Not blaming or crying about anything. I posted about how to read a moisture meter to check if the wood i want to buy is dry and ready to burn. Sorry I didn't have a crystal ball 3 years ago to know to get wood ready for a stove for stove I had no idea i would be purchasing. i assume thats what you mean by horse and cart comment. Blaming what? dishonest sellers claiming to being selling "seasoned" wood making it difficult to discern from honest? I have no idea the purpose of your post.
help buying "seasoned" wood using moisture meter
- Thread starter brownclown
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You live in NY where most a re burning hardwoods. Do you understand the lot size someone would need to have to season wood for 2-3 years and make a living out of it? It’s not feasible at all.
Most who sell wood are tree guys selling what they cut down that year and need to get rid of it to clear space in the yard for the next years batch of tree work. The only people who are going to be selling truly seasoned wood are only going to be able to sell small amounts per year as that’s all they have room for and charging a very high premium for it to make it worth their while.
The west coast is far easier to sell seasoned wood after a year due to the fact most wood there is softwood. You aren’t going to find a seller that’s going to allow you to do what you want for the reasons highbeam listed above. Qwee is the exception to the rule.
Most who sell wood are tree guys selling what they cut down that year and need to get rid of it to clear space in the yard for the next years batch of tree work. The only people who are going to be selling truly seasoned wood are only going to be able to sell small amounts per year as that’s all they have room for and charging a very high premium for it to make it worth their while.
The west coast is far easier to sell seasoned wood after a year due to the fact most wood there is softwood. You aren’t going to find a seller that’s going to allow you to do what you want for the reasons highbeam listed above. Qwee is the exception to the rule.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Lets see, one guy just wants to buy my product with no attitude. Cool, easy, low risk. The other guy wants to inspect and measure and maybe buy it. That guy has an attitude and is hard, high risk. In a seller's market I will always choose the easy sure thing sale. Maybe you can offer to pay extra for all the trouble? Yes, you would be more work, more time, and more trouble than usual.
I would gladly pay extra for wood that was dry or work with seller forth coming and would assume most buyers would given the challenges i have seen. I also generally tip well when someone meet or exceeds my exceptions such as the 2 load of logs i have received after being more than happy with quality, quantity and just general ease of transaction. Maybe your area has more access to dry wood but around here if someone was to post on market place and add like qwee, he could easily charge an extra 100-200 per cord. There isn't a single person here doing so. It is the same old "seasoned wood" adds. If you have a premium product I don't understand why you wouldn't do like wise. It would take an extra 5 minutes to rightfully brag about your quality product, ensure future sales and more money for the same amount of work (plus 5 minutes). Not that Im telling you how to run you business, just doesn't make any sense in my eyes. To me the extra money would be worth the "attitude".
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
I also sell on FBM and I actually encourage people in my listing to test the wood before purchasing. I also explain to them how to properly do it. I do it mainly to educate those looking to buy firewood in order to weed out those who are not selling dry wood. I recently saw a dump trailer of wood for sale, so I grabbed my splitting maul and moisture meter and proceeded to test a couple splits after work a couple days ago. They tested out @ ~35% each. I was told last year by a few repeat buyers that I am the only one around the area who actually has dry wood.
The problem with my stuff is it's cut long and split large. Not good for those with stoves and fireplaces. I had a guy last year who drove 2.5 hours round trip to buy a full cord knowing it wouldn't fit in his stove but he planned on cutting them all shorter.
Here is the wording in my listing.
I have also attached this video to the listing was well.
The problem with my stuff is it's cut long and split large. Not good for those with stoves and fireplaces. I had a guy last year who drove 2.5 hours round trip to buy a full cord knowing it wouldn't fit in his stove but he planned on cutting them all shorter.
Here is the wording in my listing.
Please read entire listing before asking questions.
Tired of looking and looking and not finding dry wood anywhere?? Well, congratulations, you've found some.
Mine has been cut, split, stacked and top covered since spring of 2018. It's -DRY- (<15% internal moisture) and ready to burn.
