# Poplar in firewood delivery - need fast advice.



## szmaine (Jul 7, 2011)

Hi all,

We just received a load of tree length today. I wasn't there but my husband called and said it has "alot" of poplar - I am pretty mad if this is true.
I haven't paid yet - I'm supposed to be dropping off the money on my way home but I may leave early and go see how bad it is first - then try to negotiate the price down. The guy told me it would be oak, ash, and maple not a word about poplar.
We agreed to pay $120 a cord for 8cds and I'm inclined to estimate %poplar and ask for a 30% discount on that percent...
Any thoughts on how i should handle this??


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## smokinj (Jul 7, 2011)

Take some pics and post quickly?


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## Jack Straw (Jul 7, 2011)

I would make sure you know exactly what you got before I did anything. 120 per cord is on the higher side around here for log length and I wouldn't pay a dime for poplar. I have a ton of it and I don't even cut it up. Since you haven't paid yet it seems like you have the upper hand.


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## szmaine (Jul 7, 2011)

I'm still at work and I won't have time to post pics when I get there but I am sure my husband knows poplar. It';s just a matter of what "alot" means.

If it's more than  I'd say I would be really miffed. Should I confront the guy or is it just tuff luck because we already took it?


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## smokinj (Jul 7, 2011)

szmaine said:
			
		

> I'm still at work and I won't have time to post pics when I get there but I am sure my husband knows poplar. It';s just a matter of what "alot" means.
> 
> If it's more than  I'd say I would be really miffed. Should I confront the guy or is it just tuff luck because we already took it?



Yes, then I would have him come and look at it with you....Cant pay for Poppy!


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## szmaine (Jul 7, 2011)

Jack Straw said:
			
		

> I would make sure you know exactly what you got before I did anything. 120 per cord is on the higher side around here for log length and I wouldn't pay a dime for poplar. I have a ton of it and I don't even cut it up. Since you haven't paid yet it seems like you have the upper hand.



We usually pay 110 so it's not that bad but this is someone we haven't bought from before. The guy we bought from in the past isn't doing it this year-very disappointing!


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## szmaine (Jul 7, 2011)

smokinjay said:
			
		

> szmaine said:
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Yeah, that's a good idea - he does live near by and he didn't deliver it himself so would not have seen it yet.
I'll let you know what happens...


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## Danno77 (Jul 7, 2011)

And you are sure he didn't throw in some overage poplar? I've seen where the wood guy is being nice by giving you what you paid for plus a little extra of the crap he wants to unload.


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## lukem (Jul 7, 2011)

Just ask the guy to meet you there before paying him.  If you agreed on abc and got xyz then he can make it right or take his wood and go home.  It could be an honest mistake on his part, but don't take this one on the chin...make him make it right or discount the price.


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## NordicSplitter (Jul 7, 2011)

Reject the entire load and tell them to come and get it asap! Only then will they be ready to negotiate to much lower rice. 50% off for aggravation and tell them you wil never recommend them to anyone.


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## DexterDay (Jul 7, 2011)

NordicSplitter said:
			
		

> Reject the entire load and tell them to come and get it asap! Only then will they be ready to negotiate to much lower rice. 50% off for aggravation and tell them you wil never recommend them to anyone.



Wow.... That would work... Brutal though. BUT... It would work


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## cptoneleg (Jul 7, 2011)

szmaine said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> We just received a load of tree length today. I wasn't there but my husband called and said it has "alot" of poplar - I am pretty mad if this is true.
> I haven't paid yet - I'm supposed to be dropping off the money on my way home but I may leave early and go see how bad it is first - then try to negotiate the price down. The guy told me it would be oak, ash, and maple not a word about poplar.
> ...




  Is this whole truck load of tree lenghth logs supposed to be 8 cords, wonder how you figure that, you should be able to pick out the poplar and deduct good luck.


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## smokinj (Jul 8, 2011)

NordicSplitter said:
			
		

> Reject the entire load and tell them to come and get it asap! Only then will they be ready to negotiate to much lower rice. 50% off for aggravation and tell them you wil never recommend them to anyone.



See you in court....CRAZY Man!


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 8, 2011)

It's not the end of the world for sure but if he was not selling popple then there should be no popple in the load. Therefore, I would not pay him a dime for that popple; only for the oak, ash and maple.


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## richg (Jul 8, 2011)

In my opinion, tulip poplar is a "no pay" wood. As discussed, please get some pics up here ASAP.


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## fire_man (Jul 8, 2011)

szmain:

I feel your pain. I ended up with 2 cord of cottonwood in a Grappleload of 7 total cord. It was the biggest, meanest tree I ever got delivered, it had a 4 ft diameter trunk. When I realized It was cottonwood I was very bummend. The wood was miserable to split and dried light as styrofoam. I have grown to kind of like it for stretch fires and shoulder season wood. It burns hot but quick. The contract I signed for the delivery said "hardwood only", which it was. Next time I will make sure I don't get skunked and specify "no poplar, cottonwood or other S$%T wood. As Dennis pointed out, its not the end of the world, but it took me twice the work for half the BTUs.


