Slim pickin's for firewood this year

[NDtreehugger]

Every year in July I go to the pile and its full of Elm, Ash, Oak, Poplar, Aspen, Apple, Plum, This year nothing but small limbs and chips.

I know I have my wood for 2 or 3 years but I never stop, when the gettings good theres no good time to quit..

Theres nothing in this pile

:censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored:

 

[woodbooga]

I get a bit of my supply from the dump's brush pile, too. Been about the same, but I take a lot of really small stuff most guys wouldn't bother with.

Lots of wood in central NH after a severe storm ripped through with funnel clouds, etc. A friend of mine had about 60 trees fall on and around their property down by Lake Winnipesaukee.

 

[stihl sawing]

As fuel prices go up the demand for firewood is going to be greater. More people will be using wood as a heat source. Less wood to be found.

 

[mga]

As fuel prices go up the demand for firewood is going to be greater. More people will be using wood as a heat source. Less wood to be found.

true....but.....when people find out how much work is involved....hauling, cutting, splitting, stacking, room to store the wood, then hauling logs inside to burn, cleaning ashes, finding places to dump ashes, chimney cleaning, etc etc....it loses it's appeal to many people.

if they try to buy would already processed, they might find that it's cheaper just to pay for natural gas.

also, add in the cost of buying a unit...if they don't have one, or even upgrading say an existing fireplace to something more efficient. once the cost of all that hits home, it turns most people off.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

true....but.....when people find out how much work is involved....hauling, cutting, splitting, stacking, room to store the wood, then hauling logs inside to burn, cleaning ashes, finding places to dump ashes, chimney cleaning, etc etc....it loses it's appeal to many people.

if they try to buy would already processed, they might find that it's cheaper just to pay for natural gas.

also, add in the cost of buying a unit...if they don't have one, or even upgrading say an existing fireplace to something more efficient. once the cost of all that hits home, it turns most people off.

I see your point. My GF thinks I am plumb nuts 'cause I cut and burn wood for heat. Her idea is " If you are cold just turn up the thermostat" ( works for her ! ). I stop by over there and it will be 85+ inside and 20 outside. They are in shorts or the door is open to cool it off and the thermostat is still set to "scorch". Then I get to hear about how tight her money is this month because the bills were so high. I'm not paying them and she hasn't taken any advice I offered so I just smile and add another chunk of wood to the stove.

One worry I don't have though, is not being able to pay my heating bill. I won't be setting in the cold if I forget to pay it or have to decide between groceries and heat this month.

My mom once told me about how, as a little girl, she was the first one up of a morning. As such it was her responcibility to light the morning fire in the cook stove and bring in a bucket of fresh water from the well. It was a way of life to heat and cook over a wood fire. Thinking back to being a small boy this must have been true. I remember helping to bring in the huge new propane tank at gramma's and the propane cookstove. The same one she had so much trouble getting used to the first year. The old cookstove was taken out to breezway first . then to the toolshed. It wasn't long after that we plumbed their house for running water. Grandpa didnt like the idea of taking a dump in the house and still made the dash to the outhouse in his 80's. "Inside bath-tub though..." was more to his liking.

My folks (80'ish) still don't run air conditioning and keep the t-stat set to 65 in the winter. Maybe 70, depending on the company that's coming. They are comfortable this way and do just fine. Wouldn't work for everybody though.

 

[NDtreehugger]

Yup,, Gran-ol-ma got butain just cuz

no one was there to keep the firewood up, we all pitched in for the underground tanks and line.

Only happened 1 time fuel line froze up we had it switched to propane.

Still had the wood burners in the house so the house next door Guy kept the wood up till the line was open,, hmmmmm thanks cuzzin.

Here we have propane, electric baseboard, and the best of all wood, we are working on getting a stove that will burn wood and coal but haven't found one I like.

I like air conditioning, summer we keep the house just under 80 deg. in the winter the temp bounces around but mostly in the 50s and 60s just before bed time we crank it up may get into the low 70s, just don't like the heat in the winter.:kilt:

 

[kodiakattack]

Ya you got to get it when you can!! I was on my way out and seen the town cutting down some ash so i turned around got the trailer and managed 2 good loads!!!

