no luck with craigslist firewood sellers

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BucksCoBernie

Feeling the Heat
Hearth Supporter
Oct 8, 2008
450
Im running low on seasoned wood. Being a first year burner I guess i used more than i anticipated. I have a few cords on hand but they wont be ready until next year and I really want to avoid the oil man.

I've must of called about 10 people with "seasoned" firewood ads on craigslist. 6 of them never bothered to return my call, 2 of them told me their "seasoned" oak was cut early last spring...I have some maple that was cut last spring and its no where near ready to burn so I doubt your oak will do any better. I did talk to 1 guy who has red oak that was cut in the fall of 2008....its about 16 months seasoned. I figured that would probably be better than anything else ive come across, but that guy hasnt called me back after I asked him if I can stop by and test a few splits w my meter (he's a few miles away) before he went through the trouble of loading it and having me refuse it because its not what he told me. I told him Im not breaking his balls, im just being careful with what im purchasing.

Does anyone know a reputable firewood seller in Bucks Co. or close by?
 
BucksCoBernie said:
Im running low on seasoned wood. Being a first year burner I guess i used more than i anticipated. I have a few cords on hand but they wont be ready until next year and I really want to avoid the oil man.

I've must of called about 10 people with "seasoned" firewood ads on craigslist. 6 of them never bothered to return my call, 2 of them told me their "seasoned" oak was cut early last spring...I have some maple that was cut last spring and its no where near ready to burn so I doubt your oak will do any better. I did talk to 1 guy who has red oak that was cut in the fall of 2008....its about 16 months seasoned. I figured that would probably be better than anything else ive come across, but that guy hasnt called me back after I asked him if I can stop by and test a few splits w my meter (he's a few miles away) before he went through the trouble of loading it and having me refuse it because its not what he told me. I told him Im not breaking his balls, im just being careful with what im purchasing.

Does anyone know a reputable firewood seller in Bucks Co. or close by?

Condolences. I was where you are a few years ago, and it is maddening until you learn the way this all works.

I don't know about Bucks County specifically, but he bottom line here is that basically nobody has truly seasoned wood -- by our definition -- for sale. It would have to have been *split and stacked* at least a year ago, and what dealer has time/room to do that? The very, very rare dealers/suppliers who do, if you can find one, charge an arm and a leg for it, and they're unlikely to have any left this far into burning season.

It's really not even worth your time to phone these people on Craigslist up and ask. The definition of "seasoned" where I am, and most of the country from what I read on this forum, is big logs that were cut down some months ago but not cut to firewood length and certainly not split, never mind stacked. Folks aren't trying to cheat you, that's just the old-fashioned pre-EPA stove idea of "seasoned." They really don't know any better, and you can get into some terrific arguments about whether or not wood really needs to dry for a year or so before burning it. I know people here who don't even cut down a tree from their own woodlots until they're running low on firewood. The big old cast pre-EPA smoke dragons will just about burn dirt, it seems.

You really only have two options here. One is if you can find somebody offering "kiln-dried" firewood. It's late in the season for anybody to have any still available, plus they will charge you more than an arm and a leg for it. You won't save any money over the oil man.

The other possibility is finding some home owner with a big supply stashed away for his own use who might be willing to sell you a cord or two, or trade a cord for two cords of green wood you arrange from a supplier. You could put up some notices on local bulletin boards and/or cruise the streets for a few miles around and go knocking on likely doors. And you'll need a truck to go load it up yourself.

The last option is labor intensive, but will work. If you get busy with the maul and split the stuff you have into near kindling size-- like 2 or 3-inch splits, it will burn reasonably well if you put it into a good hot stove, say 450 or more. Red Oak, if that's what you've got or can get, burns this way very well, and it's easy as pie to split. You won't get as much heat out of it as you would with dry wood, and you'll need to check your flue for creosote every couple weeks.

But you can limp through the rest of the winter that way if you really, really are determined to avoid putting $$ in the oil man's pockets. Been there, done that. It's not a lot of fun, but it works.

