Two ricks is a truckload?

[freemind]

Let me start off by saying, I cut my own firewood and sell a little on the side.

I built a new forced air woodburner (outside) to heat my house. Long of the short, I am burning three times the wood I have previously burned with the other add on furnace.

Being a very busy guy, I haven't got enough wood on hand, Got some logs around (dead elm) but not home yet as the weather has not been co-operating.

SO, I bought two "ricks" of wood from a local tree service to help tide me over till the weekend. I know the folks that own it, as our boys know each other. These folks have been selling wood for alot of years, more than me.

When the wood arrived today, I presumed it was only coming ONE rick at a time. Strange I thought to myself, as the guy had it in a dumptruck.

I know here, most anyone who describes a "rick", describes it as a pile stacked 4'x8' by cut length. Mind you I bought and paid cash for two ricks. SO, I should have a pile 4'x16' right? A pile like that thrown in just a normal pick-up truck should be a big heaping load, IMO. What I have on the ground is not more than a level truck load.

Also mind you I paid them 115 dollars for the TWO ricks. When I am selling, I sell a level truck load for 50 bucks.

Even had a good bit of little diameter limb wood and even pieces that were ALOT longer than I was told I would get. A few peices are 30+ inches and nothing was supposed to be more than 24 inches.

So, did I get hosed, or do I need to double/triple my wood prices? A cord goes for about 200 bucks in these parts, buying it by the truckload. (truckloads sell for 50-60 bucks)

P.S. my wife also was not happy in the least. Her comment was "I don't know much about wood, but for $115 we should have gotton more than a weeks worth of wood!" She also noted that it was no more wood than I loaded on my 3/4 ton truck and sold for $50.

 

[sunfish]

You need to stack it up in two 4'x8' rows and see what you got. Sometimes a
pile doesn't look like much.

 

[banshee67]

Let me start off by saying, I cut my own firewood and sell a little on the side.

I built a new forced air woodburner (outside) to heat my house. Long of the short, I am burning three times the wood I have previously burned with the other add on furnace.

Being a very busy guy, I haven't got enough wood on hand, Got some logs around (dead elm) but not home yet as the weather has not been co-operating.

SO, I bought two "ricks" of wood from a local tree service to help tide me over till the weekend. I know the folks that own it, as our boys know each other. These folks have been selling wood for alot of years, more than me.

When the wood arrived today, I presumed it was only coming ONE rick at a time. Strange I thought to myself, as the guy had it in a dumptruck.

I know here, most anyone who describes a "rick", describes it as a pile stacked 4'x8' by cut length. Mind you I bought and paid cash for two ricks. SO, I should have a pile 4'x16' right? A pile like that thrown in just a normal pick-up truck should be a big heaping load, IMO. What I have on the ground is not more than a level truck load.

Also mind you I paid them 115 dollars for the TWO ricks. When I am selling, I sell a level truck load for 50 bucks.

Even had a good bit of little diameter limb wood and even pieces that were ALOT longer than I was told I would get. A few peices are 30+ inches and nothing was supposed to be more than 24 inches.

So, did I get hosed, or do I need to double/triple my wood prices? A cord goes for about 200 bucks in these parts, buying it by the truckload. (truckloads sell for 50-60 bucks)

P.S. my wife also was not happy in the least. Her comment was "I don't know much about wood, but for $115 we should have gotton more than a weeks worth of wood!" She also noted that it was no more wood than I loaded on my 3/4 ton truck and sold for $50.

unless you discussed what his definition of a "rick" was before delivering, he could have brought you a 5 gallon bucket full of 2x4" scraps with a handful of twigs on top

you said a cord goes for $200 , sold "by the truckload"... and a "truckload" is $50-60.... what is a truckload!? by prices, im guessing a truckload is 1/4 cord? that must be an awfully small truck

the way i understand the whole "rick" mess, is it is one 4x8' row of stacked wood.. weather its cut to 8" lengths or 2foot lengths... so really.. there is the problem right there

so how much of a cord, did you expect your 2 "ricks" to be? 1/2 cord? 2/3 cord?
this is so confusing

on the other hand, 2 "ricks" could fill the back of a honda pilot, or the back of a 12foot dump bed f550.. it all depends on whos selling them, all the more reason you shuld try to buy "1/2 cord" or "1 cord"

also, i cant believe anyone would cut wood to 30" lengths *(unless a OWB owner asked for it).. 30 inches is huge !

