The Firewood Situation

[spike60]

Just some notes on what I'm seeing in my area regarding supply/demand, and I'm wondering what some of you guys are seeing locally.

In a word, it's just nuts around here. I've sold almost as many saws year to date as I did all of last year. I've got my first load of splitters coming in today and half of them are spoken for. Good hardwood is plentiful in my area, and many people are going in that direction. And those that are already burning, are expecting to burn more this year to avoid oil/propane as much as possible.

For those of us that cut our own wood, not much has changed. Free wood is a little harder to find, and you have to move a little quicker to grab it. There was a good size ash that blew down in Monday's thunderstorm just around the corner from my house. I thought about jumping on it on the way to the store yesterday morning, but the pieces were too big to move with out cutting and I didn't want to fire up a saw at 7:15AM. On the way home at around 6:30, there wasn't much left! Got about a 3rd of a load of 6" stuff.

But for everybody who is selling or buying wood, it's just insane right now. Most sellers have asked us to stop giving out their cards since they are so far behind with their regular customers. In addition to the oil price issue, last winter dragged on and on and most people burned their wood piles down to the ground. A person who would normally order 5 cords, is ordering 8. Buyers who don't have a regular supplier are have a tough time finding one. And those that do are getting more promises than wood.

Things are kind of tight on the supply side as well. There isn't much building going on now, so wood from clearing jobs is pretty much non existent. So the only guys with a steady supply are loggers, but they are more inclined to sell it in log lengths than cut and split. So, a lot of people who need to buy wood are going to have to cut it up themselves.

Prices are at $200 now, but most guys see it going up past $250 by heating season. But the real issue isn't going to be how much is costs by then, but how much is left. There probably won't be any seasoned wood period.

The other thing is that this whole firewood scramble is still gaining momentum, so it's likely to get crazier as the summer goes by. By Fall, it's really going to hit the fan. It should be interesting.

What are you guys seeing out there?

 

[Blowncrewcab]

I Certainly find that downed trees are going faster than before. In the last week I have seen 2 (in different locations) that I thought of getting my equipment and going back for, I put it off for a day and what do you know, the next day I drive by and is all cut up:censored: . So yeah, allot of people are hunting wood. I think I'll start keeping a saw in my truck.

 

[MJR]

I tried to get a load of firewood logs delivered a few months ago. My local mill (a little east of Syracuse NY) stopped buying logs. I did get a call two weeks ago and they had a load for me if I still wanted it. Maybe that is a sign things are picking up? I found a source of free maple tops and am (most likely) two years ahead (new stove not sure how it will burn), I politely declined the logs. Right now a FC is going $75 delivered. With $5 a gallon for diesel this will most likely change. I work with two people that went to HF and bought reconditioned yellow/black chainsaws. People are starting to worry about this winter.

 

[computeruser]

Pretty wild here, even in the city.

I've had people stop by my house and offer to buy wood from me; I live downtown on a little 60x120 corner lot, and only have a few cords stacked up. And the local Freecycle group has not had any trouble getting people to come and collect or even cut up trees that came down in the storms we had in the past couple weeks.

When I reorganized my wood storage system a few months ago, I decided to get rid of some of my excess, oddball pieces, in the interest of tidiness. I literally got three or four dozen responses to my freecycle post within a couple hours of posting the offer.

Within the past couple years a few local landscape materials yards started selling firewood rather than chipping everything they got in into dyed mulch. Their inventories are surprisingly low for this time of year, whereas even last year their rows didn't start thinning out until early November.

As the number of dying or dead EAB trees continues to dwindle, I'm seeing more people pouncing on low-grade stuff - box elder, pine, willow. Nothing sits at the curb longer than a day. Hell, people even eagerly took this pile of punky willow that we cut at the cemetery a while back. Some of it was so punky that the heartwood slid out from the sapwood, due to the sliminess of the wood. It was gone within 12 hours of being stacked.

I'm waiting (not anxiously, just curiously) to see when the horror stories of the great danger of running a chainsaw start showing up on the evening news and in the local paper. So far there hasn't been too much talk on that front, but I'm sure there will be before too long...

