Swindled or was rain to blame?

[Charles1981]

Well respected farm down the road from me order log length mixed hardwood and splits approximately 60-90 cord in Feb-April each year. They sell it in September-October as seasoned and fetch a premium of 80$ a face cord delivered within 10 mile radius. They have been doing this for years and recently went from 75$- to 80$.

Everyone that orders from them sees the logs delivered, splits and stacked over a week period and sitting along a fence row along the road.

People around here LOVE the stuff and can't get enough of it. I have neighbors order 1-2 cord every year. No-one complains. Everyone loves it. I just kinda shake my head in awe and disbelief.

I order from the same logger and try and get 2 years of seasoning out of his loads before I burn it and sometimes it still isn't seasoned to my liking.. oh well.

 

[LocustPocust]

People around here LOVE the stuff and can't get enough of it.

He's probably one of the few places where you can buy wood and burn it the same day. Not that it's seasoned but it's not wet either.

Truly seasoned wood is like no other, but not everyone is a firewood/wood stove fanatic like we are. I myself have burned Black Locust that was only seasoned 7 months. Winter 14/15 was the Winter nobody thought would end, and I ran out of dead standing and resorted to burning that in March and April. It burned well and burned clean but I really saw the difference in that and truly seasoned wood. 7 month seasoned BL compares BTU wise to Cherry or Elm. Earlier that winter I had a bunch if BL from a tree that my neighbor cut down after suffering a Lightning strike in 2002(I was sitting in my living room 50 feet away I'll never forget it), and was piled up and left. I cut some of the logs, split them, and stacked them for a few months. BL that's virtually 13 years seasoned in a wood stove is like having a nuclear reactor in your living room.

My point? Some people see it as a hobby and want maximum BTUs. Others just want to stay warm.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I now assume that all wood purchased from individuals will be green

Most is. Some are honest about it. Others think it's seasoned because it sat in a pile for 2 months at the woodlot. Others know it's not and sell it dripping wet and call it seasoned.

That pretty much sums it up.

 

[blades]

Are you saying that locust is too light and is not good firewood?

not just locust but any firewood properly dried is, by nature of drying, considerably of less weight than when fresh cut. As a idea, Silver Maple and Slippery Elm both when down to around 15% moisture are quite lite as compared to green - 50% or more weight loss.

 

[blades]

This season I will be using primarily Hickory of one type or another and Honey Locust- this has been drying in 2 row stacks for about 4 years. There is a smattering of other types mixed in - as yet I have not resplit a piece and gauged it with my elcheapo HF mm. Last week end it got down to the mid 20's outside and got bit toasty inside (80) with 3 pieces apx 10"l x8" chunks in the NC30. Gives that warm fuzzy feeling with 3 cord stashed inside enclosed porch area. Currently splitting and stacking Elm, Honey Locust, and White Oak & a bit of Silver Maple for 2020 season.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

not just locust but any firewood properly dried is, by nature of drying, considerably of less weight than when fresh cut. As a idea, Silver Maple and Slippery Elm both when down to around 15% moisture are quite lite as compared to green - 50% or more weight loss.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[TedyOH]

FYI's - a standard 8 foot pickup truck bed heaping with wood (unstacked) will be a shade over a face cord (1/3 of a cord, 16" x 4' x8'). I sold face cords for years back in my younger days, also 8' beds are a thing of the past anymore with every truck just about being an extended cab.

 

[tsquini]

I have never been delivered truly seasoned wood. No wood processor is going to split wood and have it sit 2 years before selling it. The best I have found was commercial wood supplier who delivers wood to resturants with wood fired brick ovens.

 

[maple1]

Some do, but they do it to charge a very hefty premium.

I walked by a bundled pallet of very dry looking wood at a local building supply place here Friday. It had a $169 price on it, and I don't think there was any more than 1/3 cord on the pallet.

 

[Paulywalnut]

You really shouldn't start your year count until it's split and stacked. That's when the process really starts

 

[JP11]

True. I try to tell people that NOTHING counts until you split it. So many wood sellers around here think that because the tree length was cut last winter, it's 'seasoned'

They are all smart enough not to advertise it as DRY, as that would being the state down on them. SOME of them are nice enough to tell their customers that they should be buying in early spring, and not putting it away until fall. At least then they get one summer's drying out of it.

JP

 

[firefighterjake]

. . .

My point? Some people see it as a hobby and want maximum BTUs. Others just want to stay warm.

Me . . . I want it all . . . maximum BTUs and to stay warm.

 

[SeanG]

So many wood sellers around here think that because the tree length was cut last winter, it's 'seasoned'
JP

Bingo. Now that I am reading CL posts more carefully I see that a lot of the folks on there are stating that they have "seasoned" wood and they will but it to length for me. If it's seasoned then it has been cut, split and stacked already and has been drying for a year at minimum.

The only way to do that is to charge a premium like someone else said and most of the folks around here are not doing that. They fell some trees on their land, split it up up and call it a day.

I was just hoping to find that one guy who was selling dry wood but I just don't think its possible. Sure, I may find someone someday but by and large it is a rare occurrence.