What Is Comparative Value Of Green vs. Seasoned Wood?

[StihlRockin']

When I get green wood I sort of think "money in the bank" that will draw interest and mature in 1 to 2 years depending on how I cut and stack it... but not worth full value until so.

Say there's a cord of freshly cut oak, cut and split. Then there's an identical amount, except now it's seasoned and "ready" to be burned.

If a cord like this usually goes for $200 seasoned, what is your opinion on the immediate worth of same wood, but is green? The reason I ask is because I learned about a family member's friend has been selling wood for many years and usually sells at least a 100 pick-up loads a year and claims many of his clients prefer green wood.(I know my outdoor boiler can burn green)

I may be interested in selling some of the wood now, but would like to hear your opinions in matters like this.

Same price? 75% of full value?(etc.)

Seems to me the price can be arbitrary based on the seller's situation and many different factors can be used to formulate a value.

Thanks.

SR'

 

[CRThomas]

I have never sold green wood so I can't help in my area they sell green wood and say it is dry. I sell bundled firewood and only Ash. I can dry our type Ash down to 15 percent in 24 to 48 hours in my kiln lot of heat lot of air flow and deh. I have just bought a concrete building 22wide 32 long 10 ft high. Done bought the 4 1/2 ft fans 4 of them my electric furnace for time being. Will go to NG later on. Got to do some test runs and heavy figuring. (Later)

 

[svk]

Same price? 75% of full value?(etc.)

Seems to me the price can be arbitrary based on the seller's situation and many different factors can be used to formulate a value.

Thanks.

SR'

Depends. I personally would give a slight discount say 5-10% for green because you are getting the money now versus 2 years from now and don't have to store the wood for that time. OTOH a lot of firewood buyers have no issue buying green wood at full price and letting it season in their racks so they know they are stocked up for X number of years. IMO unless someone buying firewood needs seasoned right now, they'd rather buy quality unseasoned wood from a fair dealer at market value than have to worry about getting it from a hack who is probably selling unseasoned wood advertised as seasoned.

From what I've seen people who buy firewood are either "ants" or "grasshoppers" (remember the fairy tale). Ants stock up early on good quality wood, grasshoppers are looking to buy any species you have once the weather cools down.

 

[farmer steve]

it takes the same amount of work to cut green or dry. maybe more because the green is heavier. i can never figure out why customers think green should be cheaper.on the other hand if you need the cash to go buy another chainsaw that you don't really need then maybe you can discount your green wood a little bit.

 

[aarolar]

I'd be afraid of someone who didn't know better burning their house down from a chimney fire. But then again I guess people sell wet for dry every day but I couldn't sleep at night knowing I had done that.

 

[CRThomas]

Where I live this area you can't believe the people here will shaft people that don't know. Makes me sick the poor old people on fixed income

 

[snoozeys]

For me green wood has no value for at least 5 years ... i usually chop it into 3 feet lengths and leave it in the paddock to mature

 

[Hinerman]

I charge the same price for green or seasoned. It takes the same amount of work to process. I don't sell green wood to somebody I don't know. However, I have one customer, whom I know, that wants green wood. He knows what he is getting and I don't have to worry about him ruining my reputation by spouting off to the public that I am selling wood that won't burn.

 

[haveawoody]

StihlRockin',

I never sell green wood.
Saves you nothing to sell since the value in 6 months -1 year is full price vs some much less price today, or people are silly enough to burn it green and get real mad at you when the house or owb burns down.

I've sold a face cords of rounds many times at 25% less that a fully seasoned split face cord.
It's easily 25% less work for me but I also make sure to tell people buying then that it needs to be split and stacked for 6 months minimum before burning.

IMO. Tell whoever wants green wood you are sorry but you only sell safe ready to burn quality firewood.

 

[amateur hour]

it takes the same amount of work to cut green or dry. maybe more because the green is heavier. i can never figure out why customers think green should be cheaper.on the other hand if you need the cash to go buy another chainsaw that you don't really need then maybe you can discount your green wood a little bit.

I charge the same price for green or seasoned. It takes the same amount of work to process. I don't sell green wood to somebody I don't know. However, I have one customer, whom I know, that wants green wood. He knows what he is getting and I don't have to worry about him ruining my reputation by spouting off to the public that I am selling wood that won't burn.

Green wood takes a lot less time (1 year) to process then the seasoned wood and like anything time is money. I would never buy green wood for the price seasoned wood is. That's like buying a tomato seedling for the price of the tomatoes that are going to grow, they will grow it just takes 3-4 months before I can eat them.

But if you can find people to buy green wood for seasoned wood prices you might as well sell it.

 

[StihlRockin']

I would never buy green wood for the price seasoned wood is. That's like buying a tomato seedling for the price of the tomatoes that are going to grow,...