A final suggestion. Don't bug sellers like the Craigslist guy about coming over and measuring the moisture content, etc. Just find out what he means by "seasoned" and decide whether you want it or not. He's not lacking for customers, so why should he bother with some Mr. Fussy Noob brandishing a moisture meter? And think of it this way. You're going to need more wood for next winter and beyond anyway, so if you take a chance on that 2008-cut red oak and it's not burnable this year, you can stash it away for next and you won't have lost a dime.

Most of us who are dependent on buying firewood have been through this whole routine the first year, so your frustration is very familiar. The sad truth is that there simply is no way to buy actually seasoned firewood any time of year unless it's from a neighbor with an oversupply. So don't fume and drive yourself nuts, just chalk it up to the very steep first-year learning curve.
 
Another alternative is compressed sawdust bricks (BioBricks, Ecobix, Wood Brick Fuel, Envi-blocks, etc.). They burn hot and clean and come already seasoned!
 
gyrfalcon said:
Most of us who are dependent on buying firewood have been through this whole routine the first year, so your frustration is very familiar. The sad truth is that there simply is no way to buy actually seasoned firewood any time of year unless it's from a neighbor with an oversupply. So don't fume and drive yourself nuts, just chalk it up to the very steep first-year learning curve.

Great response! I sell a little firewood....maybe 30 cords per year and am honest with people who call. Usually they just go to someone else that will tell them what they want to hear. I tell them it's part of responsible wood burning to secure and season their own firewood.

It's interesting that the OP has a moisture meter.....but wants someone else to season his wood for him!
 
fredarm said:
Another alternative is compressed sawdust bricks (BioBricks, Ecobix, Wood Brick Fuel, Envi-blocks, etc.). They burn hot and clean and come already seasoned!

When I saw this thread, this is what I came to post.

I've used Envi Blocks and they work VERY well. They're exactly like fredarm said. I know that when I bought a couple pallets of them (the first year I burned), it was on the order of $300 for a pallet. A pallet is the equivalent of 1 to 1 1/4 cords of wood.

If you go to their website (below), you can either find a dealer near you or email them. (I emailed them in the past because I had a few questions and they got back to me right away.)

Link - http://www.enviblocks.com/

I don't know if I have to say this, but I'm in no way affiliated with them.

Good luck!
 
TreeCo said:
gyrfalcon said:
Most of us who are dependent on buying firewood have been through this whole routine the first year, so your frustration is very familiar. The sad truth is that there simply is no way to buy actually seasoned firewood any time of year unless it's from a neighbor with an oversupply. So don't fume and drive yourself nuts, just chalk it up to the very steep first-year learning curve.

Great response! I sell a little firewood....maybe 30 cords per year and am honest with people who call. Usually they just go to someone else that will tell them what they want to hear. I tell them it's part of responsible wood burning to secure and season their own firewood.

It's interesting that the OP has a moisture meter.....but wants someone else to season his wood for him!

Thanks. But you know, the OP doesn't know, and that's why he came here. He's certainly not alone. It's not that he wants someone else to season his firewood for him, it's that nobody ever told him he'd have to do it himself. How could he possibly know that ahead of time? I was there. I didn't know, either.

Personally, I blame the stove dealers and manufacturers. They tell customers dutifully that they need to burn seasoned wood, maybe some go so far as to tell them a definitiion, but they DON'T tell them it's not something you can buy, despite all the ads they see in the papers/Craigslist, etc. Honestly, unless you have a friend who's been through it or you happen to come here to Hearth.com first, there's absolutely no way you can know that as a first-time burner. As I said above, been there, done that. It's just an unfortunate fact that unless you buy your first load of firewood a year or so before you install your stove, you're going to be caught in this trap.

I actually got caught in a different trap, which is the one where my stove maker, and its dealer, told me the stove took 16-inch logs. It doesn't even take 16-inch kindling! So I thought I was all set. Hah!
 
TreeCo said:
It's interesting that the OP has a moisture meter.....but wants someone else to season his wood for him!

Dude what are you talking about? I've burned 3 cords of my own seasoned wood already...I started scrounging a year before I bought my stove. I used more than I anticipated so far due to 1) learning curve 2) a poorly insulated house (which was recently corrected).

