Guess how much wood? (Update message #25 has final answer)

[Slow1]

Background: Through CL I found a guy offering wood at $100/cord split but no delivery. Long story somewhat short, after talking and visiting with him it turned out he estimated he had about 3 cords with half being fresh cut/split and the other half being about 3-4 years old split. None was stacked, rather it was all in piles with the older wood spread about. Since wood around here is going for at least 200 for green and 300 for anything claiming to be seasoned I figured even if it doesn't stack out to a full 3 cords I'm getting a pretty good deal so... I rented a truck and got a couple friends from work to help me load it up and get it home. Pictures below are the pile next to my driveway (no, I didn't manage to get my buddies to stack it for me... funny that eh?). So, it may be a little while before I get it all stacked (and yeah, I couldn't resist burning some of that nice dry wood since it is better than anything I've ever had before) but the name of the game here is "guess the volume" - anyone care to hazard a guess from the pictures? (I should measure my 6yo there and provide her height as a frame of reference eh?)

 

[webby3650]

Pics can be deceiving but I would say only 1 to 1.5 cords you got there. Have to see what it stacks up to.

 

[vwboomer]

I'd say no more than 2, if that.

 

[fossil]

Maybe ~ a cord, perhaps a bit more. Rick

 

[schortie]

Looks to me to be three face cords - 1 real cord. Could have been what the guy meant. I sure hope this doesn't start another face cord / real cord discussion.

 

[fossil]

No, we don't need to get into that. See post #11 in this thread to have a look at what a professional firewood seller calls a 2 cord load:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/36709/

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I'm with those guys.
I would guess somewhere between 1 and 2 cords. No more than 2.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If they are calling a 4 x 8 stack of wood a cord, then you probably got 3. But a 4 x 4 x 8 stack, I'd guess a cord, perhaps just a tad more.

 

[northwinds]

If that's one of his cords, you got a good deal. If it's all three, not so good.

 

[savageactor7]

Looks like a good deal to me...too bad those deals don't show up more often.

 

[smokinj]

Id say atleast 2-2.5cords stackem up and let us know?

 

[iceman]

how bout you tell us what kind of truck you rented??? that would be a good indicator ... but i say its tricky i would call it a cord but it looks like the ground is lower than the driveway so will say its about 1.5

 

[LLigetfa]

Wow, almost everyone is all over the map on this one. Knowing the length of the splits would help. I'd guess they are bucked to 20". An average six year old is well under four feet.

My guess is a little more than a cord but certainly nowhere near 3. If talking face cord, assuming the bucked length of 20", that would be about right.

 

[iceman]

Wow, almost everyone is all over the map on this one. Knowing the length of the splits would help. I'd guess they are bucked to 20". An average six year old is well under four feet.

My guess is a little more than a cord but certainly nowhere near 3. If talking face cord, assuming the bucked length of 20", that would be about right.

i think your about right i went a little at high 1.5 i am gonna now say 1-1.25 unless he rented a big uhaul truck... i am assuming he rented a dump truck
but if thats the case its about 175-200 a trip??

 

[PapaDave]

I agree with the 1.25-1.5 estimate. Full cord around here is now about $180-195, csd. If a full 3 cords, you got a decent deal. My CSD guy doesn't stack at that price either, and I don't expect him to.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Pics can be deceiving but I would say only 1 to 1.5 cords you got there. Have to see what it stacks up to.

x2

 

[Todd]

I'm going to gues 1.3333

 

[BrotherBart]

Somewhere between a bunch and a lot.

 

[smokinj]

Somewhere between a bunch and a lot.

That soulds like a great guess that doesnt need a justitftion!

 

[mayhem]

I think you maybe just got screwed is what I think. $100/"cord" and you took all 3 cords he had and thats all of itpiled up there? You just paid $300 for a cord of wood that you had to go pick up yourself.

Only way to know how much is there is to stack it up, but no way there's even 2 cords there.

 

[Slow1]

Well, pictures aren't all that good I think. The pile measures a good 5' tall and is about 10' wide at the base. I'm comfortable that I have at least one full 'real' cord (I don't deal with face cords). I rented a 15' ryder moving truck that had some weak springs as it turned out and made three trips (last trip was much lighter than first two) - bottomed out the springs on second trip on a bump... oh well. Didn't use up the space in the truck for any of the runs, mostly was concerned about the weight on the springs and then the time it was taking to move wood into position (saved time to let the guys wheelbarrow it to the driveway while two of us drove it to my house and unloaded then returned to just toss it in quickly rather than have to all walk back and forth across the yard - should have gotten more wheelbarrows).

I'm stacking up a bunch of it tomorrow, will report on progress as I get it properly stacked. As I'll be working alone and moving the pile a ways to stack (moving the green wood to the far side of my yard where I plan to leave it stacked for 2 years - might as well take my time and stack it right the first time eh?)

Oh yeah - some of this is cut over 20" so I have to sort those pieces out so I can cut them in half.. oh well, I'm happy that these aren't all short 14-16" pieces, but I guess I'll have some 10-11" ones now so I can't win them all eh? (or I suppose I could have more 20" pieces and a pile of 2-3" pucks to toss in randomly?)

 

[gzecc]

Is that 1, 2 or 3 piles?

 

[northwinds]

There's no question in my mind either that you've got at least a cord of wood.

But to clarify, did you pay $100 for that pile of wood in the photos or $300?

 

[Slow1]

to catch up with questions:

It is one pile of wood (multiple viewpoints). I paid $300 for it which is what a cord delivered is running around here.

Now for the update...

I spent the afternoon pulling out the green wood to stack and setting aside the seasoned wood. I moved the green wood and stacked it where I hope to leave it for the next two years and built what I think is a mighty fine stack of wood on two pallets I managed to scrounge up over the last couple weeks. The stack measures up at 7'x4.5'x5' (some bits sticking out here and there of course and the top is slightly mounded over the 5' mark but I measured as conservative as I could manage to visualize figuring anything sticking out would make up for some of the gaps I may have left inside). So if my calculations are correct I have now stacked out just under 1 1/4 cords. (Yeah, I know stacking over 4' may not be a good idea but I wanted to get all the green out of the pile and measured up and I didn't have another pallet. On the bright side I really stacked it tight - I think I could stand on any part of it and not have a piece wiggle out - big 3D puzzle.)

What is left is now looking pretty spread around (my wife will not be happy looking at the mess next week!) so it is really hard to estimate if the remaining pile is anywhere near what I pulled out, but I'm currently betting it isn't over (i.e. I'll toss my lot in with the "no way it's 3 cords" crew). However the debate in my mind is will it hit 2 or not... only need 3/4 to get there... If I hit 2 then I paid $150/cord base (throw in cost of truck/gas and direct expenses it hits $220/cord not the best deal.. humph live and learn eh?)

I still need to cut a bunch of these shorter too - another factor I didn't consider. There are a lot over 20" - that will be fun eh? I decided to just let the green pile season that way. The ready to burn pile I will sort as I stack and have to deal with before next winter - pucks and long cuts? Bunch of really short splits? combination of both? I'm too tired right now to figure it out..

 

[johnn]

First picture kinda throws you off. Good price either way it stacks up,,,Hope they fit 1.357 my guess!