Cord or Rick ?

[Robbie]

I hear the word cord used a lot on this and other forums. All the wood cutters/sellers around my home say only "rick". And two ricks will fill a long bed truck full to the top in an average load. This wood is not stacked in nice neat rows, just thrown in to the truck bed and brought to your home and sold as 2 ricks, or about 60 to 70 dollars per rick. Some times you can get it for 100 dollars a load or 50 per rick delivered.

Does this sound about right to you ?

How would this compare to your "cord" ?

Robbie.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I believe a rick is 4x8xvarible width not to exceed 16" A cord is 4x4x8.

 

[elkimmeg]

Lets make a few assumptions the walls of the pk bed are 18" the bed 6/8 but wheel wells cut into the capacity
Stacked in tight about 1/2 cord or 64 cubic ft. Full cord being 128 cubic ft. Thrown in much less 1/3 cord possibly 2/5 cord
when doing the math 3 pk trucks 3x 70 = $240 per cord Not really a what I call a good deal If you shop around You should do quite a bit better or just purchase a full cord, none of the rick crap

 

[BrotherBart]

In Virginia it has been illegal for years to advertise wood using the terms "rick" or "face cord". Ya gotta sell it in terms of cords. Half, full etc.

 

[elkimmeg]

BB is right selling wood usually falls to the jusisdiction of inspector of seals weights and measures.

 

[Robbie]

I'm not sure of any laws or weights and measures around here concerning wood. I bought some wood last year and that is the way it was advertised and delivered. One truck load was a small size truck with a long bed and it was filled about a foot or more above the bed.

Each rick ended up being about 4 ft. high by 8 ft. long and about 16-18 inches wide after we got it stacked. I just wondered how these measurements sounded to you all.

The only real problem I encountered was very wet wood (dripping in my stove) advertised as seasoned.........but I'm saving that for another thread.


Thanks for your information.

Robbie.

 

[elkimmeg]

robbie what state do you live in? so what you are telling us is you are buying wet wood your pile 4/8/ 16/18. Is exactuly what I predicted 1/3 to1/4 cord wet for $70 is still 210 to 280 a cord for wet wood? What kind of wood oak pine maple? it makes a difference.
BTW welcome aboard. Other will pipe in what they pay per cord so you can decide where you stand. Me, Never paid for wood in my life been burning 30 years. We have to motivate you into scrounging and make suggestions how to go about it

 

[Robbie]

Elkimmeg, I live in Tenn, thank you for the welcome.

The seller said it had been on the ground for several months (mostly oak) and apparently he did not realize it was absorbing that much ground and rain water.

I could not believe the logs were actually dripping water while on fire in my stove...........they were.

This problem won't happen again. I have learned a lot in the last year. Both my grown boys are now helping me scrounge for wood. Between this and what we get cut, we should be fine.

I did buy a couple or three good loads of wood last year when we first got our stove. But we also got a couple of questionable loads. Rather than make a big fuss, I let it slide and figured I just would not call them for anymore.

I've learned more in these forum threads in the last couple weeks than I learned in the last year.

Thanks for all the advice and help, I'm sure I'll need lots more though.

Please suggest all the ways to scrounge or anything else that might help.

Robbie.

 

[jabush]

In Virginia it has been illegal for years to advertise wood using the terms "rick" or "face cord". Ya gotta sell it in terms of cords. Half, full etc.

Yep...same in MD. Firewood dealers can only advertise cords and fractions thereof.

 

[Roospike]

I was wondering about the whole "cord" of wood in the pick-up bed idea . When i figure all my wood i say i have 10 truck loads as thats how i get it home after i cut it . Its not untell i have it split and stacked that i measure it for "cord" size . But from what i was looking into ......... If you fill a pick-up bed up stacked (and its already split) to 21" over the sides of the bed you could get a cord of wood in a pick-up truck bed . This woiuld be for a #1 full size truck. #2 full 8' bed #3 21" over the sides all the way around . Now to do this you would have to had a truck with side rails ....all the way around and the 21" over the bed sides would have to be from front to back , side to side. The problem with this much stacked and split wood is the average pick-up would be hard pressed to even carry this much wood . What are we talking about here guys ? ..........3000-4000 lbs of wood ? Oak-hard woods being more ? Now thats a lot of weight for the average pick up bed . The 21" would be just under the cap height . The attachment picture shown the bed would have to be full and the yellow box would have to be full front to back .