All Im saying is all these people are claiming to have seasoned wood but its not really seasoned. If Im going to purchase "seasoned" firewood I want to make sure its ready to burn that day and not get stuck with a cord of wood that wont burn till next year. Ive read the horror stories in this forum and Im trying to avoid the same mistake. I've offered to take a ride to the dealer's place of business to check the wood's moisture content before its delivered. If its not what he's advertising and told me on the phone then im not buying. I thought this would be a lot better than having the guy load it up, come to my house and have me refuse delivery if its not what he's claiming. If its ready to burn I probably would of bought an extra cord and use whatever I dont burn next winter.

Im not asking anyone for anything more than what they are advertising.
 
BucksCoBernie said:
Im not asking anyone for anything more than what they are advertising.
EGGSactLEE!
 
I got a delivery from this guy my first season when I didn't have enough scrounged wood. That was five years ago, I've been able to scrounge enough each season and not rely on local suppliers. I've recommended him to numerous people and all have been satisfied. Good luck!

http://www.helverson.com/
 
Riegel said:
I got a delivery from this guy my first season when I didn't have enough scrounged wood. That was five years ago, I've been able to scrounge enough each season and not rely on local suppliers. I've recommended him to numerous people and all have been satisfied. Good luck!

http://www.helverson.com/

Thanks for the heads up. I'll give them a call to see if they deliver down my way...im in the Southampton area.
 
TreeCo said:
gyrfalcon said:
It's interesting that the OP has a moisture meter.....but wants someone else to season his wood for him!

I wouldnt call you back either. The guy is probably figuring it is more trouble than it will be worth. If you have never cut your own wood you have no idea of the cost and labor involved. I for one would not sell wood for anywhere near as low as alot of these guys do. My advice would be get some wood laid up for next year and write this one off as a learning experience.
 
Boxer said:
TreeCo said:
gyrfalcon said:
It's interesting that the OP has a moisture meter.....but wants someone else to season his wood for him!

I wouldnt call you back either. The guy is probably figuring it is more trouble than it will be worth. If you have never cut your own wood you have no idea of the cost and labor involved. I for one would not sell wood for anywhere near as low as alot of these guys do. My advice would be get some wood laid up for next year and write this one off as a learning experience.

Im assuming you mean cutting for selling, not personal use? If you mean Ive never cut my own wood before then your reading comprehension needs a lot of work. Everything I've burned so far and everything I have sitting for next year was scrounged, split and stacked with my own 2 hands as indicated in my sig and my 2nd post in this thread. I've never had wood delivered and after my experience with the people who sell Im not really looking forward to doing it. chit, I might just burn pallets for the rest of the winter instead of dealing with these misleading knuckheads on craigslist.

I didnt post here to get flamed by people with 28 and 8 total post to their credit. Im looking for tips/advice from guys like Gryfalcon and the people who've been in this situation before. I also appreciate the local people like Riegel who can offer insight on who's good and who's not in the area. I'm one of those guys who if you treat me fair and honest I'd stick with you...I've had the same mechanic since I was 17 years old. I give business to people I feel can do their job at a high level, are competent and are accountable. Im not about to hand someone $200 for a pile of soggy sticks.
 
Hi, new to site! If you can find white ash it has a low moisture content to begin with. don't take long to season once split. Here in N.W. ohio we've had the emerald ash borer
devistae our white ash. they are all dead and burn great the same day they are cut down!
 
BucksCoBernie said:
Im not asking anyone for anything more than what they are advertising.

Yeah, you are. They're advertising the long-time accepted definition of "seasoned." You have a different definition. In areas where there are a lot of woodburners, those of us with EPA stoves and a modern understanding of how wood-burning actually works best are very much in the minority.

Of course, it's a lot easier to decide everybody but you are all lying, thieving, dishonest scum, but it's a heck of a way to go through life.
 
gyrfalcon said:
BucksCoBernie said:
Im not asking anyone for anything more than what they are advertising.

Yeah, you are. They're advertising the long-time accepted definition of "seasoned." You have a different definition. In areas where there are a lot of woodburners, those of us with EPA stoves and a modern understanding of how wood-burning actually works best are very much in the minority.