 

[Zodiac45]

Yep it's been and is going too be a big time from now on out. Firewood producers will finally make a buck. (maybe)
That said, I feel really bad for the older foks on fixed incomes that can't go get wood or even maintain a stove for that matter. They will be at the mercy of heating oil.
As Spike mentioned, it's already getting (allot) harder to find the free stuff and if you have to travel too far it's a wash because of fuel costs. We sell tree length now by weight. It comes out too about $120 a cord, and we are telling people who call today, not too expect the wood delivered till Oct. We're that far out. Reality is they can't use it this year unless they called and ordered it last year. Gonna be interesting for sure.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Yup to everything said. I have my own land and woodlot but those that are not so blessed may want to be out cutting free wood when ever they have the chance. Local arborists tell me that they have waiting lists for what ever the have in the truck. We used to cut at the county yard waste dump down the road just to keep it from going to waste but there have been lots more cutters than available wood since early spring. Same way with the trees cut by the utility companies. They disappear over night from the side of the road which brings up a problem with anything in demand and worth a few bucks,, theft. Those of us with a few years under our belts remember the oil crisis of the 70s and woodburners and firewood were like gold and theft was a problem. The light at the end of the tunnel for us purists is that now, like then, those with little ambition nor love of wood burning will tire of the work and slowly get used to the higher prices of oil and gas. They would rather be watching TV than cutting and splitting.

 

[woodbooga]

I feel really bad for the older foks on fixed incomes that can't go get wood or even maintain a stove for that matter. They will be at the mercy of heating oil.

As Spike mentioned, it's already getting (allot) harder to find the free stuff and if you have to travel too far it's a wash because of fuel costs.

Good points, Zo. I feel wicked bad for those people in their 70s and 80s who- in an age of optimism and the unfettered belief in progress - ditched wood heat altogether for the convenience of oil and other fossils. I'm sure many people will be going back to wood - some, for sure who shouldn't because they don't have the right set up and don't know a dern thing about processing (seasoning? what's that? hey, why's there a flame coming outta my chimney??)

Don't drive as far for the free stuff either. I'm busy making friends with local landowners who let me gather deadfall. Permission in exchange for one of my wife's awesome apple pies come burning/cookstove cooking season.

 

[sdaly]

Yup, same here. Firewood sales are uh, "on fire!" I'm having a more difficult time finding places to collect firewood from. National Forest fuelwood cutting seems to be up, and so available wood piles are more limited.

On my way to work, I pass a vacant lot (probably about a 4-5 acre lot). It's been vacant for years. Beginning of this year, a barbed wire fence was put up around it, and now the lot is almost full of stacked up firewood. Someone's really stockpiling! I'm seeing more side yards with larger stacks of firewood too. It's gotta be the high oil prices that's driving people to this.

My fear is that increased firewood use will gain the attention of the politicians, who will see it as an untapped tax revenue stream and will push to regulate firewood. I know it's already starting and I fear it will get far worse. More regulations, restrictions, permits to obtain, permits to use/burn, additional sales taxes (like the fuel taxes), etc. They'll be losing tax revenue from decreased oil consumption, so they'll feel they have to make it up by going after the firewood.

 

[Dale]

Neighbor about 1/2 mile down the road, had a Poplar fall off a hillside and into his yard. It sat there for about 2 weeks, so I thought I'd be neighborly and ask him if he wanted me to cut it for him. Mind you, I own 200 acres of hardwood, and certainly don't need any Poplar. He said, "You're the 5th person that stopped and asked for the wood". I told him I didn't need wood, but wanted to help him out. He said he's waiting for a guy to come and get it. I may add another wood burner to my arsenal, and eliminate the Propane altogether (except fer the cookin)

 

[PA. Woodsman]

The light at the end of the tunnel for us purists is that now, like then, those with little ambition nor love of wood burning will tire of the work and slowly get used to the higher prices of oil and gas. They would rather be watching TV than cutting and splitting.

This is true; many times in past years I'd see people out hunting wood and by July or so they were nowhere to be found. But cost of everything wasn't like it is this year so maybe some will stick it out a little longer!

