Shorted delivery

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In my area a face cord is a third of a cord. If i decide to advertise firewood for sale this year my add will say sold by the face cord which is a third of a cord 42.66 cubic feet.
 
In my area a face cord is a third of a cord. If i decide to advertise firewood for sale this year my add will say sold by the face cord which is a third of a cord 42.66 cubic feet.
But a face cord is only two measurements. 4' x 8'. How thick it is is up to the vendor. It could be an inch or two thick and still by y'alls definition still qualify as a face cord.

The same kind of applies to those who sell by the truck load. The vendor could stop by with 3 splits of wood on the truck and call it a load. That's why actual terms like a third cord, half cord, and cord are necessary.

When I first started burning wood, I called a vendor who sold it by the truck load. When I asked how much wood by volume it was, he couldn't tell me. I did ask if there was more than a stick or two in the load. Now he is one of the few vendors in the area that actually sells it by the cord or a fraction of. The customers know what they're getting and he knows how much he's selling.
 
Dang, I was wrong! I just took a peek at the firewood vendors on Craigs List and the majority of them are now selling in increments. Cord, 3/4ths cord, half and third cords. Even those selling by the pickup truck load are saying if it is a little less than or a little more than a half cord. Some are even stating the cubic feet. I wonder if some of them are reading here on AS! Of all the adds I looked at, there was no mention of the term "Face Cord"
 
Progress is a wonderful thing. :D

The only way I'd sell by anything other than a cord in volume is if I was selling "your truck" loads, and then it would be a case by case basis by how ambitious they loaded their truck.

I've known of a couple guys who sold wood like that up by Duluth. "Come load your own for $150" They were happy and so were the buyers.

By the bundle will be a test next summer. I'm going to do an honor system rack and see if people in my area can be trusted.
 
A full cord is a 128 cubic feet my face cords are 42.66 cubic feet and the load in my pic is about 320 cubic feet. I deal with face cords because a lot of people i sell to that is what they want to buy at a time

Then explain to them that they are really buying 1/3 cord and tell them a "face cord" is a scammers way to deal.

Harry K
 
Progress is a wonderful thing. :D

The only way I'd sell by anything other than a cord in volume is if I was selling "your truck" loads, and then it would be a case by case basis by how ambitious they loaded their truck.

I've known of a couple guys who sold wood like that up by Duluth. "Come load your own for $150" They were happy and so were the buyers.

I'm sure the sellers were happy. Few people would be able to get more than 3/4 cord in a full size truck, more likely 1/2 cord. Good money considering they don't have to load, deliver or unload.
 
They sold out in a day.

When there's no wood left to buy cheap, do you stop heating your home?

I have a friend who's leasee hays his fields. He puts it up in storage until the auctions in late fall because he can get 25% more money for his crops that way.
 
Dang, I was wrong! I just took a peek at the firewood vendors on Craigs List and the majority of them are now selling in increments. Cord, 3/4ths cord, half and third cords. Even those selling by the pickup truck load are saying if it is a little less than or a little more than a half cord. Some are even stating the cubic feet. I wonder if some of them are reading here on AS! Of all the adds I looked at, there was no mention of the term "Face Cord"

Perhaps we _are_ making progress. Seems old ways die hard. Still can't get why he insists on dealing face cords when he admits his 'face cord' IS 1/3 of a cord.

Harry K
 
Still can't get why he insists on dealing face cords when he admits his 'face cord' IS 1/3 of a cord.

Harry K

Perhaps for the benefit of potential buyers who think they know what a face cord is but have no clue what a cord is. I suggest the add specify 1/3 cord (one face cord), 42.66 cu.ft.

It occurs to me that this could be considered a States Rights issue. If the citizens of a particular State or locality want to use a traditional unit of measure, what right does the government have to impose another?
 
Perhaps for the benefit of potential buyers who think they know what a face cord is but have no clue what a cord is. I suggest the add specify 1/3 cord (one face cord), 42.66 cu.ft.