Of course, it's a lot easier to decide everybody but you are all lying, thieving, dishonest scum, but it's a heck of a way to go through life.

Jeez and I just got done complimenting you! haha

Every wood burning website I've come across all have the same definition of "seasoned" wood, 1 year split and dried for most wood. If these guys dont know their market and what is acceptable to burn in the newer EPA stoves then they should educate themselves. If I ran an automobile shop on the premise that cars havent changed since 1980 I dont think I'd have too much business...if any.

I dont think everyone is dishonest, just those involved with fuel whether it be wood, oil, propane, natural gas, etc. haha.
 
BucksCoBernie said:
gyrfalcon said:
BucksCoBernie said:
Im not asking anyone for anything more than what they are advertising.

Yeah, you are. They're advertising the long-time accepted definition of "seasoned." You have a different definition. In areas where there are a lot of woodburners, those of us with EPA stoves and a modern understanding of how wood-burning actually works best are very much in the minority.

Of course, it's a lot easier to decide everybody but you are all lying, thieving, dishonest scum, but it's a heck of a way to go through life.

Jeez and I just got done complimenting you! haha

Every wood burning website I've come across all have the same definition of "seasoned" wood, 1 year split and dried for most wood. If these guys dont know their market and what is acceptable to burn in the newer EPA stoves then they should educate themselves. If I ran an automobile shop on the premise that cars havent changed since 1980 I dont think I'd have too much business...if any.

I dont think everyone is dishonest, just those involved with fuel whether it be wood, oil, propane, natural gas, etc. haha.

Thats just it, most people do not have newer EPA stoves. Percentage wise, most people that buy firewood have a regular old fireplace. Then there are a lot of people that have old school stoves and inserts.
We are in the minority here.
Nice pallet shed by the way. I wish you were near me. I would trade you a bunch of cords for your pallet shed building skills.
 
I think Gyrfalcon has it right - the problem you are having boils down to a definition for 'seasoned' firewood. I think many of the people advertising seasoned firewood really think their wood is seasoned, and it probably is seasoned a little. Others are saying seasoned just because they don't think seasoning is necessary and the word seasoned is like the term 'great condition' for used cars - pretty much meaningless but expected by buyers. Most people who burn wood don't season much at all - they cut and stack wood in the fall, burn it in the winter. A few, who probably consider themselves to be well educated in wood burning (any many are, but just aren't familiar with the new generation of stoves), cut and stack in the spring, then burn in the winter. I bet most of these guys would tell you they are burning seasoned wood, and they are, just not seasoned as much as you want. You want wood seasoned much more than most people consider necessary. I'm not saying you are asking for more than you need, but when you ask for seasoned wood there are several definitions, and yours isn't the most common one.

What to do about your situation? Are there firewood dealers you could stop by and look at the stacks? Maybe you'll find a guy with a little of last year's wood in the back. I'd trade you seasoned for fresh, since I am ahead, but I live pretty far away. Around my neighborhood there are a few guys with so much wood that I bet rot is a concern. they might be willing to trade, but i think you'd have to move their wood and help them stack the new wood.
 
bernie did you try that place on route 611 up near doylestown. i dont know why people buy firewood from colonial tree service on street road because they spilt and sell there wood must be seaoned for 2 months tops.
 
BucksCoBernie said:
gyrfalcon said:
BucksCoBernie said:
Im not asking anyone for anything more than what they are advertising.

Yeah, you are. They're advertising the long-time accepted definition of "seasoned." You have a different definition. In areas where there are a lot of woodburners, those of us with EPA stoves and a modern understanding of how wood-burning actually works best are very much in the minority.

Of course, it's a lot easier to decide everybody but you are all lying, thieving, dishonest scum, but it's a heck of a way to go through life.

Jeez and I just got done complimenting you! haha

Every wood burning website I've come across all have the same definition of "seasoned" wood, 1 year split and dried for most wood. If these guys dont know their market and what is acceptable to burn in the newer EPA stoves then they should educate themselves. If I ran an automobile shop on the premise that cars havent changed since 1980 I dont think I'd have too much business...if any.

I dont think everyone is dishonest, just those involved with fuel whether it be wood, oil, propane, natural gas, etc. haha.

