Thanks everyone! We are going to check with a few people to have them take a look at our woods to see if there is enough to clear out to make that worth it. Unfortunately, we just had the woods "thinned" several years back, so I am not sure if there is enough to make that worth it to someone. Here is a silly question, but how many face cords from an average tree? I know there are a ton of variables!
Which wood supply for the future?
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’bert said:
Exactly - where you live. There are many of us who have electric heat or an inefficient system or whatever that makes wood burning THE choice. Besides, even if I paid 1000 a winter for 5 cords delivered, it would still make sense. I have friends who have been burning $500 a month in oil.
DiBar said:
DiBar, you are right; there are a ton of variables. An average tree in your area might be a small or a large tree in another area. However, I know there is a web sight that will give a formula for calculating based on a measurement of the tree at a certain height. Perhaps someone can chime in on that if they know what it is.
Todd said:
i wasnt disputing anything you said, just showing that the numbers are all over the place, .. if we look by numbers we will be banging our heads.....
i always have a ton of oak, but i told my guy this year hold off, it takes to long to dry........ i will be spending some cash... as the big wood guy with the procc.. is going to call on mon tell me what kinds of wood he has so i can pick ... problem is 180 a cord green! but that is cut split and debarked so tht will help ...
another guy is 165 green but still has the bark on it......
Ash is excellent: pretty dense, good btu, and requires the least amount of dry time of any wood, ever. Leave it out iver spring and summer (even if it's green) it'll be perfect by Halloween.
OK, I found some of those cords per tree estimators. Looks like if you measure the diameter of the tree (measure around, divide by 3.14), 4.5 feet from the ground, a 20 - 22" diameter tree (rather large in myestimation!) will yield about a (full) cord of wood. So to pay someone to drop about 5 trees and haul them up to our house....not sure what that would cost. We may investigate that and do it next winter if it sounds lucrative. We need to go into the woods when it is frozen and no snow. by the time it is dry enough to get a truck back there, the crops are planted! For now, I think we will go with mostly ash, with a few cords of other for variety.
I'm pretty much an equal opportunity wood burner . . . but if I had to pick one of my favorite woods it would be ash . . . splits like a dream, seasons quickly (although for best results you really do want to season it for a year even if folks say you can burn it earlier) and offers decent BTUs.
Well after all of the great advice on which wood to get...we didn't end up getting any from this guy. He had a serious family problem and was unable to follow through with us. Since we need to get wood drying for the end of next year, we couldn't wait any longer. So, Friday we have 10 face cords of a mixture of mostly beech, some ash, oak, hard maple and cherry coming for $50/ face DELIVERED! If we like the wood, we will get more from him and if the other guy ever re-surfaces we will probably get some of his ash just to make sure we have enough dry wood to get us to when this stuff will be ready. We have about 5 cords left from this year to start with .
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