Not free firewood....but close

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

So I've been trimming up a lot trees on the farm and cleaning up a lot of storm damage. It has amounted to about 5 ricks of 90% round firewood. My dad, brother, FIL, nor I burn firewood at home. I burn a little in the shop but have a big pile of split, seasoned oak for that. I have been advertising it at $30 a rick, you haul. Not one bite. It is very mixed firewood and mostly seasoned, cut to length, and stacked. I realize its not high grade firewood but my time is worth something. I hear it advertised for $50 pretty regular. Guess folks don't need a bargain anymore. Not really looking to make a $ off it just want it out of the way. Had several dead oaks along the edge of field/woods I tried to give away if they would drag the brush into the woods and out of the field. No takers on that either.

 

[farmeratheart]

So I've been trimming up a lot trees on the farm and cleaning up a lot of storm damage. It has amounted to about 5 ricks of 90% round firewood. My dad, brother, FIL, nor I burn firewood at home. I burn a little in the shop but have a big pile of split, seasoned oak for that. I have been advertising it at $30 a rick, you haul. Not one bite. It is very mixed firewood and mostly seasoned, cut to length, and stacked. I realize its not high grade firewood but my time is worth something. I hear it advertised for $50 pretty regular. Guess folks don't need a bargain anymore. Not really looking to make a $ off it just want it out of the way. Had several dead oaks along the edge of field/woods I tried to give away if they would drag the brush into the woods and out of the field. No takers on that either.

I wish we were closer to one another ... Those dead oaks sound right up my alley. Much of the firewood that we burn comes from similar trees from my friends farm.

Frank

 

[MikeInEburg]

I have been advertising it at $30 a rick, you haul.

Out of curiosity, how many cubic feet are in a rick?

 

[KennyG]

You don't see many firewood ads around here now, compared to years ago. I don't think many people burn wood. I get all I need from my downed trees and cleaning up neighbors trees. If I had to pay for wood, I would just depend on natural gas given it's low price. Although I have a wood stove I also have a gas fireplace.

 

[shooterdon]

You may be charging a bit much if by a rick you mean a face cord (16"x4'x8'). I can have split hardwood firewood delivered and stacked for $50 a face cord. There is more wood when it is split than in rounds. Loggers cords (100"x4'x8") go for $80 delivered here; making my cost per "rick" of rounds about $15. But craigslist will give an idea of local market pricing.

People are basically lazy and that plays into it too. If I was able to get natural gas, I would only burn wood for the ambiance. But I live in an area where a lot of people burn wood to save money. If you live in an area that has cheap natural gas, firewood prices are likely to be depressed.

 

[jajiu]

Come to the North East, $300. per cord is reasonable with some as high as $400. I have 5 acres of wood that most of my firewood comes from downed storm damage and I sometimes take down a dead tree. Having shoulder surgery in April, I can't even start my chain saw now and won't be able to do much until the fall. I guess I'll use more propane next winter.

 

[MossRoad]

So I've been trimming up a lot trees on the farm and cleaning up a lot of storm damage. It has amounted to about 5 ricks of 90% round firewood. My dad, brother, FIL, nor I burn firewood at home. I burn a little in the shop but have a big pile of split, seasoned oak for that. I have been advertising it at $30 a rick, you haul. Not one bite. It is very mixed firewood and mostly seasoned, cut to length, and stacked. I realize its not high grade firewood but my time is worth something. I hear it advertised for $50 pretty regular. Guess folks don't need a bargain anymore. Not really looking to make a $ off it just want it out of the way. Had several dead oaks along the edge of field/woods I tried to give away if they would drag the brush into the woods and out of the field. No takers on that either.

Try advertising it by the cord (4' x 4' x 8') and see how that goes.

 

[Oldoak]

I have tons and tons of dead Ash trees most of which is still standing but is beginning to go down. I would let any body come and cut their own for FREE. However, I was advised not to do that because of liability issues. And professional loggers are so backed up around here they are a year behind. Besides the dead Ash is now worthless for anything but firewood, thanks to another foreign invader (Emerald Ash Borer Beetle).

 

[Teachu2]

Raise the price. Too cheap scares people off.

