# Is locust worth it?



## joefrompa (Aug 28, 2011)

Hi all,

A neighbor of my in-laws just had 4-5 locust trees felled. I'm guessing the total score will be in the neighborhood of 10 cords of locust. I picked some up and damn if it's not one of the heaviest woods I've ever felt. Looks like some forms of locust are top-o-the-range for BTUs per cord.

Getting 2 cords of this locust to my house would involve somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 14 mile round trips (120 miles) with a small pick-up truck, or renting a u-haul for the day.

Is locust worth it? I have nearby readily available pine and similar softwoods....

Joe


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## madrone (Aug 28, 2011)

Personally, I'd do it.


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## SolarAndWood (Aug 28, 2011)

There is no way I would let an opp like that go by.


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## ewdudley (Aug 28, 2011)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> 10 cords of locust. I picked some up and damn if it's not one of the heaviest woods I've ever felt. Looks like some forms of locust are top-o-the-range for BTUs per cord.



Plus, locust has relatively low moisture content when green, so you'll be hauling a lot less water and more btus per pound than with other woods.


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## Woody Stover (Aug 28, 2011)

I call dibs on the other 8 cords! :cheese:


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## SolarAndWood (Aug 28, 2011)

Woody Stover said:
			
		

> I call dibs on the other 8 cords! :cheese:



Let's see how many are left after 2 are taken.  10 cord out of 4-5 trees would require some big trees.


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## cygnus (Aug 28, 2011)

worth it.


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## loon (Aug 28, 2011)

me and Emma have been dealing with locust this afternoon and from what everybody here on the board says..

i'd go get it joe  ;-)

loon


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## NH_Wood (Aug 28, 2011)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> A neighbor of my in-laws just had 4-5 locust trees felled. I'm guessing the total score will be in the neighborhood of 10 cords of locust. I picked some up and damn if it's not one of the heaviest woods I've ever felt. Looks like some forms of locust are top-o-the-range for BTUs per cord.
> 
> ...



Hmmmm........is this a trick questions.......? Any chance you know someone with a bigger truck that could hold more wood per load? I'd be on this like stink on doodoo. Cheers!


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## Big Chris (Aug 28, 2011)

one of the best woods you can get....  one cord of locust is  worth 2 cords of pine


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## smokinj (Aug 28, 2011)

Even with snow on the ground!  ;-)


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## weatherguy (Aug 28, 2011)

Id rent a truck or trailer, I dont think uhaul will let you load wood on their trucks, someone on this site mentioned that one day but you may be able to rent a truck that you can haul wood with. Its worth the cost of renting to make life easier and to get that awesome wood. Im still working on getting my first locust, not easy to get.


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## tfdchief (Aug 28, 2011)

YES :exclaim:


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## Hiram Maxim (Aug 28, 2011)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> There is no way I would let an opp like that go by.



+1 Its absolutely worth it.


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## nrford (Aug 28, 2011)

weatherguy said:
			
		

> Id rent a truck or trailer, I dont think uhaul will let you load wood on their trucks, someone on this site mentioned that one day but you may be able to rent a truck that you can haul wood with. Its worth the cost of renting to make life easier and to get that awesome wood. Im still working on getting my first locust, not easy to get.


 
How would U-Haul know!! Just clean it up before return


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## wood-fan-atic (Aug 28, 2011)

Lots of locust just came down in the hurricane. If I were you, I would rent a U-haul trailer late on a Saturday afternoon (just before closing). Then you will have it for the rest of the night, and all day Sunday for the price of one day ($27 here). You could do 2 cords in a few trips,easy. And its easier on your truck. I have done this before I bought a trailer, and it is SO worth it...especially for black locust (my fave).


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## Duetech (Aug 28, 2011)

That much locust would almost be worth taking a couple of days off work to collect. The burn times per load compared to soft wood will be very evident. Beware though... locust is very hot burning so don't just go filling the sove up before you learn a bit more about it. Some have complained of warping a mediocre stove because of the heat so I suggest you move forward cautiously. If I lived close to you I would take the other 8 cords just to give you peace of mind. No I'm not a hero type but that kind of good deed I could really feel good about! :lol:


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## weatherguy (Aug 28, 2011)

nrford said:
			
		

> weatherguy said:
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Probably when you bring it back with busted shocks and suspension   . They dont hold a hell of a lot of weight. Thats why I think a trailer would be better or there are some companies that rent trucks that are made for heavy hauling.


