New Engand Fire Wood prices going up

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peakbagger

Minister of Fire
Jul 11, 2008
8,769
Northern NH
I expect they reuse them for awhile but eventually the amount of grit in the wood would make it hard to cut into firewood plus there may be some contamination on them. I expect they end up in tub grinder for a biomass plant when they are too beat up to use.

The wood used for these mats is actually a higher grade than firewood. I expect its pallet grade logs. The stuff I see being hauled of the woods as firewood locally is too crooked to make a mat. Of course those with firewood processors tend to use a higher grade log than someone cutting with a chainsaw so it may be that the big processors that typically supply wood in southern New England are the ones seeing the price increase. Unless there is a real big premium for those mat logs I don't see a trucker paying the diesel to haul them down from the north country.
 
We use these oak mats all the time at work, (power company) and trust me, you don't want these mats after were done with them, not really sure what happens to them at the end of the job though, usually the contracting firm is responsible for repairing the row back to its original state.
 
I bet the view is great from 15' back through that 1'x2' hole . ;lol
 
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It's ironic: People willing to spend more time and effort to heat their homes with wood are subsidizing those that simply turn up a thermostat.

Log loads cost more
Delivered split cord wood cost more
Scrounging is more competitive
 
Were not subsidizing anything we are that 2% that everyone talks about on tv
 
There is a post on the local CL $750 for a load of used oak mats. Roughly 7 cords made of 10"x10" beams bolted together. Free delivery.
I'd be on it BUT, you must have equipment to unload the mats.
They come on an equipment trailer like a backhoe towed by a 10 wheel dump truck.
Anybody local with a lull loader or backhoe?
 
My snowmobile club got a whole pulp truck load of the used mats. for our purposes, they are great! In the past. We would build bridges from telephone poles, then haul in rough cut 3x5 planks and built it in place. Took half a dozen guys 3 or 4 hours.

Now, we need bigger equipment, a small tractor backhoe is needed.. but two guys can build a bridge in less than two hours.

Our supply of them dried up. We heard a guy bought up ALL of the used mats. He was planning to chip them and burn em. It's high quality wood. If you had a plant that could run true chips.. lot of energy. I'm sure you'd need a smart, quick way to remove the hardware prior to chipping.

Most of the mats came from the powerline improvement project. Those guys didn't really hardly touch the grass at all. they built roads everywhere and pulled them up when they were done.

They are still making the mats. My lot is being logged off this winter. Forester says they are getting good money for Ash logs that are big enough to make the mats. Ought to get something for the ash before the EAB gets here. I'm having him cut me 50 cord of log length. I'm 3 years ahead at the moment.. with 5 more cords to split. 10 cords a year goes through it fast.

JP
 
I hate that!!! Why cant they use the mats made of old tires like the granite blasters use.
 
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