 

[rwbinbc]

I sell two ricks out of My 1/2 ton f150, With a short bed and 18" sides added. We try to throw it in so there not alot of hole But You can tell when shes sqauts so far thats a good two ricks of wood. I do have a bend in the frame as the space between the cab and bed differ alot. From 1" at the bottom to almost 2" at the top.

A rick around here = 1/3 of a cord or also called a face cord

 

[logbutcher]

First we need to agree on wood measure.

"Ricks", "face cords", "chopped liver cords", "bananas" etc....do not exist.

To reiterate ad nauseum (will C² enter this ?):

1 CORD = A PILE OR STACK OF WOOD THAT MEAURES 4' x 4' X 8'. IT IS ALSO A VOLUME THAT = 128 CUBIC FEET OF WOOD.

Whether or not you got a bad deal is up to you and the seller. Stack the wood you got so it approximates the above measure. Then it's simple: the stack is either what you paid for, or not. No arguments, no fights with your wife.

JMNSHO

 

[indiansprings]

In my area wood is bought and sold by the "rick". Width of wood x 8' x 4' high.
Most on here refer to it as a "face cord". Piles can be deceiving.
The only way to tell is drive you some post and stack it up, but it sounds like you may have been raped. When we were using a normal 8' truck bed it would absolutely be heaped to the max stacked in, a half ton should look over loading the rear end should be dropped. In my area you could have bought two rick or face cord of seasoned oak for 70.00 delivered and dumped.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Yep, a buying a rick is like buying a pile or a bunch or crap load. Just doesn't mean much unless everyone using the term is on the same page.

Ian

 

[freemind]

I have two trucks.

One is a dodge with a 6' box. That holds 1/4 of a cord mounded up.

My other truck is a 3/4 ton ford that has an 8' box. Level full is just over 1/4 of a cord.

Either truck load, I sell for 50 bucks. Other sellers that are advertiseing, not so local, are selling for the same prices for the same amounts of wood.

True I have not stacked it, but I can tell just by looking at it, there is no pile 4'x16'.

My stacking area is staked on a concrete pad. There is 16' between the stakes. I KNOW there isn't enough wood to fill 4' high between stakes.

Hope the jerk cokes on the money he ripped me off of.

 

[komatsuvarna]

Its sold by ricks around here. Id never herd of a cord until I found this site. It really doesnt take much wood to make a rick. I cut mine 16'' long and can get half a rick stacked in the bed of a polaris ranger. Make 2 trips from the wood pile to the porch and I have a rick. It dont look like a rick either when Its dumped out.

 

[Alan Smith]

UK College of AGRICULTURE Laurel County

Every winter
we look
forward to
the pleasures
of
warming
our hands
and feet by a blazing fire, mesmerized
by the dancing flames.
When buying firewood two factors
will determine just how hot your fire
is-seasoning and the kind of wood.
Wood is made up of air and cellulose
(wood fiber). The more air space that
wood has, the less there is to burn.
Buying wood with the heaviest/
densest per unit volume will keep you
toasty. Osage Orange Hickory Black Locust
all of the oaks~sugar maple and ash
produce hot fires; plus they are easy
__ .J
to split.
Yellow poplar, silver maple and red
maple provide much less heat per log
but are good for kindling because
they catch fire quickly.
Avoid elm, sycamore and sweet gum
because they are not as warm, and
their fibers are so interlaced they will
not split.
The good firewood species are found
in Kentucky, although suppliers sometimes
will identify their stock only as
"hardwoods" without specifying the
species. Be sure to ask what kind of
wood you are buying.
The second thing to look for when
buying firewood is how much water is
in the wood. Since wood com~e-s-f-rom
a living plant, it contains water. The
more water in the wood, the less
heat it generates when it burns.
Ask the vendor if the wood is seasoned.
Wood is 50 percent moisture
and needs six months to a year
to dry out enough to burn efficiently.
Dry or seasoned wood has
splits in the ends of the logs and a
gray appearance.
Firewood is sold in a variety of
measures. A cord measures 4 feet
wide by 4 feet high by 8 feet long.
Often this is too much for the occasional
user, as most homeowners
are. Many vendors will price their:
firewood by the pickup truckload.
For the warmest fires at the best
price, do some comparative shopping
before you buy.

