New wood guy this season.

[DuckDog]

Have had good and not so good wood deliverys over the last 6 years.
First 3 years from the same guy. Young lad, local, mostly maple, some beech, hardly any ash. Unfortunately he died in a car accident.

Next was another local guy. Too much ash for my liking.

Last year was a guy about 35 minutes away. Wood was great, mostly maple but the splits ranged from 12-24" and when stacked the 2 cord were short over a 1/3 of a cord. Over $100 worth of not delivered wood. Called and left a message letting him know that it was short and that it was probably just an error in how many bucket loads were in the trailer. Left it way open as an honest mistake giving him the opprotunity to make it right and save face. No response. Obviously no recourse on a cash sale.

This year I found another guy about 35 min away. Claims to cut, split and hand stack 1 year in advance. A little more expensive at $325 a cord but may be worth it in the long run.
My wife just sent me this picture. I guess it arrived. Will have to see how it stacks out this weekend.

 

[Jacktheknife]

Good luck, hope you found a good one.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Let us know, gl...

 

[jeff_t]

What's wrong with ash? Premium stuff, in my opinion. I have burned tons. Not much left here, and I'll be sad when it is gone. Not as good as hard maple, but way better than soft.

I bought wood for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago, for our weekend place. He tried to sell me somewhat freshly split oak, until he decided I knew a bit about firewood. I got some standing dead ash and beech that is hopefully pretty dry, with a little ironwood, hard maple, and oak in the mix. He stacks everything before it is sold, and he sells 450-500 cords a year. He was working his @ss off in 90°+ heat when I pulled in. Turned out to be a really nice guy, and also owns a bar in town. I'll probably be buying some oak for a couple years down the road.

 

[Woody Stover]

Claims to cut, split and hand stack 1 year in advance. A little more expensive at $325 a cord but may be worth it in the long run.

So you don't have a couple years worth on hand and have to find dry wood every year? $325/cord and Cdn is about equal to USD. That does sound pricey. How much is a regular, unseasoned split (or split and stacked) cord?

 

[DuckDog]

What's wrong with ash? Premium stuff, in my opinion. I have burned tons. Not much left here, and I'll be sad when it is gone. Not as good as hard maple, but way better than soft.

I bought wood for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago, for our weekend place. He tried to sell me somewhat freshly split oak, until he decided I knew a bit about firewood. I got some standing dead ash and beech that is hopefully pretty dry, with a little ironwood, hard maple, and oak in the mix. He stacks everything before it is sold, and he sells 450-500 cords a year. He was working his @ss off in 90°+ heat when I pulled in. Turned out to be a really nice guy, and also owns a bar in town. I'll probably be buying some oak for a couple years down the road.

Spoiled I guess. Why have ash when I can get sugar maple. I find ash burns out quicker where sugar maple coals and I get longer burn times.

 

[DuckDog]

So you don't have a couple years worth on hand and have to find dry wood every year? $325/cord and Cdn is about equal to USD. That does sound pricey. How much is a regular, unseasoned split (or split and stacked) cord?

I am ahead by a cord. That's it. Honestly, as long as I get my wood stacked by early August it will always be around that 20%mc come time to burn.

The price is pretty standard. Cord sells for $300-$330 locally. For that price it could be anything from seasoned 1 year to cut and split 1 week ago. Most guys are selling bucked, split and heaped in a massive pile since April / May of this year for $300. Big business around here. Load of logs is $1000-$1200.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes, hard maple will give some longer burn times but it is not a big difference, providing the wood is good. We burn primarily ash here until it is gone but in the coldest part of winter we do burn some oak during the nights. But then, we also burn soft maple and elm and even some birch, etc, etc. One of the nicest parts of ash is that it splits super easy and dries much quicker, mainly because it starts out with a lot less moisture than other woods.

 

[Jacktheknife]

I am ahead by a cord. That's it. Honestly, as long as I get my wood stacked by early August it will always be around that 20%mc come time to burn.

The price is pretty standard. Cord sells for $300-$330 locally. For that price it could be anything from seasoned 1 year to cut and split 1 week ago. Most guys are selling bucked, split and heaped in a massive pile since April / May of this year for $300. Big business around here. Load of logs is $1000-$1200.

When I get far enough ahead I might have to make a sideline out of this hobby, as it is now I am getting the shakes between loads.

 

[Woody Stover]

What's wrong with ash? Premium stuff, in my opinion.

Yes, hard maple will give some longer burn times but it is not a big difference, providing the wood is good.

I agree with you guys, assuming it's White Ash. Could be that he gets Black of Green up there, which is closer to soft Maple in BTU.

The price is pretty standard. Cord sells for $300-$330 locally. For that price it could be anything from seasoned 1 year to cut and split 1 week ago. Most guys are selling bucked, split and heaped in a massive pile since April / May of this year for $300. Big business around here. Load of logs is $1000-$1200.

Whew! That's about double what a cord goes for here.

Big business around here.

I guess there are a lot more cold people up there....

 

[oldspark]

Yes, hard maple will give some longer burn times but it is not a big difference, providing the wood is good. We burn primarily ash here until it is gone but in the coldest part of winter we do burn some oak during the nights. But then, we also burn soft maple and elm and even some birch, etc, etc. One of the nicest parts of ash is that it splits super easy and dries much quicker, mainly because it starts out with a lot less moisture than other woods.

Maybe its Green Ash BWS which would have a more noticeable difference, if its White Ash then not quite as good as Sugar Maple (like you said) but I could burn only White Ash and be happy.

 

[DuckDog]

Yes, hard maple will give some longer burn times but it is not a big difference, providing the wood is good. We burn primarily ash here until it is gone but in the coldest part of winter we do burn some oak during the nights. But then, we also burn soft maple and elm and even some birch, etc, etc. One of the nicest parts of ash is that it splits super easy and dries much quicker, mainly because it starts out with a lot less moisture than other woods.

Maybe its Green Ash BWS which would have a more noticeable difference, if its White Ash then not quite as good as Sugar Maple (like you said) but I could burn only White Ash and be happy.

No, It's white ash. I've always tried to get sugar maple and beech over white ash. I can only speak from my own personal experience buying and burning my own wood for the last 6 years and living 20 years in a home that heated with wood. Things work differently in different places I guess. Maybe it's all in my head? Don't know? However, I do know that I won't accept a load of white ash for the same price as sugar maple.

I'm happy with the look of the load. Was dark when I got home. Didn't really poke around too much. Glad to have gotten it covered as we got over an inch of rain this morning.



Here is the Ontario btu estimate chart:


Species Gross Heating Value

(million BTU) *

Rock Elm 32.0

Shagbark Hickory 30.6

White Oak 30.6

Sugar Maple 29.0

Beech 27.8

Red Oak 27.3

Yellow Birch 26.2

White Ash 25.0

White Elm 24.5

Red Maple 24.0

Tamarack 24.0

Black Cherry 23.5

White Birch 23.4

Hemlock 17.9

Trembling Aspen 17.7

White Pine 17.1

Basswood 17.0

White Cedar 16.3
White Spruce 16.2

Balsam Fir 15.5


* BTU value based on an air-dry cord of

wood.

 

[oldspark]

That chart has elm and red maple higher then most I have seen, not sure that Red Maple is that close to White Ash any where in the world.
You know what works for you, some day I hope to try some Sugar Maple.

 

[blujacket]

I think this chart is more accurate

(broken link removed to http://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm)

 

[HDRock]

Same chart ,easier to read , PDF save to PC
(broken link removed to http://chimneysweeponline.com/firewoodbtu.pdf)