What is the best firewood find you ever made?

[bobt]

The best firewood windfall of my life happened in 1980. I was a young guy working as a railroad section laborer at the time.

In the winter, section work slacked off during the very cold months, and often we would brush out the right of way with chainsaws as a way of keeping us busy.

One year the roadmaster decided that a large section of the right of way needed to be sort of "logged off". There was mostly soft woods in the area that he wanted to clear, and he wanted the wood to sell for pulp wood. So we cut the trees, and he sent a track crane with two flat cars in order to haul the wood to a landing. We also cut some very nice hardwood that he didn't want. It was a mixture of Oak, Cherry, White Birch, Maple, and Aspen. It was agreed that all members of the crew would benefit from our labors equally. All we had to do was pay for the hauling.

So, we ended up with forty full cords of nice mixed hardwood firewood for our labors! Didn't even need to pay for the hauling as our boss had the logger keep enough wood to cover his charges.

Now, that was the best firewood I have ever had. I was even payed to cut it!

Bob

 

[just a dave]

That's a great story, I'm still waiting for mine but the best so far was when my next door neighbor had 2 white oaks cut down and gave me the wood, about 1 cord split. My cousin gave me about 1/2 cord red oak rounds and a friend from church had a locust downed in his yard, I got 1 2/3 cords out of that one so that's a little over 3 cords just givin to me this year.

 

[beerman6]

I've had a couple of good ones,but it's sad to say that the best one came from the EAB,right on my property :censored: The good part is I dont use much gas getting it.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

When I was around 12 years old my dad and uncle were given permission to cut down 100+ oak trees in a small wood lot a farmer wanted to farm...We worked on it all summer...I have no idea what we ended up w/ cord wise, but it was ALOT...

 

[Bowsaw Outlaw]

Most anything that's free....

I did get a good one a couple of weeks ago that I havn't finished yet. The farmers land right next to mine just cleared out a windrow between two fields so the pivit could walk through both fields. He piled up and burned all the small stuff and left the oaks for me. There are about 20 lagre oaks already laied over and ready to cut, some as big around as the hood of my truck. I go do a little at a time in the evenings, get to play with all my saws..lol..and it is a very short haul to the wood pile.

 

[bobt]

You guys all have some bragging rights on those hauls!

I guess my one and only time was enough for my lifetime! Haha!

Where I burn wood in Northern Michigan, there are too many wood scroungers these days, as many people are out of work. Oh, and the big paper companies don't take too kindly to just going on their land and cutting like was common years ago. You could just drive out into the woods, and cut up deformed or hollow trees then,,,,,but not any more,,,Haha!

Keep the stories coming guys,,,,I love to hear about your good fortune!

Bob

 

[isaaccarlson]

I got hold of a 65" hard maple last fall. Part of it had fallen on a lady's shed and She did not want it and said I could take it. I got it cut up and the tree service (that she had already called) showed up and offered to haul the wood home for me NO CHARGE!!!! That was super awesome. Got some wood out of that tree.

 

[bobt]

I got hold of a 65" hard maple last fall. Part of it had fallen on a lady's shed and She did not want it and said I could take it. I got it cut up and the tree service (that she had already called) showed up and offered to haul the wood home for me NO CHARGE!!!! That was super awesome. Got some wood out of that tree.

Wow! Now that's what I'm talking about! You must have gotten two cords out of that one tree,,,,,and hauled for free!

 

[isaaccarlson]

I think it was more like 3.5 cord....not real sure because it is not all stacked yet. It took us at least 8 hours to split it all up and we were MOVING. Dad had his splitter going as fast as it could go. Would have been 5 cord but the tree service went ahead and chipped everything under 10-12 inches.

 

[smokinj]

I have 2 scores that are 2500 board foot milling and another 50 cords or more and niether job is done yet but should finnish by fall.

