Firewood Availability

[Oldtoad of Green Acres]

Update,
Like a Skyburst, the wood is flying. Firewood guy dropped a couple of nice cut and split cords for $500. The excavator neighbor supplied tree length for $125 per cord, again, generous measurements. And we had one heck of a storm that blew through, more than enough downed trees, easy pickings.
Funny how things work out.... I am thankful.

 

[kborndale]

Update,
Like a Skyburst, the wood is flying. Firewood guy dropped a couple of nice cut and split cords for $500. The excavator neighbor supplied tree length for $125 per cord, again, generous measurements. And we had one heck of a storm that blew through, more than enough downed trees, easy pickings.
Funny how things work out.... I am thankful.

Sounds like you are set for the winter of 23-24!

 

[peakbagger]

So with all the green wood, you will have lots of experience building wood kilns

 

[EbS-P]

So with all the green wood, you will have lots of experience building wood kilns

Drove through Ossipee today and have never seen such a small piles of firewood at the dealer there. Doubt they are selling kilns

 

[DonTee]

There’s an Amish guy about 20 minutes from me that has a wood fired kiln for drying lumber. I’ve often thought about building a kiln that I can dry lumber or firewood in.
I imagine you could use a woodstove as the heat source in the kiln? I have plenty of lower quality wood to burn in that.

 

[EbS-P]

There’s an Amish guy about 20 minutes from me that has a wood fired kiln for drying lumber. I’ve often thought about building a kiln that I can dry lumber or firewood in.
I imagine you could use a woodstove as the heat source in the kiln? I have plenty of lower quality wood to burn in that.

I can’t imagine the ROI is reasonable for a single person’s firewood. Now if you could do 10 cords a year sell 5 and dry some decent lumber maybe.

 

[DonTee]

I can’t imagine the ROI is reasonable for a single person’s firewood. Now if you could do 10 cords a year sell 5 and dry some decent lumber maybe.

I’d have to figure out what all the supplies would cost. I know the Amish guy with the kiln can only dry 8’ long lumber or smaller.

Insulation would be the most expensive part of it. And also fans if I needed to have a air circulation setup inside.

I’ve been thinking about a kiln because I want to dry some ash lumber for flooring, or other uses inside my house. I’m thinking the cost to get my lumber kiln dried somewhere else would pay for me to build the kiln.

Then with the added bonus to be able to dry lumber in the future, and also dry firewood. I have more down/dead/dying trees in the woods than I know what to do with. And my property is so shaded it’s hard to dry firewood here in large quantities.

If I could build something that could double as a sugar shack for boiling maple syrup too, now that would be the shizzle for sure.

 

[EbS-P]

I’d have to figure out what all the supplies would cost. I know the Amish guy with the kiln can only dry 8’ long lumber or smaller.

Insulation would be the most expensive part of it. And also fans if I needed to have a air circulation setup inside.

I’ve been thinking about a kiln because I want to dry some ash lumber for flooring, or other uses inside my house. I’m thinking the cost to get my lumber kiln dried somewhere else would pay for me to build the kiln.

Then with the added bonus to be able to dry lumber in the future, and also dry firewood. I have more down/dead/dying trees in the woods than I know what to do with. And my property is so shaded it’s hard to dry firewood here in large quantities.

If I could build something that could double as a sugar shack for boiling maple syrup too, now that would be the shizzle for sure.

Id probably get a shipping container. Do you have any equipment that could move IBC totes of firewood?

 

[DonTee]

A shipping container would be a good option, but I couldn’t put it anywhere where my wife could see it. Lol. She wants all our outbuildings to look the same.

Yes I have a tractor with a FEL. I’ve been looking for an excuse to get some forks for it.
There is someone who sells IBC totes close by. I think they’re 20$ or 30$ each.

 

[Ashful]

I saw articles written on the usage of solar kilns for lumber, 20 years before I ever saw them mentioned on this forum for use with firewood. Unless you're in a commercial application, where you may really need it to work in January and February, why throw away a very workable passive solution, and slave yourself to the unnecessary feeding of an expensive wood-fired rig?

 

[DonTee]

My only issue with the solar anything is I don’t have very many sunny spots. My property is heavily wooded, and the one area that is clear is where the garden is. We have a 40x50’ garden.

I’ve thought about clearing an acre or so of land to use for an animal barn or a bigger garden.

 

[Oldtoad of Green Acres]

Wood is piled everywhere, blocking access to the hoop frame I planned on using for the dryer.
Firewood delivery guy said with the southern exposure, gravel base and slope the wood should be dry enough if I cover it when the rains start. The farm pond is way down, been pretty dry here.
Good thing the kero tank is full, just in case I get waylaid by floozies' or the crik rises.
Tempted to get a few cords of oak placed on curbs for the next couple of years or so.
Edit: this place is great, bought 6 concrete curbs a few years ago to place the hoop frame on, just realized I can use them to put logs on, off the ground, no rotting... sweet, reading earlier posts made me think of this, thanks Hearth.com posters.