It occurs to me that this could be considered a States Rights issue. If the citizens of a particular State or locality want to use a traditional unit of measure, what right does the government have to impose another?

It's like prohibition, annoying enough laws get ignored.

As can be seen, most states have a definition that is supposed to be followed, however, the most commonly used unit today (that I can determined via random craigslist ads) is "the load".

And "seasoned" means, yes, it was split sometime in the past before delivery. Might have been yesterday, last week, last month, last year..it is always called "seasoned". Sold by the load, split=seasoned.
 
Its a bit more work on my behalf, but the customer always see's exactly what their buying upon delivery. I sell these cords for 160 here in central pa. Not a business, just a way to make some extra money towards the holiday expenses.

 
That's a nice set up. I've been wondering how to package wood for easy delivery. Would you happen to have a shot of the skid?
 
Its a bit more work on my behalf, but the customer always see's exactly what their buying upon delivery. I sell these cords for 160 here in central pa. Not a business, just a way to make some extra money towards the holiday expenses.



Pretty looking package, and your right it will never be a business. I would be very nervous hauling that load on that trailer
 
Just for reference A full size 8 foot bed pickup truck that's loaded up high over the rails up to the cab is about half of a cord .anyone advertising they fit a cord in a standard passenger pickup truck is a liar it is physically impossible to do so
 
Just for reference A full size 8 foot bed pickup truck that's loaded up high over the rails up to the cab is about half of a cord .anyone advertising they fit a cord in a standard passenger pickup truck is a liar it is physically impossible to do so

Wrong: I just measure my F150 with cab high racks. 8' long by 5.5' wide by 3.5' high to top of cab = 154 cu ft. Even taking out some cubic footage for the whell wells it still comes to over a cord.

Without racks it should be fairly easy to load 3/4 cord.

Loading that much in a standard PU though would be grossly overweight for almost any species. I load it that way with well-cured Willow "thrown in" and call it 3/4 cord (back end of bed holds one rick stacked tight for a tailgate). Even with Willow it is a bit overloaded ;)

Harry K
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again, everyone around here sells wood by the facecord and I don't know anybody that has been to jail over it. There is no reason why you can't give the third measurement ( length of pieces) and really you would be stupid if you didn't ask anyway. Keep in mind that the world doesn't revolve around where you live it's a big world out there. Big places (guys with processors) around here usually only sell 16" splits and they sell by the face cord, they have dividers in the truck so they can make multiple small deliveries. Smaller guys sell either 12", 16" or 24" and some amish even sell in 48" lengths. I cut a load of 48" splits into 16" pieces for my niece last weekend, amish sell it cheap that length. She used to buy log length then had to cut it, then borrow my splitter to split it, now they just get the 48" stuff already split. I'm going to be selling at the end of my driveway by the trailer load with a price on the trailer load, take it or leave it. If they want to know how much wood it is then they can pay me, I'll deliver it and they can stack it and measure it to make themselves feel good or bad. If they don't like it then call someone else next time. Gravel around here is sold by the truckload, good luck figuring out how much you are going to get. No weigh scales in the local pits here. So can anyone provide a link from a police report showing someone that has been charged for selling by the facecord?
 
Just for reference A full size 8 foot bed pickup truck that's loaded up high over the rails up to the cab is about half of a cord .anyone advertising they fit a cord in a standard passenger pickup truck is a liar it is physically impossible to do so

My f250 bed is 8ft x 71" x 46" to top of racks. So figuring 8 x 6 x 4 is 192 I could fit 1.5 cords. I realize its an inch off side to side and I have to stack above the racks. And you lose a bit for wheel wells but its easy to fit a cord.
Just for reference A full size 8 foot bed pickup truck that's loaded up high over the rails up to the cab is about half of a cord .anyone advertising they fit a cord in a standard passenger pickup truck is a liar it is physically impossible to do so
 
The picture below was taken from this site:
http://www.bouldercounty.org/os/openspace/pages/forestrysales.aspx

cordfirewoodlg.jpg
 
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