 

[mga]

i'm in the process of dropping several large black walnut trees. i did two already and will be working on a third saturday. these things are at least 24" and must be 30 to 40 feet tall. 3 more after that one.

all mine for the firewood.

and the woman says she might want more down!!

the grain on that wood really is nice...kinda a shame to burn, but, what the hell. ....

 

[xrayman]

My neighbor who's a retired farmer stopped by the other day and wants his pasture cleared out to be farmed next year. There are i'm guessing 100 plus locus trees out there that range from 6" to 2 ft in diameter. SCORE!!!!! and it's only 1.5 miles down the road and i have a year to get it done.

 

[howellhandmade]

My neighbor who's a retired farmer stopped by the other day and wants his pasture cleared out to be farmed next year. There are i'm guessing 100 plus locus trees out there that range from 6" to 2 ft in diameter. SCORE!!!!! and it's only 1.5 miles down the road and i have a year to get it done.

That's the best one yet. I've gotten some free wood, but it has all been the kind of work or the distance to drive that would have made lots of people pass, so while they're "scores" they don't really compete.

Jack

 

[bobt]

Walnut in New York, and Locust in Iowa,,,,,now there are mighty nice finds for sure! I know that I would certainly save some of that Walnut for small woodworking projects if I could make some nice straight splits out of it.

That Locust really sounds like a treasure,,,,,it has a lot of BTU in it doesn't it?

I wish some of that stuff grew this far North, but sadly it doesn't.

 

[StihlyinEly]

That Locust really sounds like a treasure,,,,,it has a lot of BTU in it doesn't it? I wish some of that stuff grew this far North, but sadly it doesn't.

Bob, honey locust grows well up into Minnesota and Wisconsin, mostly as ornamental plantings, so I bet there's some in Michigan, too. Black locust seems to get a lot of mention, but honey locust is almost identical in heat value, yielding 26.7 mBTU/cord compared with 26.8 for black locust. I'd be happy to get anything at or over 20 mBTU/cord where I live.

 

[discounthunter]

my neighbor bought 6 acres of woods, wants to put a house in the middle.they have a backhoe for pulling the stumps but no chainsaw over 40cc,but i do:greenchainsaw:.they are going to mark the trees to fell and i get to keep all the wood i want!

i also have a friend in NY with 63 acres ,about 40ish wooded ,over the last couple of years has had a bunch of blow downs,cherrys oaks,hickery,only bad thing is im in GA

 

[smokinj]

i'm in the process of dropping several large black walnut trees. i did two already and will be working on a third saturday. these things are at least 24" and must be 30 to 40 feet tall. 3 more after that one.

all mine for the firewood.

and the woman says she might want more down!!

the grain on that wood really is nice...kinda a shame to burn, but, what the hell. ....

Wish you live closer there worth some money milled, if there stright and bug free.

 

[Art Vandelay]

We clear between 6 and 10 lots a year in an all wooded subdivision. We get between 6 to 12 cord of firewood per lot after the straight logs get sent to the mill. I get to have as much of it as I want.

 

[bobt]

Bob, honey locust grows well up into Minnesota and Wisconsin, mostly as ornamental plantings, so I bet there's some in Michigan, too. Black locust seems to get a lot of mention, but honey locust is almost identical in heat value, yielding 26.7 mBTU/cord compared with 26.8 for black locust. I'd be happy to get anything at or over 20 mBTU/cord where I live.

I haven't seen any Locust this far North in Michigan where I am West of Marquette in the U.P. Oh, I suppose there are some Honey Locust planted as ornamental trees, but none to be cut for firewood.

We are on the Northern edge of zone 4 and actually have temps that should place us in zone 3. -30 degrees F is a common occurence in these parts! Haha! Can't be too much different from where you are in Minnesota.

In fact I distinctly remember July 4, 1970 at 10:00 A.M. It snowed one inch!
True story.

Bob

 

[Blazin]

Still lookin for it! LOL!