 

[banshee67]

I have two trucks.

One is a dodge with a 6' box. That holds 1/4 of a cord mounded up.

My other truck is a 3/4 ton ford that has an 8' box. Level full is just over 1/4 of a cord.

Either truck load, I sell for 50 bucks. Other sellers that are advertiseing, not so local, are selling for the same prices for the same amounts of wood.

True I have not stacked it, but I can tell just by looking at it, there is no pile 4'x16'.

My stacking area is staked on a concrete pad. There is 16' between the stakes. I KNOW there isn't enough wood to fill 4' high between stakes.

Hope the jerk cokes on the money he ripped me off of.

see, now youre talking in terms of cords.. a minute ago it was "ricks"?

did the vendor tell you a "rick" was a stack 4ft high by 8 ft long?

how can you say that other sellers are selling the same amount of wood as you are, for the same price, when you are basing all this on the term "truck load", and obviously not even stacking these "truck loads" in the truck bed? this makes no sense, we could both have the same f250 with 8' bed, and we could both be throwing the wood in loose, and one of us could still end up with much more wood than the other.. size of splits, the way each piece falls into the pile when thrown, etc, all factors in the amount of wood you will get with a "thrown truck load" like you are talking about

you seem to be hovering back and fourth between legit firewood terms like cord, and ricks, truckloads and all that crap, which really makes the story extremely hard to follow

if the guy defined his "ricks" as 4x8' STACK of wood, and you stacked both, and dont have a 4x16' STACK, then you have every right to say youve been ripped off...
while at the same time.. if some of these lengths are 30" or so, you might have more volume(more actualwood) than a 4x8 stack of 16" lengths even though the stack is not 4x8 from the front
but you arnt looking for volume, you are looking for 4x8 frontal appearance of a stack it seems?..so really your rick, which doesnt make a 4x8 stack of 16" pieces, cxould possibly have MORE wood in it than a 4x8 stack with 16" peices if many of these pieces are longer than 16"...

so which would you rather have, a 4x8 stack of 16" lengths, or a 3x8 stack of 24" lengths" the first will look like more wood from looking at the stack from the front, but the second will actually BE more wood, although technically its not a "rick" ... are you starting to see how stupid these terms are yet?

in closing: OEIJHOIEhj OP@#IEJHOIEJ oiHOe h32903u294 2394O@#$Iho342ih oi4h23oi43 pio324ho3i4hoiu4h this is why you DONT deal with ricks, face cords, or any of that other nonsense... real in cords, and the possibility of interpretation is never there.

 

[Guido Salvage]

:deadhorse:

The time to question what you are getting for your money is not after the sale has been consummated and the seller is far down the road. I would never buy something that I (and the seller) did not have an agreement on.

Would you go into an automobile dealership and sign a sales agreement for a "car"? No, you would know exactly what model it would be and the options that it is to have built into it. If you fail to have that understanding prior to entering into an agreement, expect to be burned.

In the future, deal in the universally recognized measurement, a cord. That way, you have a defined measurement to judge the seller's performance against.

 

[TreePointer]

> This < is a rick. Do you really want that to spread? In the name of all that's decent, please stop that rick madness and buy wood in cords.

 

[branchbuzzer]

I have two trucks.

One is a dodge with a 6' box. That holds 1/4 of a cord mounded up.

My other truck is a 3/4 ton ford that has an 8' box. Level full is just over 1/4 of a cord.

Either truck load, I sell for 50 bucks. Other sellers that are advertiseing, not so local, are selling for the same prices for the same amounts of wood.

True I have not stacked it, but I can tell just by looking at it, there is no pile 4'x16'.

My stacking area is staked on a concrete pad. There is 16' between the stakes. I KNOW there isn't enough wood to fill 4' high between stakes.

Hope the jerk cokes on the money he ripped me off of.

Most 8 foot beds hold about one-half cord neatly stacked, so how is it yours only holds just over a quarter?

