Local Woodburners - Amherst, NH and vicinity

[vgrund]

Hi,

I would like to get a group of local wood burners connected (virtually) to trade stories, knowledge & tips and experiences with a local flavor. Maybe we'll even get plan a local get together next year. Amherst, NH, and vicinity (zip 03031). Does this interest anyone? PM me or reply here.

Victor

 

[joustinghill]

Hi,

I would like to get a group of local wood burners connected (virtually) to trade stories, knowledge & tips and experiences with a local flavor. Maybe we'll even get plan a local get together next year. Amherst, NH, and vicinity (zip 03031). Does this interest anyone? PM me or reply here.

Victor

Count me in. Mason isn't exactly local to Amherst, but it isn't really local to anywhere else either.

 

[vgrund]

You beat me to it ("not local to anything")!

 

[Northern NH Mike]

If you don't mind some North Country flavor, I'd enjoy the "local" discussion. If nothing else, sharing info about suppliers, stores etc would be of interest.

 

[PunKid8888]

I am in Kensington near Seabrook, so again, close is a relative term

 

[Joyca]

I'm in Pepperell, MA. Where can I find reasonable priced cord wood?

 

[vgrund]

It varies a great deal by town. One of my "local" friends, a town or two over, has no trouble and seems to have several good options even late in the season. I however have not had much luck finding a reliable supplier. It was a big factor in my decision to delay a wood stove purchase in the summer. I simply could not get CSD wood and unfortunately I don't own a wood lot. I'll try again in the spring.

 

[youngstr]

I'm just over the hill in New Boston......count me in.

 

[Max Headroom]

I'm in Pepperell, MA. Where can I find reasonable priced cord wood?

I'm in Pepperell as well, and I haven't found a reliable supplier yet. I can tell you who NOT to buy from though

 

[vgrund]

If you mean reliable in the sense of supplying "seasoned" wood, you are really asking for frustration. It's another matter though if you are having trouble getting green wood you'll season yourself.

 

[fsr4538]

I would be very interested in a local conversation. Especially willing to share sources of free wood and would appreciate others who may come upon a score they can not take all of etc.

I know that craigslist is a good source but sometimes we get by with a little help from our friends.

I live in Newmarket (on the seacoast) and am am willing to help other in any way that I can.

Forrest

 

[olddaddy]

Count me in . I live in Tyngsboro Ma. I am looking for a grapple load for next heating season. Does anyone know any dealers in the area.

 

[vgrund]

Count me in . I live in Tyngsboro Ma. I am looking for a grapple load for next heating season. Does anyone know any dealers in the area.

I'll consider that myself but I wouldn't know where to start to find one.

When I first thought I'd get a wood burning stove, I started looking into the wood supply. Timeframe was late last Spring (not ideal). It has been been profoundly frustrating to find a decent, well-priced wood supply in Amherst, NH. There seems to be an iron curtain around my town... Mostly $275 per cord and up for green wood, when it can be had at all. A little west or north and it is much cheaper. In early summer '08 I cancelled plans to buy a wood stove for this heating season since there no point in spending that much if cost-effective fuel cannot be obtained. I'll start earlier this year and we'll see what happens. My perspective right now is that this would be a lot of upfront expense to save very little money.

Victor

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Count me in . I live in Tyngsboro Ma. I am looking for a grapple load for next heating season. Does anyone know any dealers in the area.

There was a guy selling grapple loads in the for sale/wanted section here for N. MA and S. NH. I think they were like $700.

 

[vgrund]

Adios, every time I see your profile picture I laugh. I would be interested to get a name if you come across it again. Thanks.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

found it: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/30791/
Marquis Tree

 

[Max Headroom]

If you mean reliable in the sense of supplying “seasoned” wood, you are really asking for frustration. It’s another matter though if you are having trouble getting green wood you’ll season yourself.

Really just one bad experience with "all of the above". Old but wet wood, 25%short, agreed to make it right , etc. I won't need to buy any for next year, but any I do buy down the road will be green.

