Problems with getting 20 cords at one time?

[mbcijim]

I'm a real estate developer, and one of my upcoming projects I have going I need to clear cut 3 acres. I am thinking very hard about getting 3 log truck loads delivered, which will be essentially free. This winter I c/s/s one load, basically by myself.

My positives:
- I have the room.
- It's flat.
- I have 2.5 years c/s/s at this point, all done by hand, I just like it, it's exercise for me
- I never burn more than 4 cords in a year
- I can definitely use 3-4 cords off site (cabin)
- I definitely have some friends who would access the pile. Most are recreational burners but 2 are year round guys. I don't give it away but if they wanted to come over and help they could have at it. I don't keep track of work vrs. take.

So I am looking for the negatives of having that much wood. I can easily alter the number of loads, I could even get more, but I can get the loads usually 1-2 times a year, as many as I want.

The negatives:
- I've never had that much
- Risk of my supply rotting, some may not get burned for 5-6 years
- Maybe too much work

Any of you guys with experience have any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[moosetrek]

Way too much wood. You need to get it as far away as possible. I recommend Wyoming.

Seriously, not sure what the down side is. If you have "free" labor that can help with the work, go for it! I wouldn't worry about rotting, if it's c/s/s off the ground it will be fine for years. Maybe invest in a larger woodshed, but beyond that I'd consider it money in the bank. Never know when a neighbor might need a hand, or you might need one you can repay with firewood.

 

[Archie]

The only problem I see is keeping the 3 loads off the ground as you c/s/s at a rate of 1 load per year. Sounds like a problem lots of folks on this forum would like to have.

 

[remkel]

Sounds like you need some on sight consultation. I will be down sometime in the very near future. I am the guy arriving in the tractor with a 15 yard dump trailer attached

 

[bogydave]

Never have too much wood!
That said:
Got to be some teen age boys around, boy scouts, some kinda group that will
cut split stack & sell it.
So you give(what ever too much is ) it to a boy scout group to process & they make
some money. Build character & community pride, potential future clients
Sell it in log lengths before it delivered to your site.
***
I'm with "moosetrek" but a drive to Alaska is a beautiful trip. Lots of site seeing. I'm just saying
North of 60 would "hi-jack" you though, hard wood load of fire wood going thru Whitehorse, wouldn't leave with a full load for sure. :lol:
Good problem.
If I lived within 150 miles I'd help you out big time.

 

[Danno77]

negative: Makes everyone here jealous.

 

[TreePointer]

If there's too much to stack and you don't want it to rot, there's no reason you can't sell it now as "unseasoned" and at a slight discount. The smart burners will buy it and just burn it a season or two later.

 

[REM505]

I'm a real estate developer, and one of my upcoming projects I have going I need to clear cut 3 acres. I am thinking very hard about getting 3 log truck loads delivered, which will be essentially free. This winter I c/s/s one load, basically by myself.

My positives:

- I have 2.5 years c/s/s at this point

Comon that's not a positive, that's just rubbing it in %-P

 

[snowleopard]

Only negatives I can see are if you're in an area prone to wildfires, you'll want to locate it somewhere with a firebreak around it, and then maintain that, and if you're in an area where people steal firewood, it might make an attractive target.

I posted something about that before, and got a lot of funny-guy responses, but it's happened around here (along with fuel oil theft), so I'm a little more sensitive to that than I would be otherwise.

Twenty cords. wow. very nice.

 

[rottiman]

Your kidding, right???????????

 

[maxed_out]

Please set me straight, how much wood comes off the "clear cut" of 3 acres? I'm assumig its wooded, why do you need another truckload?

 

[peakbagger]

If you get it up off the ground and in an area with some airflow preferably with some sun , hardwood will keep for a long time. Just remember that no matter how long its sits in log length, it realy doesnt season properly until its cut to length and split.

 

[ironpony]

after your done stacking it all
the wife will want it stacked somewhere else

 

[jhoff310]

the problem is you are being selfish and not willing to share any of it with your family on here....We see how you are..LOL

In all seriousness, thats alot of wood. If you have the room go for it. I like the idea of giving some to the scouts, they can use it to pay for camping trips, work on their lashings, etc...

