Where do you buy your wood in eastern MA?

[sandie]

I need wood delivered, I want well seasoned wood(good luck to me huh?) and would like suggestions of where to trust in Eastern MA near Needham, Westwood, Dedham, Norwood, Walpole MASSACHUSETTS. I have talked to someone in Attleboro but I am imagining a big delivery bill but maybe not. I am picking up some pallets tonight and maybe the same people have scraps for kindling but need splits etc. I just got the stove put in so did not want to buy wood and find out the stove is defective or broken(used and not used in 15 years). So now am having fires and need more wood to keep things fun and going for the weekend but where to buy it reasonably. I talked to one guy who wants $585 for Kiln dried and $390 for seasoned. The guy in Attleboro is more reasonable but he was not there and will call me tonight so thought I would ask here for suggestions.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

I would do Biobricks or equiv. before buying for this year. Good luck in your hunt - buy a moisture meter..

 

[Spikem]

I would do Biobricks or equiv. before buying for this year. Good luck in your hunt - buy a moisture meter..

I used Enviblocks last year and they work very well.

For a stopgap measure for this year, I think it's a good idea.

 

[sandie]

Do those kind of blocks etc cause creasote/ where to buy and which is better? There are kiln dried wood places but man one guy knocked my socks off by saying it was >$550 for a cord.

 

[Spikem]

When I bought the Enviblocks last year, they were about $325 a pallet. A pallet is, I'm told, the equivalent of 1.25 cords of wood.

I found the following on-line:

(broken link removed)

 

[Stevebass4]

i buy logs and process my own

BUT i would buy oil / gas at those prices and buy green this year for next year

 

[sandie]

Do those kind of blocks etc cause creasote/ where to buy and which is better? There are kiln dried wood places but man one guy knocked my socks off by saying it was >$550 for a cord. There is a place in Salem MA who has kiln dried or seasoned or a mixture of both and he is reasonable but have to pick it up from him. There is something to be said for playing wth the wood and listening to the wood and handling it and picking it etc. In spring will get a cord or two of "seasoned' wood and let it season more all spring and summer and some part of fall before touching it for the stove.
Thanks for the reply, I was hoping someone would know of a place with dry wood and selling around here. Lots of people say dry but is really quite green when I looked at it.

 

[Stevebass4]

yes if they are left to smolder Bio products will still cause creosote.. also they burn HOT

it's a tough time to buy seasoned - check jane and paul's farm in norfolk ma and ask them if they have any left -

 

[sandie]

thanks you all, I will call Jane and Paul's and see if they have seasoned (well seasoned) wood left. Otherwise will condier teh Enviblocks/Bricks. You all rock!

 

[azsteven]

I got wood from a guy in Sherborn -- Louis Racine. He charged me $250 delivered to Natick. However, when I stacked it out it was only about 100 cu ft, so that works out to $320 a cord. I feel like the quality of the wood was OK (I'm burning older wood first), but that I was cheated on quantity AND -- the shmuck hasn't returned my phone calls when I called to ask for my other 28 cu ft. What can I do? I guess I'm saying the wood was good but I won't do business with him again.

I'd love to hear some recommendations for honest guys who will deliver the full quantity -- dry or green. I've got space to stack it for next year.

Aaron

 

[btj1031]

Check craigslist and buy a moisture meeter. If the wood shows up and it doesn't test/look dry, don't buy it. There's plenty of folks advertising seasoned wood these days. I think a lot were speculating that oil would go up more than it has.

 

[jharkin]

I'm in the same area. As has been said your odds of finding anything to burn this year now are very low. The going rate around here seems to be around 300/cord for claimed seasoned, but most of its green or at best was sitting in a large pile on the dirt for the summer.

This being my first year with our (new to me) stove I bought 2 cords - first in Sep from a tree service "one year seasoned off the ground on pallets" That wood was actually pretty good, mostly oak, clean and the pieces I re-split measured around 23-24% moisture. A little high but burns ok as long as you keep the stove good and hot. Priced slightly below area average and it did stack out to a true cord. If you want a contact its Arbor tree in Ashland, however I believe they are sold out for the year.

The second cord I bought was from a local farm stand in town. They claimed one year seasoning also but the wood was total crap - wet, muddy and in spite of me asking not to they dumped it when I wasn't home. Moisture readings were 30-35% when I re-split. Rather than fight them I just stacked it for next year and chalk it up to a learning experience.

After all that I now have a Fiskars and a husky saw. I can see why folks scrounge....

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Also, post to your local freecycle list asking for split wood that people are not going to use - has worked for me twice - no guarantee that it will be dry, but the chances are better.

 

[sandie]

Two questions Where to buy a moisture meter and cost, and what is a Freecycle list?

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Two questions Where to buy a moisture meter and cost, and what is a Freecycle list?

Harborfreight.com

http://www.freecycle.org/

 

[sandie]

Thank you so much, much appreciated. I am familiar with Harbor Freight in N Attleboro.

 

[azsteven]

OK, so I posted several weeks ago about a guy who shorted me on quantity. This time I want to put in a plug for an honest vendor who just delivered wood for me.

His name is Dennis Brown, [email protected]. His shop is based out of Andover, MA.

The wood he sold me was advertised as "green", which he sold me for $200/cord delivered. What he delivered was remarkably dry, and I expect I can burn it yet this season.

Best of all: to guarantee quantity, he actually stacks the wood in his truck, and he'll measure it out before dumping it. I was very satisfied with his customer service and I give him m wholehearted recommendation.

Aaron

 

[Spikem]

OK, so I posted several weeks ago about a guy who shorted me on quantity. This time I want to put in a plug for an honest vendor who just delivered wood for me.

His name is Dennis Brown, [email protected]. His shop is based out of Andover, MA.

The wood he sold me was advertised as "green", which he sold me for $200/cord delivered. What he delivered was remarkably dry, and I expect I can burn it yet this season.

Best of all: to guarantee quantity, he actually stacks the wood in his truck, and he'll measure it out before dumping it. I was very satisfied with his customer service and I give him m wholehearted recommendation.

Aaron

Two pieces of advice:

1. Call him back and let him know how appreciative you are of what he delivered.
2. Call him back and get more of that wood for that price, if you can.

 

[azsteven]

Two pieces of advice:

1. Call him back and let him know how appreciative you are of what he delivered.
2. Call him back and get more of that wood for that price, if you can.

I did email him to give my thanks and appreciation. I wish I could get another 2 cords (we have 2.5 stacked up right now), but space is soon to be at a premium... the town is going to take down two 100-year old sugar maples in front of my house (perhaps in January), and the contractor is supposed to leave the wood for me. Given the trees are about 30" diameter at chest height, I figure that will be another 2.5-3 cords and I'm gonna need room to put that up for next year and the year after.

Oh, and my wife said something like "that's a lot of firewood", which is wife-code-speak for "enough already."

But back to Dennis -- he says he's got a year-round operation, so I plan to buy from him again next time around -- buy it green and let it sit.