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## rdust (Aug 29, 2011)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> Let's see how many are left after 2 are taken.  10 cord out of 4-5 trees would require some big trees.



10 real cords from 5 trees I want to see pictures, those are some large trees!  I did get 5 cords from a huge ash a couple years back but it was over 4' @ BH.


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## joefrompa (Aug 29, 2011)

Trees were ~3-4" in diameter and maybe 60-100 feet tall. There is 1.5 cords already split and stacked, about 60 feet in log lengths to buck, and maybe 25-30 bucked pieces ready to split. Seeing it, I'm guessing 10 cords. Honestly, could be 7 cords or 15 in it's current state. There's more abounding.

Also nearby is about 3 cords of oak in a 90' 3-4' thick oak tree laying on it's side awaiting someones pleasure 

Ok, so getin on this locust score if I can?


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## barnuba (Aug 29, 2011)

Where are you in SE PA?  I would be willing to help you out!


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## rdust (Aug 29, 2011)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> Ok, so getin on this locust score if I can?



I'd say so, it would work better if you can get your hands on a trailer that can handle the weight of a cord or two.  Also pictures are a must here.


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## Thistle (Aug 29, 2011)

I have access to 10 well-stocked acres of oak & hickory & would still go 40 miles one way for either honey or black locust whenever I got the chance.


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## eujamfh (Aug 29, 2011)

Will be interested if you get that much off the haul....but I would definitely do it but probably would rent a tandem uhaul trailer.  For $50 local, you would save as much on time and gas.


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## fabsroman (Aug 29, 2011)

weatherguy said:
			
		

> Id rent a truck or trailer, I dont think uhaul will let you load wood on their trucks, someone on this site mentioned that one day but you may be able to rent a truck that you can haul wood with. Its worth the cost of renting to make life easier and to get that awesome wood. Im still working on getting my first locust, not easy to get.



How the heck would u-haul even know if wood is hauled with one of their trucks or trailers? I was thinking about renting one of their 6x12 enclosed trailers for $30 to pick up some wood. As long as you broom it clean and don't get crazy with loading it up to capacity (i.e., wrecking it), I don't think they u-haul would ever know. When we rented a 6x12 trailer about 8 months ago to move some stuff from the house, they never mentioned anything about not hauling wood. Didn't mention it either when we rented two trucks for the actual move to the new house. Of course, it might be right there in the fine print of the contract, but it wasn't mentioned when we rented from u-haul.

To the OP, I would most definitely get that Locust. I am traveling 25 miles each way for 3/4 cord of the stuff at a time. With my F350 that is about $10 to $12 in diesel per load. Still beats paying for the wood, and locust is some really good wood. I have a client with 3 of them down in his yard and will be cutting them up come mid to late September when it is a little cooler. He is about the same distance from me. Might get lucky though and borrow a trailer from a landscaping friend of mine to make the loads per trip over a cord. See if you can borrow a trailer from somebody.


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## weatherguy (Aug 29, 2011)

fabsroman said:
			
		

> weatherguy said:
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I was referring to the trucks only and I only mentioned it because someone lese brough it up last time we had a similar discussion, the thing is they dont hold a lot of weight and I think there are better options anyway. Hell, for that much free locust Id look into buying a used trailer. It be nice to have for future scrounges.


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## fabsroman (Aug 29, 2011)

weatherguy said:
			
		

> fabsroman said:
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Yeah, I have no idea what the u-haul weight limits are, but I know we had that 6x12 trailer packed and it cost $30 per day. If I didn't have to drive out of my way to pick up and drop off the trailer, it would make a lot more sense to rent it. However, the u-haul dealer is 10 miles each way in the opposite direction.

Heck, I was about to buy a 4x8 trailer from Tractor Supply last week for $499, but I really want a 6x12 enclosed trailer and a 18 ft car/equipment hauler. Just cannot afford either of them right now. I could probably haul 2 cords of wood pre trip if I had a trailer. Such is life. This is why the poor people can never get ahead. They cannot afford the equipment to even get started. Then again, we just bought a furnace that should be saving us a bunch of money on our utility bill. Trailer will come along in the spring.

Crazy thing is that I ran across some plans for both trailers on Northern Tool and now I am thinking about taking a welding class at the community college, buying a welder, and building these things myself. Probably save a couple thousand on them and gain a welder and some skill out of the deal. Probably a project for next spring/summer because hunting season is about to start.


