Firewood: To split, or not to split?

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The picture you mention, was when I first started a pile from a small area I was clearing....I have many, many times more than that just waiting for me. I took an updated picture just a few days later, and the piles have grown, and added two more (can't see one of them)....and this is just a fraction of what I have.

If you're gonna sell it, are you planning to deliver or have customers pick up? The reason I ask is if you are having people pick it up, there mitigates a lot of discussion if your nice, neat and split rows are marked as to what constitutes a cord.

 

[GManBart]

If you're gonna sell it, are you planning to deliver or have customers pick up? The reason I ask is if you are having people pick it up, there mitigates a lot of discussion if your nice, neat and split rows are marked as to what constitutes a cord.

I'm considering both. Around here it's common to see face cords set up along the side of the road with a cash box. It's funny, but I guess people are honest about it. Some folks go so far as to have half face cords, face cords, and full cords stacked and ready for people to load. I have a really good spot where I would be able to pre-stack many face cords right off a road with good traffic. It has plenty of room for people to pull in with trailers and not even have to back up to get out, so it would be really convenient.

I'm looking for a small dump truck (5-7yds) for a variety of projects and I would consider delivering in the local area, but I'm not sure how much demand there would be for it. The past few years I was stacking rounds and short logs in the same spot, and putting a "free wood" sign up and it rarely lasted more than a couple of hours. In many cases I was working on adding to the pile and people would stop, make sure it was okay, then run home to get a truck and/or trailer, so I think delivery won't be critical.

 

[clemsonfor]

We don't have anything to burn it in...no wood fireplace in the house or shop/barn.

didnt you say you will burn in the future?

 

[CobyRupert]

For myself 3.5"-4" is the cut off "zone" between split or not.
And even then, I'll throw 1/2 of the sticks this size in the pile without splitting. There's no law that says you have to be consistent.
Of the 1/2 that I'll split, I'll just open up the end with the wedge, so that it stays as 1 stick instead of splitting it into 2, just so air can get into the crack and it will dry, it does the job and quicker than splitting all the way through and having to handle 2 small pieces of wood (4 times more before it gets into the stove!). Really quick if you can stack 2 on the splitter at a time.

Now if your selling it: Nobody can stack a pile as tight as Mother Nature grew it. If you don't split it, it takes more of the tree to make a face cord than if you are splitting it (that is, your selling the air between all those split pieces)= more $; but you spent more time splitting and moving more pieces. You have to judge what is worth more.

 

[GManBart]

didnt you say you will burn in the future?

It's a possibility, but I sort of doubt it. I was considering putting a wood burner in the unheated part of my barn, but there are a number of issues with that as far as code and practicality. If it ever happens it would be several years away, and then only for infrequent use. I have enough trees that are either standing dead, or fallen, but ready to be limbed and bucked, that I couldn't begin to process it all in a couple of years.

 

[tcreeley]

Wood in my area always sells, whether it is green wood (not seasoned) or seasoned wood. Green wood sells for a bit less. Wood sells on the roads side or delivered. The key to road side sales is to stack it so that the buyer sees just what he is buying.

The last time I bought 16" length on the road side, it was sold as a cord and basically was 3 rows of 8'x4' wood.

Usually the wood I get is 18-22 inches long.

I used to buy tree length and 4' length. The tree length- advertised as 8 cords yielded 11 cords.

There is no need to split it. It will still sell.

Wood cut this winter or spring is always sold as seasoned wood in the fall - with the seasoned wood price.

Don't deliver- you'll have headaches.

Watch and help people load their trucks or they will grab a bit extra!

In the fall people get desperate to find wood.

The demand is great enough in my area that wood sells itself- or you can put an ad in the paper.

People drive by -see it and get to figuring how they will pay for it and get it to their house.

Don't waste time and money splitting. (Customer will split his own if he wants to- his problem, his concern.)

Enjoy!

 

[deezler]

Is this you?

Firewood

Really enjoying this thread, as I have similar ambitions (but apparently much less money, equipment and time, haha!).

 

[Scrambler82]

I am not sure if I posted this here or not, I didn't see it but consider posting an add in the local Blacksmith forums. Sections of trees are worth a little extra when you are selling Anvil Stands and finding longer than normal length full round stumps is getting harder to find. Some like 24" heights some longer to bury part in the ground so there is really no given length to pre cut, all depends on the blacksmith's height and arm length, maybe sell four foot lengths. If you give away four foot lengths to a blacksmiths in your area you will be able to count on them to help you out when and if you need a custom part made.

Post an ad on Craig's List, note anvil, blacksmith, stands, tools, etc.

Just thinking out loud, wish you were closer to me in SoCal I could use a good piece of oak tree stump.

 

[GManBart]

Wood in my area always sells, whether it is green wood (not seasoned) or seasoned wood. Green wood sells for a bit less. Wood sells on the roads side or delivered. The key to road side sales is to stack it so that the buyer sees just what he is buying.

The last time I bought 16" length on the road side, it was sold as a cord and basically was 3 rows of 8'x4' wood.

Usually the wood I get is 18-22 inches long.

I used to buy tree length and 4' length. The tree length- advertised as 8 cords yielded 11 cords.

There is no need to split it. It will still sell.

Wood cut this winter or spring is always sold as seasoned wood in the fall - with the seasoned wood price.

Don't deliver- you'll have headaches.

Watch and help people load their trucks or they will grab a bit extra!

In the fall people get desperate to find wood.

The demand is great enough in my area that wood sells itself- or you can put an ad in the paper.

People drive by -see it and get to figuring how they will pay for it and get it to their house.

Don't waste time and money splitting. (Customer will split his own if he wants to- his problem, his concern.)

Enjoy!

All good stuff there...thanks. I've been watching Craigslist ads for quite a while, and some folks do list unsplit wood, but pretty much everybody around here that sells on the roadside seems to split what they're selling. In addition to that, when I was giving wood away there were a bunch of folks that just wanted the smaller stuff because they said they didn't have a splitter, and the big stuff took longer to get claimed (still pretty fast). I know that's not a scientific survey, but is worth considering.

 

[GManBart]

Is this you?

Firewood

Really enjoying this thread, as I have similar ambitions (but apparently much less money, equipment and time, haha!).

Nope, that's not me...still haven't bought my splitter, but I have seen that ad, and liked the racks they built!

I agree...this is a very useful thread, and shows some regional differences I wouldn't have thought of.