What's with the wood dealers this year?

grommal · May 12, 2009

I don't know what it is, but I'm having a heck of a time getting firewood this year. I've been trying since mid-winter. My normal supplier jacked his price up $70 more per cord than last season, so I bailed on him. Most of the numbers I call, I leave a message multiple times and get no return calls. Others I've finally contacted whined about delivering it so far (20 minute drive from their piles). And one guy I finally worked something out with promised me delivery in March and I'm still waiting. Now he's promising late June or early July.

I have this nightmare of a brand new Jotul Oslo on the hearth, and no wood to put in it this winter.

mbcijim · May 12, 2009

Where are you at? I have 30 acre wood lot where you can have all the standing and fallen dead wood you want.

It is 5 miles SE of Tamaqua, Pa.

Wood Duck · May 12, 2009

If you are equipped to get your own wood, you could easily have a few cords collected before your delivery comes through in July. I think at a minimum to scrounge your own firewood you need a vehicle, a chainsaw, and a maul to split. That is basically all I have, and the vehicle I use is a Saturn sedan, but I have scrounged about 5 or 6 cords since October. One advantage I have is that I live in a fairly rural area, so there are abundant opportunities for wood scrounging here. Driving down a state highway today I saw electric company crews cutting trees and leaving the wood under the powerline. There are probably 10 or 15 cords of hardwood on the ground right along the road, and I judging from the older wood rotting there, I expect nobody will ever collect it. A few minutes asking at nearby homes and I bet I could have permission to cut and remove most of that wood. Sunday at a neighbors house we started talking about his trees and I arranged to cut perhaps 2 or 3 cords of Red Maples that he wants removed. All it takes is asking around and wood cutting opportunities start popping up. I guess in a more populated area it would be harder to find places to collect wood, but it is still possible.

BrowningBAR · May 12, 2009

grommal said:
I don't know what it is, but I'm having a heck of a time getting firewood this year. I've been trying since mid-winter. My normal supplier jacked his price up $70 more per cord than last season, so I bailed on him. Most of the numbers I call, I leave a message multiple times and get no return calls. Others I've finally contacted whined about delivering it so far (20 minute drive from their piles). And one guy I finally worked something out with promised me delivery in March and I'm still waiting. Now he's promising late June or early July.

I have this nightmare of a brand new Jotul Oslo on the hearth, and no wood to put in it this winter.

I'm in Bucks county. Apart from a few idiots trying to sell wood for $280 a cord on craigslist, I haven't seen this problem. I've picked up a ton of cheap wood in the last month and a half.

chachdave · May 12, 2009

Ask the tree guys in area to del rounds and split it yourself. You will save alot of money. I get 3 truck loads for 200 bucks about 2 1/2 cords worth when split.

Stevebass4 · May 12, 2009

let's see

no new houses = no trees cut down

no new roads = no trees cut down

folks remember oil at 140 a barrel last year and bought stoves = more demand for wood

those who already have wood customers - have a huge wait and more new customers looking for wood -

supply and demand

Highbeam · May 12, 2009

Stevebass4 said:
let's see

no new houses = no trees cut down

no new roads = no trees cut down

folks remember oil at 140 a barrel last year and bought stoves = more demand for wood

those who already have wood customers - have a huge wait and more new customers looking for wood -

supply and demand

It's funny, you hear this in one thread and then in another you hear that due to high unemployment every yahoo with a chainsaw will be out in their woodlots cutting firewood and selling it which will drive the price down and make wood very available. Terrible time to get into the wood business.

I don't know which it is. I was reading CL last night trying to decide if I should be selling some of my surplus firewood. 5 or so cords. Looks like the normal amount of firewood listings and the normal price at this time of year.

iceman · May 12, 2009

but with oil costing 1.58 a gallon its running neck and neck with buying wood green here for 150 cd it comes out oil is about 2 bucks more ber million btus but for ease of running furnace vs stove..... i am filling up the tank and gonna try to figure a way to use both ... to maximize savings.....

flyingcow · May 12, 2009

iceman said:
but with oil costing 1.58 a gallon its running neck and neck with buying wood green here for 150 cd it comes out oil is about 2 bucks more ber million btus but for ease of running furnace vs stove..... i am filling up the tank and gonna try to figure a way to use both ... to maximize savings.....

Up here the cost ,I think is 2.09 a gallon. Welcome to maine!

But as far as trying to find wood, its been a hard look up here. But I was looking for tree length. Commercial wood markets gone to sh!t, nobodys cutting. Spring breakup still up here. Markets gone soft= nobody cutting.

