Would you purchase these rounds?

[HarvestMan]

I have a source for mixed hardwood rounds (18 inch length +/-) delivered in 14x7 dump trailer with 30 inch sides. The seller is a tree service and all the wood was cut this year. Since I want this wood to start building up a 5 year supply, the MC is not an issue. Seller says it should be about 4 face cord. Price is $220 delivered.

Going price for cut, split delivered mixed hardwood in my area seems to be $75/ face cord.

I split all my wood by hand.

Couple of questions:
1) how much wood do you think this will result in after splitting? Basically looking for a confirmation of his estimate.
2) Does it seem like a good deal?

Thanks.

 

[Jon_E]

A trailer load of rounds will have more void space than the same trailer filled with splits. I calculate that trailer level full at 1.91 cords @ 128 cubic feet of space per cord. (A "face cord" is about as descriptive as "a handful" or "a whole lot" - i.e. not a standard unit of measure). If your 'assumption' is that there are three face cords in a full cord, then you'll have about five and a half "face cords" of wood. Split and stacked, you'll probably have about 1.5 full cords. I would not personally pay $220 for 1.5 cords, give or take, of random hardwood, green and unsplit, unless I was desperate and out of firewood.

 

[Chimney Smoke]

1 1/3 cord of unsplit rounds for $220? In my opinion no deal. I can buy split and delivered for $220/cord.

 

[jatoxico]

1 1/3 cord of unsplit rounds for $220? In my opinion no deal. I can buy split and delivered for $220/cord.

Same conclusion I come to. Between that and the fact that the quantity is a bit of a crap shoot and I would offer him less. If he passes you didn't miss much.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

At 16" per round, 3 face cords make up a cord.

No way you should pay $220 for around a cord and a half (18" rounds) of unsplit wood. The price/valuie is in the processing. Offer him $50. It's a better deal for him than taking it to a dump.

Where I live, you can get a permit to take trees from state game lands for $20 a cord. Might as well look into that, You'll be doing all the work anyway, and you could save $200 a cord.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Like everyone is saying the work is in the processing, he has to know that. Offer him a low amount with the explanation he already knows.

 

[HarvestMan]

I have been reading the forums here for some time and have noticed that everyone speaks in cords, but around here (Detroit metro area), everyone selling wood speaks face cords (4x8 by cut length of split).

Most of the tree services I look into sell firewood; seems unlikely that many of them are paying to dispose of wood, but who knows, perhaps.

Talked to another guy today selling "seasoned" split hardwoods for $75/face cord. When I asked him the MC he would not tell me anything only that it was from tops that had been down for 2 years and that it dries fast once split and ready to burn this winter. I'm afraid this is the typical kind of answer I get from anyone selling wood.

I do have access to a couple pieces of property close to my home where I have permission to cut dead trees (mostly elm) and on the other only dead and on the ground wood (not always great quality).

Any thoughts on a price I should offer given this kind of market?

Thanks for all the replies so far - have confirmed my initial thoughts on the price.
Also, I don't own a truck, trailer or log splitter, so its pretty much what I can get from close by properties I have access to and what I can buy locally.

 

[Applesister]

The fact that this guy is trying to sell you unsplit rounds for split wood prices should be a warning flag.(as to his business ethics)
You are gonna be doing his work...and paying him for it. Nada.

 

[Andy S.]

In my area the tree service gets paid to remove the tree. That cost includes the cost of dumping it for many of them. If you are closer than the dump and willing to let them drop It for free you have saved them time and money. I wouldn't pay any more than $25 for the load and even then I'd make others know that I'm an option if they have a local job.

 

[2PistolPacker]

Like everyone is saying the work is in the processing, he has to know that. Offer him a low amount with the explanation he already knows.

He usually has to pay to dump his wood, so selling rounds at this price is no deal.

 

[Applesister]

Its hard for wood dealers to short a sale when you buy a facecord at a time. I think its an economically prudent way to start collecting. If you were scrounging like alot do here, you would be collecting approximately a facecord at a time anyway.
If you are limited with hauling it you can contact your state forester to be put in contact with registered logging companies. The state has a list of harvesters who deal in firewood. You might get lucky with a local company.
But if you go that route(buying in volume) you need space for them to offload.(having 5-7 cords dropped at a time.)
If you dont want to invest in cutting equipment and just want to buy wood.

 

[Applesister]

The best wood and most honest transactions I've encountered was buying facecords off peoples front yards. But this is a rural thing.
A neighborly trading of goods and services.
If you are cleaning woodlots for local landowners by collecting dead or downed trees there should be no monetary exchange. Just your homeowners insurance should list their property as additionally insured.

 

[Ashful]

I don't know where you folks live that tree guys have to pay to unload good hardwood. The going price here is $225 for a split cord, or up to $100 for unsplit rounds. Log trucks (~8 cords) are $600, if you can find one.

 

[BrotherBart]

If there was easier access to my place I could be buried in free wood from the guys that clear construction sites around here. This is one of those places they have to pay debris landfill fees to dump the stuff.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

NO spells NO....

 

[Andy S.]

I'm up the road from you in the burbs, Joful. My problem is that I don't have enough space. I've gotten two tree services and one site contractor that does a lot of bike/hike trails to drop rounds and logs free of charge. The one guy sells logs, too but his yard space was limited and he didn't want to pay to dump it. Maybe I caught lightning in a bottle but I've had to turn the last two opportunities away because I had no space.