 

[turnkey4099]

You may be charging a bit much if by a rick you mean a face cord (16"x4'x8'). I can have split hardwood firewood delivered and stacked for $50 a face cord. There is more wood when it is split than in rounds.

.

Wrong. There is less wood in a split stack. You cannot put wood into less space than it occupies in the round. I know, it is counter ro "common sense" but true. You can try it yourself, take a tapered carrot or similar article, cut into rounds and put as many of them as you can in a single layer in a box top or similar. Now dump them out and split each of those rounds in half an try to put them back into the same space. Can't be done without putting them back together in rounds.

If I am buying firewood by the cord, I want it in rounds and I'll do the splitting. Rough estimate is that the split wood will stack to from 5-10% more space.

 

[turnkey4099]

You may be charging a bit much if by a rick you mean a face cord (16"x4'x8'). I can have split hardwood firewood delivered and stacked for $50 a face cord. There is more wood when it is split than in rounds. Loggers cords (100"x4'x8") go for $80 delivered here; making my cost per "rick" of rounds about $15. But craigslist will give an idea of local market pricing.

People are basically lazy and that plays into it too. If I was able to get natural gas, I would only burn wood for the ambiance. But I live in an area where a lot of people burn wood to save money. If you live in an area that has cheap natural gas, firewood prices are likely to be depressed.

If I could buy it that cheap here, I wouldn't cut another cord. Here, quality wood goes around $300/cord. I sell Willow for $120/cord.

 

[bigtiller]

If you still have it by this summer, try advertising it as campfire wood, sold by the bundle or armload. A fire during a picnic seams popular around here.

 

[Ford850]

If they are large rounds, that's the reason for not selling. Most people who buy firewood don't have a way, or the want, to split it. I think if you split yours and up your price to $45, it will sell.

 

[4570Man]

How big of rounds are you talking about. Cut rounds are worthless and free for the taking here. Only wood ready for the wood stove has any value here. Natural gas cost 12 cents per therm or 100,000 btus worth which I believe is cheaper than buying firewood.

 

[4570Man]

Here’s an add I saw earlier. It was about 30 miles away and not worth it to me but if it was close I’d have gotten it.

 

[Oldoak]

If I could buy it that cheap here, I wouldn't cut another cord. Here, quality wood goes around $300/cord. I sell Willow for $120/cord.

$120/cord for Willow? Back in the days when we burned wood, I wouldn't take Willow even it was free. You're really doing good to sell it for that price. Of course, like they say: "location, location".

 

[Zerk]

I enjoy cutting firewood and burning it. But in KY is it worth screwing around with? Though what I do like about burning wood is having windows open for fresh air.

Also agree if it is not split or small enough to burn, probably not as quick selling. Most ads say split and seasoned.

I don't have a splitter. So I wait until it is dry and split it. You handle it more. I enjoy splitting it, but I am only doing enough for my camp, and not heating a home all winter, and I am not that old yet.

 

[atsah]

I have been cutting and splitting firewood my whole life and never heard of a "rick". What is a 'rick" supposed to be?

Nevermind, I googled it.. Looks like one row out of a cord..

 

[Zerk]

If you still have it by this summer, try advertising it as campfire wood, sold by the bundle or armload. A fire during a picnic seams popular around here.

Can charge a lot more for it too. With wood quarantenes and just most people don't have access, I see it every where. Small bundles at gas stations, side of road. I have thought about it.

Some homes will build sort of a shelf with dividers to sell it. Put up lock box and self serve. Maybe craigslist. I dunno, look and see if others are doing it.

Or put a fire pit in back yard.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Lot more replies than I expected. Let me answer a few questions folks have. Firewood is traditionally sold in my area of KY by the "rick" which measures 16"x 4'x8'. Which happens to be roughly the amount that will easily fit in the bed of a half ton full size truck. Rarely sold here by the cord or "face cord" different culture, different terminology. Over 90% sized between big as your arm and milk jug sized, limb wood. Species include red and white oak, black cherry, locust, sassafaras, elm, poplar, hickory and maybe a little cedar. I don't need the wood and don't need the money but I hate to see it go to waste by just shoving it in the woods to rot .