new to Pioneer Valley, Western Mass

[trucklyhow]

SHORT VERSION: Looking for fellow wood burners in the Pioneer Valley to get some tips and tricks and get in with the network, if there is one.

LONG VERSION: New resident of Pelham, on the hill just east of Amherst and spitting distance from Shutesbury. Just moved to the area about a month ago. Left 2+ cords of neatly stacked, nicely seasoned oak and ash back in Maryland. The previous owner here didn't burn, so we are scrambling to get up to speed. Blaze King insert won't be installed until January, and I get the feeling that's an optimistic estimate, so I'm not even trying to be ready to burn this winter, just figuring out what I need to do to be ready next year. Got a delivery of "seasoned" splits from a local connection, which I paid a premium price for, but though I believe him that it was split a couple of years ago, it's obviously been sitting in a pile in the elements in a none-too-dry spot. Lots of punky, heavy wood. It's up on pallets and top covered now. I have a couple of acres wooded on my own property here but not particularly get-at-able, at least not yet. Had relationships with tree services back in suburban Maryland, but there I was a rare wood burner surrounded by lots of suburban trees. Here I get the feeling free wood is pretty scarce. Good news is I have a sunny spot for a wood stack about 10 cords long, and could even double that up in the future. Bad news is we are surrounded by very marshy woods and the damp that emanates is worrying. SO: any advice from locals on • possible sources for free or cheap wood, • or good deals on log length or green splits, • tips on how to get stacks dry in this surprisingly damp climate, • unknown unknowns?

You might not know it from all this grumbling, but we're happy to be here!

 

[kennyp2339]

or good deals on log length or green splits

Generally speaking, right after a bad thunderstorm or heavy wet snow you get the best wood deals, when you see a log truck working you waive it down like a kid waves down the ice cream truck.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Welcome. I am metrowest Boston. Marlborough, close to the Wayside Inn in Sudbury.

There are a number of MA folk here.

 

[stoveliker]

@Caw also gets log length delivered.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Also helps to know neighbors and if most people use the same tree guy. Several of us do here. He will cut their tree work to rounds for me. If it's at my three closest neighbors, I will get it myself with tractor and cart.

I have received a lot of wood from my two nextdoor neighbors and the neighbor across the street.

He was on a street through the woods from my house a few years ago. He brought the rounds over with his dump truck and dumped them just off my driveway.

 

[Caw]

@Caw also gets log length delivered.

I saw the bat signal! It's actually a chainsaw and fiskars but tomato, toe-mato.

I do in fact get long length delivered. Why? When I first moved in and decided to commit to wood burning I cut some of my own stuff down (I live about 20 minutes from @PaulOinMA) and scrounged some stuff locally. After my first few months burning I quickly realized that wasn't going to cut it. I looked at the prices for "seasoned" wood and it's about $350 a cord here which defeats the purpose and often times isn't actually seasoned.

I needed a better solution. I hit the web and found every tree company within 30 minutes of me and made a list. There were a surprising amount it was almost 2 pages of a legal pad double spaced. Anyways I called every one up and asked about getting logs. Most said they either processed their own wood, sold to a mill, or just wouldn't call back.

I got a few hits though. A couple said they'd be willing to drop the days work for $100 - $300 but no questions asked it could be pine, oak, tangled mess, giant logs etc. I am one guy with an 18" saw and don't want soft wood so that was unappealing. I ended up making friends with a guy the next town over and he'd deliver me a 2 cord trailer of yard logs for $100. It was typically maple or oak, reasonably sized, sometimes knotty as yard trees can be, but good stuff. I would have kept using him but he was incredibly unreliable. He'd always show up...eventually. I'm talking next day or possibly 2-3 weeks later. I still reach out to him because the price is so good and if he shows up fine, if not, also fine, but I got frustrated and went back searching. I found another tree guy the next town over the other way who brings me an entire 5 cord log truck worth for $400 next day. Everything pretty straight, all types of hardwood. Last delivery was oak, cherry, maple, and ash...perfect. some bigger logs but nothing I couldn't deal with. He's more expensive but getting 5 cords at once delivered next day can't be beat. He also offered me 5 loads for $1,000 but I don't have room for it all I can only fit about 15 cords at once on my 1 acre before the wife starts getting mad lol.

So anyways TLDR:

Call all your local tree guys and keep calling until you talk to someone and get rejected or get a hit. You only need to find one! Voice-mail likely won't be returned. And by local I mean probably no more than 1 town or 15-20 minutes away. Don't be shy, offer them fair money if asked. These guys are looking for a convenient way to get rid of extra wood they aren't gonna drive 45 mins for $50. I think $100 a cord for delivered log length is a good price around here as of 2020, I haven't spoke to my guys yet this year that's usually a mid winter talk.

You really can't beat the convenience/price combo of delivered log length. Its brought to your yard and you process it where it lays. Sure self scrounging is cheaper but it takes a significant amount of time and wear/tear on your vehicle ans body. Buying already split is outrageously expensive.

That's my 2 cents, best of luck!

