Oak Trees, Sale or Saw

[hunterridgefarm]

I am getting ready to tag some oak trees I need to take out for long driveway and house site. these are very tall oaks, no limbs except in the top. Circumference...some I can stretch and touch my fingers and some I cannot, (have not had measuring tape with me). I would like to remove them far enough back to not risk them falling on the house. Quantity...I would say 1-2 tractor-trailer loads possible, more if I decide to clear a few acres.

I can sale to a local saw mill for $. They will come out a give me a price as soon as I get them tagged.

I can have them milled for lumber. The lumber I could use for a pole barn, tough to nail, could trade for larger quantity of pine lumber at same saw mill. I have a complete wood working shop I could use to build funiture after drying and after shop is built.

Not sure, so why not get some opinions from you guys and gals.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Personally I'd sell them. Since they have some girth in them, you should be able to get very good money for them Buy cheaper stuff for your pole barn and other uses. Those trees are timberframe trees, and could be worth quite a bit if you find a local timberframer.

Cliff

 

[BillyP]

Just some advice. If you do decide to sell them, get several bids. Timber prices can vary quite a bit from one buyer to the next. Also, you could sell some and keep some for lumber. Whatever you decide, you're going to have one heck of a mess.

 

[Jstpssng]

Tall, straight, limb free; they could well be worth more as veneer than you'll ever get at your local sawmill. Clear oak can bring $1000+/thousand depending on quality. It may be worth your while to have a consulting forester come and advise you.
You can also get limited free advice from your County Ranger.

I'm not sure how much firewood you burn down there, but the limbs can give you great heat. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Sounds like some good advice you got. Try to sell them.

 

[beenthere]

Follow the advice to get some input from a forester who knows their value and knows who to get the best price from. Without knowledge like that, you will be easy pickins for a logger who is looking to get logs as cheap as possible (and I don't blame a one of them for trying that if it will work).

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Sounds like good advice. I will contact the County Ranger and Forestry Service in my area. I'll get several bids and see what happens. Had not thought about selling for veneer but I know several people in the furniture industry and I'll see if they can give me some contacts.

As far as the mess someone mentioned, most limbs will be cut for firewood, some burn pile, and I have found a deep ravine on the property to pile stumps if I cannot get them hauled off.

I want to keep the property as natural as possible around the house but felt it neccessary to protect the house and have a fire break. I'll be very selective in the cutting and hopefully this is where the Forester and/or County Ranger can help.

We had large White Pines cut off the property in the early 90's due to damage from Hugo that got the pine beatle started. So I have a place already set-up to load logs and old skidder trails can be used. So damage to property should not be a big problem.

I'll try and take some pictures this weekend and post them.

Thanks for the advice, I was leaning towards selling but I guess I just needed to see what others would do to kind of help in my decision.

 

[ScottAR]

Forestry Forum

 

[goaliedad]

being a woodworker myself, let me throw this in- it sounds like you have a large quantity of quality lumber- how much will you use in a reasonable time? I would get some quotes and sell most of it, but keep some for my use. Nothing better than saying, " that piece is built with lumber from my own place". I have been able to get saw logs from people in the past- they always liked a little of it back!

 

[Egon]

If they are lumber quality trees check all resources possible for pricing. Maybe even stockpile them for a while till you decide what to do with them.

Egon