could this be a good score?

[jimosufan]

10 cherry trees 8 to 12".........1 half dead apple tree .......1 poplar tree 60' thats dead or dying.......all for free.......about an hour from home......buy the way first year.......bought 6 cords....mostly ash....1 cord seasoned over year....just trying to get jump for 2011

 

[Gunks]

Depends on what equipment you have to haul the wood back home. For me one hour (2 hours round trip) is too far away since I can only fit 1/3 cord in my van.

 

[jimosufan]

would maybe rent something if i thought is was worth it........I know its all soft wood except for the apple

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Cherry is excellent as is apple. The popple, if already dieing is suspect at best. The price is right except for the cost of hauling. So I'd say it depends upon how much cherry and apple is there and what condition it is. A cherry tree from an orchard is not like the cherry you will find in the wild. Orchard trees have lots and lots of limbing to do and not much wood in the end. Cut one out in the woods though and you have a winner.

 

[jimosufan]

i was told the cherry trees are in a pasture. And they are poision to thier goats

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I say go get them! Good score.

 

[jimosufan]

pluse there is a burn pile for the small limbs...the the poplar he said i could leave any bad wood in the burn pile...it is 30" trunk......and thier is another poplar on its way out

 

[smokinj]

Rent a big dump trailer!

 

[oldspark]

i was told the cherry trees are in a pasture. And they are poision to thier goats

I just read about that in one of my tree books. Get the biggest truck trailer you can and make as few a trips as possible.

 

[jimosufan]

any ideal how much wood could be there?

 

[jimosufan]

thanks to all that posted.....jim

 

[oldspark]

There is a site where you can estimate how much wood is in a certain sized tree but I did not save it. :red:

 

[oldspark]

Found it.
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource001044_Rep1200.pdf

 

[SolarAndWood]

It takes a lot of 8-12" cherry to make a cord. My guess would be a cord or two tops. That's a long haul for the poplar.

 

[jdinspector]

Free wood is good wood. I'd go for it. As others wrote, get a big trailer. Probably worth it to rent a large dump truck.

 

[Danno77]

It takes a lot of 8-12" cherry to make a cord. My guess would be a cord or two tops. That's a long haul for the poplar.

I'm thinking the same as you. You end up with a LOT of trimming and work just to get 6 feet of main trunk and then maybe 4 feet (x2 or 3) of the main branches, then it's all a bunch of brush. good news with trees that small is that you don't end up having to split much.

 

[bsearcey]

Eh...I don't know. Doesn't sound that great. The cherry and apple are great, but not alot there. I'm definitely not opposed to poplar (if we're talking Tulip), but seems like alot of extra effort to get it (rent truck, gas, time). I'd almost say forget the poplar and just get the cherry and apple. Then all you should need is a truck and trailer. I don't think I'd enjoy lifting that poplar up into the back of a large dump truck. Unless you want to rent a skid steer too. JMO

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts:

Cherry and apple = fantastic wood . . . smells great when splitting and they burn well.

Poplar = less desirable wood . . . but on the flipside, it's free and when it burns it produces heat . . . good for the shoulder season and for kindling.

Free wood is good wood.

One hour drive is a long drive . . . then again in my first year of burning I drove 45 minutes one-way for pallets . . . although technically it was on my commute to work.

Actually all of the wood you mentioned is hardwood, not softwood . . . although of the three species mentioned poplar is a "soft" hardwood.

Cherry . . . as mentioned there is a difference between orchard cherries and wild cherries . . . orchard cherries may be smaller in size.

Is it worth the trip? Only you can answer that question . . . you've got to ask yourself if the time, cost of gas, etc. are worth it to you . . . ask yourself what other sources of wood do you have (i.e. would you have to pay someone to buy wood vs. getting this wood free) . . . figure out if it is worth it to rent a trailer if you don't have one vs. making multiple trips.

 

[jimosufan]

thanks for all the advice.......I have a friend with a trailer. I'll pay for gas and breakfast and dinner......take the Cherry and apple......I could use some experince in felling trees.

 

[Danno77]

thanks for all the advice.......I have a friend with a trailer. I'll pay for gas and breakfast and dinner......take the Cherry and apple......I could use some experince in felling trees.

you don't have a chipper, do you? You could chip up a lot of the small stuff and use it in a smoker. I don't personally have experience with this, I just know that both cherry and apple are highly desired for that. google tells me to "balance" the cherry with hickory, fwiw.....

 

[bsearcey]

Personally I think you are making the right decision. You already have a good cushion of Ash. Save the super trip for something more worth it. Now if you have an easy score of poplar close buy then go for it for sure. I've got about 2.5 cords of it in my back yard. Some came from a neighbor just down the road, and the other truckload was brought to me. Free wood is free wood, but you've got to be resonable.

 

[jimosufan]

going to look at trees on friday 8/20 maybe ..........on sat maybe fell em then buck them.....been watching for six months, trying to learn proper terms....What i might say "Lets Cut These Guys Down" Then cut them up in 16 to 18" pieces......add some cuss words...thanks for advice