FREE FIREWOOD......What kind?

[oneoldbanjo]

Here is a post in the Cincinnati area Craigs List for Firewood or mulch. I will post the link - and also copy the text so the thread doesn't become meaningless when the listing expires or is pulled:

Free Uncut Fire Wood of an unspecified type and Wood Chips

Here is the listing.....verbatim:

Do you want uncut firewood of an unspecified type and/or wood chips delivered to your home? The wood of an unspecified type that we deliver is from jobs we do when we are working in your neighborhood. It is often large diameter wood of an unspecified type loaded with a Bobcat, Dingo or crane onto our flatbed truck. I want to be clear in saying that we do not deliver split firewood of an unspecified type. And we only dump to people who are capable of cutting, and moving large diameter wood of an unspecified type without assistance. Sometimes the wood of an unspecified type is small and medium, but we don't want you to have preference of size or type of wood. We don't guarantee what size you're going to get or what type of wood you will get. We do not want to be in the firewood business and so give all of the wood of an unspecified type away from the trees we cut down. I need you to please follow the directions below: Send us a letter to: Gregory Forrest Lester, P.O. Box 37613, Cincinnati, OH 45222. Include your name and address in the return address corner of the envelope. We need your name, as many phone numbers to reach you as possible, the dump site address, zip code, suburb, nearest cross street, and please describe where the wood of an unspecified type should be dumped on your property in the letter. We need access of at least 9 feet wide to fit our truck in. If you want wood chips, or both uncut firewood of an unspecified type and wood chips, please let us know in your letter and on the outside of the envelope just above the mailing address. Do not specify what type of wood. We deliver uncut firewood of an unspecified type and wood chips to over 200 homeowners, farmers, churches, schools and people in the business of selling firewood of an unspecified type, etc. Obviously the wood of an unspecified type is used for firewood of an unspecified type, and the wood chips are used for landscaping beds, for trails in the woods, for filling in a hole, play areas, gardening, etc. We do not accept telephone calls about our free uncut firewood of an unspecified type or wood chips. I apologize having to write with such redundancy. I'm only trying to make it easy on us and you. The service is 100% free. However, we do accept small donations from those who are very happy with our service.

 

[STLfirewood]

I wonder what kind of wood he is delivering?

Scott

 

[Mike Williams]

I wonder what kind of wood he is delivering?

Scott

Premium wood of unspecifed type of course :laughn:

No telling what you would end up with.

 

[Encore]

If he doesn't want to tell you what kind it is, I'd probably shy away from it or else you might end up with a bunch of pine.

 

[ks_osage_orange]

Might be a great deal for someone with an OWB and plenty of acreage. Even if it is pine or other undesirable wood. Probably would get a wide variety of species depending on what they are cutting that day. Sounds like the company just wants to bring whatever they have without the people they are bringing FREE wood to complaining about getting free wood. Good for the company (free place to get rid of their "trash" good for someone needing wood....for FREE delivered to your place.

 

[Guido Salvage]

The ad is worded to be unspecific so they have the option of bringing you any type of wood they may end up cutting. Depending on the day and job it might be good firewood or it could be trash. If you have an area to store it, let them drop it off and then sort through it.

This is the type of deal where being a bit tolerant will probably allow you to get some good stuff. Just don't expect every load to be seasoned oak.

 

[audible fart]

As tempting as it might be, I would avoid it. The disgust you'd feel when you walked out your door and saw 5,000lbs of half rotten pine would be just like going on a blind date and the chick weighs 350lbs and has a serious problem wiping properly.

 

[sefh3]

If you have a OWB and some property this would be good. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad and have some time to go through the stuff. Not a bad deal if your in the area.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I am probably outside of his delivery area - I just thought it was pretty funny how many times he had to explain that he can't guarantee what size or type of wood he was bringing.

 

[sefh3]

OH I'm with you but I understand why he does it. Now if you are expecting a ton of wood and it shows up all pine, what would your reaction be? Most people would be upset because they can't burn it in their stoves unless it's an OWB and will have to dispose of it at their expense. People don't understand simple terms at times and you need to keep reminding them what them might be getting.