 

[olddaddy]

thanks for the info on the grapple load. The dealer that I used the past few years will not even return my p/c or e mails. So it looks like I will be going some where else.

 

[gwesleyr]

Hi all,

I'm in Mont Vernon, and I'd enjoy getting together to share experiences.

When I started down the road of investigating efficient heating with wood products, I realized that despite cord wood having a much quicker ROI than pellets, I just don't have the time, space, or spouse (neat freak) to deal with it. So this summer I bought a cord of semi-seasoned wood for the seldom used stove in the basement, and went and bought a pellet insert for the fireplace. That said, with kids getting older they want to put as much distance between themselves and their parents, and the (unfinished) basement is turning out to be that place. We've burned it more this year than in the previous 7 since we built the place. Anyhow, I still don't have the space to deal with a grapple load, but if I were in the market for one I'd reach out to a licensed forester/logger in the area. They know when/where the cutting is going on, though a forester may not be going the actual cutting. I happen to be on the Conservation Commission, and we manage the Town Forest too, so personally I'd call one of the guys I know. You can get a list of (broken link removed to http://extension.unh.edu/forestry/dir/index.cfm) in your area from the UNH-Cooperative Extension, or your localities equivalent. Better yet, mosey into Town Hall and make friends with the clerk/treasurer/CC chair. Loggers must file an Intent to Cut permit, which would tell you everything you need to know. I have to think they'd prefer to get them off their truck sooner rather than later.

If someone nearby is looking for a grapple load, I can get you in touch with the right people. Now is probably a good time, since wood markets are soft, yet there is a lot of product lying on the ground from the ice storm. I know our forester has reached out to us to see if we (the CC) are interested in a salvage operation, and he's back on a parcel they had finished logging several months back.

Wes

 

[FlipThatLog]

I'm over in Merrimack, NH. Please count me in.

I just had a Quadrafire i4100 installed this season. After a few snarfu's we're off and running.
Getting used to the in's and out's of a fireplace insert vs a fireplace.

 

[thinkxingu]

Hello,
I'm in Merrimack, NH too--count me in! Since so many of us are close, do you think it might be worth looking into a "group buy"? I've done things like this in the past, and if we're all willing to get it done within the same time frame, it might be worth it for dealers.

SML

 

[chachdave]

I'm in Hudson and I get my wood in chunks for 100 a cord. I split and season myself. Call all the tree guys in the yellow pages they should come close to that price. My guy is in Tyngsboro MA and I dont rush him, when he has chunks he brings them by.

 

[olddaddy]

I'm in Tyngsboro, and am open to grapple loads or wood that is cut split delivered, unseasoned or even seasoned. It would be good if we could find a supplier that can handle a large order.

 

[FlipThatLog]

Sorry that I haven't been posting a few days. I'll probably pass on the group buys of logs or grapple loads. I have trees I need to take down this year, so I'm likely to have sufficient firewood for the next couple seasons. I'm going to cut the smaller trees and call in the pros for some storm-damaged oaks that need to come down gracefully, rather than on our roof during another ice storm, or under my chainsaw. ;-)

I had a bad experience with 1 cord of "mostly-dry" firewood that I acquired in Fall 2008. Our stove experienced all the usual and expected symptoms associated with damp firewood: slow fires, smoke and soot. The supplier was honest and mentioned that 2008 was tough summer to dry out firewood, and I'll agree, but I'm going to try to do my own this season. I'll very likely mix in the ersatz logs (locally produced ground-up hardwood pressed into logs without any wax binders) this season as well. I've been using pieces of these logs, sparingly I might add, as kindling, and on occasion as the main fuel. I'll likely buy 1 ton to keep around.

I would very much like to share tips and ideas with others in the local area on wood burning, fireplace inserts, Quadrafire, etc. Geting together as a group for coffee at some local diner (Red Arrow in Milford) or other venue would be great.

Best,

Mike