My 6 foot S-10 bed is ~5 cu ft short of one-third cord ( 5'x6'x16", I don't count the wheel wells ) , neatly stacked. Yours is only 1/4 cord mounded up?

It kinda seems the loose and variable way that you've been throwing the wood you sell in your own trucks just came full circle and bit you in the hind-end.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Courtesy of Dictionary.com:

rick /rɪk/ Show Spelled[rik]

2. a stack of cordwood or logs cut to even lengths.

No mention of any volume in the definition at all.....

 

[branchbuzzer]

Courtesy of Dictionary.com:

rick /rɪk/ Show Spelled[rik]

2. a stack of cordwood or logs cut to even lengths.

No mention of any volume in the definition at all.....

from thefreedictionary.com:

rick (rk)
n. A stack of hay, straw, or similar material, especially when covered or thatched for protection from the weather.

rick1
n. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Agriculture) a large stack of hay, corn, peas, etc., built in the open in a regular-shaped pile, esp one with a thatched top


I always thatch my firewood to protect it from the snow....

 

[CTYank]

First we need to agree on wood measure.

"Ricks", "face cords", "chopped liver cords", "bananas" etc....do not exist.

To reiterate ad nauseum (will C² enter this ?):

1 CORD = A PILE OR STACK OF WOOD THAT MEAURES 4' x 4' X 8'. IT IS ALSO A VOLUME THAT = 128 CUBIC FEET OF WOOD.

Whether or not you got a bad deal is up to you and the seller. Stack the wood you got so it approximates the above measure. Then it's simple: the stack is either what you paid for, or not. No arguments, no fights with your wife.

JMNSHO

:agree2: Precisely. And reportedly in some states the only unit of measure of wood is the cord. (Actually 128 cu. ft. of wood and air, as stacked.)

This business of "ricks" or "face cords" has absolutely no place in business transactions. Simply a means to a "gotcha" as seen here.

Say what you mean; mean what you say. No guesstimation.

 

[Wind Walker]

Most 8 foot beds hold about one-half cord neatly stacked, so how is it yours only holds just over a quarter?

My 6 foot S-10 bed is ~5 cu ft short of one-third cord ( 5'x6'x16", I don't count the wheel wells ) , neatly stacked. Yours is only 1/4 cord mounded up?

It kinda seems the loose and variable way that you've been throwing the wood you sell in your own trucks just came full circle and bit you in the hind-end.

I was wondering the same thing. I have a box that is 4x4x8 that is stacked full, that equals 1 cord, this is what I sell out of. The customer sees exactly how much wood he is getting, and most are surprised at how much wood that really is. When they come pick up a cord in a full size pickup, they always have to make two trips. 1 full size pickup a bit over level full thrown in nicely holds about 1/2 cord.

 

[rwbinbc]

Anyone thats been burning for a few years should know about what a rick,face cord, or cord looks like or they will get taken. When I pull up I will show You how much wood is there. I've told people before I'll stack it for $10 more. If it doesn't stack up to two ricks its free, They only pay Me to Stack it one time. Then I leave the rest of the wood on the truck. If You dont agree pay the guy a little extra to stack it and if it come up short You actualy pay less. I cut alot of tops and downed trees and most pieces are cut 14" to 18", somewhere in there. Sometime people complain about short pieces but its all wood, Almost all of My peeps keep calling Me back so no biggie. I'm fighting though the snow to get to old tops to cut as I'm out of wood to sell at the house.

 

[freemind]

Well, we all do things different from region to region.

NOBODY here stacks wood in their trucks or trailers. It is all thrown in. Not many people here have side boards either. I know I don't.

The chances of firewood being advertised by the cord here are next to NONE. Rick and face cord are the terms used. Dry and seasoned are NOT mutual terms here.

Matter of fact, there just isn't many people around here that sell wood. Makes life easier for me selling to the lakers.

Thanks to you that found the need to chatise me though. When are any of you gonna step up and ship the wood here? People don't sell by the cord here. You need to show those uneducated podunks how things are done! Step right up and start hauling your firewood in and compete.

Some of the replies are less than decent. Oh well. I will remember this when one of you get screwed. Rant about it and I will tell you how much of an idiot you are too.