Poll. How many pieces per cord?

Hi everyone,
I got my new Jotul F400 in October and found this site after my purchase. I find it very informative.

I am new to woodburning. I was wondering how many pieces of wood do you get in a cord? I find that it is very hard to determine how much wood you are getting when they deliver it by truck. The last time I bought what I thought was half a cord and had it delivered, it barely filled my rack and I paid $125.

I have since found a source for oak but I must pick it up myself. I paid $14 for about 20 pieces. Next I paid $20 and got about 40 pieces. Last time I paid $76 to load my SUV and got about 140 pieces. The sizes ranged from 18-20 inches by 6 inch diameter. It filled up my rack and more.
So tell me how many pieces would you estimate that you get for a cord? And, am I getting a good price?

A "cord" of wood is 4' high X 4' wide X 8' long stacked tight before being full seasoned .

I think the cost depends on where you live. See this link or find subject "Cost of a Cord?". I just got two cords, nice size and good wood, in Cincinnati-Ohio for $300-that was delivered and dumped.
http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/386/

Thanks for the responses so far. I realize what a cord is in dimensions, but how many logs do you get in a cord? i am just trying to figure out an objective way, in my mind, how you detemine if you ar getting what you pay for, once it is stacked. Anyone?

8000

the number of pieces is never going to be the same twice. It depends on the wood. The length of the cuts, the size of the splits, etc, etc.
Some people cut from log lengths, and determine the 4x4x8 by laying out the logs to that spec and then cut and split your order from that.
Other people cut and split and then stack it to 4x4x8.
So there's never a set number of peices in a cord.
I think , as with most things, being able to eyeball it and be certain you have roughly a cord, is a skill that comes with experience.

Kindly forward the name of your wood guy to me. I will buy my wood from him, from now on ;-)

hi cheres

there is no way to figure it out that way. as you noticed there is no consistant size in logs. some are wide some are narrow some are long and some are short. you would have to stack it up nice and tite and measure the height x length x width to figure out cubic inches. a full cord is 128 cube. you sould be able to go from here. prices vary from state to state and county to county. if you buy it by the cord it's cheaper. we have a few garden center around here in massachusetts. that sell it buy the cart full. in if you were to figure a price per cord by buying it thru the cart full it would be between 4 and 5 hundred per cord. but most places up here the sell it by a cord sell it for 250 a cord give or take 25 dollars.

If all of your blocks of wood were 6 inches square (like a 6x6 post), and 16 inches long, there would be 384 in a cord.

Just measure the volume of your cargo area in your SUV. It's L x W x H. So let's say your cargo area was 2ft by 4ft by 3ft your total cargo volume, the space you fill up with wood would be 24 cubic feet compare it to a cord of wood at 128 cubic feet. Etc. Etc.

Thanks for sharing all this useful information with me. I really appreciate it because it gave me an idea.

I got about 120 logs for $76.00 which loaded the cargo area of my SUV up to the window roac's answer of 384 says to me that I got (theoretically) 1/3 cord. So that means I paid about $228 for a cord max, right?

Counting logs seems like a more accurate way of buying wood. So why don't more people do it this way instead.
Your thoughts?

counting it your way you'd get screwed. think of it this way let's just use a round number. 100.
that would be 100 pieces to the cord. now your guy sells you 100 four inch splits by 16 inches long then sells me 100 six inch splits 20 inches long. who got more wood for their money? my splits of wood would last alot longer in the stove that yours. i had this conversation with my father inlaw the accountant. he didn't think it was fare, different amount of pieces each time. of course he's not a wood burner and i just couldn't get him to understand.

good point. Thanks

Hello,
A full cord of 16" cordwood will stack 24' long by 4' high by 16" cut. This will give you approx. 600 plus pieces per cord. 1/6 cord (4'x4'x16") is 95-100 pieces on average. These are pieces that you can get your fingers on the ends to pick them up,(4-6").
I have been selling cordwood in Seattle for 29 plus years and no one has corrected me yet on the numbers.
Thank you
Thomas

I'm sure my pile has near 8000 or more...some are just quite small.

I'd gladly take a shorted cord of red oak & sugar maple, over an oversized cord of white birch & cedar.

The best way to buy processed firewood is to see it piled up, measure it, pay the guy and either have it delivered or haul it yourself. Any other method, short of having the guy stack it in your yard before you pay him, is going to be subject to variation. Most people buy a truckload, stack it, and then decide whether they got their money's worth. As a point of reference, my Ford Ranger will hold 1/3 cord of 2-foot wood if it's piled just right. That's about all you'd want to haul in that truck, preferably dry wood.

Eric, I have a Ford Explorer. How much do you pay for a load using your Ranger? Just curious.