I REALLY got lucky earlier this month; not far from where I work, a tree service company has been dumping all kinds of wood along with chipped-up wood. I stopped and found out who they were and inquired about taking some wood and they said "sure, you were honest and came and asked rather than just taking any-take all you want"! So I REALLY stepped into something good as he said that they should be dumping year-round! Sometimes we all get very lucky!! :greenchainsaw:

 

[tomtrees58]

The firewood business is getting ready to kick ass! I bet even soft woods and lighter hardwoods are going to sell this winter and for sure next winter and after.

here on Long island i have turn down 250 a cord we are looking at 300 + tom trees

 

[crowbuster]

Aside from more competition what really bothers me is all the fly by nighters that will be building and selling pure crap and call it an owb. Had several people ask me about my heatmor then proceed to tell me of the great deal they found on some name I've never heard of that fred or joe made at his shop, hope I'm wrong for the sheeples sake.

C.B.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I think I'm going to try and profit a little from this jump in firewood. Have 20 full cords of oak (log length) being delivered next week. Got it for 65 fullcord. We had to buy 40 cord to get that price...I'm taking 20 and buddy taking 20.
Speculation locally is that it will be up to 80 a face cord cut/split/seasoned hardwood by October. Might help support this CAD disease.
I'm fortunate that I have my own 20 acres and two neighbors (100acres). I have plenty just trying to keep up w/ the dead and dead and down keeping the woods cleaned up.Might help support this CAD disease.

 

[blackdogon57]

Demand high/Supply seems low

Definatley a lot more people buying early this year. I usually sell cheaper this time of year to get some cash flow going - not this year. I am happy to hang on to my wood until fall or early winter if I cant get the price I want now. Prices should be on the way up. Tough to find log length here in large quantity right now. Mill prices low = less loggers in the woods. Diesel at 5.60 a gallon makes cutting/trucking/processing/delivery of firewood much more expensive.

 

[tomtrees58]

Aside from more competition what really bothers me is all the fly by nighters that will be building and selling pure crap and call it an owb. Had several people ask me about my heatmor then proceed to tell me of the great deal they found on some name I've never heard of that Fred or Joe made at his shop, hope I'm wrong for the sheeples sake.

C.B.

i do not you but get over it i have sold wood four 34 years now i see them come and go its called business tom trees

 

[wdchuck]

There is a wood drop lot for a small town near us, all the easy stuff goes quick, but anything over 20", or non-straight, has been sitting all winter and the pile is growing. Few homeowners want, or know how, to deal with 30"-50" diameter wood, and if you think about the saw fuel and chains to reduce that stuff, free gets expensive pretty quick.

This is a good time to send a postcard or a well thought-out gift certificate to the landowners that have given permission to cut on their land, just to keep you foremost in their minds. Gratitude, shown in small ways can yield big dividends.

 

[spike60]

I kind of figured that it would be pretty much the same everywhere. I see the supply side getting worse as we go through the summer. The guys who are selling wood are delivering everything they cut. They're not cutting ahead or stockpiling any wood for later in the year, so there really isn't going to be much around when people start burning.

Couple of other interesting things we've seen at the store:

People are grabbing the pallets and tractor crates that we leave outside the shop. Most of it is proabably to stack wood on, but I know that some people are planning on burning it.

There are also a lot of saws coming in that haven't been used in a while that folks want us to get running for them. Most of them are contemporary models, but there are a few older Homelites and Macs that people want to get in shape. I expect that we will see more and more of this. I'll probably be somewhat selective with this stuff. Plug, fuel and a carb kit are about as far as you can go with most of that stuff in a shop/business environment. I can spend hours restoring, (or getting nowhere), on an old saw at home, but I could never bill a customer for some of those projects. If a guy looks like he really has no alternative, then I'll try and help him out. But I'm not diving into a piece of junk for a guy who can easily afford a basic saw.

 

[A. Stanton]

My local Tractor Supply can't keep any splitters in stock. They go as fast as they are made up. Talked with a local tree guy for wood. He told me that he's got 7 guys who can take the wood.

 

[spike60]

My local Tractor Supply can't keep any splitters in stock. They go as fast as they are made up. Talked with a local tree guy for wood. He told me that he's got 7 guys who can take the wood.

Yeah, wood sure isn't a "waste product" for tree services this year.

 

[zanderson]

I'm out west in Idaho, and i think its the same situation here - really high demand. Last year by this time (i'm a student and only do firewood in the summers) we had sold about 7 cords. We started moving wood about 10 days ago and have already sold 52 cords - and a much higher price than last year. I'm looking at a processor this weekend, we need one just to keep up with demand!