Firewood Market

[buckeyefarmer]

Here firewood can only be advertised by the cord, can't use terms like face cord, etc, but it can be fraction of a cord, like 1/2 cord. When I used to burn wood, I would buy a dumptruck load unsplit, and split myself because it was well over $100/cord 18 yrs ago when I stopped burning. My dad still burns wood and splits it by hand, 88 yrs old. never had a splitter.

 

[dodge man]

I've never really bought or sold firewood, but I do burn maybe a 1/2 cord a year. I think firewood goes for around $50 a pick up load, but who knows how much that is. I burn just about anything, being red and white oak, hickory, elm, a little pine, locust. I have a power splitter so the stringy stuff doesn't bother me as much as it used to.

 

[DKCDKC]

Can you tell me more about donating to the Salvation Army?

Do you deliver the wood cut and split or make if available for pick-up?

I usually donate by simply taking a truck load to where they say it's needed. In the past I have also donated unsplit wood to a utility volunteer operation. They split it and deliver to a needy person in partnership with the SA. They usually pick it up from my place. The SA gives you a tax sheet you can use to record the donation. Being retired with a modest income, that's not particularly significant to me.

If you don't have a Salvation Army around, check with your local social services agency or the United Way. There are usually agencies that encounter people with no heat and wood stoves.

 

[jymbee]

If you don't have a Salvation Army around, check with your local social services agency or the United Way. There are usually agencies that encounter people with no heat and wood stoves.

Great idea-- I'll have to check into that. Thanks for the info.

 

[cqaigy2]

My dad still burns wood and splits it by hand, 88 yrs old. never had a splitter.

They don't make them like that anymore!

 

[ultrarunner]

If you don't have a Salvation Army around, check with your local social services agency or the United Way. There are usually agencies that encounter people with no heat and wood stoves.

Thank you... that is a very good idea.

I know in Olympia WA they have programs with volunteers to help out the elderly with free firewood.

For some reason it never occurred to me to check with the local Salvation Army here in Oakland California...

I will give them a call... just seems a waster for cut and split wood to go to waste.

 

[Gunny]

Some were talking about apple being such a hot burning wood. I don't have much apple and what I do have is saved for smoking turkeys, boston butts and pork loins!

Southern Indiana has a lot of hedge apple, they call it the zero degree wood over there, but man is that stuff hard! I believe that stuff will take the edge out of a saw chain as quick as concrete would. Most people cutting it wouldn't use chisel chain since it would roll the small cutting edge off that in a heartbeat. Everyone I knew that harvested hedge apple would never go out without at least four chains and a new file. They hated cutting it but they really liked the heat from it.

 

[MossRoad]

MossRoad; Do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive me, (LOL) I was enjoying my dinner to much (a dixie loaf sandwich, a bowl of burgoo, and a Ale-8) that I mistakenly said a rick is a half cord, it is indeed a 1/3. Sorry. I usually split with a doubled or single bit axe, mostly single bit in case I need to tap on it sledge. We would usually cut a little sassafras and split in down small to use as kindling. We did have sawmills nearby and could get slab wood to in the shop. Made a hot fire pretty fast but didn't last long, but cheap. Mostly burned coal till 45 years ago then it got hard to come by locally.

I burn sassafras and locust. The sas burns fast and is great kinkling or for only if I want a 4-5 hour fire. The locust burns 6-9 hours. It weighs almost twice as much as the sas. Also, the sas leaves a lot of ash compared to the locust.

 

[MossRoad]

Some were talking about apple being such a hot burning wood. I don't have much apple and what I do have is saved for smoking turkeys, boston butts and pork loins!

Southern Indiana has a lot of hedge apple, they call it the zero degree wood over there, but man is that stuff hard! I believe that stuff will take the edge out of a saw chain as quick as concrete would. Most people cutting it wouldn't use chisel chain since it would roll the small cutting edge off that in a heartbeat. Everyone I knew that harvested hedge apple would never go out without at least four chains and a new file. They hated cutting it but they really liked the heat from it.

Hedge apple is Osage Orange. Tough wood. Drops sticky green softballs on your car, too! :confused2:

 

[WayneB]

We have heated our home with wood for over 30 years and normally go through about 5 cord (full cords) each year and some years it can be a bit more. Past few years we have been buying grapple loads of wood and they average between 7 to 9 cords per load. We burn mostly oak, maple, and birch. Typical truck load will be around $800 and the normal cost for a cut, split cord of wood goes for between 200 and 250.

 

[clemsonfor]

Thank you... that is a very good idea.

I know in Olympia WA they have programs with volunteers to help out the elderly with free firewood.

For some reason it never occurred to me to check with the local Salvation Army here in Oakland California...

I will give them a call... just seems a waster for cut and split wood to go to waste.

Just curious, what would be the point if there is a burn ban on stoves or fireplaces in your area? Or are you talking about trucking out of the jurisdiction?

 

[charlz]

Figures my two locations would have restrictions on heating with wood.

Maybe I need to move to Nevada or Idaho?

Well, don't move to the Boise area as it is prone to inversions and we are under a burn ban right now. The inversion has also been keeping us 10-20 degrees below average so now would be the time when you would want to burn the most. Where I grew up in Montana was also prone to inversions but the primary source of heat for a lot people was wood. When I lived in Las Vegas you simply could not install a wood fireplace or other wood heating device. The only 'fireplaces' were the decorative natural gas ones.