 

[Jon_E]

I don't know where you folks live that tree guys have to pay to unload good hardwood. The going price here is $225 for a split cord, or up to $100 for unsplit rounds. Log trucks (~8 cords) are $600, if you can find one.

Ouch. There's a couple tree guys near me who sell cut and split firewood but most are looking for a place to dump for free. They just don't want you to be picky. I've offered to take anything they have, including chips. The problem is that the ones I talk to either burn wood themselves or are able to find a spot closer to their site than my yard. I get the occasional score - one year I got a truckload of apple logs, a few years back I got almost ten cords of sugar maple and hickory. Mostly they want to give you junk like pine, willow and poplar though.

 

[Ashful]

They just don't want you to be picky... Mostly they want to give you junk like pine, willow and poplar though.

Exactly. Note the inclusion of "good hardwood" in some of the posts above, including my own. I've done pine and poplar, and they do burn, but far too fast to make it worth the time to split and stack them.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I have a source for mixed hardwood rounds (18 inch length +/-) delivered in 14x7 dump trailer with 30 inch sides. The seller is a tree service and all the wood was cut this year. Since I want this wood to start building up a 5 year supply, the MC is not an issue. Seller says it should be about 4 face cord. Price is $220 delivered.

Going price for cut, split delivered mixed hardwood in my area seems to be $75/ face cord.

I split all my wood by hand.

Couple of questions:
1) how much wood do you think this will result in after splitting? Basically looking for a confirmation of his estimate.
2) Does it seem like a good deal?

Thanks.

$220 for 1.3 cord in the round does not seem like a deal to me.

 

[RopeS]

I have been reading the forums here for some time and have noticed that everyone speaks in cords, but around here (Detroit metro area), everyone selling wood speaks face cords (4x8 by cut length of split).

Most of the tree services I look into sell firewood; seems unlikely that many of them are paying to dispose of wood, but who knows, perhaps.

Talked to another guy today selling "seasoned" split hardwoods for $75/face cord. When I asked him the MC he would not tell me anything only that it was from tops that had been down for 2 years and that it dries fast once split and ready to burn this winter. I'm afraid this is the typical kind of answer I get from anyone selling wood.

I do have access to a couple pieces of property close to my home where I have permission to cut dead trees (mostly elm) and on the other only dead and on the ground wood (not always great quality).

Any thoughts on a price I should offer given this kind of market?

Thanks for all the replies so far - have confirmed my initial thoughts on the price.
Also, I don't own a truck, trailer or log splitter, so its pretty much what I can get from close by properties I have access to and what I can buy locally.

Yes, I agree with your summary of wood supply in our area. I've contacted every tree service around and even the ones that do not sell firewood (which is fairly rare), do not sell/give away logs/wood. Finding good dry wood around here is like finding hens teeth. I'm fortunate to have a pickup and access to a trailer, and I've had good luck with finding firewood out near Grass Lake area. More people burn out there I think, and at least a couple that I've talked to and bought from actually new what a MM was and what the readings were. How close to Detroit are you?

 

[kennyp2339]

I say $350.00 for 2 trailer loads, saves you $90.00 and gives him the business for the day. plus you'll have over 2.5 cord

 

[HarvestMan]

Yes, I agree with your summary of wood supply in our area. I've contacted every tree service around and even the ones that do not sell firewood (which is fairly rare), do not sell/give away logs/wood. Finding good dry wood around here is like finding hens teeth. I'm fortunate to have a pickup and access to a trailer, and I've had good luck with finding firewood out near Grass Lake area. More people burn out there I think, and at least a couple that I've talked to and bought from actually new what a MM was and what the readings were. How close to Detroit are you?

I am in North Oakland County, Holly/Davisburg area about 70 miles from Grass Lake. I don't even require dry wood, I was hoping to get a close by source that would be able to deliver rounds or even reasonable size pieces I could cut then split; they save the labor of processing and I get a price break (I thought this would be easier than it is turning out to be). I'm still calling around and will see what I can find.

 

[HarvestMan]

Here is an update to my original post. I called around and was able to find a tree service company that will deliver an 11 cubic yard dump truck of 18 inch (+/-) rounds for $100. According to converunits.com this equates to 2.3 cords - not sure of the percentage loss because of packing loss, but this beats the heck out of the other "deal" I was offered (~1.3 cord for $220). This is all supposed to be mixed hardwoods (the ones he mentioned were oak, maple, locust, hickory).

Never heard of this guy before but his operation is only 2.9 miles from my home, so that works out good for him; pretty sure I'm calling him tomorrow to order a load; just a bit nervous about having that huge pile to split by hand.

Is there such a thing as wood splitting stress syndrome?

 

[Applesister]

A WAY better deal...even if its all pine. And dont stress....just enjoy the outdoors!!
And remember...little strokes fell great Oaks.

 

[Poindexter]

Regional cordwood price variations drive me ape; prices are literally all over the map, but clearly the second vendor is the better choice for you.

I can assure you that if you stay where you are you will have a good handle on the going rate versus a bad deal versus a great opportunity within twelve cords or so. If you move 300+ miles you'll have to start over.

Don't ask me the going rate for cordwood up here, I am jealous of all y'all.