buying wood by weight...thoughts?

[sullystull]

I didn't want to hi-jack this thread (https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/76460/) any more so I decided to start a new thread on the topic of wood by weight. As I have stated in previous threads, I cut most of my own wood but have recently found a guy at the local saw mill who sells firewood at a decent price. They sell the wood for $40/1000lbs. We loaded my truck full and it came to about 1000 lbs. Now, we don't even bother weighing my truck--just load and pay at the $40 rate. Obviously, the weight of each load can change drastically with moisture content, species, etc. He knows I'm a wood snob so I have only taken locust and most recently standing dead oak that had been taken from the state forest due to gypsy moth damage. That being said, I could probably cause some serious damage to my Nissan if I tried to load the same amount of green oak.

Anyway, I know of a few other saw mills who sell this way. Anyone else ever heard of it or purchased this way?

Here's a pic of a $40 load of locust I picked up last year:

 

[woodsmaster]

Never heard of it , but sounds good if there is a way to compinsate for moisture.

 

[stee6043]

Are there rows behind the one in the picture? If not, I'm not sure that's a raging good deal. It is split I suppose. You can find hardwoods for $120-140 per cord around me. What you have there does not appear to be a full rick or face cord to me. Hence, I think it's a bit on the pricey side at $40.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not heard of it being sold that way around here but you have to pay however they sell and as long as you get a good deal, go for it.

 

[NordicSplitter]

Of the 30 most common hardwoods...the average weight of a cord of wood is 3150lbs seasoned. Lots of reliable on line charts for this subject.

 

[snowleopard]

As Stee6043 implies, the best way to get a comparable number to the way most wood is sold would be to convert it to a volume measurement. Take it out of the truck and stack it, or just check the internal dimensions of the truck for a rough measurment. Since you only weighed it the first time for the seller's computation, you really are buying by volume, not weight.

You stated that you load your truck full, and I'm guessing that your load measures about 6'x4'x3', about 72cf, so a hair over half a cord would make that a respectable price in most folks' books.

 

[Todd]

Looks to me like a fair price for that amount of wood. I'd jump all over it.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Who has a 1000lb scale?

 

[woodsmaster]

Who has a 1000lb scale?

Around here a lot of farmers have scales. The grain elevaters have scales and I think they charge a couple dollars to use them.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Who has a 1000lb scale?

Around here a lot of farmers have scales. The grain elevaters have scales and I think they charge a couple dollars to use them.

How would you establish tare-weight?

The whole thing sounds hinky to me

 

[JustWood]

Who has a 1000lb scale?

Around here a lot of farmers have scales. The grain elevaters have scales and I think they charge a couple dollars to use them.

How would you establish tare-weight?

The whole thing sounds hinky to me

Weigh before you load.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Who has a 1000lb scale?

Around here a lot of farmers have scales. The grain elevaters have scales and I think they charge a couple dollars to use them.

How would you establish tare-weight?

The whole thing sounds hinky to me

Weigh before you load.

Soooo. . . . drive to the scale, get a ticket, drive to the wood, load up the truck, drive back to the scale, get another ticket, then deliver the wood to mister unsuspecting sucker wood-buyer and show him both tickets (which could have been printed from any computer) and just hope that he takes the sellers word for it? F__k that s__t. If wood sellers find it easy to rip people off selling by the "cord" just imagine how much easier it'll be once they're selling it by weight.

 

[JustWood]

Who has a 1000lb scale?

Around here a lot of farmers have scales. The grain elevaters have scales and I think they charge a couple dollars to use them.

How would you establish tare-weight?

The whole thing sounds hinky to me

Weigh before you load.

Soooo. . . . drive to the scale, get a ticket, drive to the wood, load up the truck, drive back to the scale, get another ticket, then deliver the wood to mister unsuspecting sucker wood-buyer and show him both tickets (which could have been printed from any computer) and just hope that he takes the sellers word for it? F__k that s__t. If wood sellers find it easy to rip people off selling by the "cord" just imagine how much easier it'll be once they're selling it by weight.