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## CTYank (Aug 29, 2011)

Absolutely worth lots of trouble. Just a couple of things, though.
The high density of locust makes it easy to overload truck and/or trailer; bad things can happen re tires, brakes, police-protection. Know your limits.
Before even pointing a chainsaw at locust, make sure it's razor-sharp. And, touch up the cutters often.

I happen to have lucked into many cords of the stuff right nearby in the last couple of years. Letting it slowly age and dry to perfection, for mid-winter burns. Contrary to what some have said, even dried down the single-digit MC, freshly-loaded splits take some time to sustain a burn with the secondaries. It helps a lot to include a split or two of pine or such volatile stuff.


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## joefrompa (Aug 29, 2011)

Alright, I'm probably going to rent a truck or trailer. I have access to a little toyota tacoma, but it's not a 4wd version nor does it have a hitch of any quality. I have a good friend with a 94 silverado pick-up that won't mind weighing it down a bit, so maybe I'll borrow that + rent a trailer. But only if I get more than 2 cords out of it - this will cost me $100 or so plus many hours of time. And I'm not gonna get the split stuff.

Actually, now that i think about it, I've got a neighbor who is waiting to sell me tons of split and fully seasoned red oak, cherry, and maple. I've seen it stacked in the back of his yard for well over a year now. I should probably buy that and leave the locust for people who are more locally in need!

Joe


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## firefighterjake (Aug 29, 2011)

I would love to get a load or two or seven of locust . . . heck, any of the good burning wood I would be willing to make a drive for them.


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## wood-fan-atic (Aug 29, 2011)

Joe - Im not sure how you got to the $100 mark? You can rent a trailer for $28 from U-Haul, and do it in a few hours. $30 and a few hours of sweat is a small price to pay for 2 cords of BL. I agree you should use your friends Silverado.


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## joefrompa (Aug 29, 2011)

I was looking at closer to $50 for the trailer from my local u-haul. Friend's silverado will probably take a full tank to drive out here, many the trips, and drive home. Maybe not, but let's say $80 altogether.

If I had limitless space to store wood, or at least vastly more than I have, I would get it all - neighbors cherry and oaks, the locust from a few miles away, and keep it a store. But I have limited space which is almost filled up. 

How does locust store outside? I"m guessing its very resistant to rot?


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## lukem (Aug 29, 2011)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> I was looking at closer to $50 for the trailer from my local u-haul. Friend's silverado will probably take a full tank to drive out here, many the trips, and drive home. Maybe not, but let's say $80 altogether.
> 
> If I had limitless space to store wood, or at least vastly more than I have, I would get it all - neighbors cherry and oaks, the locust from a few miles away, and keep it a store. But I have limited space which is almost filled up.
> 
> How does locust store outside? I"m guessing its very resistant to rot?



Locust is extremely resistant to decay and insects.  That's why they are prized as fence posts.  Keep it up off the ground and it will last practically forever.

Around here you can rent a decent sized (6x12) dump trailer for ~$50/day.  You could fit two cord of rounds in it pretty easy, but you'd need a 3/4 ton to tow it comfortably.


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## smokinj (Aug 29, 2011)

;-) Really comes down to man power How much can you physically move in a day? ( kinda like the old saying that saw is to heavy to carry all day long) lol 880 will keep a 4 man crew buzy all day long in about an hour!


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## joefrompa (Aug 29, 2011)

I'll nail down how much I can score. If I can get 3-4 cords worth of rounds, I'll go ahead with it and simply stack them in rounds on some throw-away lumber up off the ground.

We'll see how much they are willing to give me


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## woodsmaster (Aug 29, 2011)

I'd try for a dump trailer. It would be worth a little extra to not have to unload and you could make more trips in a day with the time saved.


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## smokinj (Aug 29, 2011)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> I'll nail down how much I can score. If I can get 3-4 cords worth of rounds, I'll go ahead with it and simply stack them in rounds on some throw-away lumber up off the ground.
> 
> We'll see how much they are willing to give me



Once you rent a trailer your on the clock, you can only do so much and every mistake cut into your load counts. One cord per man per day is a realistic goal!  :cheese:

(If your other equipment is good shape) :cheese:


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## joefrompa (Aug 29, 2011)

It'll already be bucked into rounds, so I'm just picturing loading the rounds onto the truck. I'm confident with one other guy I could probably transport 10 cords in rounds in one day if I needed.....it's just not that much work to load an unload a cord of rounds


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