 

[BrotherBart]

The problem with this much stacked and split wood is the average pick-up would be hard pressed to even carry this much wood . What are we talking about here guys ? ..........3000-4000 lbs of wood ? Oak-hard woods being more ? Now thats a lot of weight for the average pick up bed .

Yep. At 5K per cord of oak you would be hurting that pickup badly. Not to mention trying to stop that pup in a resonable distance. Reasonable being measured as the distance between you and the semi stopped in front of you. I haul an occasional 5,000 lb. load on my trailer behind my 3/4 ton Suburban and stopping can get exciting at times. I wouldn't dream of having a load that heavy on the vehicle itself.

Not to mention having those splits come up to visit you in the cab of the pickup on impact.

 

[elkimmeg]

When you add my side tool boxes, my K2500 GMC pk truck, I stack damn near a cord, realisticly 3/4 cord and you know there is a load behind you. I never exceed 40mph or 10 miles distance. (Tires inflated to 75lbs) Mine is the 8600 GVW truck weights in about 4400 to 4500. Again common sense should kick in. If there is more than a full load, then I split two loads more evenly. I add plywood to the back and front to gain the height and to protect the cab window..

 

[Roospike]

So i guess that if somebody tell you they got a full cord delivered in a pick up truck and it was a F150 size or it didnt have sides and or if it did have sides but was not full front to back then it was not a cord . I like the trailer setting on the side of the road "sale" that was made out of a pick up bed and a sign that says full load - 1 cord X amount of $$ . HA .

 

[precaud]

The problem with this much stacked and split wood is the average pick-up would be hard pressed to even carry this much wood . What are we talking about here guys ? ..........3000-4000 lbs of wood ?

Yep. that's right. I learned this the hard way 20 years ago. Bought a pile of oak logs (oak is a rarity here in NM!) and drove 120 miles to get it. Crammed my brand new GMC 3/4 ton van to the gills with it, and after driving a couple miles, the diff gearbox split in half and it's rearend went to the ground... not good. That was my last GM vehicle, but I'm ALOT more careful respecting the GVWR after that, and settle for about 1/3 of a cord at a time. My Ranger with 7 foot bed and payload package handles that just fine, and gives 27mpg doing it...

 

[BrotherBart]

"In Virginia it has been illegal for years to advertise wood using the terms “rick” or “face cord”. Ya gotta sell it in terms of cords. Half, full etc."

Great, never too many laws.

Yeah. Mind bending to look at the newspaper the other day and see that 1,000 new laws went into effect in Virginia July 1. That is 1,000 new ones that you are automatically assumed to be familiar with instantly.

 

[BrotherBart]

1000? Serious?

As serious as a chainsaw kickback.

(broken link removed to http://tinyurl.com/pfhdj)

Check on how many new ones went into effect in PA.

 

[Mo Heat]

In Virginia it has been illegal for years to advertise wood using the terms "rick" or "face cord". Ya gotta sell it in terms of cords. Half, full etc.

Illegal? HaHaHaHa! BB, we're talking about the Wood Man, here! Truth be damed! Ethics be damned! Laws be damned!

What Robbie will likely discover, if his experiences are anywhere close to mine, especially if he lives in the burbs or the city, is that if you insist upon wood being sold in real cords (as is also the law here in Missouri, which is routinely ignored), and insist it is dry, and insist they deliver the amount agreed upon, you will never buy wood from the same Wood Man twice because they never deliver what is agreed upon. In my experience, this is true even if you receive a 'make-up delivery'.

My experiences, YMMV, but I doubt it. There is the rare exception to the above. If you find a Wood Man that is honest and delivers what is claimed, you should consider tipping him above and beyond the price agreed upon, and tell him you will find him as many customers as you can, and that you will buy from him exclusively, and then offer him a beer and invite him in for supper.