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## blades (Jul 8, 2011)

Yep, got to watch the wording, "all hard wood " with a lot of these guys means anything that is not a conifer, and technically they are correct. Another wording is "primarily xyz" this leaves a lot of wiggle room also.


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## firefighterjake (Jul 8, 2011)

I don't have anything against poplar or popple as folks here and apparently in Backwoods Savage Land also call it -- and I burn it myself for camp fire wood and in the shoulder seasons . . . and I wouldn't have too much heartburn if there was just one or two poplar trees in a truckload . . . but if there was a lot of poplar in the load I would not be happy . . . I would first meet with the guy and see if the poplar wasn't just a bonus . . . or if there was a honest mistake.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jul 8, 2011)

Poplar and aspen bark can look like the bark of other trees when it gets to a certain size.  It could be an honest mistake.


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## dannynelson77 (Jul 8, 2011)

What kind of poplar?  Talking Tulip Poplar?  Or Aspen?  "Poplar" could mean various types of trees.  If its Tulip Poplar than it has just about as many BTUs as Silver Maple.  Did he specify what kind of Maple you would be getting?  Are you going to be upset if you see that he delivered Silver maple logs too?  

I guess you really need to see exactly what makes up the load.


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## szmaine (Jul 8, 2011)

So "alot" of poplar turned out to be some poplar - I'd say a cord or less. So I managed to get $80 off the cost but I won't be calling these folks again anyway.
The driver was pretty surly and afraid of possibly getting stuck on the dirt road to our wood area and the only place he could be convinced to put it was at the top of our driveway where we usually park. He sunk a divot in the admittedly in not good shape to begin with hot top - my husband thought he was quite considerate to bring boards to put under the stabilizers but as it turned out he had taken them from a bunch of 2x8s that were leaning against the barn without asking and broke one in the process.
We do have boards he could have used if he had asked. Sheesh!


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## smokinj (Jul 8, 2011)

szmaine said:
			
		

> So "alot" of poplar turned out to be some poplar - I'd say a cord or less. So I managed to get $80 off the cost but I won't be calling these folks again anyway.
> The driver was pretty surly and afraid of possibly getting stuck on the dirt road to our wood area and the only place he could be convinced to put it was at the top of our driveway where we usually park. He sunk a divot in the admittedly in not good shape to begin with hot top - my husband thought he was quite considerate to bring boards to put under the stabilizers but as it turned out he had taken them from a bunch of 2x8s that were leaning against the barn without asking and broke one in the process.
> We do have boards he could have used if he had asked. Sheesh!




I would say this is the reason more people don't sell to consumer's. Not knocking you but if that driver was to get that truck stuck and what home owner is set up for that kinda of truck....Nightmare! bothways.... :cheese:


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## szmaine (Jul 8, 2011)

dannynelson77 said:
			
		

> What kind of poplar?  Talking Tulip Poplar?  Or Aspen?  "Poplar" could mean various types of trees.  If its Tulip Poplar than it has just about as many BTUs as Silver Maple.  Did he specify what kind of Maple you would be getting?  Are you going to be upset if you see that he delivered Silver maple logs too?
> 
> I guess you really need to see exactly what makes up the load.



Pretty sure it's big toothed aspen or popple as they say here. The rest of the load is pretty good - sugar maple, quite a bit of ash and yellow birch,  some oak.


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## maplewood (Jul 8, 2011)

Don't pay for poplar.
Yes, it is technically a "hard wood", but no one around here would pay 10 cents for it.
We're paying about $130-140 per cord of tree length, so the price seems okay to me.
If it is indeed extra wood, I still would have like to been told.  What if you didn't want it?
All in all, I think it was very poor business practice.
I just got 12 cord of tree length delivered, for $130 a cord.  I asked what species would be coming, and what size.  He correctly delivered about 75% white maple, and 25% beech and yellow birch.  I specifically asked that there would be no white birch, or any other woods than maple, beech and yellow birch.  He agreed.  And my load looks great!
Hope it works out well for you.


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## Battenkiller (Jul 8, 2011)

Adios Pantalones said:
			
		

> Poplar and aspen bark can look like the bark of other trees when it gets to a certain size.  It could be an honest mistake.



Yes, it can look a lot like white ash bark... one of the woods the seller was claiming to deliver.  Possible that a mistake could be made on either side - buyer or seller - but the seller should be the smarter of the two since he makes his living doing this.  I once had a pickup load of 100% popple (aspen) delivered to me that was supposed to be ash.  The two lads (counselors at the Episcopal summer camp my mom directed) had the truck unloaded and stacked by my stove before I grabbed a piece and discovered the mistake.  I was visibly upset because they had pushed me on it in the first place and I was really just trying to help them make a few bucks for winter break at college.  I felt bad for them, especially because they were family friends, but I felt they should be aware of their mistake.

"Yeah... I thought it was ash, but even my dad asked me, 'What'r ya doin' with a truck full of popple?'  I don't know what do do with it, so I guess you can just have it."  I gave them gas money and a few bucks extra, then fed them a nice dinner.  At least they got something out of it.

