How far will you go for a scrounge?

[Jon1270]

I've only been scavenging firewood since last September or so, and I've been surprised how many opportunities have cropped up very close to home. More black locust, red oak, silver maple and cherry than I know what to do with has presented itself within 3 miles of home.

I live in a heavily wooded area (mid-century suburbs with mature yard trees everywhere), and everyone has access to natural gas so there isn't the competition for heating fuel that might exist in areas where the only alternatives are electric, oil and LP. On the other hand I have neither truck nor trailer; I can carry less than a quarter of a cord in my old station wagon, so it doesn't make sense for me to drive very far to fill it.

If you aren't so lucky as to have your own woodlot, how far do you go? How much wood does there have to be, to make it worth it?

 

[Jack Straw]

You may need to sit down with a calculator and run some numbers. Figure out what it costs per mile to drive your wood hauler. If you are very busy, is your time a consideration? Look around and see what wood is sold for in your area. You should be able to know how far you can go and still save money. For me it's not always about saving money, I just enjoy gathering wood. I hope this helps a little.

Edit....you may want to consider a small trailer.

 

[bigbarf48]

I generally only scrounge in a very close local area. I don't burn I just like processing wood so my wood gets sold eventually and gas for my truck is the largest input cost (monetarily speaking) so keeping that down keeps profit up

I also prefer being able to get everything no matter how many loads. I don't have a 12k pound trailer and a dually so I really couldn't get everything I'd want if scrounges were too far away

 

[Mr A]

I usually find wood close to home also. I am having a hard time passing up wood. I have no more room to store it. I have gone 30 miles to fill my truck,and have rented trailer, for some good scores. Last scrounge was 2 loads of oak, 10 miles from the house. Heavy oak rounds hauled one at a time about 150 ft up a 15% grade one at a time to the street with a hand truck

 

[USMC80]

within 15 miles from home or work which lets me cover much of Northern NJ. Think i'm done dragging it up some of these hills though lol.

 

[schlot]

I try not to go more than 15, but it depends on what I'm after too.

 

[JoeyD]

If I have the time and need the wood I will go 20 miles or more. When I first started my first scrounge was almost 27 miles one way but I won't go that far now that I am four years ahead. Most times now I am in the 10 to 15 mile range.

 

[paul bunion]

I don't have to go any further than my phone. I have a tree guy who is more than willing to drop off a grapple load. One small benefit to living in the suburbs of NJ. If you haven't tried the tree guys yet I suggest you do. They guy I get logs from runs a crane. The economics for him are more to running the crane than processing harvested wood. He's very happy to be able to get rid of a load.

 

[aansorge]

I've only been scavenging firewood since last September or so, and I've been surprised how many opportunities have cropped up very close to home. More black locust, red oak, silver maple and cherry than I know what to do with has presented itself within 3 miles of home.

I live in a heavily wooded area (mid-century suburbs with mature yard trees everywhere), and everyone has access to natural gas so there isn't the competition for heating fuel that might exist in areas where the only alternatives are electric, oil and LP. On the other hand I have neither truck nor trailer; I can carry less than a quarter of a cord in my old station wagon, so it doesn't make sense for me to drive very far to fill it.

If you aren't so lucky as to have your own woodlot, how far do you go? How much wood does there have to be, to make it worth it?

Get a trailer!

I used to do the same thing with my Honda Accord wagon, but a cheap 4X8 trailer and a hitch will turn your wagon into a good hauler that can hold nearly as much as a pickup and easier to load (lower). I bought my trailer for 250 and built sides for it. Its great!

 

[mywaynow]

3 years ago I would go 7-8 miles without thinking. Now, following 2 hurricanes and a freak fall snowstorm, I won't go more than a mile. I cut a cherry on the other side of the street 2 months ago and have not picked up the logs yet. That same property has a cord of 2.5 cords of ash, and 2 cords of red oak in log length waiting for my return. Other wood as well that I have not looked at. No more long road trips for wood. Not for a decade or so.