 

[rwh63]

interesting anecdote: in MA, i recently had a tree service estimate several trees. he was telling me that there was a glut of firewood out there because of tracts of solar panels being installed, dumping excess log inventory into the chain. he said he had 20 cords he can't get rid of (didn't ask the price). he used to buy logs for processing firewood, not anymore. he prefers that customers ask to leave the tree wood behind so he doesn't have to deal with it on his end. thoughts?

 

[Oldtoad of Green Acres]

Supply and Demand, simple as that.
Come late fall, winter, demand rises.
I never bothered with wood with fuel oil at $2.50 gallon, at $5. all ears.
Also consider Aesop's Fable the Ant and the Grasshopper .
Or why work when you can get it from the State for nothing.

 

[Ashful]

interesting anecdote: in MA, i recently had a tree service estimate several trees. he was telling me that there was a glut of firewood out there because of tracts of solar panels being installed, dumping excess log inventory into the chain. he said he had 20 cords he can't get rid of (didn't ask the price). he used to buy logs for processing firewood, not anymore. he prefers that customers ask to leave the tree wood behind so he doesn't have to deal with it on his end. thoughts?

Same here. I've had a few friends hire tree services, and receive a discount for leaving the wood. Then they call me to come pick up the load of logs left behind. Good for me, good for the customer, bad for the tree service and firewood sellers.

 

[rwh63]

Supply and Demand, simple as that.
Come late fall, winter, demand rises.
I never bothered with wood with fuel oil at $2.50 gallon, at $5. all ears.
Also consider Aesop's Fable the Ant and the Grasshopper .
Or why work when you can get it from the State for nothing.

in this anecdotal example, supply may outstrip demand. there are only so many real wood burners out there. a lot off people think there can heat their home with their open fireplace: good luck! if anything, higher supply should keep wood prices stable, or even open room for negotiation.

 

[sirlight]

Dealers in my area are starting to sell their wood as unseasoned. Looks like most of the dry stuff is already sold. I wonder if they are just trying to take advantage of the high prices. Will be interesting to see if prices remain high next year or if they will crash. As a firewood dealer I would not think you would want to sell all your green wood unless you are planning on really ramping up production this winter. I sold a couple cords of my dry fir yesterday for $200. This was for pickup at my farm and I did not help load.

 

[Oldtoad of Green Acres]

All depends.
I do see local firewood sellers out of stock due to increased new demand and prices are up.
Years ago, when the kids had a firewood business as a homeschooling project it stopped because the price of firewood collapsed due to oversupply, so there are fluctuations.
The dynamic has changed, in the near future the current European situation is coming home to roost.
Firewood is fuel.

 

[Ashful]

I wonder if it's finally getting to the point where it's profitable for small tree companies to process wood. Those I know around here usually make no profit from firewood, only using it to keep someone busy during a rare down time, but usually preferring to just dump the wood if they can.

This obviously excludes larger operations with firewood processors, which are doing enough volume with little enough labor, to make some margin on it.

 

[GrumpyDad]

All depends.
I do see local firewood sellers out of stock due to increased new demand and prices are up.
Years ago, when the kids had a firewood business as a homeschooling project it stopped because the price of firewood collapsed due to oversupply, so there are fluctuations.
The dynamic has changed, in the near future the current European situation is coming home to roost.
Firewood is fuel.

Local stove dealer is sold out and wont have stoves until mid winter again.
Firewood dealers in my area are selling green wood (they usually do), but many are charging an arm and a leg.
My dealer was still 200 per 7/8ths of a cord. The wood was fully seasoned so that was great.
I knew my local dealer normally sells green wood, so I called around and the only place that could tell me they had kiln dried seasoned wood was a place an hour away and they wanted $900 per cord! LOL.

 

[sirlight]

I knew my local dealer normally sells green wood, so I called around and the only place that could tell me they had kiln dried seasoned wood was a place an hour away and they wanted $900 per cord! LOL.

At that price, you are almost better off buying bundles at the gas station!

 

[GrumpyDad]

At that price, you are almost better off buying bundles at the gas station!

I honestly dont know how they are in business, but they have a BIG operation. There are piles of wood sitting outside that are HUGE. Then they have a stacking area where they take what was cut, dry it and stack it.
They sell all sorts of wood too. Food grade they call it, and you can buy whatever you want in quantities that you want.
When they told me the price, I laughed and said no I dont want food grade. They said, yea this is just firewood wood. Mixed hardwoods 16" and you can get various sizes or you can get all 3" or all 5", whatever you want we have it all sitting here ready for you to pickup.

For $900, you are delivering me 3 cords, bringing me a sub and a coke, and there better be someone that stacks it for me while another person is cutting my lawn.