 

[husky455rancher]

they dont allow any wood over 2-3 inches at the dump here i wish they did. im like ndtreehugger im prolly set for 2-3 winters as of now but i keep goin. its not gettin easier to find that i know so i get it as often as i can.


i also agree that alot of the people who think ok ill just burn wood will quickly drop it when they see its a little more involved then calling a guy or pressing a button. i do love the ac in the summer though in the winter the house is heated 100% with wood and the temps usually in the lows 70s. i like to wear a t shirt lol. god knows how hot the wife keeps it while im at work lol.

 

[husky455rancher]

oh while i think of it am i the only guy that keeps his saws and chaps in the truck all the time? i keep mine in the space saver behind the seat. with my tinted windows you dont even know their in there.


you never know when you might stumble on a load

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I havent been out to the city's wood and brush dump here since June. They dont allow any to pile up, unless we are under a burn ban. They doze it up into a biig twisted pile of brish, logs and firewood. So unless you are there when it first gets dropped off it can get pretty bad trying to cut some of it out of their piles.

The freestuff is getting farther and fewer between in theses parts, too. The n'er-dewells around here are starting earlier then usual. I have lost at least 1 1/2 cord of good firewood to thieves so far. I'm pretty sure it wasnt a beaver. They left the wrong track next to where the pile stood. I guess I'll still leave wood service logs out there and see if they steal those too. Everything I process will get brought back home at the end of the day.

 

[motoroilmccall]

oh while i think of it am i the only guy that keeps his saws and chaps in the truck all the time? i keep mine in the space saver behind the seat. with my tinted windows you dont even know their in there.


you never know when you might stumble on a load

Nope, my 044 and 394XP are in the truck 24/7. Keep them locked in the Weathergaurd, along with my chaps, hardhat, files, scrench, a few spare bars and chains, full gas can, and a couple gallons of bar oil and 2-stroke mix. Comes in handy more often than I think. Be at a buddies house and he'll ask if I wanna take a tree down for him, or if I want one blown down on his property. I don't even need to make another trip!

 

[husky455rancher]

ok at least im not the only onelol. i actually keep all my chains in the truck some bar oil too. only thing is i dont take extra gas with me unless i know im gonna cut. i dont have a tool box and no way im keeping a gas can in the truck all the time.

 

[Zodiac45]

I too always have a saw and mix/bar oil in the truck. Too many times I've seen blowdown or needed to cut something out of the way. Even came in handy to getting unstuck in soft stuff. Never know what's round he bend. That said, I've had too range further afield lately for good loads. It's gonna get worse. Also have seen allot of loads going by on the road. I need to find and buy a good woodlot.

 

[CharlieG]

Storm blew through here the other night, knocking down firewood everwhere. Tree services should be busy, and will be looking to get rid of free firewood as the disposal fees are "sick". Free delivery, too .

 

[Buckethead]

I keep the saw(with 2 spare chains), gas can and bar oil in the truck all the time. I also usually have the ramps in there too...makes it easier to load.

We've been pretty lucky lately...in the past 2 weeks we picked up 3 cord of Maple and about half a cord of Elm.

We've got 13-15 cord cut, split, and drying for this year (2 of us will share it). Then there is 4 cord of oak that's split and drying with about another 8+ cord of Oak to be split..all of that will be for next winter.

 

[hornett224]

oh no!

As fuel prices go up the demand for firewood is going to be greater. More people will be using wood as a heat source. Less wood to be found.

poor AlGore!

 

[Outdoorsman]

Where I'm at there are thousands of dead & dieing Ash trees, great firewood, but sorry to see them all die.

Asian bug called the Emerald Ash Borer, they are a curse.

Give it another 5 years and a large healthy Ash will be as common as a large and healthy Elm.

Strange how the advertised cost of wood is going up though instead of down with this flood of supply of prime trees...........

I'm thinking about selling some of the wood I've got on hand.