Highbeam · May 12, 2009

That's your problem. You want tree length. Well, not every yahoo with a chainsaw is equipped to handle tree length. Those that are equipped to handle log length are competing with the yahoos selling C/S/D for cheap and also oil being cheap and maybe the log length guys are waiting it out or just throwing in the towel. Their costs are fixed.

Wet1 · May 12, 2009

flyingcow said:
iceman said:

but with oil costing 1.58 a gallon its running neck and neck with buying wood green here for 150 cd it comes out oil is about 2 bucks more ber million btus but for ease of running furnace vs stove..... i am filling up the tank and gonna try to figure a way to use both ... to maximize savings.....

Click to expand...

Up here the cost ,I think is 2.09 a gallon. Welcome to maine!

But as far as trying to find wood, its been a hard look up here. But I was looking for tree length. Commercial wood markets gone to sh!t, nobodys cutting. Spring breakup still up here. Markets gone soft= nobody cutting.

Shop around, you should be able to find oil for much less than $2.09 in ME. In fact, Discount Energy (mid-coast, ME) is at $1.689. It's pretty hard to compete with oil when it's under $2/gal...

http://maineoil.com/zone5.asp?type=0

grommal · May 12, 2009

Wood Duck said:
If you are equipped to get your own wood, you could easily have a few cords collected before your delivery comes through in July. I think at a minimum to scrounge your own firewood you need a vehicle, a chainsaw, and a maul to split. That is basically all I have, and the vehicle I use is a Saturn sedan, but I have scrounged about 5 or 6 cords since October. One advantage I have is that I live in a fairly rural area, so there are abundant opportunities for wood scrounging here. Driving down a state highway today I saw electric company crews cutting trees and leaving the wood under the powerline. There are probably 10 or 15 cords of hardwood on the ground right along the road, and I judging from the older wood rotting there, I expect nobody will ever collect it. A few minutes asking at nearby homes and I bet I could have permission to cut and remove most of that wood. Sunday at a neighbors house we started talking about his trees and I arranged to cut perhaps 2 or 3 cords of Red Maples that he wants removed. All it takes is asking around and wood cutting opportunities start popping up. I guess in a more populated area it would be harder to find places to collect wood, but it is still possible.

Usually within striking distance of my house, unwanted wood is scarfed up almost before it hits the ground. Usually each year I get about half my wood from friends, family, neighbors, etc., when they get trimming or tree removal done. I don't have a splitter, though I do have a truck and a little electric chainsaw, and I don't really have the time to do any more of my own wood processing than I'm already doing. I've just never had trouble getting people to take my money in exchange for wood until this year.

flyingcow · May 13, 2009

Wet1 said:
flyingcow said:

iceman said:

but with oil costing 1.58 a gallon its running neck and neck with buying wood green here for 150 cd it comes out oil is about 2 bucks more ber million btus but for ease of running furnace vs stove..... i am filling up the tank and gonna try to figure a way to use both ... to maximize savings.....

Click to expand...

Up here the cost ,I think is 2.09 a gallon. Welcome to maine!

But as far as trying to find wood, its been a hard look up here. But I was looking for tree length. Commercial wood markets gone to sh!t, nobodys cutting. Spring breakup still up here. Markets gone soft= nobody cutting.

Click to expand...

Shop around, you should be able to find oil for much less than $2.09 in ME. In fact, Discount Energy (mid-coast, ME) is at $1.689. It's pretty hard to compete with oil when it's under $2/gal...

http://maineoil.com/zone5.asp?type=0

Not trying to compete. But I'm in the northern half of maine, our price is above Dysarts website price. 400gals is @ 1.899 [email protected] Prebuy is at 2.49 I'll call the first of the week for the dealers up here. It'll be above as stated. the small cost of living in Gods' country.

flyingcow · May 13, 2009

Highbeam said:
That's your problem. You want tree length. Well, not every yahoo with a chainsaw is equipped to handle tree length. Those that are equipped to handle log length are competing with the yahoos selling C/S/D for cheap and also oil being cheap and maybe the log length guys are waiting it out or just throwing in the towel. Their costs are fixed.

where you addressing my comment about tree length?

joshlaugh · May 13, 2009

I live in a rural area too. Although I don't buy or sell fire wood I keep my eye on the price per cord. It seems there are plenty of guys around me selling and the price isn't half bad compared to what I see some people having to pay.

firefighterjake · May 13, 2009

flyingcow said:
iceman said:

but with oil costing 1.58 a gallon its running neck and neck with buying wood green here for 150 cd it comes out oil is about 2 bucks more ber million btus but for ease of running furnace vs stove..... i am filling up the tank and gonna try to figure a way to use both ... to maximize savings.....