Bernie, you've been told and told and told by me and the other people here that you (and we here) aren't operating on the same definition of "seasoned" as the majority of wood burners are, and you refuse to accept that and prefer to think the wood suppliers are lying cheaters. It makes no sense.

And you make my point with your comparison to an auto shop. If these folks weren't adressing the needs of their customers, they'd have no business and others would spring up to supply all those people with what they need and want. That's the way the free market works.

Check around to your heart's content, and by all means, when you find a supplier who has actual seasoned wood to sell for a reasonable price, you come right back and let us know. The fact that there simply aren't any should tell you something about the prevailing definition of the term if you think about it.

And btw, if you thanked me for taking the time to give you detailed advice on your problem, somehow the post got lost because it sure never showed up here.
 
gyrfalcon said:
And btw, if you thanked me for taking the time to give you detailed advice on your problem, somehow the post got lost because it sure never showed up here.

Post #11....the quoting thing possibly made it look like i didnt type anything.

I see what you are saying and I understand what you mean.
 
diodeduster said:
bernie did you try that place on route 611 up near doylestown. i dont know why people buy firewood from colonial tree service on street road because they spilt and sell there wood must be seaoned for 2 months tops.

I have not but I know exactly which place you are talking about. Have you dealt with them before?
 
BucksCoBernie said:
gyrfalcon said:
And btw, if you thanked me for taking the time to give you detailed advice on your problem, somehow the post got lost because it sure never showed up here.

Post #11....the quoting thing possibly made it look like i didnt type anything.

I see what you are saying and I understand what you mean.

OK. Good. Sorry to get so defensive about the issue, but where I live, in a tiny farm town in the country, almost everybody heats with wood. Most of them have their own woodlots, and a few of those folks -- my neighbors, basically -- cut and split a few cords on weekends for people who don't have a woodlot or aren't able to do it themselves. Every single one of those guys will sell you what they call "seasoned" wood for a few bucks more than green, and every single one of them considers the wood seasoned if the tree was cut down a few months before but only cut and split to order. They think I'm a silly, nutty suburban transplant who doesn't know any better when I tell them I can't burn that stuff until I've stacked it and let it sit for a year or two. They're not making it up, that's the way they do it and everybody else they know does it and has always done it. From what you were saying, that would make those people lying, cheating scum. They're not.
 
Jeez Bernie. I wasnt trying to flame you. I was just trying to give you some advice as to what the wood sellers are thinking. Its alot of work to process the wood and you are coming across like they are cheats and thieves. I was just giving you the advice that I would use if I was in your position. I might only have 8 posts on the forum but I do have enough seasoned wood to feed my two stoves for the next two years. I dont sell wood but I know some guys that do and they are some of the hardest workers you will ever meet. Seasoned wood to the majority of people is not what it is to the minority here. And right or wrong there are alot of people that burn green wood, always has been always will be. Sorry if I ruffled your feathers but I was just giving my opinion. Which like I said before if you dont have enough put up for this year get busy on getting next years done.
 
Boxer said:
Jeez Bernie. I wasnt trying to flame you. I was just trying to give you some advice as to what the wood sellers are thinking. Its alot of work to process the wood and you are coming across like they are cheats and thieves. I was just giving you the advice that I would use if I was in your position. I might only have 8 posts on the forum but I do have enough seasoned wood to feed my two stoves for the next two years. I dont sell wood but I know some guys that do and they are some of the hardest workers you will ever meet. Seasoned wood to the majority of people is not what it is to the minority here. And right or wrong there are alot of people that burn green wood, always has been always will be. Sorry if I ruffled your feathers but I was just giving my opinion. Which like I said before if you dont have enough put up for this year get busy on getting next years done.

No problem guys. I appreciate the responses.
 
Or do what we did last year as first year wood burneers with "not so seaasoned" hickory: we flipped two kitchen stools upside down, put them in front of the stove (close while we were home, further away when we weren't), layed splits across the rungs, rotated them every hour or so....voila - enough dry wood for the next day! Took a bit of time, but when our chimney was cleaned after that season, the cleaner dude said it looked great! So I am assuming it worked as far as creosote went.
 
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