huskystihl
Addicted to ArboristSite
Let me clarify that 20" is not the standard but 16-20" is the norm not custom order, at least around here. I agree that anything over 20 wont fit in most newer woodburners though.
Firewood too long...
- Thread starter porgyiii
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Let me clarify that 20" is not the standard but 16-20" is the norm not custom order, at least around here. I agree that anything over 20 wont fit in most newer woodburners though.
18 to 20 is what they all want on average 16 is lesser in demand.
CrappieKeith
Addicted to ArboristSite
My 2 cents...is there a standard in wood length...how can that be..with all of the wood burning appliances out there????
When it comes to buying wood. Do folks buy from several providers??? I know in my world that I like 1 guy. Which that 1 guy maybe a hard thing if you are some what picky about getting well seasoned wood.
I have found that 1 guy. I have asked for a 2 foot length and I have pre ordered my 7 cord.
This way he knows exactly what and how much I'll need...really he cuts just for me and has all my wood in a pile waiting to be delivered. Actually my next years supply is already cut,split and drying waiting for me next Oct.
My advice is to build a relationship with your wood guy. Give him all of your business....referals may get you a deal now and then...at least my guy gives me one for new biz.
When it comes to buying wood. Do folks buy from several providers??? I know in my world that I like 1 guy. Which that 1 guy maybe a hard thing if you are some what picky about getting well seasoned wood.
I have found that 1 guy. I have asked for a 2 foot length and I have pre ordered my 7 cord.
This way he knows exactly what and how much I'll need...really he cuts just for me and has all my wood in a pile waiting to be delivered. Actually my next years supply is already cut,split and drying waiting for me next Oct.
My advice is to build a relationship with your wood guy. Give him all of your business....referals may get you a deal now and then...at least my guy gives me one for new biz.
redheadwoodshed
Freebird
Because that's not what my customers want.I'm sure we've all heard about the customer being right.I'm sure that if the OP had requested 16" wood he would have got it.
I will go out of my way to accomodate a customer as much as possible.I try to keep a rick or 2 of 15-16 inch wood on hand, but the bulk of the folks who buy my wood get 18-20 inch wood because that's what they tell me they want.
So the standard in one area may be differant in another.Communication is the key and knowing your market is paramount to successful firewooding.And you can quote me on that.:biggrin:
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
Oh the happy wood customer. Its too long, its too short, too dry, too wet, too chunky, too much bark, not enough bark, too many slivers, too dirty etc. Here is what to do. Sort all the wood and simply put aside any piece you feel is too long, count them and ask the supplier to replace them with shorter pieces. EZPZ. Around here, the 16” piece is standard especially if the wood is from a processer but even a processor throws out a long piece every now and again.
Dalmatian90
Addicted to ArboristSite
My highly unscientific web surfing at lunch time...number of models by log length.
At best you can say there's a roughly even split between 18" and smaller models and 20" and larger models.
Of course, I don't know how many of each model they sell to weight these numbers to figure out which is most common log length actually found in the wild.
Jotul:
1 -- 12"
2 -- 16"
2 -- 18"
1 -- 20"
2 -- 22"
2 -- 24"
Vermont Castings:
3 -- 16"
1 -- 18"
2 -- 22"
1 -- 24"
Vogelzang:
3 -- 17"
2 -- 18"
2 -- 20"
1 -- 22"
3 -- 24"+ (Thanks to the non-EPA Boxwood stoves in their lineup)
===============
I do mostly 16-18" though I can take MUCH longer.
I'm trying to remember to cut a bit of oak & ash on the long side for use on very, very cold days when I want to load up the firebox to the maximum.
The reason I'm looking at the F118 as the stove to upgrade to next year instead of an F3 is specifically so I can have flexibility in log size and not be limited to the 16" and always having to measure my wood when cutting
At best you can say there's a roughly even split between 18" and smaller models and 20" and larger models.
Of course, I don't know how many of each model they sell to weight these numbers to figure out which is most common log length actually found in the wild.
Jotul:
1 -- 12"
2 -- 16"
2 -- 18"
1 -- 20"
2 -- 22"
2 -- 24"
Vermont Castings:
3 -- 16"
1 -- 18"
2 -- 22"
1 -- 24"
Vogelzang:
3 -- 17"
2 -- 18"
2 -- 20"
1 -- 22"
3 -- 24"+ (Thanks to the non-EPA Boxwood stoves in their lineup)
===============
I do mostly 16-18" though I can take MUCH longer.
I'm trying to remember to cut a bit of oak & ash on the long side for use on very, very cold days when I want to load up the firebox to the maximum.
The reason I'm looking at the F118 as the stove to upgrade to next year instead of an F3 is specifically so I can have flexibility in log size and not be limited to the 16" and always having to measure my wood when cutting
Nothing wrong with giving a customer what he wants. The real pont is that both ends should be sure that they _know_ what the customer wants. If one is cutting lengths at whim, i.e., what's covenient while trimming atree, then when selling dthat person is the one to be checking what the customer wants.
Yes there are generally agreed upon standard lenghts in any area. Here, unless specified, you will get 16" (+/-) unless you ask for special...and expect to pay extra.
Harry K
And I am sure, by his descritpion of sizes varying all over the place it wouldn't have mattered _what_ he wanted.
Yes there are regional standards and the customer should specify if he wants a different length. He should also order it well in advance and expect to pay extra.
Harry K
redheadwoodshed
Freebird
You are absolutely correct,my friend, 16-21+ inches sounds a little on the sloppy side.I kinda took off on the "standard length" thing and hardly noticed that.
I think we should note this occasion.