Jeff

 

[mywaynow]

I would dump it adjacenet to a stack location, buck and stack rounds for the first two loads. Focus on splitting on the third. The rounds will keep a long time. Split'm later. Watch what happens to wood if oil continues to stick it to us. That is the reason I keep a full press on. I am putting closed circuit camera on my piles this week. Not going to take chances. Camera going on the oil fill tube too. Of course , I am in that biz, so it is no problem for me.

 

[mbcijim]

Thanks guys, doesn't sound like many negatives at all. Maybe I asked the wrong group of guys though... you can never have enough wood on this forum!

Maxed_Out, not sure what you're asking, I am clear cutting 3 acres about 40 miles from my home for a construction project our company is doing. It is a wooded lot. The trees will get sold to a pulp mill or cogen plant or pellet guy, don't know, don't care. I can tell the logging company for part of their bid to deliver some of the logs to my house. That's what I'm thinking about doing.

 

[firefighterjake]

after your done stacking it all
the wife will want it stacked somewhere else

Thanks for the laugh.

---

As to the serious answer . . . no negatives that I can see . . . free wood, lots of free wood and you have the space to store it. Just get the wood off the ground.

 

[smokinj]

negative: Makes everyone here jealous.

Ahhh But 20 cords...Its not done til we have Pic's......Never Happened! lol

 

[Thistle]

Only problem I'd have is enough room for storing that much lol

 

[smokinj]

Only problem I'd have is enough room for storing that much lol

Lots of issus with 20 cords......No matter who's the trigger man! lol BIG ORDER!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

My positives:
- I have the room.
- It's flat.
- I have 2.5 years c/s/s at this point, all done by hand, I just like it, it's exercise for me
- I never burn more than 4 cords in a year
- I can definitely use 3-4 cords off site (cabin)
- I definitely have some friends who would access the pile. Most are recreational burners but 2 are year round guys. I don't give it away but if they wanted to come over and help they could have at it. I don't keep track of work vrs. take.

So I am looking for the negatives of having that much wood. I can easily alter the number of loads, I could even get more, but I can get the loads usually 1-2 times a year, as many as I want.

The negatives:
- I've never had that much
- Risk of my supply rotting, some may not get burned for 5-6 years
- Maybe too much work

Any of you guys with experience have any thoughts or suggestions?

The only negative is that if you get the 20 cords all at one time and try to take care of it all in one day, you will be a very tired man at the end of the day and just might not get it all finished.

Getting this in log form do not just stack it up in a pile. When it is delivered, have them put logs underneath the pile to stack the rest on. This will mean only those couple logs that are touching the ground so the rest will not start rotting. It is always important to get the wood up off the ground.


You never burn more than 4 cords in a year but have only 2.5 cords ready! You are way behind. Get 2-3 years worth ready to burn and stay that far ahead. I would certainly hesitate in letting others access the pile unless they pay for it. You need something for your labor. Giving to a needy family is something entirely different.

There is no risk in that wood rotting in 5-6 years as long as you handle it right. Stack the wood up off the ground and stack it where it will get wind. The wind is what is needed to dry the wood.

I do not recommend stacking rounds unless there are just a few smaller rounds that you might want to use for overnight fires. Get the wood split before stacking and then it will be ready to use when you need it.

It is a lot of work bucking up 20 cord but when you are finished you will have something that is worth more than sticking that money in the bank. In addition, you will find that you get more heat from the drier wood so will use less every winter.

We cut in winter, split in spring and stack immediately after splitting. We simply use saplings we cut in the woods to stack the wood on. This gets the wood off the ground to allow air flow under the stacks. We do not cover the wood until just before snow flies. Then we cover the top only and we like to use something other than tarps to cover. We are fortunate to have several pieces of old galvanized roofing to use for covering the wood. Here is what some of our wood stacks look like.

Wood stacked this way will keep 10 years with no problem and will keep even longer if it is needed. You will also find the wood burns really great after it has been stacked like this for many years and we regularly burn wood that has been in the stack 6-8 years.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

This picture shows the poles under the wood a bit better.

 

[smokinj]

That is alot of work right there! Cant beleave any one can tie those corner like that. I Give-up that one.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Jay, I'm down to only 5 cord in that stack.

 

[smokinj]

Jay, I'm down to only 5 cord in that stack.

You got me bet....got 2 stack and another one that needs stack. Taking this Sunday off going to the Races Saturday. I will be cutting in May I hate that but snow was heavy this year.