Logs sold by the ton - Tell me what you think

[Risser09]

Check out this craigslist posting and give me an idea of how accurate it sounds

(broken link removed to http://lancaster.craigslist.org/mat/1213436880.html)

I'm wondering why they would sell by weight and not volume. Would 1 ton actually equal out to 3/4 of a cord?

 

[stee6043]

No way...the difference in weight is HUGE between species of trees.

Check this out - (broken link removed to http://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm)

The difference between a cord of white cedar and say red oak is nearly 2,000lbs. Buying by weight seems silly. Also - what about the effects of seasoning? Green wood will weigh 20% more than seasoned wood.

Of course all that I said above is worthless if he's selling a ton of wood for $20!

 

[drdoct]

It all depends on the species. I hate buying wet things by the scale because all you're buying is water. When you buy log length you usually buy by the truckload. Your doing the same here but sounds like he'll deliver less if you want less. Not too bad an idea and it keeps him from having to do any calculations in his head. If it was me, I'd want to see what a 5 ton truck load looked like before I bought it.

 

[LLigetfa]

It depends on how wet and what species of wood they are delivering fresh cut. A cord of fresh cut Oak can be close to 2 tons but it's also possible to get 3/4 of a cord in a ton.

 

[mayhem]

The ad says $50/ton of green wood and a ton is about 3/4 of a cord. They're probably moving a specific type of soft or medium density wood. Pine, birch...something like that. Or they're just doing a full truckload, calling it 5 tons and trying to make it confusing to the customers by selling by the ton instead of volume...basically an effort to make some cash by making it confusing for the customer to know if thye're getting a good deal or not.

On the other hand, even if you get only a 1/2 cord out of their ton, you're still getting a cord of wood for $100...pretty good deal.

 

[maplewood]

Check out this craigslist posting and give me an idea of how accurate it sounds

(broken link removed to http://lancaster.craigslist.org/mat/1213436880.html)

I'm wondering why they would sell by weight and not volume. Would 1 ton actually equal out to 3/4 of a cord?

As others have said, it sounds strange to me, too. Find out what kind of wood they are selling. I'm sure it's quite a mix of species.

I used to be able to buy hardwood cores from a local veneer mill by the tonne. Sweet hardwood (yellow birch, oak, birds-eye maple) that was spooled down to perfect cylinders, 6-12" diameter, 3.5-12' long. No bark, no bugs, no crooked pieces, no waste. What a dense cord of wood! It worked out to about $95/cord, but I had to pick it up at their mill. I cut them to 16" lengths, split a few of the bigger pieces, and they stacked amazingly well. Only problem with the stack was that they would roll or slide against each other, because they were so perfectly round and smooth. Packed a lot of BTU's in the furnace!

 

[Risser09]

So I called, didn't talk to the owner, but a receptionist instead. She said I could specify what species I wanted, although it's based on availability. Hardwoods (oak, maple, walnut, cherry) are $50 and softwoods are $20 a ton. They are having trouble selling to mills so they are making this offer public. I told her I would want to see the truck before thinking about purchasing.

If it ended up being $50 for 3/4 cord of hardwood, that would be $66 a cord.

 

[gzecc]

Sounds like its in log form. How do you know the weight they are delivering? Do you even know the species? If its wet (green oak) you can't even use it in a stove this year!
I can get already split hardwoods for $90 per cord (not delivered) in north central NJ.
Sounds to vague and too much work if it needs split.

 

[savageactor7]

It's a marketing gimmick...always buy wood by the cord not by the ton. Unless your from CNY ...then the face cord is more common.

 

[joshlaugh]

I would not do it. I don't trust weight measurements of firewood I prefer a set amount via cord measurement. If it rained hard for a week, I wonder how much weight that would add to the logs, not to mention the different weight of different species of wood?

 

[iceman]

as long as you can identify wood.... and verify its all hardwood who cares.... 4,25 cords for 250! get 2 trucks! tell him the first was short and fill it up more .. tip the driver- you'll get more... now if the truck is half full then tell him don't drop it..
it sounds to me thats what they get when they go to the mill and he isn't a firewood guy so he is trying to break even ... because i dont think a mill pays by the cord but rather by weight...
but heck if he is a local guy like i believe he is to someone .... a couple of beers and friendly attitude can go a longgggg way for the future!! and for 20 a ton for softwood ......there is your shoulder season wood! get while you can cause that is darn cheap my cal says 58 bucks a cord if my math is right!

 

[muleman51]

I know density varies greatly between species, but aren't there the same btu's in one pound of oak as one pound of pine, given the same moisture content?

 

[SolarAndWood]

It's a marketing gimmick...always buy wood by the cord not by the ton. Unless your from CNY ...then the face cord is more common.

I wish whoever picked 16 had chosen 20...

 

[SolarAndWood]

I would not do it. I don't trust weight measurements of firewood I prefer a set amount via cord measurement. If it rained hard for a week, I wonder how much weight that would add to the logs, not to mention the different weight of different species of wood?

Would you trust it if it came out of a kiln?

 

[wellbuilt home]

I ran a load of wood over the scale to day and 21/2 cord of fresh cut oak was 9200lbs . The truck was feeling heavy so i stopped at the gravel pit to weight in . I dropped some of the load for the girls in the office for there stove . I was 300lbs over weight.

 

[wellbuilt home]

The funny thing is I think you must sell fire wood buy the cord or cubic foot . any thing else is not legal .

 

[Risser09]

Well I called him last night. He seems extremely knowledgeable and is a certified arborist. He says his customers have been ecstatic over how much wood they are receiving for the price they are paying, which ends up being around $50-$60 per cord, because he will always give more.

a few bonuses,

1. Their shop is only 1.5 miles from my property, which he was happy about
2. I can specify what species and the largest diameter that I am willing to work with.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I disagree with much of what has been said here.

If the moisture content is equal between species and they are honest then you are buying BTU's when you buy by weight. Think about it- less dense wood- the deliver more volume if selling by weight. It ends up being about the same BTU's either way. Except pine, which has MORE BTU's per pound).

In some countries, in fact, they must sell by weight. This avoids the "I got it stacked, and was short by x cubic feet" syndrome, as long as you can trust the scale.

The drawbacks- wetter wood means you get less heat. But buying cords has drawbacks as well- loose thrown, loose stack, box stacked, wet wood (which shrinks)- you lose out as well.

 

[Ron Lloyd]

I’d go ahead and get a load and see what it’s like. I think he would take extra good care of a customer that is only a mile and a half away from his shop.

Ron

 

[gzecc]

What is your choice of wood? Can you get ash, black locust, hickory, hard maple, cherry? I personally would stay away from oak unless you are buying for 2 years out. If they bring up poplar, run for the hills!

 

[Risser09]

I don't need any wood immediately, but I don't have anything really good in my pile (hickory, locust, oak, osage, etc.) I have maybe a few dozen splits of oak and locust altogether, but that's all. My intention would be to get some of the top notch stuff to have for the colder months. If it takes 2 years to season the oak, I can wait.

 

[flyingcow]

I bought 12 cord by weight(60,000lbs, seen the weight slip). we usually figure 5,000lb a cord as a rough measurement. Treelength it was. $65 a cord plus trucking. This was sugar maple and beech. Good price, but this stuff runs closer to 6,000lb a cord, but for up here, good price, extremely clean, small diameter, etc. Was not unhappy with the deal. I would prefer to buy wood by weight, but should know what you're buying.
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If you're comfortable with the deal, might have a good future in it. Especially if you're close to the source. Makes the seller happy and you can go see what the stuff is.