All red/white oak with a sprinkling of maple.
- Wood is cut to about 20" (+/ 1") in length. Please make sure your appliance can accept up to 22" long pieces before buying.
- $150 a face cord (43 cubic feet stacked)
- $430 a full cord (128 cubic feet stacked)
- Cash, Paypal or Venmo only. If paying cash, I require exact amount, I do not carry cash to make change. If you don't have exact amount, expect to pay more, -NOT- less.
Can only deliver up to 2 face cords at a time within a reasonable distance from Spring Brook in Wisconsin Dells and for an additional charge of $10 + $2 per mile. Delivery is only to your driveway or other easily accessible paved location off of the road & does not mean driving through a field/off road in order to access a wood shed or other storage area you may have in mind.
Here's how to be an informed consumer when purchasing firewood and how to know what you are buying is truly dry enough to burn properly. If what you are buying is advertised as being dry and/or seasoned (meaning under 20% moisture content), bring a moisture meter and splitting maul with you and test the wood before purchasing. One can purchase a moisture meter on Amazon for under $30. If the wood is stored in stacked rows, obtain a split from the top and bottom of the row. If the wood is stored in pile form, ask to obtain a few pieces from further into the pile and not from the top of the pile. -ALWAYS- re-split the split and measure the freshly split face in the center of the log. This will give you the -INTERNAL- moisture content of the log. Remember, you want to measure the wettest part of the piece of wood and not the driest.
I can provide a splitting maul and moisture meter upon request for anyone looking to check my firewood's moisture content before purchasing.
Here's a great informative article, including a video:
What Is the Ideal Moisture Content For Firewood?
www.backyardboss.net
I have also attached this video to the listing was well.
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mellow
Resident Stove Connoisseur
JRHAWK9
Minister of Fire
I'd be sure to test that as well. Lots of times the wood is not in the kiln long enough to boil the moisture out deep in the split. It's mainly done to kill bugs in order to be able to legally transport over state lines and such. Kiln dried does not necessarily mean dry.....it's also used as a marketing tool.
mellow
Resident Stove Connoisseur
I would as well, the OP is going on about wood sellers in his area not selling seasoned wood and how they don't say %, a quick search pulls this up and the guy quotes on his website the wood is at/below 10%. I would hold him to that on delivery.
You are another example of what I am hoping to find and purchase from. I am not sure of what other sellers charge per cord in comparison in your area but average for me the people i have spoke with here is 300+-, I am guessing it would be similar. To me the additional cost of straight up add for a premium product would be worth it.
If it is dry it is 325 per face cord, plus 85 per pallet delivery. but i guess now im "going on" about cost.
$400+ for a cord? It would be cheaper to just run the oil burner! I don't try to buy seasoned wood. Any word that I buy, I get supposed seasoned wood for $200 a cord and just let it sit for a year.
$325 a face cord?!?!? That is just insane. You would have to be a millionaire to heat with wood. That's pushing a grand per cord. I don't get it??
i agree . I was just commenting on Mellow's reply on how a "quick search" shows dry wood in my area. so need to "go on".
I was in your situation about 4 years ago. I'm in CT, so not that far from NY. What I did was find standing dead ash trees on my property. All of the dead ash I've taken down has measured 15-25%. Some of it is so dry the chain saw chips are basically dust and they pop apart as soon as the splitter touches it. I took a dead oak tree down this year and was surprised to find all of that wood completely dry too. I'm currently splitting and staking a dead hickory that is measuring 23% straight off the splitter. Invasive bugs have taken out so many trees in our area it isn't hard to find dry wood if you look hard enough. They'll stand dead for years slowly drying out.
Of the hardwoods around I find the sugar maples dry out the fastest. I have no problem burning maple after just a year of drying.
Of the hardwoods around I find the sugar maples dry out the fastest. I have no problem burning maple after just a year of drying.
thank you. i just recently read about Ash. The guy it got my green logs has me on his list for next job he gets. I also purchased a pallet of envriobricks and some end cuts of construction lumber. I should be good this year with help of you all.
