Craigslist

[bdog]

Yesterday a listing pops up on the local Craigslist for a "large tree" blown over in a backyard. The usual, cut the wood, keep the wood stuff. So I called the phone number within 10 minutes of the listing going up and ask the homeowner about the tree. They tell me "maple". We talk some more and it really sounds like a large tree.

Now I know Craigslist can be a crapshoot, but the last 2 times turned out to be really good (large sugar maple and a large red oak).

So I check out of work early, grab the gear and drive the 30 miles. When I get there they show me the tree. Its good-sized tree, maybe 36" diameter at the waist. But, its a cottonwood. I politely tell the homeowner that it is not a maple and get the response, "oh, we don't know much about trees, but we gotta a maple for you too". Then they walk me around the house and show me a 70' tall silver maple that I can have. Only thing is, this one is still standing - ten feet from the house, limbs literally sitting on the roof of the house. Neighbor's house 20' on the other side. Tree is on a street corner so all of the power, phone and cable lines for the whole block are running right between the branches like a triangle (some on each side of the trunk, many against the trunk). I ended up cutting up some of the cottonwood and took home maybe 1/2 a cord or so (heavy stuff). I figured I made the trip, might as well take a load back.

Never committed as to whether or not I was coming back for the rest. Not sure what to do, although free wood is free wood, I'm not sure it is worth the 60 miles roundtrip when I can pull another couple of cords of ash out my neighbors woods (storm blowdowns from last spring and summer), and I've got a bunch of maple in my driveway and backlot to process as well.

It really think they knew what the tree was, and just played me along for the ride. I think I'm gonna pass on the rest of the cottonwood.

 

[bayshorecs]

I would pass too. We always called cottonwood "poof" wood. Not worth the effort unless it is close and free in my book.

I would bet you can find A LOT better wood for free within a 30 mile radius.

 

[linckeil]

i get wood out of craigslist all the time. i've always had good luck, but travel no more than 10 miles tops for it (usually 5 miles or so). i only go this far for fear of what just happened to you.

 

[Jags]

Spend your time on the Ash you were talking about. Its far better firewood than cottonwood or silver maple.

 

[bdog]

I would not touch the silver maple, no way, no how.

I am passing on the rest of the cottonwood. I really want to get the ash trees out of the woods before the snow falls. They were blow downs from a storm earlier this year and once we get a foot or 2 of snow it will be more than difficult to get them out, then I would need until after the spring thaw for the ground to get hard enough to get at them.

 

[Rick]

I would also stay away from the silver maple. Even if it was on the ground. I hate that stuff, my least favorite wood. I wish it didn't have "maple" in its name.

 

[Risser09]

I agree that unless it's an awesome wood species, and already on the ground, it's not worth traveling that far. 30 miles is way too far for me. I might go 5 miles at most.

 

[CowboyAndy]

I had posted a craigslist ad a while back saying taht I would cut and remove DOWNED limbs or trees. I got soo many calls from people asking to remove the 70' pine that is 5' from the house and surrounded by power lines. Never went on a single one.

 

[billb3]

I just paid someone $900.00 to take down 3 huge 90 year old white pines (or older, hard to count the outer third of rings due to the bleeding pitch). There was no place for them to drop. Looks so easy when you got bucket trucks, huge chippers and a bobcat with a claw. And somebody with the rappling equipment to climb up and cut it up in small pieces.
I've had pines (huge ones) spin and fall in strange directions. Oaks with borers/ants hollowed out cores can fall unexpectedly different than the way they lean and get cut. Maples with internal spiral cracks from wind storms and past hurricanes.
I've cut trees off of houses because I've had to after a storm, but there are guys with the right equipment and they are not in it necessarily just for the wood.

 

[CowboyAndy]

Oaks with borers/ants hollowed out cores can fall unexpectedly different than the way they lean and get cut.

We hd the same issue with a hickory that was hollow and we didnt realise it. It didn't have much to hinge on, and broke.