# Should I pay more for this wood?



## Eyes Wide Open (Oct 14, 2010)

Strange question, I know. There is a guy around here who sells cords of wood at unbelievable prices. I don't know how much a cord goes for in other places, so maybe this won't be as unbelievable to you, but $150 for a full cord, split to custom length and delivered to your door is unheard of in my neck of the woods. $250 is more like it (and even at $250, it's not always delivered). 

We're obtaining our own wood as well, but since gleaning is not always a sure thing we wanted a cord on hand too. People in town are talking about this guy and passing his number around and I just called it and he quoted me $150 for it, split and delivered. And mentioned that after the first of the year, he would have to raise the price by $10 because he barely makes any money off it as it is.

Well, I don't want to rip anyone off or anything. I asked him to quote me, I didn't say "I heard you sell for $150 a cord" so he could have quoted me anything he wanted. I'm not rich or anything but I am not out to "steal" this wood from anyone. So would you just pay the quoted price or voluntarily pay extra?


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## ryanthomas (Dec 10, 2009)

Depends on the quality of the wood. Assuming it's good hardwood, I would probably tip him an extra $20-40. That way you both win...he gets more than he asked and you get a great deal.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

I would put this guy in 1 of 3 catigories:

1. He's sell inferior wood (not dry, pine, etc).

2. Fly by nighter that is only selling firewood to tide him over until he gets a real job.

3. Selling to low and will put himself out of business.

Now if he's in 1 or 2 than I wouldn't even buy from him. He'll be out of business next year and the other sellers will be wanting more to cover losses created by him or they'll stock smaller inventories and there by be able to command more (supply and demand). 

If he's in the third and truely in for the long haul than I'd do everything I could keep him in business. Including giving a big tip or offering help in other ways.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Here, folks sell by the pickup load, whatever that is. They are supposed to sell by the cord ( or fraction thereof )but don't follow State law, and nobody seems to enforce it.

But assuming a full sized pickup truck would be about a 1/2 cord, then 150/cord is in line with prices here, as the average seller is getting 60-70 bucks/pickup load.

I would also assume the guy is quoting green wood, since you said he will custom size it.....so bear in mind you'll need to let it season.

But if the guy does volume, he can do fine at that price. Paper pulp hardwood is bringing 30/ton....and 2 tons of wood will make a cord....so if he is buying pulp wood, he has about 60 bucks in it before he cuts/splits. If he has a firewood processor, he can do 1-2 cords/hr.

It's all about volume.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

By full cord do you meana ful face cord or a full bush cord? $150 is about $60 more than a face cord of decent stuff would cost you here.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/cord.htm

as a side note theres a guy close by that keeps listing this little rusty caboose stove he wants 250 or he will trade for 4-5 cords of wood, delivered..... ok I assume he means a face cord, if you assume a face cord is a third as in the link I provided not to much out of the asking range, but if he wants a actual 5 cords well he is nuts more so since that same stove can be bought new for 50 dollars more then his price. 

but a quick craigslist check 150-200 a cord seems the norm with additional for delivery.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

With deals like this, you buy the wood for NEXT year, unless it is real dense, like hickory or oak, and mostly heartwood. It takes an amazing amount of energy to convert the water in unseasoned wood into steam, and you can lose 1/3 to 1/2 the heating power of the wood. It isn't as much an issue if you just want to look at a fire.

There are ways of speeding the drying process, but unless you just let the sun and wind do the job, the cost of drying can be more than the energy gained is worth. Put the new wood in an open (lots of air spaces) stack in a windy area and on runners that keep it off the ground, and cover just the top to keep the worst of the rain off.

I burn unseasoned wood in our fireplace (lazy, I guess), but I have a trick. I cut the wood short, use dry wood to start things going in the center, then bank the wet wood on the sides. The heat from the fire dries them enough that I can move them to the center when the first wood is burnt away, and replace the banked ones with more wet wood. I also sweep the chimney twice a season.


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## Eyes Wide Open (Oct 14, 2010)

It's definitely green wood, and I know I have to let it season. Just trying to get a stockpile going. My husband is gleaning deadwood for now - for example, over a year ago the electric company came and did some trimming across the street and just left cut (not split, but cut) wood. Nobody has touched it since then. So he split it up yesterday. Plus we had some already split wood from years ago that we kept for the fire pit but never used - that stuff is probably actually TOO dry, but it's something. Wood heat is a secondary/backup heat for us, so the stakes are not high.

But anyway, back to this guy. It's green wood, and he's a logger. It probably doesn't matter if $150 delivered is standard for you since the price is up to $250 here and that's what counts. I just don't know how to react to a guy saying he'll "have" to raise the price by $10 in a couple of weeks, because he's "hardly making any money." On one hand I want to help him out. On the other hand, it's not my responsibility to set his prices. Why not just tell me the price is $160? Is this a sales tactic (to emphasize how low his price is and encourage me to order before the 1st) or what's the deal?