 

[trucklyhow]

Thanks for the advice, Caw. I figured getting cheap wood from the tree services was going to be unlikely, but good to know it's not impossible. Also, helpful tip about calling in the winter when the storms come in, I hadn't thought of that. Much appreciated.

 

[Solarguy3500]

I'm a little west of you in the Berkshires.

If you get really lucky, the power company will send a tree service through your town to clear trees for the power lines. Those guys are looking for people to take loads of logs for free.

That happened in my town this summer and I saw the log truck across the street from my house one day picking up logs. I walked over and asked what they were going to do with the wood and the guy asked if I wanted it. He brought me one load that day and another load the next day, free. All hardwood, mostly oak and maple with some nice black birch and a few other hardwoods. There were some big logs in one of the loads, but I have a 75 CC saw with a 28" bar, so not a problem.

 

[trucklyhow]

SCORE! I noticed the folks just across the street from us have a big black locust down in the yard. Thought, surely they already have plans for it, but knocked on the door anyway, mostly just to introduce myself, not even really hoping. Turns out they are waiting for someone to come haul it away and take down a few more trees, someone they are PAYING for the service, but that I'm welcome to take as much of the wood as I like before then. They did warn me, though, that it's black locust and that the arborist tells them that it burns DANGEROUSLY HOT. So, my baby stack will be growing soon.

 

[Caw]

Black locust makes excellent firewood but I'm very surprised you have one here in MA. I wonder if they planted it themselves? Are they sure that's what it is? It's not native to this area but an arborist would know better than I lol.

We are blessed with excellent firewood living here though. No need to burn softwood...all the maple, oak, cherry, and birch you could ever need plus a lot of standing dead ash from the EAB. I can see multiple of each species simply looking out my back window.

 

[trucklyhow]

I didn't look that close but by the bark pattern I'd call it black locust, and it sounded like the arborist they called ID'ed it as such. It's a yard tree, right by the road, and around here we've mostly the usual maple, oak, birch, and pine, so I'd be willing to bet money that someone planted it there, long ago. Thanks, whoever you were!

 

[Caw]

I should amend my previous post:

Black locust is horrible firewood. However I'm willing to help out! Just bring that wood over to my house and I'd be happy to get rid of it for you.

 

[trucklyhow]

Black locust is horrible firewood. However I'm willing to help out! Just bring that wood over to my house and I'd be happy to get rid of it for you.

Wow, so kind and helpful.

 

[Solarguy3500]

Black locust is horrible firewood. However I'm willing to help out! Just bring that wood over to my house and I'd be happy to get rid of it for you.

@Caw is right. Terrible firewood.

If get to his house and find the driveway blocked by a dog the size of a horse, you can just drop that garbage wood at my house.

 

[clancey]

i'll take it...clancey

 

[PaulOinMA]

My former tree guy said it wasn't great firewood and took it.

Wouldn't let that happen now.

 

[Caw]

Gordon will allow you in if you have locust. And/or steak.

 

[trucklyhow]

First day's work on the dangerous B.L. This is about a quarter to a third of it. Plus a teenaged maple that came down as collateral damage. The neighbors have an arborist coming at the end of the month to clean up the scraps and take down a few more maples that are looming over the house, and they've agreed to ask them to leave the trunks for me. Feeling good.

 

[Caw]

First day's work on the dangerous B.L. This is about a quarter to a third of it. Plus a teenaged maple that came down as collateral damage. The neighbors have an arborist coming at the end of the month to clean up the scraps and take down a few more maples that are looming over the house, and they've agreed to ask them to leave the trunks for me. Feeling good.

View attachment 285493

What kind of wood is that? I'm under the weather and it's stumping me for sick reason lol. Nice haul.

 

[mcdougy]

I would have guessed willow, but I don't see the water running out of it BL= black locust

 

[Caw]

I would have guessed willow, but I don't see the water running out of it BL= black locust

Oh yeah I totally glazed over that first sentence lol. Makes sense I didn't recognize it, they don't exist here! Except at @trucklyhow 's place

 

[usernametaken]

It depends on the area of MA but yep, plenty of BL around. I just dropped a few for my mom's next season last spring. It dries quickly and has excellent BTU's. Congrats on the scrounge OP and welcome to the neighborhood!

 

[Caw]

It depends on the area of MA but yep, plenty of BL around. I just dropped a few for my mom's next season last spring. It dries quickly and has excellent BTU's. Congrats on the scrounge OP and welcome to the neighborhood!

That's very interesting, learn something new every day. I fully admit that MA west of Worcester is a foreign country to me and I've lived here my whole life lol.

 

[usernametaken]

LOL, lots of people think the state stops in Worcester... Anyways, in my area I have no BL. But mom's, which is only 20 minutes away, has plenty of it. I tend to see a lot more of it along rt. 91 and down in CT though.

 

[Caw]

LOL, lots of people think the state stops in Worcester... Anyways, in my area I have no BL. But mom's, which is only 20 minutes away, has plenty of it. I tend to see a lot more of it along rt. 91 and down in CT though.

Yeah, that area makes more sense to me.

It's just funny. When you live east of Worcester, and I am only like 20 min east, you just have no reason to ever go west of it except driving thru on 90. Same reason you likely have no reason to come east except going to Boston.