What to do with fallen trees.

[Jeff244]

I've got about 30 oak trees that have fallen since last winter. They range in size from about 14" diameter to over 20". Does anyone have experience selling firewood or selling to a sawmill? Although I don't have much experience, I'm sure I could cut and split the wood if there is more money in it than selling to a sawmill. I realize that if I sell it as firewood I will have to wait for it to season before I sell it. Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks,
Jeff

 

[WayneB]

I don't know about your area, but here in New England they sell green firewood all the time.

One can buy it in log length, cut 4 feet round, cut to size and split. You name it they sell it. Naturally they also sell seasoned firewood and the price reflects that.

Green oak full cord, cut and split will sell for around $225.00. Seasoned wood will sell for $300 a cord and up. Darn expensive.

I purchased two grapple loads of wood that should be close to 7 or 8 cords and it was $700 a load. Cheapest price I could find.

Wayne

 

[scott_vt]

I don't know about your area, but here in New England they sell green firewood all the time.

Wayne

Good Evenin Jeff,
Wayne has it right, over this way they sell firewood green uncut in log length or split and still green or split and seasoned priced accordingly !

Of course being me I never pay !

So in answer to your question here is where it would go if you were closer to me !

BTW this is a live shot !

 

[OFarrell]

Sounds like a good reason to buy a wood stove or you could always try selling the logs as they are on craigslist.

 

[arrow]

Before all this financial and energy turmoil, oak stems were worth way more as logs than firewood. My local mill has stopped taking in logs a there is no market any more. With the price of firewood escalating, I'd be prone to develop it as such as long as your expenditure is not large such as having to buy a splitter or delivery truck. You should finish up with 12-15 cords of wood depending on how massive the tops are and the height of the trees of course. You may approach 20 with big tops. Its a shame because at one point, these trees would have brought big money as decorative lumber. My mill would sell a planed 12"x10' mantle piece for $500 a few years ago.

 

[scott_vt]

Its a shame because at one point, these trees would have brought big money as decorative lumber. My mill would sell a planed 12"x10' mantle piece for $500 a few years ago.

Good Evenin Arrow,
I was runnin my splitter today and came across some beautiful oak that had some beautiful wavy grain inside and it just absolutely killed me to be turnin this stuff into cordwood ! It could have made some beautiful furniture had I known what kind of figure was inside !

 

[arrow]

Scott
I find that the joys of country living often come in fleeting moments. The good side is that my brain now acts as a camera. My eyes are the lense (I guess literally) and my brain is the sim card. Things come and go all too quickly out here not to learn to take it all in a moments notice whether it is an eagle at the top of a tree or the swirls of grain in a round that you would have never seen if you hadn't split that piece. In a way, it still becomes a mantle piece only this one is just above your heart.

 

[schmism]

with the current energy prices ive seen a defiant increase in fire wood sales in my part of the world.

 

[WayneB]

Good Evenin Jeff,
Wayne has it right, over this way they sell firewood green uncut in log length or split and still green or split and seasoned priced accordingly !

Of course being me I never pay !

So in answer to your question here is where it would go if you were closer to me !

BTW this is a live shot !

I normally don't buy wood either scotty, but age being what it is I thought I should go ahead and get a few years wood ahead and decided to buy a couple grapple loads. Nothing like cutting up and splitting multiple cords of wood to get the heart beat up a bit!

 

[scott_vt]

Scott
Things come and go all too quickly out here not to learn to take it all in a moments notice whether it is an eagle at the top of a tree or the swirls of grain in a round that you would have never seen if you hadn't split that piece. In a way, it still becomes a mantle piece only this one is just above your heart.

Good Mornin Arrow,
So very well said !!! Enjoy the beauty of any particular moment right there and then ! Thankyou for putting it into words ! BTW my oldest boy graduated from URI a few years ago, so both Kathleen and I are familiar with the Kingston and surrounding area ! One of my favorites was Narragansett !


Good Mornin Wayne,
I think your smart stockpiling some log length wood, heck it can only go one way !

 

[Jeff244]

Thanks for the replies.

I think I am going to cut and split the wood but I have a few more questions.

How long should I cut the wood? I was thinking of cutting it 18".

There are a lot of old trees and large branches that have been there for several years, is it OK to use them?

Any tips for stacking and delivering the wood? I have a pickup truck and a horse trailer now but it seems like a lot of work to load and unload them. I will be on the lookout for a older cheap dump truck but I am not counting on it.


Thanks,
Jeff

 

[ragkar]

I'm in a similar situation to you with about thirty downed mature oaks. The difference is that I don't want to use or sell it, I just don't want it.
I've had three guys helping themselves, cutting, splitting and hauling it. But they're all lazy. I had one guy cut a couple cords about a month ago, but he never came back to claim it. Shoot, I'd even let him use my 27 ton splitter if he wants.
My neighbor wants to pay me $500 for all of it, but I don't want any one having a future claim on my property.
I bought a small trailer last week to tow behind my tractor deeper in the woods but I'm having second thoughts. I found a 3pt carrier at Northern tool that looks real convenient for hauling wood out of the woods.
Carry-On 3-Pt. Hitch Hauler, Model# 803 | Scoops | Northern Tool + Equipment
Carry-On Trailer Carry Hauler
Last week I came across a new, but very rusted trailer at a dealer that looks clever. It's made of mesh and the interior dimensions are exactly 4'x4'x8'. So If I were delivering wood all I'd have to do is fill it to have a measured cord.

