Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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Advantages and disadvantages. The Alaska mill/chainsaw is not as efficient, but a lot less expensive and will go where no band saw can go.

The good band saw mills need water cooling and are not cheap.

The Chainsaw mills can mill it where it falls, then you just haul the boards out of the woods. Great if you don't have heavy equipment, or access with heavy equipment (across septic fields, etc).

So it depends on your volume, your access, and how deep your pockets are.

I know of a guy who set up a nice 24' long water cooled band saw mill ... and he has not milled as much wood as I have!
 
I think milling should be looked at as more of a hobby than a business if someone is going to drop $$$ into a band mill.

Sort of like some of us who (cough) have five digit investments into saws, splitters, trailers, skidding equipment, etc so we can save $1500 a year on heating costs.
Only kinda guilty of that lol
 
I finally sold all 3 cord for $260. Probably should have been aroung $300 but no one around here has any idea of oak. I was glad to get rid of it as it was just too heavy to conveniently feed the fire.

Those are two of the craziest things I’ve seen on here! $260 for 3 cords of oak and too heavy
 
Those are two of the craziest things I’ve seen on here! $260 for 3 cords of oak and too heavy

Sorry, I should have corrected that. It was $260/cord. I was going to charge $300 but the best wood available locally is Tamarack and Red Fir, both running around $250. As for 'heavy'. I'm 85 and have trouble getting it in the stove. Still have about a 1/3 cord that I will use next year.
 
Sorry, I should have corrected that. It was $260/cord. I was going to charge $300 but the best wood available locally is Tamarack and Red Fir, both running around $250. As for 'heavy'. I'm 85 and have trouble getting it in the stove. Still have about a 1/3 cord that I will use next year.

Yes sir, I get that. My best friend is 22 years older than me. I help him a lot, at 56 he doesn’t move like he once did. Hell even at my age I’ve already noticed the difference. No disrespect meant by that.
 
Advantages and disadvantages. The Alaska mill/chainsaw is not as efficient, but a lot less expensive and will go where no band saw can go.

The good band saw mills need water cooling and are not cheap.

The Chainsaw mills can mill it where it falls, then you just haul the boards out of the woods. Great if you don't have heavy equipment, or access with heavy equipment (across septic fields, etc).

So it depends on your volume, your access, and how deep your pockets are.

I know of a guy who set up a nice 24' long water cooled band saw mill ... and he has not milled as much wood as I have!
I know a guy that bought a mill, bought 4 Black Walnut logs for $2000, milled them and never used it again. Last time I asked him about it the engine was locked up from sitting. Some folks just have too much money.
 
Yes sir, I get that. My best friend is 22 years older than me. I help him a lot, at 56 he doesn’t move like he once did. Hell even at my age I’ve already noticed the difference. No disrespect meant by that.
Going to be 62 this April. Do more wood now than 20 years ago only reason I'm posting now is its pitch black out. Summer I work till 8 or 9 PM. Wether its wood the old trucks/cars or the property. If you keep moving you feel better.
 
We took a trip out to Lancaster this weekend with the family. Great weather! I couldn’t get over steady wind blowing through all that farmland and I’m sure it helps dry firewood fast....
Should have stopped by. I'm not that far from Lancaster. 30 miles or so. Could have loaded the van up with some nice ash for ya to sell. Seems like the wind is always blowing here on top the hill.
 
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