Click to expand...

Up here the cost ,I think is 2.09 a gallon. Welcome to maine!

But as far as trying to find wood, its been a hard look up here. But I was looking for tree length. Commercial wood markets gone to sh!t, nobodys cutting. Spring breakup still up here. Markets gone soft= nobody cutting.

You're not kidding . . . stopped by the local lumber mill (a small Mom and Pop operation) and they had little to no wood . . . said that finding wood at the yards lately has been nearly impossible since either no one is cutting wood for lumber/pulp and/or folks are concentrating on cutting firewood.

Rob From Wisconsin · May 13, 2009

Wow....oil has really come down in price (neighbor was paying over $4/gal not too long ago) !!!

For us, propane is always expensive, so it is pretty much a "no-brainer" when it comes to
selecting wood. Having our own 23 wooded acres also helps some.....

Arlo · May 14, 2009

I live a couple miles away from philadelphia park casino. They are building new structures. Earlier in the week there were about 50 white oaks cut and laying on the ground. My wife didn't tell me this until last
night. I imedietley grabed my new 390 and got only one truck load since it was late and after work. I go back this evening after work and theres two freakin trees left. I took one, the other one had several nails in it and I figure theres more so i left that one. Not worth a new 25" chisel chain. Anyway, what ui thought was the motherload score ended up two be a sad story. Ugh

fishinpa · May 14, 2009

grommal said:
I don't know what it is, but I'm having a heck of a time getting firewood this year. I've been trying since mid-winter. My normal supplier jacked his price up $70 more per cord than last season, so I bailed on him. Most of the numbers I call, I leave a message multiple times and get no return calls. Others I've finally contacted whined about delivering it so far (20 minute drive from their piles). And one guy I finally worked something out with promised me delivery in March and I'm still waiting. Now he's promising late June or early July.

I have this nightmare of a brand new Jotul Oslo on the hearth, and no wood to put in it this winter.

When you say 'up 70 a cord, what kind of number per are we talkin' ?

If you are near Bucks County, my neighbor just dropped some tress, about maybe 4 to 6 cords here to be removed. Probably get it for nothing. You'll have to come and get it though.

Tree guy got paid to remove. All cut to 15 to 20 inch pieces. (I think)... The area holds moisture and he can't get trucks in there to get it out. Needs splitting and it's mostly ash. A good wheel barrow (2 wheel) and some effort will get it out.

I'll probably break down and take some as it's literally feet from my yard. I have about 7 cords split for next year and have no place to put more than may another cord or two in stowage.

Having problems stacking what I have... but that's another post. Dag-nab maple, put 2 split pieces together and it's like rubbing 2 ice-cubes together.

Arlo · May 15, 2009

fishinpa said:
grommal said:

I don't know what it is, but I'm having a heck of a time getting firewood this year. I've been trying since mid-winter. My normal supplier jacked his price up $70 more per cord than last season, so I bailed on him. Most of the numbers I call, I leave a message multiple times and get no return calls. Others I've finally contacted whined about delivering it so far (20 minute drive from their piles). And one guy I finally worked something out with promised me delivery in March and I'm still waiting. Now he's promising late June or early July.

I have this nightmare of a brand new Jotul Oslo on the hearth, and no wood to put in it this winter.

Click to expand...

When you say 'up 70 a cord, what kind of number per are we talkin' ?

If you are near Bucks County, my neighbor just dropped some tress, about maybe 4 to 6 cords here to be removed. Probably get it for nothing. You'll have to come and get it though.

Tree guy got paid to remove. All cut to 15 to 20 inch pieces. (I think)... The area holds moisture and he can't get trucks in there to get it out. Needs splitting and it's mostly ash. A good wheel barrow (2 wheel) and some effort will get it out.

I'll probably break down and take some as it's literally feet from my yard. I have about 7 cords split for next year and have no place to put more than may another cord or two in stowage.

Having problems stacking what I have... but that's another post. Dag-nab maple, put 2 split pieces together and it's like rubbing 2 ice-cubes together.

PM sent

What's with the wood dealers this year?

Feeling the Heat

Member

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Member

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Feeling the Heat

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

New Member

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

New Member

Member

New Member

Similar threads