Log Length firewood discussion...

[Gooserider]

I'm looking to get my yearly load of log length, as I'm almost done splitting up the rounds I had left over from last year. (I may save some of them for "toy testing" at the Hearth Party, as the leftover pile had lots of gnarly chunks in it that I gave up on last year :cheese: )

Figured I'd ask a few questions just to make sure I was getting the best deal I can...

1. Anybody have any reccomended places in the Billerica, MA area? Turner'N'Burner reccomended ASCO-Tech in Tewksbury, but he was a definite no deal - said he was no longer doing log length, as it was to much hassle, but was perfectly willing to sell cut/split at $300/cord - However if I insisted, he'd do a load of log length, ~4-5 cords for $1,000 :gulp: Needless to say I told him no deal!

I've gotten another place that said $250 for 4-5 cords of mixed hardwood, oak & maple, from "yard trees" (the guy is a tree service company, not a logger) - I'm inclined to go with that offer, unless folks think I can do better.

2. The guy said I can do some picking on the logs since his yard is close to our house, and I was wondering am I better off with a load that contains more skinny logs or fewer big ones? My saw has a 16" bar so I'm thinking I'd just as soon stick with not much over about 24" or so as bigger gets to be a pain. (Also a pain to split, which is an issue since I'm splitting by hand, using a target log length of 24")

3. Looking at the charts, I see that sugar maple is in the same BTU/cord range as red oak, but most of what we seem to have is "swamp maple" and other such that don't seem to be listed for values - are they OK or should I try to get just oak as much as I can?

4. Any other thoughts on what to look for in log-length?

Gooserider

 

[kellog]

Goose,

My guy tells me I end up with more wood if I take the relatively larger diameter trees verses taking “tops” (under 10” dia.). Can’t say that I have noticed that but it makes sense. The good thing about tops is that you get very few ants, metal (barb wire, nails, etc.) and other nasties.

I’m paying $500 for a truck load of nice hardwoods (mostly white oak and red oak with a little maple, cherry, hickory, beech sprinkled in). I get 6.5 - 7 cord from a load. Your deal seems good to me especially if you can pick the trees. I would expect no difference in price from MA to CT in general however the Boston area might be more.

I hope to make it to your Party on 28 July. I’ll bring a toy hopefully.

 

[jpl1nh]

Hey Goose. I'm always staggered by the price of wood in our area, and we aren't too far from you. $300 per cord split and dried is pretty typical and seems outrageous to me, especially since there are trees friggin everywhere around here. I'm hearing that $500 for a "grapple load" is a really good price around here, a grapple load supposedly yielding somewhere around 7 cords. Personally, I've been getting some nice wood from a tree service friend of mine, and his trees which I guess I would have to call "yard trees" have been great hardwoods like red oak, white oak, sugar maple. (Then again that's what I've asked for) I've also taken some elm (kind of a weird story for another time) and silver maple, and would certainly take swamp maple (that's what my dad used to call it too) which is red maple. I like it for firewood, (but then again I like hemlock too cause of its smell and its popping!) but its only medium in BTU's. Tree guys cut down all sorts of stuff and I love trying different things; your guy should have a great selection. If you want BTU's, stick with the oaks, sugar maple, ash, and hickory, black locust, beech, and black birch, if he has it. I guess I always like a mix, makes burning interesting and you can match it to the weather and the time of day, quick heat, overnight burns etc. Sooo, all in all, I'd say go with the yard trees. Lots of choices, great price. I don't know if I like (or dislike cutting more than splitting) so in terms of size, I'd say mix that up too. Smaller rounds have their place in a stove. But nice fat splits are great too :coolsmile: I'm gonna try to get to your party if I can, may bring my lovely wife. Have to make sure she can take a whole evening of woodstove stuff. :blank:

 

[velvetfoot]

I paid 500 bucks here for a grapple load.
I have no idea what wood I got, but I don't think there's any pine.
I can't help but wonder how difficult it would be splitting 24" lengths by hand.

 

[DiscoInferno]

If "swamp maple" is red maple, I would avoid that as much as possible. Red maple from yard trees can be a real pain to hand split, and as noted it's a medium wood at best. I get some every year, and then complain every time.

I just finished hand splitting 3-4 cords of mostly red oak from a tree service, and I preferred the big rounds (2'-3'+ diameter) because they were mostly straight grained. Usually only took a handful of whacks down the middle to start the first split, and once I got the big boys split into 8 or so big wedges, the rest of the splitting was child's play. (I resorted to flaking on occasion.) The nice thing with the big straight rounds is that the splits are nearly rectangular, and stack criss-cross fairly tight. The smaller stuff was often crooked, crotches, etc., a pain to split. In my case, around half of the smaller logs were also carpenter ant nests. Big caveat - My logs are 22" max, and mostly in the 12"-18" range. With 24" YMMV.

 

[Gooserider]

Thanks for the many comments, sounds like this guy has a good deal so I may make another round of calls tomorrow, but unless I hear something really good elsewhere I will get at least one load from this source. Once I see how it works out, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

BTW, thanks for the people mentioning they are likely to try making the Hearth Party. If you are, please try and put a post in the main sticky about it so that I'll make sure to include you when I send out the directions as the time gets closer...

Gooserider

 

[ourhouse]

Goos I will ask the guys at work if anyone know someone in you,r area.