I didn't ask him what kind of wood this is, but since he's been recommended by two entirely separate people who don't even know each other, I assume he's not selling me pine. We'll see, though. 

He's not fly by night, he's a logger by profession. I heard his father invented some machine 30 years ago that loggers still use, so it's obviously a family profession. So I guess this is a little side business. I doubt he's splitting this stuff by hand or anything, probably has tons of machinery but maybe not so many thumbs  

But I have to admit, the labor, the custom cutting, the loading, the delivery, the gasoline... that adds up and I haven't even talked about the value of the wood itself.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

On the subject of selling - sellers will say phrases that sound good on their tongue but make little or no sense to a buyer's ears. " Hardly making any money " is another version of " I'm loosing money on this deal ", or my favorite line " If I took this to (insert big city/flea market/antique shop ect.) I'd get twice what I'm asking for it ". 
If you truly feel that he has sold you a superior product and great customer service then by all means tip generously but I wouldn't automatically over pay. 

These references, are they from people who have actually burned the wood ? Or are they also buying for next heating season? 
Can't tell you how many times I have spoken with people who bought inferoir firewood from someone who came highly recommended.

If your buying green wood I'd wait until spring. Allot can happen between now & next heating season. Good get a good storm or two with your phone ringing off the hook with offers of downed trees. 

If we had storage space we'd get a good tow behind log splitter and barter out splitting for shares of firewood. Then if he had enough to spare we'd barter & sell the extra. 


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

One fire wood seller has a new phrase. He sells slow burning wood. Advertises it last longer. It is just green wood. Have to give it to him for imigination. Some people buy especially from him.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

pancho said:


> One fire wood seller has a new phrase. He sells slow burning wood. Advertises it last longer. It is just green wood. Have to give it to him for imigination. Some people buy especially from him.


:bow: gotta give it up for him.

Recently just learned that there is a tool called a moisture meter for checking wood. I think that would be a handy tool to have not just when purchasing firewood but just for overall sorting.

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## NJ Rich (Dec 14, 2005)

I recently paid $175.00 for a cord of 80% oak but all hardwood. I also paid $50.00 to have it wheeled in and stacked on the patio. It was worth every penny for that service.


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

What kind of wood?


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

$150 for a full cord of pine would be about what you'd pay around here, and that would be delivered, but probably not split.

You'd better measure that cord he is delivering before you think he is under-charging. If he is delivering a face cord insted of a full cord, he is making plenty.

My son made a lot of $ in high school selling fire wood. His buddy came from a logging family and they'd drop whole truckloads of logs that weren't good enough to go to the mill in their yard. Then they had a big ole machine that they'd roll the logs into and the machine would cut the logs into lengths and split it.

Not much work involved except loading the truck, which they did with a loader, and driving the truck to deliver and get paid. The actual time involved per cord wasn't that much.

The family just gave the whole firewood operation over to the 2 high school boys. My son worked hard, but the right machinery sure makes a difference.

If this firewood guy is an out of work logger, he probably has the equipment to harvest trees and he's not doing it with just a chainsaw and a maul.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

A 'face cord' means nothing. Wood cut 24" long, stacked 4x8 is, I guess, a "face" cord.....so is wood cut 16" long...and so is wood cut 6" long...all have the "face of a cord".......so the term is meaningless.

24" wood is 1/2 cord
16" wood is 1/3 cord

and so on. Fire wood should ( and many places by law ) sold only by a know volume amount.


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## JimB (Feb 1, 2010)

What no one has said is that even if he is a logger and yes may have machinery that equipment aint free to own or operate. On the other hand he maybe cutting up tops and stuff that usually gets left behind stuff we cant get cause of contracts. Just because he cuts everyone else in the area on a price doesnt make him a bad guy. For that matter I shoe horses for $65 a head and most everyone else will take you for a $85+ ride because I feal more is me being dishonest doesnt make me a bad person.


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## MD Steader (Mar 11, 2010)

I hate to sound like a knucklehead but what do you care what he is pricing it at? If its a good deal for your area, take it. If its a good price for your area and its good wood take two. So what if he is gonna raise his prices next year, its not your issue if he is making money or not. I do the same as you, I have a small trailer and scrounge wood when I can but keep an eye out for the deals. Fireplace secondary/backup heat. Met a guy at my IWLA who was selling full split cords for $135 which is a steal here, when I saw the first one he dropped off, I asked for two more, its dry but not seasoned, i.e black. Had the kids stack most of it and cover it. Take it when you get it. Tip? why? If he wanted a tip he would builld it in, if the going rate is $250 he could charge $215 and wipe out the competition. 




Eyes Wide Open said:


> But anyway, back to this guy. It's green wood, and he's a logger. It probably doesn't matter if $150 delivered is standard for you since the price is up to $250 here and that's what counts. I just don't know how to react to a guy saying he'll "have" to raise the price by $10 in a couple of weeks, because he's "hardly making any money." On one hand I want to help him out. On the other hand, it's not my responsibility to set his prices. Why not just tell me the price is $160? Is this a sales tactic (to emphasize how low his price is and encourage me to order before the 1st) or what's the deal?
> 
> I didn't ask him what kind of wood this is, but since he's been recommended by two entirely separate people who don't even know each other, I assume he's not selling me pine. We'll see, though.
> 
> ...