Y'all gave some good replies and I agree on many of it. I know a major wood vendor here that has a good percentage of their wood that is green to keep up with demand. I know because I've been to their wood yard a few times to look at the wood as if I may be a buyer, but also to talk to some of the guys who are hired to hand-split the wood. I noticed in my opinion about 25% of it was green and they make no notice of it to the buyers about that.

I wouldn't hesitate a second to sell green wood. I'd let the buyer know ahead of time it's green. Last season 10% of my wood was green and my outdoor boiler did it's job. There are people out there who buy now for next season.

Sadly I think a record number of people will be burning a higher than normal percentage of green wood this year because seasoned wood is quickly becoming more valuable and a resource that is limited. The firewood market here has jumped $10 a cord from last year, which took a jump from the previous year about the same... which took a jump from that prior year.

Thanks.

StihlRockin'

 

[Hinerman]

Green wood takes a lot less time (1 year) to process then the seasoned wood and like anything time is money. I would never buy green wood for the price seasoned wood is. That's like buying a tomato seedling for the price of the tomatoes that are going to grow, they will grow it just takes 3-4 months before I can eat them.

I am confused. How does green wood take less time to process? I have the same amount of labor in cutting, splitting, and stacking green wood as seasoned wood. In fact the seasoned wood was green wood to begin with. Are you considering the seasoning time as part of the "process"? I have no labor in the seasoning process. If you are kiln drying or using some other mechanism to season your wood then I see your point.

Your tomato seedling analogy makes no sense either. I/We are not selling acorns as green wood. A better comparison might be a green tomato compared to a vine ripened tomato. Even then, I still don't see a difference in the amount of time a tomato farmer puts into producing the tomato. He just picks the green one a week or 2 before the ripe one.

I understand that most people don't want green wood, which is why I don't sell it. I turned down many customers last year who wanted to by my green wood when I ran out of seasoned. But like I said, I have one customer, whom I know personally, who wants green wood. He pays the same price as my seasoned wood customers do because I have the same amount of labor invested.

 

[Dirtboy]

JMO, same amount of work. If you are selling it with the caveat that it is green wood and not burnable this season, you have done your due diligence and can sleep peacefully at night.

 

[CRThomas]

I sell Greene wood but they are told it won't burn for a couple years. In my business I can't sell knot so I pile them up and sell them for $35.00 a rank. Some people ***** but I don't care. My money making business is bundled fire wood. One of the fellows that buys wood chunks from me said some guy told him my wood was so wet he could take a show with the water that run out of the wood. He said he was not going to buy any more from I ask the fellow what he said that means more for me. (Later)

 

[farmer steve]

I am confused. How does green wood take less time to process? I have the same amount of labor in cutting, splitting, and stacking green wood as seasoned wood. In fact the seasoned wood was green wood to begin with. Are you considering the seasoning time as part of the "process"? I have no labor in the seasoning process. If you are kiln drying or using some other mechanism to season your wood then I see your point.

Your tomato seedling analogy makes no sense either. I/We are not selling acorns as green wood. A better comparison might be a green tomato compared to a vine ripened tomato. Even then, I still don't see a difference in the amount of time a tomato farmer puts into producing the tomato. He just picks the green one a week or 2 before the ripe one.

I understand that most people don't want green wood, which is why I don't sell it. I turned down many customers last year who wanted to by my green wood when I ran out of seasoned. But like I said, I have one customer, whom I know personally, who wants green wood. He pays the same price as my seasoned wood customers do because I have the same amount of labor invested.

if one of my customers wants green tomatoes for frying it's the same price as a red one.

 

[blkcloud]

Some people are set in their ways and or just dont know any better and you wont convence them that dry wood is always better.. not long ago a older guy told me he likes to throw in a few sticks of green wood in his owb to make the fire last longer.. he cuts his own wood..

 

[jrider]

CRThomas, you confuse the hell out of me frequently with your posts but I have to address these. What gives?

I have never sold green wood so I can't help in my area they sell green wood and say it is dry

I sell Greene wood but they are told it won't burn for a couple years.

 

[Coldfront]

How does wood ever season if it is not cut and split? It will not season and dry while in 8 ft log length, I don't care how long it sits. So how does one only process seasoned wood?

 

[blkcloud]

does green wood decay? I would think that at some point a log would season and then maybe a couple years later start to decay..

 

[mainewoods]

Most places, if not all of them, cut -split and throw it into piles. It doesn't take more work to turn it into seasoned wood, it takes time ( unless you move it into a kiln). I suppose you could justify more money for seasoned just because of the fact that you had the foresight to cut it early and allowed time for it to season. Everyone up here sells seasoned wood for more money than green wood.