 

[aansorge]

Here is a cheap one...just needs some sides

(broken link removed to http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/rvs/3740829168.html)

 

[USMC80]

I don't have to go any further than my phone. I have a tree guy who is more than willing to drop off a grapple load. One small benefit to living in the suburbs of NJ. If you haven't tried the tree guys yet I suggest you do. They guy I get logs from runs a crane. The economics for him are more to running the crane than processing harvested wood. He's very happy to be able to get rid of a load.

this is what I will be doing once my yard and driveway are finished, right now i just don't have the room

 

[Jon1270]

Get a trailer!

I've got nowhere to store one, but a neighbor has offered to lend theirs. I'm not sure what would be involved in adding a trailer hitch to a '94 Volvo...

 

[lukem]

There's more wood around here than I can shake a chainsaw at, but I've done a few cleanups for some people and cut on my parent's acreage. 20 minutes each way is my limit unless I'm REALLY doing someone a favor.

 

[Scols]

Unless we get a hurricane this summer I will have to start going 20-30 miles to get "free" wood. So many people have started burning wood out here that any trees felled by the highway dept get snatched up before the ants have escaped. I just checked out a state park where you can get a firewood permit and all I found was sawdust. I guess I will have to get a trailer and start responing to the craigslist adds from up island.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I went almost 1/4 mile last winter for a scrounge...

 

[Hills Hoard]

I get most of my free wood while i'm out and about anyway so i don't have to go out of my way. Lucky..But sometimes i'll pack the car and head off for half a day just to get out..Having a ute/pick up and or trailer would make your life easier..

 

[blacktail]

I must be in the minority. I'll drive up to an hour for a truckload. If I only had a car to haul with, then I'd stay much closer to home.

 

[arngnick]

Won't go past 200 yards to the end if my property. I may get some to help relatives clean up a tree but that's about it.

 

[mywaynow]

It is pretty simple; you will go as far as you have to in order to have the wood you need and that distance goes down as your inventory goes up.

 

[arngnick]

It is pretty simple; you will go as far as you have to in order to have the wood you need and that distance goes down as your inventory goes up.

Hmm...sounds like supply and demand

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I've only been scavenging firewood since last September or so, and I've been surprised how many opportunities have cropped up very close to home. More black locust, red oak, silver maple and cherry than I know what to do with has presented itself within 3 miles of home.

I live in a heavily wooded area (mid-century suburbs with mature yard trees everywhere), and everyone has access to natural gas so there isn't the competition for heating fuel that might exist in areas where the only alternatives are electric, oil and LP. On the other hand I have neither truck nor trailer; I can carry less than a quarter of a cord in my old station wagon, so it doesn't make sense for me to drive very far to fill it.

If you aren't so lucky as to have your own woodlot, how far do you go? How much wood does there have to be, to make it worth it?

I will drive 1 hour for a cord, as long as the wood is readily accessible.

 

[Ashful]

The place where I do > 90% of my cutting is about 8 miles from home, and felling, limbing, bucking, is all a lot of work... but getting the wood home is indeed the biggest challenge. My solution is to cut a whole bunch at a time (at least 6 cords), and rent a dual-axle trailer for a day to haul it all home in a few trips of maybe 2 cords each. It's certainly not that economical, figuring in all my time, when I could have a semi-load of wood delivered for a few hundred dollars. But, I enjoy the work, and helping an older friend to maintain his property.

If I were scrounging about randomly, without a pickup or a regular cutting lot, I'd definitely follow the suggestions to buy a small utility trailer.

 

[katwillny]

I have a pretty large area that I cover mainly due to where I work related to where I live. NY state does have a 50 firewood restriction however. I work 43 miles from my home so if there is a good score near where I work i will drive the truck to work and gather the wood that way. Other than that, i try to not drive more than 15 miles to pick up. I will only drive the longer distance if its on my way to work.

 

[bogydave]

You may need to sit down with a calculator and run some numbers. Figure out what it costs per mile to drive your wood hauler.
For me it's not always about saving money, I just enjoy gathering wood. I hope this helps a little.

Edit....you may want to consider a small trailer.

+1 on the trailer
+2 on it's not always about the $$, many of us here actually do enjoy the hard work of processing our wood

I've gone 30 miles , yea, I'm nuts
but was still cheaper than $250/cord.
Was getting a cord per trip on the truck & trailer.

Big part of it was the enjoyment