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I think it's smart to buy unseasoned wood this year at $150 to have seasoned $250 wood next year. That ROI is hard to beat. 

Keep it covered and exposed to the air and it should last for decades.


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## goto10 (Oct 5, 2009)

I paid $150 a cord for 2 cords of wood I bought off craigslist including delivery. The wood is actually pretty great. Most of it is hardwood. It last a real long time in my woodstove. I was really surprised how heavy each log was when I was stacking it compared to previous years from other places. It's from a lumber yard so some of it is also slab wood. ALL of it is still better than the half poplar cords that my local landscaping place sold me last year for $180 a cord plus delivery charges. Had I actually known what hardwood felt, looked and burned like last year I would've raised hell. They'll never have my business again.


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

I know several wood cutters and they are selling at $100 a cord picked up. $125 split, delivered and stacked, and that is usually more like 1 1/4 cord per cord. I know several people that call back and offer to pay more because they feel they got more than they ordered. It happens all the time, but if you want to keep steady customers you treat them right and you still have a market next year. Job security as they say. 
I've often wondered why its stayed so low around here. It quit going up when I switched to gas, which was .60 the first year, then jumped to over two because of the war. best wishes, ray


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## Valleyguy (Jan 5, 2011)

Pelenaka said:


> :bow: gotta give it up for him.
> 
> Recently just learned that there is a tool called a moisture meter for checking wood. I think that would be a handy tool to have not just when purchasing firewood but just for overall sorting.
> 
> ~~ pelenaka ~~


The moisture meter is a handy tool. There is a whole range of prices and quality but we went the, yep I know:smack, Harbor Freight route. It was cheap and it works fine for our application. 

And, I sense a hate feeling toward pine :grump:. We not only burn pine but also the dreaded cottonwood/poplar. Of course it help since we have an OWB, acres of land with dead-fall that need cleaning and our nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away. We just don't have the luxury of massive hardwood trees here in Alaska. I'm currently sitting in a warm house watching the OWB chug down a load of spruce and cottonwood right now, clear blue winter skies and a mountain range backdrop. Beautiful. 

Fishhead, great perspective on the greenwood investment. Buy low $ and burn dry.

Rick
*Homepage*: www.power-talk.net
*Forum*: forum.power-talk.net/


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Valleyguy said:


> The moisture meter is a handy tool. There is a whole range of prices and quality but we went the, yep I know:smack, Harbor Freight route. It was cheap and it works fine for our application.
> 
> And, I sense a hate feeling toward pine :grump:. We not only burn pine but also the dreaded cottonwood/poplar.
> *Homepage*: www.power-talk.net
> *Forum*: forum.power-talk.net/


Yes, you sensed right. I put a few chunks of pine in my canning stove which is located outside on my patio. The short chimney resembled the booster rockets on the space shuttle when the pine was burning. The smell did bring my neighbor out her back door to inquire where the scent of blueberries had gone.
Good for you that burning pine & cotton wood works for your application. 

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

Valleyguy said:


> ...
> And, I sense a hate feeling toward pine :grump:. We not only burn pine but also the dreaded cottonwood/poplar.
> ...


I don't think people hate pine, its that they prefer hardwoods. White oak has about 24Mbtu/cord, while white pine only has 14Mbtu/cord. If you're cutting your own wood, you have to cut almost twice as much pine. Add in more creosote if burned incorrectly and quicker burning, and you can see why.

I'm a believer that you can burn any wood. Some will work better than others, but it will all burn. Go with what you have.

Michael


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## Valleyguy (Jan 5, 2011)

artificer said:


> I don't think people hate pine, its that they prefer hardwoods. White oak has about 24Mbtu/cord, while white pine only has 14Mbtu/cord. If you're cutting your own wood, you have to cut almost twice as much pine.
> 
> Michael


Yep Michael,
The hard wood is nicer but we use an OWB which is very forgiving. 

In AK we have no oak, only birch which is real nice to burn. Actually I burn the species according to the outdoor air temp but mix to give a longer "re-light" time in the OWB. I find that spruce and birch combined work best in the 0Â° F range while spruce works well from there up to ~40Â° F. Spruce and cottonwood are nice above 40Â° F just for the re-light aspect. For some reason cottonwood will remain in the re-lightable coal stage longer, as in for 8-10 hours. 

All summer we burn cottonwood and nasty dead fall scraps for domestic hot water heating. I am looking forward to having the time to build a solar hot water heater so I can get away from the summer firings. :thumb:

I conclusion, you guys in the lower 48 have the wood thing good :icecream: 

Rick
*Homepage*: www.power-talk.net
*Forum*: forum.power-talk.net/


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