We purchsed our house in the spring and my first task amongst many was to purchase a stove for the existing flu, and wood. I bought the stove from Home depot, an Englnd 30NC for $750. I was very happy with my purchase. I looked to craigslist for a wood dealer and I found someone selling cords for $200. I scheduled a delivery and he arrived with a shortbed F150 full of unstacked wood along with a trailer approximately 8'x5'x3' also full of unstacked wood. I had no experience with wood other than talking to a few friends and looking up some stuff on the internet (I had yet to discover this forum). I was concerned that this was not 2 cords of wood and I expressed my concerns with the wood guy. He stated that he would give me what he had for $350. I hessitantly accpeted. While unloading the wood I was dissapointed to see lots of unsplit, large stumps and sticks, with some quality splits. I laughed as he left telling me he had more wood and to refer him to my friends.
Frustrated with my purchase I turned my back to the wood market, realizing that I still needed more wood. I came home one day to find a new pile of wood in the driveway, ordered by my fiance. She explained that her brother had referred her to someone selling semi-seasoned wood for $225 a cord. She bought 2 cords. the wood smelled fresh and it did not look like 2 cords. After stacking the wood I discovered that I had approximately 2 cords of wood (I used this calculator http://www.maine.gov/ag/firewood.html) which I had spent $800 on. When buring season began I was having trouble getting a good fire going, and using trial and error as well as alot of help from this forum I realized that my wood was not seasoned properly. I burned hot to try and prevent creosote build up, and using a firestarter my finance found (pinecone dipped in wax), I was able to get a good efficient fire burning on a regular basis. However, by Januray I was running out of wood.
I found another listing on craigslist advertising cords of wood for $190. What sold me on this guy was that he also provided references. He arrived, and again he had a pickup full of some stacked and some unstacked wood. Extremely frustrated I explained to him that there was not 2 cords there. He explained thatb his dump truck had broken down and that he would deliver the next cord tomorrow. He unloaded the wood, and i was happy to see that it looked good, and it looked like an actual cord. I stacked the wood and according to the cord calculator it was only about a 1/2 cord. Then I went to start a fire with the wood and it spewed moisture like crazy and it took me hours of blowing on the fire with a bellow to get my stove up to temp. I called the guy and told him not to deliver the 2nd cord.
And thats where I stand today. Before I smash my stove into pieces and sell it for scrap to purchase some oil, I figured I would look to the members of this forum to help me find a reputable wood dealer in central MA.
Thanks for reading and thanks for your help
Tim
Frustrated with my purchase I turned my back to the wood market, realizing that I still needed more wood. I came home one day to find a new pile of wood in the driveway, ordered by my fiance. She explained that her brother had referred her to someone selling semi-seasoned wood for $225 a cord. She bought 2 cords. the wood smelled fresh and it did not look like 2 cords. After stacking the wood I discovered that I had approximately 2 cords of wood (I used this calculator http://www.maine.gov/ag/firewood.html) which I had spent $800 on. When buring season began I was having trouble getting a good fire going, and using trial and error as well as alot of help from this forum I realized that my wood was not seasoned properly. I burned hot to try and prevent creosote build up, and using a firestarter my finance found (pinecone dipped in wax), I was able to get a good efficient fire burning on a regular basis. However, by Januray I was running out of wood.
I found another listing on craigslist advertising cords of wood for $190. What sold me on this guy was that he also provided references. He arrived, and again he had a pickup full of some stacked and some unstacked wood. Extremely frustrated I explained to him that there was not 2 cords there. He explained thatb his dump truck had broken down and that he would deliver the next cord tomorrow. He unloaded the wood, and i was happy to see that it looked good, and it looked like an actual cord. I stacked the wood and according to the cord calculator it was only about a 1/2 cord. Then I went to start a fire with the wood and it spewed moisture like crazy and it took me hours of blowing on the fire with a bellow to get my stove up to temp. I called the guy and told him not to deliver the 2nd cord.
And thats where I stand today. Before I smash my stove into pieces and sell it for scrap to purchase some oil, I figured I would look to the members of this forum to help me find a reputable wood dealer in central MA.
Thanks for reading and thanks for your help
Tim