Well, let me tell you, that stuff dried _fast_ down there by the stove, and two weeks later it was light as a feather and I had some of the best fire-starting wood I'd ever used.  Bottom line - it all burns.  Myself, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it unless that load is half popple (that's aspen, not tulip poplar, which is probably almost as good as silver maple as someone said above).  Main thing is, did you get the full amount you were promised?  Holding some guy's feet to the coals about the exact mix by threatening to reject the whole load or take legal action is just not how I fly.  Calm negotiation usually works.  If not, well, live and learn, then move on to another dealer.  It firewood, not a new Lexus.  Why cause ulcers in yourself or others?


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## szmaine (Jul 8, 2011)

smokinjay said:
			
		

> szmaine said:
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Yeah, I agree he could have been stuck. We usually get our loads when the ground is frozen or in one case totally dried out due to a hot dry summer.
I'm trying to work on my husband about relocating the whole wood processing operation closer to the house anyway so that he doesn't have to wait for the road to dry out to process the stuff and then haul it to another spot (way at the far end of the property from the house) to dry, then haul it to the house to go in the attached shed as he does now. If we cut out a 150x100 section of ratty old trees he could have a spot to do everything all in the same place (and only 25ft from the wood shed) including having the wood deliveries there..we'll see.


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## Battenkiller (Jul 8, 2011)

smokinjay said:
			
		

> I would say this is the reason more people don't sell to consumer's. Not knocking you but if that driver was to get that truck stuck and what home owner is set up for that kinda of truck....Nightmare! bothways.... :cheese:



+1

MY BIL is a long distance truck driver.  He hauls heifers from NY to Maine and goes right past our place all the time.  I tried to convince him I could get his rig in here for a visit sometime, but he drove by to look at it and passed on the invite.

"Maybe you can get me in there, but if I have a problem getting out, do you have any idea what your driveway and lawn is gonna look like?"

Good point.


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## Rob From Wisconsin (Jul 8, 2011)

I think this thread is much ado about nothing.

A wood like Apsen/Poplar makes an excellent kindling/firestarter.
If it is less than a cord, then there is no big deal in my mind.
Besides, there are a lot of ads out there selling "mixed hardwoods".
Unfortunately, Aspen/Poplar is technically a "hardwood".

Buyer beware........


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## karl (Jul 8, 2011)

I burn a lot of poplar and pine.  The Summit chews through it a bit quicker than the harder stuff, but It still burns.  I would caution you about burning bridges.  There may come a day when you need to buy wood from this guy again.


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## Rob From Wisconsin (Jul 8, 2011)

karl said:
			
		

> I burn a lot of poplar and pine.  The Summit chews through it a bit quicker than the harder stuff, but It still burns.  I would caution you about burning bridges.  There may come a day when you need to buy wood from this guy again.



I hear you....
If all I could get was Aspen/Poplar, I would be happy.
It cuts & splits easily.
It season quickly.
It burns hotter so it is cleaner.

Nuff said.....


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## cptoneleg (Jul 8, 2011)

I feel for all of you that have to buy wood, from what I read around here its a real pain.


  szmaine,

   You say you agreed on 8 cords who is the judge if ther is 8 cords on a truck or 7 or 9, I just don't see how you can tell with any acuracy at all until it is c/s/s.  I know when I cut down 1 tree I can guess but I do not know for sure until its all stacked.
   Don't get me wrong I am trying to learn something here.  For your area what is a regular cord of wood, their is alot of work still left in a pile of logs.  It just looks to me that you would get a huge discount for the work that is left.  Send us apicture of the logs please, let us know how many cords were in it when you get done.


  Thanks alot
 :zip: LOL


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## ruserious2008 (Jul 9, 2011)

man reading these replies I'm thinking too many of you peeps are softies! Scammers and cheaters and idiots and losers abound with this stuff! Aw "its just a mistake"? Are you kidding me? If the dope loaded your delivery with poplar he's hoping he's got a sucker on the ropes! Screw that..... if it smells like a rat, looks like a rat............... Sorry but I'm not as easy going as some seem to be in this stuff- if he's capable of delivering grapple log loads he's not a newbie that made a mistake! Send em packing and good for you that you did not pay before seeing what was delivered. That's the only good part of this tale


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 9, 2011)

Well, she did say she won't be buying from this guy any more and that she got some dollars off. That should cover the deal pretty well.


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## Tylervt (Dec 1, 2013)

I'm getting this Poplar free tomorrow-free heat and already cut to length, all I have to do is split it with my Tractor supply 5 ton electric log splitter that I got Friday on sale for $200-$100 off and it works great! but seeing It's made in China I opted for the $40 replacement 3 year warranty.

I know I can't use it until next year but I have just finished splitting the three seasoned cords I bought from a guy for $100 and it burns nice and slow as it was a few years old in 18 inch log length.


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## cptoneleg (Dec 1, 2013)

It should be good and dry this

thread is 3 yrs old itself Poplar will usually dry in 1 yr.


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