 

[babalu87]

Encourage competition in cable television. ROFL

Discourage high-dollar payouts, such as that received by the former administrator of the public employee retirement fund. The law applies to political appointees the same severance rules covering other workers who leave the state payroll by no fault of their own, such as layoffs.

Wouldnt want to just make that a law now would they, oooohh the horror

 

[Eric Johnson]

"In Virginia it has been illegal for years to advertise wood using the terms “rick” or “face cord”. Ya gotta sell it in terms of cords. Half, full etc."

Great, never too many laws.

In Maine, I think it's illegal to use the word "cord" to describe anything other than a standard full cord.

This past spring I busted one of the upper shock mounts off the frame of my 2004 Ranger. For the past couple of years I've used it to haul a total of about 60 full cords, a face cord at a time. I don't know if that caused the mount to break off, but as careful as I am with that rig, I must have hit a pothole or some kind of bump with a good load on. 45,000 miles and it's still got the original tires and brakes and just passed the state inspection, so I don't feel like I'm abusing it.

 

[Robbie]

I think Mo Heat is very right...........I tipped on the first load for good solid dry looking wood ($10).

Then I ordered another 2 "ricks" from the same person and he delivered very wet wood with many slabs thrown in counting as wood. I ask about the slabs and he said thats all he had left and that they burn very well.

Like my grandson of 6 says............Duh !



Robbie.

 

[elkimmeg]

Encourage competition in cable television. ROFL

Discourage high-dollar payouts, such as that received by the former administrator of the public employee retirement fund. The law applies to political appointees the same severance rules covering other workers who leave the state payroll by no fault of their own, such as layoffs.

Wouldnt want to just make that a law now would they, oooohh the horror

We already have just such a law on the books in MA concerning selling cord wood I will did it up if you need proof but it falls under the jurisdiction of weights and measures you know the seal at the gas pumps a gallon = a gallon

 

[elkimmeg]

If you find a Wood Man that is honest and delivers what is claimed, you should consider tipping him above and beyond the price agreed upon, and tell him you will find him as many customers as you can, and that you will buy from him exclusively, and then offer him a beer and invite him in for supper.

Boy can you be bought easy? Have you ever tweaked that door gasket as I suggested by padding it out ?

 

[Harley]

[quote author="elkimmeg" date="1152665396]
We already have just such a law on the books in MA concerning selling cord wood I will did it up if you need proof but it falls under the jurisdiction of weights and measures you know the seal at the gas pumps a gallon = a gallon[/quote]

I could be completely off base here, Elk, but I thought the law in MA prohibited you from offering wood for sale in terms of "cords" but rather in terms of cubic feet. I believe a "cord" to be 4 X 4 X 8 (stacked) = 128 cubic feet. Under the regs., your local wood processor could used his 5 yard loader, scoop up a nearly full bucket, dump it into a delivery vehicle, bring it to you and there's your "cord" No law broken, since the wood took up the volume of 128 cubic feet, but I'd hazzard a guess that stacked, you would be lucky to get 2/3 of a cord.

I'm not slamming any of you pro's out there, nor am I saying that all sellers are dishonest...... My point is (and that's if I understand the regs as I described above) that the regs. actually make it less likely that you will get what you think what you are buying.... the opposite of what they were supposed to do in the first place. Unlike buying a gallon of gas at the pumps.

 

[elkimmeg]

You may be right the cord is described as 128 cu ft. we all agree to that. The question becomes the delivery system or how it is measured. For selling gravel /sand stone and mulch the vollume of a bucket can be used to measure for soild filled or packed material. Wood is not solid or filled packed material the 128 cubis ft is defined measured 4/4/8' as stacked

 

[elkimmeg]

I have this subdivision where I have an estimated 30,000 extra yards to remove I'm loading 10 wheelers, that the company buying the gravel claims is 14 yards capacity. I am finishing grading offf lots and run short on loam and purchace it from the same company and trucks that haulled out the gravel. When Paying off the loam bill I notice they charged me for 16 yards in the same truck?. You can bet there was a serious discussion on capacities $8,000 discussion in my favor