Frugal wood scroungers -- What price makes it worth it to you to have logs delivered to your house?

[tradergordo]

I have never paid for wood. But obviously there must be some "breaking point" for everyone. Even if its just your cost for gas. It can sometimes be a pain to get "free wood", can take a lot of time, sometimes not in an easily accessible spot, you have to do a lot of loading and unloading, etc. So my question for discussion is what would it take for a typical cheapo wood scrounger here to say "for THAT price I'd take the delivered logs".

Reason I'm thinking about this is that I see a craigslist ad today that happens to be from the very town I live in, that says up to 3 cords of hardwood logs delivered for $100 total. I'm assuming its not bucked. $33/cord delivered seems pretty decent...

 

[sinnian]

BUY IT!

 

[tw40x81]

Delivered logs is the only way I "scrounge" other than the odd tree from my yard. At that price I'd get 3 loads right away. I've paid 3 times that amount for the last load. I don't have any overhead for wood transportation, and the logs are always there so I can process at my leisure.

 

[Vic99]

I have not paid for any wood yet (other than in tim, fuel, etc.) and have been scrounging for 2 years.

Last year I ran out of wood and got by from late Feb forward in pallets. Labor intensive, but got me through. By 6/15 I wanted to be all set for next season and half way stocked what I'll need for the following season. Today I hit my mark. I have 6 cords of wood split and stacked. By Dec. 1st I want to get another 2 cords.

I often wondered this too, at what point would I pay. When you're ahead, it seems moot. I guess I would only seriously consider it if I got injured (knock on holz).

33/cord seems like a great deal.

 

[colsmith]

We are ultra-frugal and have never bought any firewood. But for $100 we would probably buy 3 cords of hardwood delivered. Would save so much time and gasoline and back strain. I would want to look at the wood first, if it was say trees that were 3 feet across or something I wouldn't want that, our saw is only 18" and I split the wood manually. Also would want to be sure it was really hardwood. From what I read on hearthnet, people that deliver firewood lie a lot.

 

[BrotherBart]

I have never purchased wood but the bulk processing guy down the road from me sells delivered split hardwood for $175 a cord. If there was any way to get his three cord truck over my dilapidated bridge I would never pull the rope on a chainsaw again.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Yes, hard wood in logs no more than 24" in diameter at $100 for three cords is a steal...I'll look to see if there's any on the NJ side of PA. Buy it.

I too would be happy with $175 for split and delivered, in 3 cord lots, hardwood again. Not going to find anything like that in NJ.. seems firewood is cheaper west and south of me.

 

[sapratt]

Scrounging is easy here people cut trees and put them out by the street for anyone to get
before the city comes and picks it up. For me to buy wood scrounging would have to become
harder and the park ranger would have to say no more harvesting of down trees.
It took me a little while to stop feeling like a bum driving around and picking up
wood from the front of peoples houses. The turning point for me was when someone was throwing
out a bunch of oak. You have to watch out for the great deals in wood. Around here they offer great deals
like that and the price is for a face cord. I think they do that to trick people into thinking they're getting a great deal

 

[Highbeam]

My maximum price for wood is determined by my current lowest cost source. I own a 15 acre parcel 50 miles away so I have unlimited supply at a price of 35$ per fuel per 1.5 cords which is my transport capacity. Then there's the time and risk to safety, equipment, slash disposal, and driving risk involved so my free wood costs more like 50$ per cord. For loads of delivered logs my top limit is 100$ per cord if it is good stuff.

Free wood is never free unless it is delivered.

 

[burntime]

Its gotta run almost 33 a cord to get it to the house at 4.20 a gallon Buy buy buy.

 

[savageactor7]

Sounds like a good deal to me...just look at it before they dump it just to make sure it's hardwood...if it is ask for another load. You can't go wrong at that price.

 

[N/A N/A]

Suck that up...I am thinking of buying a 5 ton dump of cut and split for $300...the guy says its about 2.5 cord....Can you even get 2.5 cord in a 5 ton dump truck??? What do you guys think?

 

[Redox]

I also HATE paying for firewood; we don't want to get started on the last load of "hardwood" I paid for! I have been scrounging for the last several years and currently am concerned that some of my free sources might be drying up. That being said, if I could get that much hardwood for that kind of price, I'd go for it! Having it in your back yard is very comforting. Scrounging can be so hit or miss; I just lost 6 cords of oak to someone who was willing to pay MONEY for it...

I am headed out this AM with the truck. One of our neightbors lost a maple in the storm we had last week. The vultures are already circling...

Chris

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Firewood cord is a measure of volume, not weight. That said, a cord of hardwood weighs a couple of tons +/- depending on how seasoned/dry it is. So to the weight question, I'd say a 5 ton truck, regardless of the size of its "box" should not have much more than a 2 cord on it. Still, even 2 cords of seasoned hardwood for $300 is a good buy in my book.

 

[trailblaster]

Here in central NH, green cordwood is 160 to 180 in the off season and last year, seasoned hardwood was 220 to 250 delivered within 15 mile radius. I imagine it will be more this season.

 

[Todd]

Are you sure it's not $100 per cord for at least 3 cords? It's $85 per log cord around here. If it is $33 per cord and good Oak or Maple, I'd go for it.

 

[FatttFire]

I would buy three loads and ask for more! At the rate everything else is going up, you'll never regret it!

go for it/ maybe even give the guy a beer and a hardy hand shake while your at it