Silver maple is great, not quite as many btus as hard maple but much more than pine and drys just as fast. If split in the spring you have a good chance of it being ready by the winter.
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Yes, I'm referring to hardwood sugar maple. Stuff dries out really quickly and burns well. He may be referring to red maple. We have those too. They burn up quicker but also dry out really fast.
Yes it is, I meant silver maple as the soft....brain fart!
Sugar seasons faster than oak, but not as fast as pine like silver does.
Edited my previous post
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Gonna have to take a botany course. I have always thought all the maple here were sugar. I thought tree id would be easier i have been having trouble with, ash vs red oak and hickory. never mind maple vs maple.
You can boil the sap down from just about any tree . some are sweeter like the maples . Heck the Amish and Melonites make various drinks from birch sap.
There a couple firms around my area that offer kiln dried firewood , I do not keep tap on cost but know it is apx $300 cord for mixed hardwood ( likely higher now days). Both are large operations and have built or bought large commercial style kilns that run 24/7. In WI those units have to be certified by the state inspectors to advertise that way. Places that make pallet boards or pallets have to kiln heat treat that wood for a much shorter duration as specified by the state to kill bugs for interstate/ international transport. These particular specs by no means result in wood at 20% or less.
There a couple firms around my area that offer kiln dried firewood , I do not keep tap on cost but know it is apx $300 cord for mixed hardwood ( likely higher now days). Both are large operations and have built or bought large commercial style kilns that run 24/7. In WI those units have to be certified by the state inspectors to advertise that way. Places that make pallet boards or pallets have to kiln heat treat that wood for a much shorter duration as specified by the state to kill bugs for interstate/ international transport. These particular specs by no means result in wood at 20% or less.
started getting free rounds dropped off by arborists this spring. Was buying prior and it was pita, no offense to sellers. What I found in terms of buying was that if I wanted for example two cords to burn this year, I needed to buy four cords in the spring. I would split it all once, and could normally sort out two cords to burn this year, and stack the other two cords for next year. I got ahead that way, and then an arborist who saw me splitting wood one day asked if I wanted some rounds and dumped about three cords. Did it once more after that. Now I have a chit ton of wood and will keep getting more free not gonna buy anymore at $250 - $300 cord. To people who buy- I really don’t see firewood as like going and buying something with like a usda label on it. It’s firewood. If you need a label I’d say get a pellet stove. If I was a seller I’d blow of people calling and asking too many questions cuz who needs the hassle unless you’re really in need of customers.
That's unfortunate but the main reason I started selling wood this year. Tired of buying green wood sold as seasoned, tired of sellers not knowing what a 'cord' is, and tired of sellers being too impatient. I sell completely dried wood, moisture verified and stack cu ft verified. Also undercut all of the sellers in my area on prices. I aim to educate the customers even if they don't buy from me. Next year I'll be buying a bunch of land to set up solar kilns to dry cords at one time.
If you can, buy logs and cut them up. Stack em for a year or two depending on the tree type. Or if you have property, cut your own. Buying from firewood vendors to me does not make a lot of economic sense IMHO. It’s okay if you burn say only on weekends and need a cord for the ambiance but after that, I think better money is spent on a mini-split or other high efficiency heat source.
There are some good firewood vendors and there are a lot of others who claim “seasoned” wood. If you are buying, just have a good convo with the seller to ensure you know what you are getting and that way expectations are inline.
There are some good firewood vendors and there are a lot of others who claim “seasoned” wood. If you are buying, just have a good convo with the seller to ensure you know what you are getting and that way expectations are inline.
Investment Camper
New Member
I went the route of learning how to find, cut, split and stack my own. I found plenty of standing dead oak came down in a big wind storm and found plenty of opportunities on FB marketplace. I installed the stove last October and was able to burn right away. But doing it yourself is a wonderful thing if you can spare the time.
Soon you'll be doing it like me without the bark! Lol. I've learned so much on here. Wood good! I find it very interesting. It's kinda like a hobby for me.
