How far to drive?

[Jmaffei]

Hello,
I have found quite a few people with trees down that are willing to let me cut them up but a lot of them are 30 -45 minutes away from me. I have a trailer where I can haul roughly half a cord. I would want to make at least 4 or 5 trips I think. Is this economical for firewood? It is the main way I heat my house. Also, one of the sites that is 35-40 minutes is walnut trees, they seem to be fairly okay for firewood, anyone have any experience? I also found a guy 5 minutes from me with a ton of oak and hickory, but it is quite inaccessible in the backyard. How far are you guys willing to drag rounds to a trailer? He said he might have a 4 wheeler and small trailer to help but I told him it is probably not worth it unless he can possibly get them. Thanks, James

 

[Wood Doctor]

(1) You can kick roll the rounds pretty far, say 80 feet or so. Then lift them from there to the tailgate. If it's oak and hickory, it may take two men to lift that to the tailgate without machines to help. Consider a ramp, even it's only a couple of 2 x 10s, 8' long or so, that allow you to roll them up.

(2) Dry walnut makes excellent firewood, but it also makes good furniture and gun stock.

(3) A 30 to 45 minute drive isn't too bad depending on the roads and provided the truck gets packed to the gills. I've done that many times.

 

[Jmaffei]

Thanks for the reply. I do know of ways that I can get to the firewood, just wondering if it is worth it. I think I would rather drive an extra 30 minutes per trip than spend the extra 30 minutes wrestling the rounds. I really like to pull the trailer right next to the dropped tree.

 

[Jmaffei]

Also, that 30 minutes of driving is probably 80 or 90 percent highway.

 

[BuddhaKat]

We were rolling 4' dia. out of round rounds about 250' to our truck. These were wet and miserable to deal with. I'd guess they weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of 400-500 lbs.

Normally, I have just under a 200 mi. round trip to where I normally go. But I also bring home 4 cords every time I go out.

I'm really giving serious consideration to buying loads of logs and bucking and splitting them here at home.

 

[Jmaffei]

Yeah, 4 cords is a lot. How much gas do you think that trip costs roughly?

 

[Suz]

Well, I haul my firewood 60 miles one way. Is it worth it? To me it is, because I can get some nice free dry oak where my Son lives. (BTW, I put a full cord of wood on my 3/4 ton truck to make the trip.) Like I said this stuff is dry so I can haul a full cord.


As for how far a person is willing to pull/haul/roll the wood to get it to where you can load it depends on how desperate you are. I never forget my Mom and Dad pulling a home made toboggan across an 80 from our woods to the house. Not only that, they cut the trees with a two "man" saw and an axe! No chain saws in those days. (I hope no-one comes along spewing dribble about the "good ol-days"! )

If you are thinking about cutting walnut up for firewood all I can say is you're NUTS! You could sell the walnut and buy oil/gas to heat your house. Walnut sells for a pretty good price per board foot.

 

[howellhandmade]

If he's got a 4 wheeler and a small trailer available I'd go for it. I've wheelbarrowed quite a bit of wood out of back yards, it's only a problem if it's a steep uphill to the front. A wheeler and trailer would make it a snap, and you'll have less time and gas invested per load than a 30-minute trip. Plus it's oak and hickory, better firewood than walnut, although I'd take walnut, too. I'd get the close stuff first, then spread out.

Jack

 

[BuddhaKat]

Yeah, 4 cords is a lot. How much gas do you think that trip costs roughly?

$130 per day. The truck gets 5½ MPG on flat ground. Trucking up steep grades, I can see the gas gauge going down. I really need to get a big turbo diesel.

 

[Wood Doctor]

$130 per day. The truck gets 5½ MPG on flat ground. Trucking up steep grades, I can see the gas gauge going down. I really need to get a big turbo diesel.

Like this one?

You are on. What are we waiting for?

 

[Jmaffei]

Thanks for the replies. I am not really sure if I am set up to sell walnut as in I would have to find a mill and I know nothing about that and could maybe haul it in eight foot sections but that would be a bit too much for me and my brother to lift probably even though we are young. I guess the easy thing about the oak/hickory is that it would be all downhill hauling so maybe I should reconsider, especially if he has a fourwheeler or trailer. He also offered to let me cut down some of his other trees but I am not too experienced with felling, and refuse to to do it near his fence/powerlines. He also sort of seems like he could be on drugs or something even though he is a rather nice fellow. Another guy about 30-35 minutes says they are clearing a site for excavation and all the oak I could want on the ground. I guess it really does boil down to how desperate I am. My brother is in from the navy on a month leave right now so I am trying to use his free labor and plus it is just plain fun to go out in good weather and cut wood with a good friend. On the other hand, I have called a couple of tree services that seem like it may pan out in some wood either dropped off or picked up locally. Thanks guys.

 

[Ductape]

I drive 45 minutes for free wood no problem. Granted, I can get a cord in my trailer, and maybe another third in the back of my truck......... but i used to do that drive when I hauled a lot less. We heat about 90% with wood..... so its worth it to me to put effort into it. As far as geting the closer wood thats more headache...... I'd have to see whats involved. I'd certainly drive farther for wood I can back right up to before spending my day lugging the wood by hand out of someones back yard.

 

[BuddhaKat]

Like this one?

You are on. What are we waiting for?

Unfortunately, it doesn't hold 4 cords and have a hydraulic dump bed. Sweet truck though.

 

[Circle B MN]

I am blessed to have several cutting sites inside of then minutes from me. Oak Wilt is certainly a nsaty disease, but it does keep my family warm in the winter.

 

[Wood Doctor]

.... I'd certainly drive farther for wood I can back right up to before spending my day lugging the wood by hand out of someones back yard.

+1. BTDT. There is nothing worse than hauling or rolling heavy green logs uphill out of a back yard with little equipment to help. Even two men have a whale of a time rolling them. Try to think of wheel barrowing a full load of concrete uphill but first having to lift it into the wheel barrow in one gulp. My back hurts thinking about it. :bang:

 

[wat648]

Just drove about 45 miles round trip today for about 2 1/2 cords of good hedge and hackberry. Felt it was well worth it.

 

[loadthestove]

My wifes family has just over two hundred acres that are about 40 minutes drive from us.Have made the trip many times to get wood.bad part about the drive is its only 25 miles from our house.but 90% of the drive is on narrow,twisty ,two lane roads.

 

[Steve NW WI]

I'm spoiled, all the wood I need is in the back 40. I've helped friends up to about 10 miles away and hauled the wood home. If I was scrounging, I'd sure travel a lot further.

Some guys on here use a delivery/appliance cart with big tires and an extended bottom plate for moving rounds. It'd be worth looking into for sure.

Highway miles, make sure your truck/trailer is up to spec, brakes/lights etc working, tie down the load as best as possible, tires at correct pressure and grease those trailer wheel bearings, and a hundred mile round trip can go smoothly. Do it all wrong, and around the corner can be a nightmare.

 

[redprospector]

Unfortunately, it doesn't hold 4 cords and have a hydraulic dump bed. Sweet truck though.

If you put one of these behind it, that Dodge will haul 4 cords, and dump it too.
It'll do a lot better than 5 mpg doing it too.

Andy

 

[Billy_Bob]

The longer distance you drive, the more gas and cost of course. If you also have a trailer, then that helps cut down on the expense.

Then I prefer to get wood which is UPHILL from my truck/trailer or on level ground and nearby.

Uphill, you can roll it down to your truck.

If the wood is downhill and far away from the road, I will pass. If that is all I have to choose from, then it is better to use a cable and drag the whole log up to the road, then cut it on the road. (Less work!)

Work smarter, not harder I say!