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What is the deal with tree service wood, Free?

Al Smith

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It was maybe 10 years ago now I let one of the trimmers drop off rounds .The idea he was to split and stack and sell it in a timely manner .He sold some in dump truck lots to those with outside burners and that was it .Since of course the maple, red oak ,cherry, hickory etc have all rotted leaving just the white oak and ash .If I'm lucky I'll have it cleaned up in another two years . That's not going to happen again . Oh BTW white oak and ash can take a lot of weather before they degrade much .
 

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This year I collected a bunch of wood from two tree service companies. They allowed me to buck cut it to length onsite. I also kept the short chunks and cookies that were everywhere. All of them were burned with the split logs. I've learned that short chunks are loved by my stove and LOML loves to drop them in like dessert.

Seems like the stove actually burns hotter with the small chunks ans cookies on board, but that could be my imagination. I saved a few "holey" trash cans for storage and drying. Where there's a will there's a way.
 

Al Smith

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I'm burning some half rotted stuff right now .It was my fault plus the fact I didn't realize how cold is going to get this winter . I may come up a little short with a month to go and do not look forward to going to the woods to fetch some more .
 

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If you are asking for free wood you should be willing to take the good with the bad. I have the same opinion about wood chips. I like to call or text a pic of the load before I leave the job just to make sure they want it. If you are buying logs that is a different story.


I am not going to load just the nice wood and drop at your house then go back and get the chunks and crotches. If it all could fit on one load.

But I do realize that some people are just dicks and will dump garbage for people.
 

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If you are asking for free wood you should be willing to take the good with the bad. I have the same opinion about wood chips. I like to call or text a pic of the load before I leave the job just to make sure they want it. If you are buying logs that is a different story.


I am not going to load just the nice wood and drop at your house then go back and get the chunks and crotches. If it all could fit on one load.

But I do realize that some people are just dicks and will dump garbage for people.
I wish we lived in the same town/county/state/country/continent under identical circumstances and conditions.
I'd spread any wood chips on my fields which would reduce creation of mud and when it comes to firewood I burn everything.
Knots and gnarly stuff is welcome as well as oddball lenghts and large pieces.

'Chunks' = more knots, grain, resin, etc.?
(no idea on the cookies)

Philbert
I'd think it means knotty, crotches, twisted stuff - anything that is not straight.
P.S.: Also, log butts, flush cut stumps!
 

Philbert

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'Chunks' = more knots, grain, resin, etc.?

I'd think it means knotty, crotches, twisted stuff - anything that is not straight.
P.S.: Also, log butts, flush cut stumps!

Was just speculating that some of this stuff is not pretty, or as uniform as cut rounds, but might actually burn better due to the additional rings, resin, knots, etc.

Philbert
 

Wilhelm

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Seasoned turkey oak knots are so dense they technically don't burn, they coal and do so for an extended period of time.
I prefer gnarly knotty firewood for our cast iron fireplace, makes for really long burns. :)
 

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More surface area per mass?
That's a good point. They also dry very fast because of that and the short length. I recall guys saying here that unsplit pin oak branch logs almost never dry because the tight bark traps the moisture. But, when cut to really short lengths (chunks or cookies), it will dry much faster and burn like gangbusters.
 

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Only 'problems' I have with 'uglies' are: 1) they don't stack well, and 2) they can be harder to fit into my small wood stove insert. Other than that, I have no problem burning knots, crotches, stumps, burls, . . .

Philbert
 

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I wish I could find someone to take the firewood. I can deal with the brush, but I have a hell of a time getting rid of firewood, even nice white oak in 12’ log
Length.

Around me you would have a line of people that would be fighting to take it. Would be gone within a few hours once the word was put out. This year in particular anything 3" and bigger people are fighting for, havent seen it like this before.
 

Wood Doctor

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Around me you would have a line of people that would be fighting to take it. Would be gone within a few hours once the word was put out. This year in particular anything 3" and bigger people are fighting for, haven't seen it like this before.
February this year was 25% colder than January. In 2020 it was just about the reverse. Couple that with tons of snow and ice, and suddenly firewood gets scarce. The tree service companies have been all but shut down around here. I actually had a steady customer apologize to me for not ordering more last fall when I had lots of wood in stock for her to buy. She said, "We learned our lesson."
 
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