How much wood in a tree

[brakatak]

new to burning, and about to take down a Big oak. maybe 50' tall, 25" + diameter base. Once split, how much wood do you think i'd get ?

 

[NortheastAl]

A lot!

All kidding aside, it depends on branches and all that. Plus, I have no idea how to figure that out.

 

[Jon1270]

I'll say 1.25 cords. But there's a big tolerance on that number.

 

[rideau]

.7854 times the square of the average diameter of the tree times the height of the tree.

If 25 inches at base and 10 inches at summit, 50 feet long, then (25 +10 = 35inches /2=17.5 inches/12inches ):
[17.5/12 x 17.5/12].7854 = average area in square feet x height (50) = cords in tree. Likely about .85 cords in the tree you are talking about. Depends on the size of the crown.

 

[StihlHead]

Figure a cord, plus or minus. A true cord, 4'x4'x8', not a face(fake) cord or rick.

 

[BrotherBart]

Never gotten more than 3/4 cord out of oaks around here. Look like monsters on the stump. Look like a winter's worth split and piled. Look like 3/4 of a cord stacked.

 

[osagebow]

Never gotten more than 3/4 cord out of oaks around here. Look like monsters on the stump. Look like a winter's worth split and piled. Look like 3/4 of a cord stacked.

Yep. I've learned to misunderestimate my oaks.

 

[osagebow]

new to burning, and about to take down a Big oak. maybe 50' tall, 25" + diameter base. Once split, how much wood do you think i'd get ?

Good luck, be safe and welcome, Brak. Have you done a lot of felling on those big ones yet? I made a few mistakes starting out, these guys set me straight.

"What the heck is a felling wedge?"

 

[Backwoods Savage]

new to burning, and about to take down a Big oak. maybe 50' tall, 25" + diameter base. Once split, how much wood do you think i'd get ?

Old to burning here. It is too difficult to guess how much wood you'll get from that tree. The biggest factor here is what is on top; that is, limbs. If the tree is standing amongst others it will grow tall with few limbs until it gets up to some sunlight. If the tree stands in the open, it can have a huge amount of limbs and you'll get a lot of additional wood from those. I prefer the trees without all those limbs when it comes to cutting but it is still all good wood; just more work.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Lets us know when you CS&S it.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I've had a dozen or so 35-40 ft. logs in my yard. Thinking it looks like 4 but probably 2 cord. Be surprised whatever
you get over a cord. A cord of oak is a lot of heat!

 

[swagler85]

I'm surprised no one said anything about that being a 2 year minimum wood yet. But here goes, oak is a great but slow drying wood.

 

[BrotherBart]

I'm surprised no one said anything about that being a 2 year minimum wood yet.

Only about 30 times a week here. I think all firewood is a two year minimum drying time.

 

[teutonicking]

new to burning, and about to take down a Big oak. maybe 50' tall, 25" + diameter base. Once split, how much wood do you think i'd get ?

This might help (see attached pdf):

 

[firecracker_77]

I swear that sugar maple seasons faster than 2 years. As soon as it's split, it dries so fast.

 

[Ashful]

This might help (see attached pdf):

Thanks for posting that. I'm hanging onto that one.

Unfortunately, it stops at 29"! What do you do with this?



... or this?



... or this?

 

[firecracker_77]

Thanks for posting that. I'm hanging onto that one.

Unfortunately, it stops at 29"! What do you do with th

View attachment 107851

... or this?

View attachment 107852

That looks like one of those Live Oaks from the south. I guess you use a big saw to get it into manageable weight pieces and split shorter length splits. I have a massive piece like that. I can't move it unless I cut it to smaller pieces resulting in little splits. Just too big and you can't cut right through the middle against the grain to make it manageable.

 

[Ashful]

That looks like one of those Live Oaks from the south.

Top photo was an oak I cut at my church, but I do not recall what kind.
Second photo is a white oak, still standing.
Third photo is an ash, and probably the most frightening tree I've downed. (Note the split perpendicular to the hinge!)

A smaller (42") round from the church oak:

 

[teutonicking]

Thanks for posting that. I'm hanging onto that one.

Unfortunately, it stops at 29"! What do you do with this?

View attachment 107851

... or this?

View attachment 107852

... or this?

View attachment 107853

You're welcome. I know it is limited to medium sized trees. But its a pretty useful rule of thumb. The ones I try to remember is that:

a 16" tree will make about 1/2 a cord,
a 21" tree will make one cord, and
a 27" diameter tree will make two cords.

 

[firecracker_77]

I don't know what to say. Maybe get a hand truck to bring it up to the splitter. Then rotate it around till it cracks into pieces you can manage. Those big boys are great to look at, but I would prefer a 16 inch diameter piece I can get through 10 times faster. It'll make a lot of great firewood once finished. The big ones are just frustrating to me. I know some people love them with all the wood in each log.

 

[firecracker_77]

An oak tree is beautiful.

 

[bmblank]

I prefer the shape of a nice healthy maple tree to that of an oak.

 

[Ashful]

Mature white oak or beech is about as beautiful as they get. The trouble is, plant one today, and maybe your grandkids will enjoy it. They don't grow fast.

 

[firefighterjake]

An oak tree is beautiful.

Gotta agree . . . love the shape of them. In fact, I've gone around my property and tagged with survey tape many of the young oaks as I want to try to avoid weedwhacking them . . . this may be due to the fact that growing up on our family land there were very few oaks.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I think most trees are beautiful.