Is locust worth it?

[joefrompa]

Hi all,

A neighbor of my in-laws just had 4-5 locust trees felled. I'm guessing the total score will be in the neighborhood of 10 cords of locust. I picked some up and damn if it's not one of the heaviest woods I've ever felt. Looks like some forms of locust are top-o-the-range for BTUs per cord.

Getting 2 cords of this locust to my house would involve somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 14 mile round trips (120 miles) with a small pick-up truck, or renting a u-haul for the day.

Is locust worth it? I have nearby readily available pine and similar softwoods....

Joe

 

[madrone]

Personally, I'd do it.

 

[SolarAndWood]

There is no way I would let an opp like that go by.

 

[ewdudley]

10 cords of locust. I picked some up and damn if it's not one of the heaviest woods I've ever felt. Looks like some forms of locust are top-o-the-range for BTUs per cord.

Plus, locust has relatively low moisture content when green, so you'll be hauling a lot less water and more btus per pound than with other woods.

 

[Woody Stover]

I call dibs on the other 8 cords! :cheese:

 

[SolarAndWood]

I call dibs on the other 8 cords! :cheese:

Let's see how many are left after 2 are taken. 10 cord out of 4-5 trees would require some big trees.

 

[cygnus]

worth it.

 

[loon]

me and Emma have been dealing with locust this afternoon and from what everybody here on the board says..

i'd go get it joe ;-)

loon

 

[NH_Wood]

Hi all,

A neighbor of my in-laws just had 4-5 locust trees felled. I'm guessing the total score will be in the neighborhood of 10 cords of locust. I picked some up and damn if it's not one of the heaviest woods I've ever felt. Looks like some forms of locust are top-o-the-range for BTUs per cord.

Getting 2 cords of this locust to my house would involve somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 14 mile round trips (120 miles) with a small pick-up truck, or renting a u-haul for the day.

Is locust worth it? I have nearby readily available pine and similar softwoods....

Joe

Hmmmm........is this a trick questions.......? Any chance you know someone with a bigger truck that could hold more wood per load? I'd be on this like stink on doodoo. Cheers!

 

[Big Chris]

one of the best woods you can get.... one cord of locust is worth 2 cords of pine

 

[smokinj]

Even with snow on the ground! ;-)

 

[weatherguy]

Id rent a truck or trailer, I dont think uhaul will let you load wood on their trucks, someone on this site mentioned that one day but you may be able to rent a truck that you can haul wood with. Its worth the cost of renting to make life easier and to get that awesome wood. Im still working on getting my first locust, not easy to get.

 

[tfdchief]

YES :exclaim:

 

[Hiram Maxim]

There is no way I would let an opp like that go by.

+1 Its absolutely worth it.

 

[nrford]

Id rent a truck or trailer, I dont think uhaul will let you load wood on their trucks, someone on this site mentioned that one day but you may be able to rent a truck that you can haul wood with. Its worth the cost of renting to make life easier and to get that awesome wood. Im still working on getting my first locust, not easy to get.

How would U-Haul know!! Just clean it up before return

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Lots of locust just came down in the hurricane. If I were you, I would rent a U-haul trailer late on a Saturday afternoon (just before closing). Then you will have it for the rest of the night, and all day Sunday for the price of one day ($27 here). You could do 2 cords in a few trips,easy. And its easier on your truck. I have done this before I bought a trailer, and it is SO worth it...especially for black locust (my fave).

 

[Duetech]

That much locust would almost be worth taking a couple of days off work to collect. The burn times per load compared to soft wood will be very evident. Beware though... locust is very hot burning so don't just go filling the sove up before you learn a bit more about it. Some have complained of warping a mediocre stove because of the heat so I suggest you move forward cautiously. If I lived close to you I would take the other 8 cords just to give you peace of mind. No I'm not a hero type but that kind of good deed I could really feel good about! :lol:

 

[weatherguy]

Id rent a truck or trailer, I dont think uhaul will let you load wood on their trucks, someone on this site mentioned that one day but you may be able to rent a truck that you can haul wood with. Its worth the cost of renting to make life easier and to get that awesome wood. Im still working on getting my first locust, not easy to get.

How would U-Haul know!! Just clean it up before return

Probably when you bring it back with busted shocks and suspension . They dont hold a hell of a lot of weight. Thats why I think a trailer would be better or there are some companies that rent trucks that are made for heavy hauling.

 

[rdust]

Let's see how many are left after 2 are taken. 10 cord out of 4-5 trees would require some big trees.

10 real cords from 5 trees I want to see pictures, those are some large trees! I did get 5 cords from a huge ash a couple years back but it was over 4' @ BH.

 

[joefrompa]

Trees were ~3-4" in diameter and maybe 60-100 feet tall. There is 1.5 cords already split and stacked, about 60 feet in log lengths to buck, and maybe 25-30 bucked pieces ready to split. Seeing it, I'm guessing 10 cords. Honestly, could be 7 cords or 15 in it's current state. There's more abounding.

Also nearby is about 3 cords of oak in a 90' 3-4' thick oak tree laying on it's side awaiting someones pleasure

Ok, so getin on this locust score if I can?

 

[barnuba]

Where are you in SE PA? I would be willing to help you out!

 

[rdust]

Ok, so getin on this locust score if I can?

I'd say so, it would work better if you can get your hands on a trailer that can handle the weight of a cord or two. Also pictures are a must here.

 

[Thistle]

I have access to 10 well-stocked acres of oak & hickory & would still go 40 miles one way for either honey or black locust whenever I got the chance.

 

[eujamfh]

Will be interested if you get that much off the haul....but I would definitely do it but probably would rent a tandem uhaul trailer. For $50 local, you would save as much on time and gas.

 

[fabsroman]

Id rent a truck or trailer, I dont think uhaul will let you load wood on their trucks, someone on this site mentioned that one day but you may be able to rent a truck that you can haul wood with. Its worth the cost of renting to make life easier and to get that awesome wood. Im still working on getting my first locust, not easy to get.

How the heck would u-haul even know if wood is hauled with one of their trucks or trailers? I was thinking about renting one of their 6x12 enclosed trailers for $30 to pick up some wood. As long as you broom it clean and don't get crazy with loading it up to capacity (i.e., wrecking it), I don't think they u-haul would ever know. When we rented a 6x12 trailer about 8 months ago to move some stuff from the house, they never mentioned anything about not hauling wood. Didn't mention it either when we rented two trucks for the actual move to the new house. Of course, it might be right there in the fine print of the contract, but it wasn't mentioned when we rented from u-haul.

To the OP, I would most definitely get that Locust. I am traveling 25 miles each way for 3/4 cord of the stuff at a time. With my F350 that is about $10 to $12 in diesel per load. Still beats paying for the wood, and locust is some really good wood. I have a client with 3 of them down in his yard and will be cutting them up come mid to late September when it is a little cooler. He is about the same distance from me. Might get lucky though and borrow a trailer from a landscaping friend of mine to make the loads per trip over a cord. See if you can borrow a trailer from somebody.