 

[cqaigy2]

Just curious, what would be the point if there is a burn ban on stoves or fireplaces in your area? Or are you talking about trucking out of the jurisdiction?

You can burn, depending on whether there is an 'air quality alert'. Level 1, not burn unless sole source of heat, level 2, sole source and epa stove with only 20 visible smoke emission during lighting and reloading. The geography in western washington has a tendency to trap particulates low to the ground under certain weather conditions.

 

[charlz]

Just curious, what would be the point if there is a burn ban on stoves or fireplaces in your area? Or are you talking about trucking out of the jurisdiction?

I took it as giving to 'financial hardship' people who, at least in my area, can burn regardless of any burn bans in place.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

I just came in for dinner, a venison bologna and hot pepper cheese sandwich, some soup, chips, and a soft drink. That's a "soda" for my friends up North I think. LOL I've cutting some more wood and making sure things are tied down for the cold air coming in tonight. Single numbers from what I've heard. Anyway, several of you like to burn locust firewood but it is rarely done here locally. I have a few hundred scattered on various hills and hollers but most are saved back for fencepost. Sometimes I'll burn a little locust limb wood from time to time. It's yellow locust if anyones interested. It maybe strange to some, but I'll cut locust trees for posts during the correct "lunar sign" or "sign of the moon". Now before some of you get all humped up I've been doing it this way for forty odd years and it works for me. I feel the sap is at its lowest point which prevent the post, after cutting, from sprouting back out. I think the post last longer when set too. I try to cut on the dark of the moon in Feb. Well I better finish up dinner. I have a load a red oak to stack then I may go after a dead cherry that may hit the fence if it falls.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just curious, what would be the point if there is a burn ban on stoves or fireplaces in your area? Or are you talking about trucking out of the jurisdiction?

You are correct... Salvation Army does not accept firewood in this region.

We also have rules about moving firewood in CA to protect ag/forestry.

 

[lutt]

I just came for dinner (the noon meal in Kentucky). I had been out delivering 3 ricks of wood to Aunt Peggy. I was just curious as to how things are done in other parts of the country. The wood I delivered was 99% red oak with a little poplar. A poplar limb fell out when I cut the tree. The wood wasn't "seasoned" but the tree was dead when I cut it. Locally a rick will measure 4' X 8' X 16"-18". It is normally considered, but is not, a half cord. The reason for this is most stoves in my area will not handle a 24" stick of wood hence 16-18". Firewood here is rarely sold by the cord, just by the rick. Most folks who heat with wood use 15-20 ricks a season. I sold her the wood, delivered and stacked in her wood shed for $30 a rick. She lives less than 5 miles from me. Normally it would have been $40-50. The firewood of choice is ash but it's getting harder to come by. Red and white oak are very popular as well as hickory and cherry. Trash wood are popular, beech, gum, sycamore, maple, locust, sassafras, persimmon, pine, cedar and cottonwood. As a curious point I cut a little wood for my wifes grandmother years ago. She had a little "Ben Franklin" style wood stove in the parlor (living room) but it could only take a 12-14" stick of wood. It takes forever to cut wood in 12'' pieces! Tell me a little of how you guys do it.

We do it the same way here in Arkansas. I cut my wood from 12 to 24 inches,depends on what the customer wants. Here where I live, a rick is 4x8x the length they want it cut. I only have one customer that wants it 24",because he has a wood chuck furnace. He is a 4 cord customer. Most people here want it 18"s long also. That is the only fair way to sell it. Law or no law. I rick it up between fencepost 4 feet tall, 8 feet long,per order. That way they know exactly what there paying for.Also get 50 to 60 bucks a rick with a minium of 4 rick order for delivering,depends on how far I have to go.Load it in the dump trailer and back in where they want it and let her go. Also dinner is lunch here. LUTT

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Lutt; Sounds like you and I are speaking the same langauge. I am curious as to what tree species is common down there?

 

[sam5570]

I just came in for dinner, a venison bologna and hot pepper cheese sandwich, some soup, chips, and a soft drink. That's a "soda" for my friends up North I think. LOL I've cutting some more wood and making sure things are tied down for the cold air coming in tonight. Single numbers from what I've heard. Anyway, several of you like to burn locust firewood but it is rarely done here locally. I have a few hundred scattered on various hills and hollers but most are saved back for fencepost. Sometimes I'll burn a little locust limb wood from time to time. It's yellow locust if anyones interested. It maybe strange to some, but I'll cut locust trees for posts during the correct "lunar sign" or "sign of the moon". Now before some of you get all humped up I've been doing it this way for forty odd years and it works for me. I feel the sap is at its lowest point which prevent the post, after cutting, from sprouting back out. I think the post last longer when set too. I try to cut on the dark of the moon in Feb. Well I better finish up dinner. I have a load a red oak to stack then I may go after a dead cherry that may hit the fence if it falls.

yeah we was not allowed to cut the mountain locust for nothing but post that was 30 years ago something happen many years ago all the good locust died there is alot still standing in the mountains but all is dead and dry if you try to use it for post you better have a drill ready because you willnot drive a nail in it i stii have some post in the ground and still solid and i know they been there 40 years or more we youst to have people all the time wanting to buy our locust the mines paid big money for it used as props so we burn mostly red oak white oak and hickory

 

[jymbee]

Most people here want it 18"s long also. That is the only fair way to sell it. Law or no law.

:thumbsup: