My bought cord

[smokee]

While waiting for all my newly cut wood to season I had to buy a cord to burn now. I ended up paying $200 for "mixed hardwood". it's mostly oak but was wet from what seems like being on the ground and had a lot of crud mixed in. I'm not sure about the quantity as it doesn't work out. The dark stack is it and is 4' high and 20' at the bottom. The pieces are 15"-16" in length.

 

[kyle1!]

You were shorted so I would be calling back. 128 cubic ft is a cord and you have 120 cubic ft at best going off exactly 20ft at the bottom. Should be a tight rectangle and you have space on each end.

Brian

 

[srb08]

A cord is 4'x4'x8'= 128 cu ft
If your stack is 4'x20'x1.3', you have 104 cu ft.
With the taper on each end, you have about 3/4 of a cord.
He owes you $50.

 

[stihly dan]

A cord is 4'x4'x8'= 128 cu ft
If your stack is 4'x20'x1.3', you have 104 cu ft.
With the taper on each end, you have about 3/4 of a cord.
He owes you $50.

YUP. Plus the remander of the wood. Should not have tried to pull a fast one.

 

[Whitespider]

I figure you have less than ¾ cord there.

If the bottom row is 20-feet, using line percentage, that would make the top row 15.5-feet long. So if the stack was squared up on the ends, your stack would be 17-feet 9-inches long, by 4-feet high, by 15.5-inches wide (average).

So… converting everything into inches…
(213 long) x (48 high) x (15.5 wide) = 158,472 cubic inches.

There are 1728 cubic inches in a cubic foot… so…
158,472 / 1728 = 91.7 cubic feet... not quite 72% of a cord.

If the agreement was $200.oo for a cord of firewood… I believe I’d be lookin’ for at least $50.oo in refund. “Wet” firewood is also an issue I’d be quite perturbed with.

 

[Toddppm]

So are you sure the average is 15-16" , cause an extra 3-4" will have it come out just right. I'm so glad I don't sell firewood anymore.....

 

[Jere39]

If you are stuck, and need some ready to burn red oak, and can drive to Chester County with a truck, I will make you whole in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Sorry, crummy iPhone picture, but it's dark now, so I used this one I had.

View attachment 263475

 

[Mac88]

If you are stuck, and need some ready to burn red oak, and can drive to Chester County with a truck, I will make you whole in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

It don't get any better than that. :msp_thumbsup:

 

[Ductape]

If you are stuck, and need some ready to burn red oak, and can drive to Chester County with a truck, I will make you whole in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Sorry, crummy iPhone picture, but it's dark now, so I used this one I had.

View attachment 263475

Santa comes early !

 

[Whitespider]

So are you sure the average is 15-16" , cause an extra 3-4" will have it come out just right. I'm so glad I don't sell firewood anymore.....

Not quite, they would have to average 21¾-inches to make a full cord... that's 6¼-inches longer.
Not that I'm nit-pickin' or anything ... just sayin'.

 

[srb08]

Not quite, they would have to average 21¾-inches to make a full cord... that's 6¼-inches longer.
Not that I'm nit-pickin' or anything ... just sayin'.

Or he could, using the water displacement method, measure each piece individually, total all of the pieces and know exactly how much is there.
He would need to seal each piece completely to keep it from absorbing any water.
This is a little labor intensive but it's a small price for the OP to pay to satisfy our curiosity.

 

[Philbo]

I'd be a little upset with this deal...3/4 ish of a cord and is wet for $200?

I just sold a full cord of all honey locust cut to custom smaller pieces delivered for $200 (granted, this was to a good friend in need, but still...)

If the price includes delivery and stacking then I wouldn't even think about handing over the full amount until it was stacked and measured. Then adjust the price accordingly once you actually know how much you have. It also helps to clarify up front if by a cord they mean exactly 128 cu ft.

The wet wood thing...could just be some surface moisture on the outside of the wood from being rained on recently, which will dry quickly if sunny out, but if actually still wet, as in not completely seasoned, well that's probably the only reason you bought this firewood in the first place is because you needed something now that was fully seasoned.

I'd call the seller and complain a bit personally...Was this someone who is selling firewood full-time as a business? Poor form...

One thing I've found is that locust (honey and black) that is already dead (standing or downed) doesn't need much seasoning time at all from when it's split. More so than any other wood I've come across...should be some locust around you that you might be able to find for free.

 

[RVALUE]

Is their a problem with wet wood?

 

[smokee]

First off, thank you very much for the offer Jere39! I really appreciate it! I'm going to call on Friday but I'm expecting the usual attitude. lol. I did call about having some Poplar mixed in... I found about a dozen pieces which were on the top. He said he'd make good on any soft wood that was in there and there wasn't enough to bother with.

Yes, the wood is pretty wet. I've noticed a greasy film on the latch of the door that wasn't there prior to burning it so I assume my new liner's looking similar. The wood is well season and it seems to be a surface "wet" but some look like they were on a wet ground and it soaked in pretty well.

I measured every piece on the top and the average was 14.5". Very few were 16", a lot were 14". I'm certainly not trying to be a PITA or nit pick. I think $200 was relatively pricy compared to a lot of prices I got. I've burned maybe 10 pieces so far but it seems a lot shorter than 10 pieces.

Thanks for the input, fellas. I'll post the outcome of my call.

 

[Fred Wright]

Yup, you got a short load. A single row of roughly 16" splits, 20' in length should stack 6' in height to get you close to a cord. I'd suggest calling the seller to make it right.

Dirt and crap on the splits can come from being loaded off the ground by a loader or dozer. It's a hassle but won't hurt anything.

Last year, we were in your shoes... had the stove installed and had started cutting our own but had to buy wood that first year. Ordered and paid for 2 cord, fully seasoned. What we got was 1.5 cord of partially seasoned, dirty wood. Several splits were too long or too large to fit in the stove.

When I've got to cut and split firewood that we paid for a delivery already cut and split... and the stuff sets there and smolders in the stove, can't get it to burn to save my soul, well, that gets my dander up.

It won't matter after this winter, my compadre.

 

[smokee]

Sorry if I'm losing focus... I changed my avatar last night and, damn, Mila Kunis is smoking.

Back to our regularly scheduled conversation.

 

[flyboy553]

I am going to take a wild guess and say that there were probably other ads with firewood for sale that were higher priced. But you went with price instead of quality? I mean, what seller wouldn't say his firewood is dry! If he is in for the one time sale, anyway.

The OP's situation is exactly why I do things the way I do:
1. I stack each cord of wood in my yard, 4.25 ft tall, 16 inches wide and 24 ft long, a fence post every 8 ft(1/3cord sections). That way I know there is over a cord of wood going to the buyer. Almost all new customers will make a comment about how much more wood they are getting than the last person they bought from.
2. I use a moisture meter. People ask if my wood is seasoned. I explain to them that more important than seasoned wood is DRY wood. I tell them the MC of my wood and how it is better to know that, than if it is seasoned or not.
3. I charge more than a lot of sellers, because my wood is worth the extra money. Those who sound hesitant, I tell them to come and take a look at the exact wood they will get, and if they would like, they can take some home and try it out before buying. Of those who have indeed came out and looked at the wood, not one of them has taken some home to try first!

Ted

Dang it, I just read your later post where you said there were others cheaper! Dag nabbit, foiled again! Sorry for my rant now! lol

 

[gtsawyer]

I also calculate 3/4 of a cord.

(Bottom length = 20', Top length = ~15', Height = ~4', total face area a bit over 71 sq feet) multiplied by 1.33', gives you almost 96 cubic feet, or 3/4 of a cord. Math rocks.

Your experience is almost exactly like the one I had a few years back - got shorted on a purchased load, and didn't figure it out until a couple of months later when I stacked it. That experience has led to a long downward spiral of buying saws, woodboogering, and loitering around this AS website.

My life is a wreck.

(Now I have a Super Splitter too. Heaven help this sinner)

 

[DavdH]

County weights and measures should fix it up for ya, around here a cord is a cord and if ya short someone look out the county will be after ya. And it will be more like 300-400$. If ya buy it by the load no biggie.

 

[srb08]

Sorry if I'm losing focus... I changed my avatar last night and, damn, Mila Kunis is smoking.

Back to our regularly scheduled conversation.

Looks like she had some work done.......God bless her.