"On December the 12th of the year of our Lord 2011 at approximately 3:10 p.m. CST.The fellow firewooders Turnkey4099 and redheadwoodshed did at last agree on something"
A very momentous occasion indeed and I'm glad we did it Harry!
mga
wandering
so, you're telling me you cut/stack and dry wood at various lengths for each different customer?
i don't sell firewood, but if i ordered a full cord and you cut them at 18 to 20 inches one of us is getting screwed. explain to me how you get a 4 x 4 x 8 cord?
redheadwoodshed
Freebird
The answer to your first question is yes.I only have a few customers,so why not.I'm happy and they are happy.
To your second query I will tell you this, 128cuft. is a cord.At 18-20 inches I stack it about 3'6'- 3'8"x8' per rick(or facecord as you say) 3 of these is slightly over a cord(128cuft.) so I guess I'm the one getting screwed.
In all my years I never new firewood was such a precision endeaver.
CrappieKeith
Addicted to ArboristSite
Longer pieces equate to less cuts..I also have a big door so my splits are bigger...but only if they are over 12"...sounds like a lot less work..but to charge more especially when you know in advance because of the standing order...that idea does not hold water.
I can see that to have a standard length would be great knowing there will be a ton of calls looking for wood from folks that flip through the market like I flip through cosmo at the dentist office.LOL
pdhowell
ArboristSite Member
This same happened to me this fall. A guy I know and trust, needed money, had wood and I said "not more than 18 inches". He bought some wood from a guy who cut longer wood for his OWB. A misunderstanding about the length of fire wood is not worth ruining a good relationship. The original seller, felt bad and offered to cut the ends off the too long pieces of the whole two cords. I figured we could use my splitter as a vise. The splitter was a wedge on ram design and can pinch the wood crosswise across the foot. It seem to work well. I am not sure how well this would work for wedge on beam splitters. Two of us, one afternoon, done.
Maybe useful
Maybe useful
mga
wandering
lol..have ya ever followed some of the threads on this in here? they can go one for pages and cause some heated arguments too.
how many pieces in a cord? how much does a cord weigh? how many cords per pick up truck? etc etc
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redheadwoodshed, see that's the problem, these guys stuck on the cord size don't seem to realize that a cord is 128 cubic feet, so if you cut the rounds to a different length it isn't going to be 4'x4'x8' but it's still going to be 128 cubic feet. My point I have been trying to make is that a cord is 128 cubic feet, the 4'x4'x8' is just one way of measuring it. Guess what so is 3'7'x6'x6' so is 2'x4'x16' xo is 1'x1'x128' and so on and so on. Now where's this deadhorse I got a fresh new stick and I'm gonna beat it?
Stove or Fireplace? Always a Difference
In general, I supply stovewood at 16" to 18" and no longer unless the customer tells me he has a big stove that can burn longer lengths (like my Federal Airtight 288). Fireplaces can usually always handle a 24" log. When a customer tells me (and I always ask) if they are burning wood in a fireplace, I look for the longer logs in the stack and supply those first. I decided years ago not to cut logs longer than 24" unless it's a special request. Heck, the maximum length I can easily split with the hydraulic is 25".
So, I can satisfy both possibilities. But, always find out in advance what the customer can handle and never supply a log longer than that. As a rule:
If you are a buyer, always tell the supplier what your longest log can be.
If you are a seller, never sell a bunch of short logs to a fireplace owner and never sell long logs to a woodstove owner.
In general, I supply stovewood at 16" to 18" and no longer unless the customer tells me he has a big stove that can burn longer lengths (like my Federal Airtight 288). Fireplaces can usually always handle a 24" log. When a customer tells me (and I always ask) if they are burning wood in a fireplace, I look for the longer logs in the stack and supply those first. I decided years ago not to cut logs longer than 24" unless it's a special request. Heck, the maximum length I can easily split with the hydraulic is 25".
So, I can satisfy both possibilities. But, always find out in advance what the customer can handle and never supply a log longer than that. As a rule:
If you are a buyer, always tell the supplier what your longest log can be.
If you are a seller, never sell a bunch of short logs to a fireplace owner and never sell long logs to a woodstove owner.
colin.p
ArboristSite Operative
Up here, no one sells wood by the cord, only face cord. Now two years ago, I got some wood from a distant relative of my wife's, who obviously had a much bigger stove than mine (actually, most people have a bigger stove than mine) and I swear every stick required me to cut it in half and/or split it. I can only get a small 18 inch stick in the stove, but 16 inches is optimal. However, I still had a full face cord left in the spring, after burning 9 face cords. Now, I get the sticks 15-17 inches and I run out in March (going to have to buy 12 or so for next winter). I can certainly see how buying a true 128 cubic foot cord cut on the long side would be a total PITA, but as a face cord, still a PITA but you get more wood.
cjnspecial
ArboristSite Guru
I've never heard a man complain about his wood being too long before. 
redheadwoodshed
Freebird
Yes I'm laughing,too.What I should have said is I never knew firewood was such a precision endeavor until I joined AS.I have follwed many of these threads and found some folks like to really over complicate matters.I'm sure just like any other business, firewood has it's share of crooks.I guess that's why some states feel the need to regulate it, heck I didn't even know that until I came here.Around these parts people that buy firewood generally know what to expect, and believe me, you and anybody else who will stand still long enough to listen, will hear about it if they don't get it.
That's why it's my policy(not the states, as far as I know they don't have one) to give a little more just to be on the safe side.I think that it's better for my bottom line in the long run.
I hope the OP and his supplier can come to terms.I hate to see my favorite endeavor besmurched by shady dealings.
As we all know,gathering, cutting, splitting,stacking,loading, hauling, delivering, that's all hard work, honest labor, a thing to take pride in.To me it's crazy to dishonor these things for money by trying to rip somebody off.
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