 

[JMF1]

Goose, definately check with the local tree guys, the smaller ones seeem better. I hooked up with a guy who sold me 10 of his dump-trailer loads at 4-6 face cords each for $500 total. I can't figure any cheaper way to go. The smaller guys seem to be more willing to work with you and they like cash too!

 

[Gooserider]

Well as an update, I got a few prices,

1. Had it at $75 / cord, minimum four cords

2. A "truck-load" - 4-5 cords estimated, $250

3. Pretty much whatever was on the truck at the time, $30-50, depending on the amount, for about a half load.

All the offers were for "yard trees", but I'm not terribly suprised at that since we don't have that much logging in the area... I went with offer #3 and got the following for $50, looks like mostly all oak, I'm guessing about three cords, and the only peice that was a bit iffy on useability is that big trunk peice that is going to be a pain to split because of the crotch. The guy did a nice job of stacking them with the log truck, even had some short peices he laid crossways on the ground first so that the rest of the logs are out of the dirt! (note, the cut rounds next to the trunk bit are leftovers from last year that I haven't gotten split yet)


Seems like a good deal to me, :coolsmile: I figure I'll cut up this load and then get a second load if there is still room in the woodshed.
Gooserider

 

[BrotherBart]

Man I envy you guys and those log loads. Every stick of mine has to be cut in the woods, rolled up out of ravines or over slash, maneuvered to where I can get the tractor to it, loaded and hauled up to the house to be unloaded and split. Hell when some of the rounds weigh as much as I do.

My idea of heaven would be a grapple truck pulling up and stacking a nice load of logs in front of me.

 

[jpl1nh]

That's a nice load for $50! Good job Goose!

 

[jpl1nh]

Man I envy you guys and those log loads. Every stick of mine has to be cut in the woods, rolled up out of ravines or over slash, maneuvered to where I can get the tractor to it, loaded and hauled up to the house to be unloaded and split. Hell when some of the rounds weigh as much as I do.

My idea of heaven would be a grapple truck pulling up and stacking a nice load of logs in front of me.

Once the grapple loads started to pull up no one would be callin you Buff Brother Bart any more hh:

 

[BrotherBart]

A little heads up. Up to around 55 or so years of age execise makes you tired but also makes you feel good and stronger. Over 55,
and for damn sure at 60, it just makes you tired and the other stuff never kicks in.

 

[budman]

A little heads up. Up to around 55 or so years of age execise makes you tired but also makes you feel good and stronger. Over 55,
and for damn sure at 60, it just makes you tired and the other stuff never kicks in.

AMEN BROTHER.

 

[Stevebass4]

i pay $75.00 for a load of long fire wood - so far two loads have yelded me this

 

[MustBurn]

It has been my belief that the larger the piece, the more efficient the storage and transportation will be. Once you start "adding air" (cutting and splitting) the volume of space required to store and transport goes up. If you are buying from a pro with the means to drop off logs, buy the largest you can handle, you will get more wood.

MB

 

[jpl1nh]

A little heads up. Up to around 55 or so years of age execise makes you tired but also makes you feel good and stronger. Over 55,
and for damn sure at 60, it just makes you tired and the other stuff never kicks in.

I'm (only) 53, still feeling pretty good, aches and pains here and there. I have a dear freind who's 74. She says "getting old is not for the faint of heart" I admire that you still do it the hard way and believe you are far, far better for it. May not be easy but it's far better than not being able, keep on keepin on Brother.

 

[Bill]

I am at the top end of that age group and I get a wood splitters high. I'll be honest with you and say that I can outwork my son. Afterwords I take a nice shower, slide down a few cold ones, and eat a big meal, and then we go out and party. I think the exercise is great for you. There is also a certain amount of pride in sitting back and looking at that gorgeous wood pile. Everytime I go past it I stop to admire it's natural beauty and aroma.

 

[Mo Heat]

Goose, I get one of those big crotches with ever other load or so. I usually flake as much as I can and then rip the rest with the last of the saw's gas when most of the easier cutting is done. Then they sit there forever. 8-/ I'll be interested to know if you figure out a way to deal with that sucker other than just dulling your chain and making wood spaghetti.

Stevebass4, your wood pile might benefit from Eric Johnson's poly rope support method if your posts are in danger of failing. You should be able to find it with a search if you're interested. Below is a photo of Todd's execution of Eric's method.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/7273/

Note the poly rope stabilizers near the middle of the stacks and the use of simple metal fence posts.

 

[Stevebass4]

Thanks for the advise - the posts have feet on them and are under the pallets so i think they will be ok

 

[Gooserider]

Goose, I get one of those big crotches with ever other load or so. I usually flake as much as I can and then rip the rest with the last of the saw's gas when most of the easier cutting is done. Then they sit there forever. 8-/ I'll be interested to know if you figure out a way to deal with that sucker other than just dulling your chain and making wood spaghetti.

Stevebass4, your wood pile might benefit from Eric Johnson's poly rope support method if your posts are in danger of failing. You should be able to find it with a search if you're interested. Below is a photo of Todd's execution of Eric's method.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/7273/

Note the poly rope stabilizers near the middle of the stacks and the use of simple metal fence posts.

The flake method is probably what I'll end up doing... Actually I'll probably try to cut each side down to length first from the upper end, which might help get a couple rounds and a much shorter crotch peice, then go for the rip and flake from there.

Since the time of the pictures, I've gotten all the rest of the logs cut up into rounds, took most of a gallon of gas, but wasn't too bad otherwise. Now I've got to split a bunch.

Gooserider