 

[thejdman04]

I used to have a few landscape/tree companies that would drop off free wood. It worked out great. Usually they would throw the logs on top of their load of chips, if you got real lucky they would just bring a load of logs. If you are setup for it, it is a really slick deal. I have quite a bit of space and a rather large burn pile. I would have them dump in front of the burn pile. I always told them to keep the wood as long as possible (no real short pieces if possible. Comb through the pile of "stuff" with the grapple, grab what wood was good/that I wanted and push the rest of the stuff up on the burn pile. If they dropped off a bunch of short pieces most of it got lost in the mess, but oh well. Only takes a few minutes to sort through a 5 yard box full esp if they put the logs on last even if they put it on top of a load of chips. If the whole load is junk/rotten push it up on the burn pile and let it burn. Chips don't burn all that well but if you got room and no neighbors to smoke out and complain let them smolder. There were times in the summer that I constantly had wood laying around from tree companies, sometimes I thought my burn pile was the eternal flame. Most of the companies I was getting wood from have gone into the firewood business themselves, or gone out of business. If you have a skid steer and a grapple and a little room it actually works out pretty well.

 

[Nuzzy]

Personally, I would love it. Hard woods would go to the firewood pile and any "crappy" wood would head straight for the bonfire pit. Win-win!

 

[JeffHK454]

I have a friend that has used this very add here in Cincy to get lots of good wood dropped at his door step. If you have the area to have unknown amounts of wood dropped off then this is one heck of a deal.. the crappiest stuff he received was a bunch of Pine and a monster Cottonwood...

Also be prepared to deal 10'-14' lengths on occasion...

The small donations thing is for the tree service guys doing the unloading..$20 buys these guy lunch or what-have-u.

He's had several different commercial and residential companies show up and he's never got rotten junk or anything under 6" in dia.

 

[beerman6]

Most people would be upset because they can't burn it in their stoves unless it's an OWB

:monkey: Dont tell the people out west they cant burn pine.They might freeze to death!

I would be all over this offer.

 

[Streblerm]

Personally, I would gladly take any wood that showed up free near my woodpile. Hard or softwood.

I like to perpetuate the rumor that you can't burn pine in a woodstove indoors, it means more free wood for me.

 

[Mike PA]

If you need wood, this is a great offer, regardless of how crappy the wood is. Free is free and it all burns, even in indoor stoves.

I'm sure he gets complaints about the type of wood, so he is very explicit in saying you get what you get. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[1grnlwn]

I would call him. I'm sure a little give and take with him would put you in favor with him. Getting the better product when the situation allows. I have gotten craigsist free wood twice, both situations were great. It's funny though one guy said he wasn't sure what kind of wood it was and it had to be gone today. It was one of those Sundays where you get up at 4:30 AM and I was the first responder on e-mail. When we showed up he had about a 20 ft trailer full. He helped us load it and we stacked some of his limbs on top to burn on scrap pile at home. He said he called me because I was first responder. The funny thing was the e-mails he got from angry (firewood pro's probably) telling him if he is so stupid to not know what kind of wood it was, he would never get rid of it. Another said he was crazy to think someone could come get it that day. We had a laugh together. I guess the guy who said beggars can't be choosers never met a firewood processor!

 

[wampum]

Sounds like a good honest ad.It is unknown wood because they have not done the job yet,possibly do not even have it booked. They are just looking for places to dump the wood,so they do not have to haul it a long distance. Yep could be some pine in there,but probably there is also a lot of good hard wood. Look around your neighborhood,if you have lots of hard wood and some pine that will probably be the ratio you will get.Its a chance,but being free it might be worth taking. You can always save the pine for outdoor recreational fires in the summer.

 

[1grnlwn]

Heck I'm new to the wood scrounging business, 2nd year with OWB. But first year I had a "friend" that was cutting down two huge cottonwood trees " I know-I know" but I didn't know then. I brought a whole bobcat trailer load of that stuff home . I ended up just loading it on my burn pile one piece at a time till it was gone.

 

[Mike PA]

I don't get it. Why bring all that cottonwood home, only to burn it in a pile? Even if it sucks for wood, it still burns. Use it in off-peak season to save better wood.