 

[dillo99]

Jeff,

I had a friend with a similar situation to yours (an ice/wind storm took out about the same number of trees). This was a few years ago but he had a guy come in with a portable saw mill for about 300-400 and turn the whole thing into lumber. My friend had a list of what he wanted the mill owner turned it all out in less than a day. He then used all this timber to build a new oak barn that is solid as a rock - and he basically got all the wood for less than $400.

So if you need lumber for any upcoming projects or want to try to sell lumber, you might want to look into portable mill services in your area.

 

[scott_vt]

Thanks for the replies.

I think I am going to cut and split the wood but I have a few more questions.

How long should I cut the wood? I was thinking of cutting it 18".



Thanks,
Jeff

Good Afternoon Jeff,
I think you cant go wrong with 18" as you allready mentioned ! Thats a pretty universal size for many of us burning wood in a conventional stove !

As far as the branches that have been around for awhile, as long as they are still quality wood and not rotted in anyway you can still use them IMO .

As far as unloading the truck, you just can beat a dump truck. But if you want to use your pickup, you might try looking at one of those belts that lay in the bed that you can crank to unload the wood. That might work for you and still be within the budget !

 

[arrow]

Jeff, you may want to simply cut and split your wood and stack it right there. Put out an add for your wood as "pick-up only". I've been in the wood game for a long time (too long actually) and believe me , delivery is a whole nuther can of worms. This way you can stack your wood 4 ft high and 4 ft wide with any length rows with 8' marked increments and let people get as much a they want. The beauty part of this is that you'll never get questioned as to whether you are delivering a full cord or not nor will you have to encounter an added expense of getting truck or trailer. Your wood price will be cheaper than any delivered entity so you should sell out quickly. If you do go this route, you'll want to cut your wood 16" as three rows will measure out to 4' wide.

 

[Jeff244]

Thanks again for the replies, I appreciate it.

I started cutting some of the trees up. I've been cutting them at about 18". I like the idea of cutting it 16" so I can make full cords. I also like the idea of having people pick it up. Maybe I can offer delivery and stacking at an extra charge.

Most of the fallen trees broke off a few feet above the ground. Some kind of beetle looking insect seems to have infested them and rotted them out in the center. Is this something I should be worried about as far as them spreading to other trees? Also some of the trees fell still connected to the roots and some are leaning against other trees, is there any special method to safely cut these down? I was thinking of trying to pull them down with my tractor and a chain. If that doesn't work, I was thinking of cutting partially through them by the base and hook a chain by the cut and see if the tractor can separate it.

One more thing, do I need to stack the wood loosely after splitting so it will be seasoned properly by next fall? I've been reading some conflicting info on the net. Obviously I would prefer not to have to stack it twice but I want it to be ready by next fall and I want repeat customers.

Thanks again,
Jeff

 

[arrow]

Phew, there's a lot of "depends" How large is your tractor. A leaning 20" oak is going to take quite the traction. This size is about the limit for my JD 750 4wd. I hook up at the base of the tree and use the 3 pt. to get some weight to the rears. Keep the 3 pt elevation below the axle height. Cut the leaning tree with the notch on top. Make your finish cut from underneath but make it horizontal to the ground so when the tree falls, you won't have a leading edge trying to dig into the ground as your pulling. You'll have a beveled edge sitting on the ground instead. The tree will still be leaning most likely after the cut. Roots attached are another story. Roots are extraordinarily heavy. We would drive the front end of the skidder blade up to support the root structure and slice the stem off with an under cut. (once again , notch on top) If you have nothing that big to support the root structure, it then becomes rather dangerous and I hesitate to give you advice without looking over the situation. Sometimes the roots just stay, and other times they'll fall back into the hole after the stem is cut. It depends on how much of the roots are out. I do not know your skill level as a wood cutter but leaning trees are a whole nuther ball of manure and always makes this dangerous endeavor even more so. I would not attempt to make a relief cut and attempt to pull the tree apart under any circumstances.

You can certainly make permanent stacks but I might consider selling this wood as dry maybe 2 years down the road, especially if its red oak. I cut down some red oaks 2 years ago stacked it 3 deep, restacked it 2 deep (I know better but I needed the space the first time) and the stuff still sizzzles a bit when I put it in the stove this year.

We have carpenter ants that can kill oaks here and yes, they can spread into a stand of oak . I do not know about your beetle infestation and what their habits or life cycles are so I cannot give definitive info on their spreading or not.

Just read your profile and yes your Kioti should be sizeable enough for this task.

 

[Trainer]

Suspect you may have fun cutting the wood if it has been down for a while. The oak will harden and give a chain saw a work out.

 

[Jeff244]

Arrow, I probably only have about 20 or 30 hours using a chainsaw so I guess I'm not very experienced. I am using the tractor bucket, chains and the backhoe to help cut the trees safely. The first cut is usually the most dangerous it seems. I've looked at the leaning trees still connected to the roots several times and I agree that I am not qualified to cut them down myself. Although I have considered using chains with binders connected to nearby trees to hold the trees in place as I cut them. I got a hold of a guy from a local sawmill who is going to come out and look at the trees, maybe he can take them down.

I did find some large black ants in some of the trees, I assume they are carpenter ants. The area that I have been working in (2-3acres) has a disproportionate amount of dead and fallen trees. Is there anything I should be doing, or do I just let nature take it's course?

Trainer, I did cut some of the older deadoaks and I was surprised how hard it was, I would of guessed that the older ones would of cut easier.


Thanks,
Jeff

 

[dillo99]

I did find some large black ants in some of the trees, I assume they are carpenter ants. The area that I have been working in (2-3acres) has a disproportionate amount of dead and fallen trees. Is there anything I should be doing, or do I just let nature take it's course?

Let nature take it's course - Woodpeckers love em.