company doesn't have to bring their log truck, they're happy to have me take it. That's gotten me a few cords in the past year. Additionally, we have a town dump that people bring yard waste to. If I'm lucky and I happen to be there before any other scroungers, I can get some. I tend to get a lot of pine there because most people don't want it.

I would go to Facebook. In my area their are local Town based tag sale groups. I posted a couple times that if anyone is getting tree's cut and not having the wood removed that i would do it. actually got a good response and scored some decent wood.