Mills have scales that must be certified by Dept Weights and measures. Slips have to be legit with weighmasters and business name for any scale used by public or for business transactions.
Lots of trucks have scales on them today as well as grapple and wheel loaders .
Air bags/gauges are used alot today by experienced truckers to determine weight while loading.
DOT even has scales planted in the roadway on major interstates.
Selling wood by weight is 100% legal in my state. It has been sold by weight at pulp mills and pellet plants for many years.

 

[sullystull]

In this case, and others places I've seen that sell this way, it's at a sawmill so a scale is on site. The above picture does include 4 rows total of locust--roughly measured in the truck at 3'X4'X6' or 72 cubic feet neatly stacked. Give or take on either end, let's just call it 1/2 cord. The mill is located 12 miles down the road (around here that's considered close). So, for $80, plus gas for the truck and my time I can acquire a seasoned, split cord of wood...a no brainer for me.

 

[Battenkiller]

When Fitch Pruyn reopened their paper mill in Glens Falls, NY, they needed wood so bad they were willing to pay $90/ton. That's about $180/cord for log length oak. The price of firewood went from $75/cord to >$200/cord in one year because few guys were willing to cut and split it when they could just bring logs to the mill. Now wood chips have gone way down, but prices for firewood are still pretty high. Pays to be a long-standing customer who never bitched about the wood count. The old guys around here still treat me well. I'm only paying about $140 for the very best hardwoods, nice fat cord as well.

 

[Todd]

Maybe that saw mill has it's own scale and they weigh your own truck before and after you load up? Anyways, the load you have there looks to be at least 1/3-1/2 cord that is a great deal at $40 imo.

 

[sullystull]

Maybe that saw mill has it's own scale and they weigh your own truck before and after you load up? Anyways, the load you have there looks to be at least 1/3-1/2 cord that is a great deal at $40 imo.

This guy weighed my first load which was locust. Now, we fill it to the top (I always have my truck topper on) and I hand over $40 bones without pulling on the scales. Like I stated before, I've never purchased green wood from him--that would change things quite a bit.

 

[woodchip]

I'm guessing that your load measures about 6'x4'x3', about 72cf, so a hair over half a cord would make that a respectable price in most folks' books.

I've been offered 100 cubic feet (based on volume of mates trailer and truck) for £100 here (split hardwood) as long as my mate and I load it myself. We'll be very careful loading (keeping an eye on weight, do not want to overload and get my mate fined). If we can sort through and get the dry looking cherry I spotted, I reckon that would be a good deal for here.
$40 for 72 cubic feet though..... I'd be grabbing as much as I could lay my hands on ;-)

 

[lukem]

I scaled my truck at the gravel pit...the tare weight with me, a full tank of gas, and otherwise empty is 4,900 lbs. When I left with a load of pea gravel it scaled at 7,500 lbs. That put me 500 lb over legal limit. I parked on a nice flat level surface and make some mental references of distance to bump stops, hitch height off the ground, etc so I have a good idea of how much I'm packing. Its' not an exact science, but now I have a good idea when I'm hauling wood.

 

[Danno77]

Isn't a mate someone you'd produce offspring with? Just wondering...

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Now doubt that is a good deal. I do not buy wood but that is a great price.

 

[woodchip]

Isn't a mate someone you'd produce offspring with? Just wondering...

Ah, the fun of a shared language and different meanings to some words...........

Probably should have used the term buddy for you guys across the pond ;-)

 

[Danno77]

Isn't a mate someone you'd produce offspring with? Just wondering...

Ah, the fun of a shared language and different meanings to some words...........

Probably should have used the term buddy for you guys across the pond ;-)

Nah, I was just messin' with ya.

 

[woodchip]

Isn't a mate someone you'd produce offspring with? Just wondering...

Ah, the fun of a shared language and different meanings to some words...........

Probably should have used the term buddy for you guys across the pond ;-)

Nah, I was just messin' with ya.

All taken in good humour (or humor) ;-)

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Wood sold by weight would give the seller a very strong incentive to pass off to you the greenest, least seasoned wood possible. And remember, that green wood is throwing off the most water the fastest, right after cutting. Anyway, the more seasoned the wood, the less his profit. I like wood sold by volume. I like free wood even better.