Possible Wood Score

[jason conway]

Hi everyone,
New to this site and relatively new to heating with wood, 2 winters now. I got my first grapple load this spring and have it mostly cut and split. This is a good chunk of it.

Here is my question though. A friend is selling a property of his and has about 10 cords worth of wood, that he is giving to me for free. It will cost around $300 to get it back to my house in a logging truck. The wood is a mix of birch, maple, oak, and black locust, and ash. Approximately 1/3 of it is birch. The wood has been sitting about 5 years. Uncovered and the bottom row has been sitting on the ground. I would expect a little rot on the bottom logs, but I am thinking the rest is good to go.

Here is a bad photo, from a rainy and cold yesterday.

So my question: Is this a no brainer, should I go pick it up? Is 5 years too long sitting like that?

Thanks,
Jay

 

[ScotO]

First off, welcome to the site, Jason! By the looks of that beautiful wood stack (looks like a firewood fence!), you'll fit in just fine around here!!

Birch doesn't like to 'lay around' in log form. You may have some rot inssues with a little bit of that stuff. But the rest of that wood will be fine. I'd say that is a great deal for 10 cord of wood. Even if a third of it was totally punked out (the birch), you're still getting almost 7 cord for three hundred bucks.......

I'm betting that most of that birch will be fine. Get it cut, split, and stacked.....and even top-cover it if you wish. And as for the punkier stuff, use it in an outdoor firepit.....

 

[TimJ]

I have to agree with you Scotty.......them stacks of Jason's sure look nice
Jason most of that wood, especially the locust, will be 100%

 

[bogydave]

Here, Birch in the log form, would be compost inside the bark in 5 years.
Check it, might get lucky.
Maple logs can get punky too in a few years.
Looks like a few log truck loads & several years supply of wood if it's good stuff.

Get a few samples.
I'd cut & split a few rounds off the ends & middle to check, before spending the money on punky wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Jason.

I too would be suspect on the birch. That probably would be best left there but the rest should be good. The price for getting it home does not sound out of line either. Good luck.

 

[aussiedog3]

WOW! Nice stack from your grapple load!
Go for it on the $300 logging truck, looks like a good deal.
Please post more pics when you get it home and split and stacked.

 

[paul bunion]

I'd be careful. The birch is going to be in bad shape. If the maple is red maple it won't be far behind either and any the sapwood on the oak might be in poor shape also. Your BTU yield might be only 1/2 of what of got on your first load. I'm guessing your first load ran about $1000 or so dollars. After you factor in your own time the $700 in savings might not be so much.

 

[jason conway]

Thanks for the reply's everyone. I am going to jump on this. Hopefully I will get it sometime this week. The black locust is actually in another stack all by itself, so I will get all of that. Then I will get as much of the wood in the stack pictured with trying to avoid the birch as much as possible. I will be sure to post pictures when I get it back home.

Thanks,
Jay

 

[Defiant]

Nice score