Tip needed for getting wood from tree service

[DeanBrown3D]

My neighbor told me today that I should call up some tree service people and sign up for them to deliver wood (rounds) that they get near by, so they don't have to chip it. My question is, do people here pay anything for such, or is it enough for the workers to just be happy to get rid of the stuff?

 

[begreen]

We'll it doesn't hurt to offer something for their gas and time. Nine times out of ten they'll say, 'No worry, we're happy to get rid of it'. If you develop a regular relationship, then maybe a case of beer would be appreciated.

 

[wahoowad]

What if they deliver a gum tree?

 

[restorer]

Call them up. Ask if they would consider dropping a few off to save them the expense of delivering to the landfill, or their yard. DON'T refuse any delivery, but specify, you need/would like, hardwood. Offer the crew boss an appropriate compensation/tip, maybe a twelve pack when they get back to the yard, no open cans on site. Don't expect anything. I work with a tree service. I buy lumber mill cuts, 4/4, 8/8, 12/8 when they have it. Pay a dollar a board foot and always buy a couple hundred worth each visit. They know the call is worth, $200 and something cool. My last score was 180BF of 12/4 Mountain Locust 18-24 inches wide. 5ft, 7ft, 11ft, long boards. All when dried and milled will be about 5 grand in harvest tables. A little chat and easing someone else 's work day can be very beneficial.

 

[drhiii]

Common sense and civility can go a long way. A tree service has been in and out of the neighborhood, cutting ash, oak and elm, the latter they have to chip due to duth elm disease. I walked up to the foreman three times over three days and struck up a conversation with him, about my stove, how I love to harvest, split and burn wood. He got in to it as well. They started leaving me piles of wood and I agreed to pick them up before the next morning so as to have the area cleaned up... which is part of their contract, to have areas clean fairly quickly. So I was diligent, talked to the crew when I ran in to them, thanked them and just struck up cool conversations, and they were fantastic. In one week I harvested 3 1/2 cords of hard wood within two blocks of my home, some of which is ready to go.

Oh, it never occurred to me to ask them to "deliver" it. When they saw my lifting and carrying, and cleaning the area, and whenever the chance arose, taking small stuff to be chipped in order to leave the area clean, they were all in to it as well. Approach the crew, engage with them... don't just ask them to hand over stuff. Put in some sweat equity, and tell them constantly how much you appreciate the opportunity. By being engaged with the crew, and being consistent, they were totally in to it by the end of the week. As long as I am communicative, appreciative, and am consistent, I will hopefully have an endless supply of wood from my city. This was not just handed to me. I earned it by being keenly and honestly interested in what they were doing. Pretty much common sense.

I am very fortunate... and my Napoleon 1400 is humming along with some of this wood from a block away while it is in the teens again. Standard for here, after weeks of much lower temps. Something poetic about it methinks...

My neighbor told me today that I should call up some tree service people and sign up for them to deliver wood (rounds) that they get near by, so they don't have to chip it. My question is, do people here pay anything for such, or is it enough for the workers to just be happy to get rid of the stuff?

 

[dego]

A few years back, a hurricane blew through Halifax Nova Scotia. Many century trees that lined the older sections of the city came down as a result, and it was a mad rush to clean it up. Homeowners were asked; if they had the where-with-all, to cut the lengths into 4 foot pieces and set them to the curb for removal. Many people cruised the streets gathering their winters burning. Excellent deal......but there are risks.
A fella from work brought many loads home and started blocking the lengths to split. He was sawing a trunk butt from a maple that had to have been 3 foot across when his saw started to buck viciously. He hit something. He told me he never had a chance to stop and assess the situation when the chain parted and wrapped around his forearm. After the wound healed, he managed to surgically remove the foreign object. It was a galvanized carriage bolt from a street sign that had been removed years ago and the tree ‘grew around it’. Actually, the guy I buy my firewood from told me he heard many similar stories. Luckily for my buddy, the wound was not that bad, 15 stitches and a couple days off work.
I always ensure my wood is harvested from well-isolated lots, where my biggest concern might be the odd pebble, but never anything metal. At $80-85 per cord, it feel the chance is not worth taking.
Not much to add to the post regarding signing up with tree removal companies, but I could not pass the opportunity to mention my story. I would never take the chance, even though I always wear proper PPE. Chicks dig scars, but……

 

[Rick]

I've been getting wood from a local tree guy for years. This past year was slim, it seems everybody wants wood now. I also have to take the chips from him. Unfortunately, most of the wood he brings me is usually the bottoms of the trees that the homeowners don't want. He only brings me hardwoods, although some are pretty bad hardwoods (like silver maple). It is a mutually beneficial relationship.

 

[firewatcher]

My buddy got hooked up with a tree service and he has a trailer. The deal is that when the tree service cuts trees, he is the third person on a list to call so as not to be inundated with wood. He is told where it is in a 20 mile radius and picks it up. It is a win win for everybody because the tree service saves time and money by not having to deliver it and my buddy has more wood than he knows what to do with which he passes on to me sometimes.

 

[Corey]

Good Luck...be sure to post back and let us know if it works. Around here, if you look in the yellow pages for 'firewood', half of the places selling it have 'tree service' in the business name. I suspect the tree services are cutting anything that might be considered 'firewood' and selling it for a handsome profit ~ $150+ per cord. Maybe you can get lucky, though!

Corey

 

[Eric Johnson]

There are a couple of things to bear in mind when dealing with yard trees. First, they all have metal in them, so you can expect to ruin a chain eventually. It's just a matter of luck. I've seen lag bolts, nails, axe heads, ceramic insulators (ouch!) and all other manner of crap in yard trees.

Second, yard trees are a lot more gnarly than trees that grew in a forest. This is especially true of the trunks. They've had to deal with a lot more wind and other abuse than trees in the forest, so they're A LOT harder to split. A lot uglier wood, too. You don't generally get the nice straight-splits that most of us prefer.

So, if you're going to pay money for tree service wood, you should pay less than you would for a load of logs from a logger or landclearing contractor.