Wow! Ask and ye shall receive!

Put an ad up a week ago looking to remove unwanted trees. A really nice retired gent contacted me yesterday saying he had some recently cut maple (and a bit of yellow birch, it turns out) he wanted rid of. He even sent pics! Went there this AM and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I estimate there's probably 6 (face) cords here - what do you think? These rounds are averaging at least 30" across, some larger! I tried to split some for easier loading... after 4 of those, I took him up on the offer to use his FEL to load the roads.

Seems the tree cutter was paid to cut the trees and take everything away. Instead, the guy took the gravy and left the meat and potatoes. Shared a laugh when I commented that I like those kinds of tree cutters.

It's a bit of a trek, nearly 60km, but for good, solid sugar maple, I figure it's worth the trip. Brought home maybe half of it today, two huge loads in my 4x8 trailer. Thinking I'm gonna need a truck if calls like this are going to come in!

Only trashed one chain - hit something buried inside nr the butt.

So, how'd I do on my first real scrounge?

Nice! What size are those trunk pieces in pic three? They are really huge and straight!

You did real good for your first scrounge. This may fall more under a score though

It never hurts to ask. I've sent letters, left notes, approached folks who happened to be out in the yard, and have been mostly successful. Nice score!

Last year I got a cord of storm damaged sugar maple from an add I placed on kijiji. Its a good way to scrounge in the spring summer, right now there's too many adds from people trying to find wood for this year.

At least 30" and the butt had to be 36". He had a couple other (standing) trees nearby and these things are tall, fat and straight as an arrow.

Very nice score! Some warmth is coming your way!

You scored big time.
Most should split by hand easy enough, but a few might need to be frozen.
Lots of BTUs there

You did great except for that metal inside the log. Hopefully that did only minor damage. Hauling that far it might also pay to get a larger trailer or truck. Can't get too much on a 4 x 8 trailer bed.

All wood is good wood . . . but some is better than others . . . getting hard wood on the first time out is better . . . getting a decent amount of free hard wood on the first time out is best. Well done Grasshopper.

I'd make that trip for that wood.
Good plan.

Very nice! those are some massive logs there. You should get the tree guy's number. Maybe you can clean up after him more often?

Good thinking... I will ask for the name/number.

Nice bab, nice. You are a lucky scrounger.

Excellent score! Must have been awesome to pull up to that! Cheers!

You never forget your first. Just don't be let down when the second doesn't measure up to that one. Sweet score.

Assuming that is Silver Maple, watch how much wieght you are putting on your 4x8 trailer. Do you know what your axle weight limit is? Green SM runs 2800# per cord, so you might be hauling 1400# per load. You don't want to trash your trailer right out of the gate.

Here's a wood chart that I use for wood weight and btu's: Sweep's Library

(corrected link)

Oh yeah - that does rate at a SCORE(!) not just a scrounge.

Thanks! It sure was a surprise to see all that sitting there; when he called, I figured it was just a few logs and I'd be on my way.

I didn't find the cord weight calculator in the link you posted but I found one elsewhere. A cord of hard maple (sugar maple) would be about 1800lbs. I'm assuming my trailer has 2000 lb axles so I might overload a bit (who doesn't fill the trailer) as I tend to get maybe 1 1/4 cords on board.

(I corrected the link in my previous post....)

Let's look at those figures again:

According to the chart you are looking at, hard maple green weight is 5300#. You stated your trailer is 4x8. The only way you could get a cord of wood on there would be if your sides are 4' tall (a cord is 4x4x8) - which would then mean you would be hauling 5300#'s on your 2000# axle - but you stated you are hauling 1-1/4 cords so that would be 6625#'s on your 2000# axle.

I think you might want to look at those figures again. Not picking on you - just making sure you are hauling a weight suited to your trailer and your tow vehicle (and that you have brakes to stop the load in an emergency).

..must be thinking in those silly face cords, or ricks, or bush cords, or what we call 1/3 cords here.

That's what I'm hoping!

Sorry, I mean face cords. I keep forgetting that you guys mean full cords when you say refer to a cord. Around my neck of the woods, face cords is all anyone discusses, sells or refers to.

Whew! Glad you cleared that up! Sounds like you are right at the limit of your trailer.

Again, great score! May you and yours stay warm (next year) with this year's score - of course that is if you get the wood split/stacked this year.