Cherry wood available in exchange for removal

[amatthews]

Akron Ohio area large old Cherry tree apparently needs to be removed.

We have gotten nothing but absurdly hight quotes to do it.

Is there any organization or individual woodworker around who will remove trees in exchange for the wood?

There must be a very large quantity of high quality Cherry wood in this poor old thing. We sure would like the wood to go to good homes if that is possible!

I don't want to be charged a fortune by someone to remove it and then have them turn around and get another fortune selling the wood to woodworkers or to commercial lumber specialists for resale - that just doesn't seen fair.

Any thoughts you all may have and suggestions are greately appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[tree md]

I think it's absurd that you want someone to do the work for free. just how high are the quotes? do you have any experience to base your opinions on?

 

[treeclimber165]

Residential trees don't end up as Cherrywood furniture. Mills won't take residential wood for the most part because of nails, screws, clothesline hangers, etc. Who knows what might have been nailed to that tree 50 years ago.
Even if you find a mill to take the wood, there isn't much money in raw wood. Everybody thinks you can get rich off of wood. A removal guy would be LUCKY to find someone to take SOME of the wood for FREE rather than paying to dump it.
If the prices are 'absurdly' high, find some gypsy tree crew with NO insurance and an old beat up truck and pray they don't do any damage!

 

[treeclimber165]

Another thing, if the tree is rotton enough to need removing, there probably isn't as much solid, healthy wood as you think.

 

[Treeman14]

It makes great firewood. Easy to split and burns nice.

 

[the tree guy]

amattews,please give more info on the tree,(diameter,hight, powerlines are how close,close to building,why it needs removed),all these thing add up to a bigger risk for the person doing the removel,another question,if THE PERSON WHO TAKES DOWN THE TREE damages something are you going to expect him to pay for the damage?(insurance is expensive)MOST large trees inside towns are rotten in the center and have little to offer in value to a mill.(like treeman 165 said)And as far as getting rich off the wood,I wish that where true,I could have retired by now.I'll try to give you a idea of how I charge,just to drop a tree,nothing close and in 1 peice$100.00,add $500 min. for powerlines(i hate powerlines)add $200-$500 for working over houses,add $200-600 for clean up.It usually works out to $100 per hour alittle more if I have to climb in the tree for more than 4 hours (my limit for being safe and not wearing myself out).THEREhas to be a reason why the bids are high!Please give more info,and the general price you feel is reasonable for the job,and why.ONE MORE THING YOU COULD WAIT FOR IT TO COME DOWN AND HAVE INSURANCE COVER IT. Dan

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There is a general misconception about the value of a log. People look at the price of S2S lumber and think that the raw material is worth a fortune.

We hear the story of the person who got a couple of grandd to have a walnut removed from their property. These trees are few and far between, if they were all as desirable then the value would not be so high. Simple supply and demand.

A good hardwood log will get me $40-80. If I yard up all the cats and dogs and a guy comes out to pick them up he will pay 10-20 cents per board foot.

 

[amatthews]

I want to thank "the tree guy" - Dan for his information. In response to a few of his questions, (a) the tree is close to 3 feet in diameter; (b) it's crown is about 60 feet high; (c) it is over 30 feet from any building or other tree or object, so any possible damage done would be divits in the ground; (d) it is well over 100 feet from any power line; (e) I don't know why it needs to come down - my sister administers an estate and she thinks that to be the case, but she has had no evaluation from an Arborist, etc.; and (f) I don't know what a "fair" price would be, but the lowest quote was $1900 plus taxes which seemed, well, absurd - she stated that this bid was from a "non-commercial" tree removal service (my sister's words, what ever that really means - but she swears that they are licensed and bonded to do the work), and that "commercial" services were substantially higher.

Just looking at the geometry of it, expecting the tree is probably rotten in the middle iff it really needs to be removed, I thought that there still is lots of solid wood left for salvage - both for lumber and for turning.

To the others, please re-read my posting. I made it very clear that I "sure would like the wood to go to good homes if that is possible". A few civilized comments that that may not be possible and that there maybe not being that much wood there would have been much more appropriate instead of the other "stuff" offered on this site!

We were interested in knowing if, for example, there are individuals or organizations that, for the lumber or cherry wood for turning (p.s. rotted wood adds character to the final product of the skilled turner), would cut down the tree. We remain interested in knowing that.

 

[the tree guy]

A few more questions,does the tree lean toward the building or away from the buildings?In your sister opinion is there room for the tree to be dropped in 1 peice?Is the tree going to land on anyone elses property?Yes there are afew people out there who will cut it down for free,but you run the risk of them getting hurt or them smashing something and coming back on you for money.The only free work I do is for my mom and sisters and my in-laws,and at times they just expect too much.Taking out stuff for family and friends is the worst!They don't expect to pay.even a free meal would be nice!Anyway the only way to tell how good the wood is,is to drop the tree.It would be unfair for me to say the bids high without seeing the tree.There must be something more to it for the bid to as high as it is.I'll have to get the map out and see how far Akron is from from me.YOUR in Washington? Sister in Ohio correct? Dan

 

[treeclimber165]

Quote: "To the others, please re-read my posting. I made it very clear that I "sure would like the wood to go to good homes if that is possible". A few civilized comments that that may not be possible and that there maybe not being that much wood there would have been much more appropriate instead of the other "stuff" offered on this site! "

I was trying to tell you in a polite manner that your request is unreasonable. Your statement that my comments were uncivilized was inappropriate.
Maybe you can hire Beeboo to cut down your tree. (see his thread from last month under the commercial forum).

 

[Garden Visions]

It seems to me this is a question of perceived value. I have seen trees in my area smaller than described taken down for about the same amount.
Also, if quotes have been given by quote "commercial tree companies" than I am sure a certified Arborist has evaluated the tree, and as everyone has said, there must be more than meets the eye.
It is human nature to hunt for the best deal, but if a number of quotes have reflected near the same price, then you shouldn't feel "ripped off". Ligitament companies offer ligitament estimates.
I know in my line of the business people will pay $500 faster for a TV than they ever would for a tree!
If in your sisters mind the tree must come down, then what is it worth to her? I wouldn't tie myself down thinking what the company who did the work is going to do with the spoils.
Contact a local saw mill to find out further information on the local lumber market. I know when I did I was surprised at how little it was!

John,
ISA Certified Arborist, Illinois Certified Nurseryman
Garden Visions Nursery

 

[monkeypuzzle]

Plumbers get more respect than the Arborist,hey plumber,where is the C.P.Z. for that Dogwood.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Prunus nigra 30 ft from a building, 60 ft tall, 36in DBH.

Tha means the canopy is near the roof if not over it. I a back yard.

Sounds like an all day job for a three to four man crew with several trips to the chipper. 2k sounds cheap to me. Many companies in may area want $75-80/mhr. (75x4)x10=3000 (75x3)x10=2250 workmans comp in this industry is 25-33% of payroll. More in some areas.

Mr Matthews, as a fellow turner I know that most of our collegues dont want to spend much on blanks. Many want to get chunk wood free.

Yes spalted wood is more valuable, but the market is a very thin niche and good spalted wood is few and far between. Supply and demand once again.

May of us tree people love trees and hate taking them down. We would love to see wood going into furniture and the like but many of us have found that we cannot make money saving logs. we may even loose on the operation.

The we need to look at how we would retreive the logs from the property. Many people do not want skidders run on their lawn, so we dont even think about it.

Good luck. Im sorry you pushed the buttons of a few of my pals here. But if soemone told you the price on a bowel or cane you made was rediculose how would you act?