# Ideal Firewood Size



## NELOG (Nov 10, 2005)

Hello,
I'm new to this forum, though I have watched it for some time. I am interested in starting a firewood business and was interested in what the experienced firewood producers consider to be the most practical, saleable dimensions for each individual bolt of cord wood. (i.e. the length as well as the width and height of the finished product.)
Also, do you concern yourself with moisture content of the wood you sell? 
Thank you very much.


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## WESCOMAN (Nov 11, 2005)

16" long about 3-1/2" to 4" tall. 20% or less moisture content. Seasoned wood or dry wood (20% or less) burns better and sells better. You also get more for the seasoned wood than green.


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## fishhuntcutwood (Nov 11, 2005)

It varies widely. I just helped a buddy load a cord the other day that he'd bought and it was basically just a maple that had been dismantled. There were nice, split pieces and spindly little limbs all in there, and it was wet. I wouldn't call it ideal. The most desireable cords are those that are dry and cut to 16" or so and split to 3"-6" or so. I don't sell firewood, but I'd just say be honest with what you're selling, and price it accordingly. Some people look to buy wet wood at a lower price with the intent of burning it next year, so offering wet wood isn't bad, as long as you advertise and price it as it really is.

Welcome to AS.

Jeff


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## Gypo Logger (Nov 11, 2005)

To save yourself headaches in measurement and to thwarft the "facecord" crowd, try to cut your wood to 15". This way everyone will get an exact 128 cubic feet stacked and 3 facecords if you must.
I could go into more detail on length, but you won't go wrong if you cut to 15" unless the customer wants 12" but that isn't very often.
Some customers ask for 12" expecting to get 16", because when they ask for 16", sometimes they get 18".
Since the firewood business is often repeat customers, ask them what is the max length they can handle once you drop off your first load of wood to them.
I was in the firewood business from 1988 - 1998 full time and I found dealing with the customer was a rewarding experience.
Good Luck in your endeavours.
John


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## WESCOMAN (Nov 11, 2005)

3 rows of 16" x 4 feet high and 8 feet long is a full cord. NON criss crossed of course.


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## treesurgeon (Dec 3, 2005)

WESCOMAN said:


> 3 rows of 16" x 4 feet high and 8 feet long is a full cord. NON criss crossed of course.


is it easier to just sell face cords rather than corded wood. out here, all wood is sold per face cord. no matter the length. all my wood is cut 16".


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## Schultzz (Dec 4, 2005)

*Firewood Cord Sizes*

Most states in the USA have laws for correct measures and amounts of wood sold. The terms face cord, truckload, etc. is unlawful if you advertise it as such. The State Bureau of Weights and Measures usually only enforces these laws if they receive a complaint. If you are in the firewood business to stay, (most aren't), then treating your customers fairly and using legal terms only serves to makes good business sense. Be honest with them and treat them right and they will recommend others for you. Most don't mind paying a little extra if they feel they got their money's worth. However, quality at a bargain is what they are looking for - IF you can provide it consistently you will do well. If you get greedy eventually you will fade away like the majority
of dealers have. Our company has been in business for 20 years. We sell kiln dried bundles of wood. This year we will sell over 600,000 bundles. Next year we'll sell over a million. Our wood products are guaranteed, and we have product liability, are approved by the USDA, and feel a moral responsibility to conduct ourselves and our business ethically. Schultzz


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## treesurgeon (Dec 5, 2005)

wouldn't splitting the wood slightly bigger be better because of the extended burn time. we split our wood mixed small and big. this way they could start the fire easier and let it burn long with bigger pieces.


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## Newfie (Dec 5, 2005)

treesurgeon said:


> wouldn't splitting the wood slightly bigger be better because of the extended burn time. we split our wood mixed small and big. this way they could start the fire easier and let it burn long with bigger pieces.



In my experience most people who buy firewood want smaller sized stuff, not bigger and not mixed. The guys that like the bigger stuff usually cut and split their own.


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## buckwheat (Dec 5, 2005)

> In my experience most people who buy firewood want smaller sized stuff, not bigger and not mixed. The guys that like the bigger stuff usually cut and split their own.



That's dead on. I've found most wood ticks go for the bigger stoves and use them as a primary source of heat in their homes; thus they go for bigger logs. The wood I cut for myself goes 20-22" to fit in my ol' Baker. Last night I was at a friends house where he was burning 30" logs!!! in his home made fireplace with a heat-a-lator set up - best I've ever seen.

Most Harry homeowners are looking at using wood to supplement so they can turn the furnace down a few degrees. They go for the smaller stoves where cutting to 15-16" is the best policy.


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## Gypo Logger (Dec 11, 2005)

Depending on your burning appliance, it's nice to have some green round bolts, not so much for any heat it affords, but for the longevity factor, like when you wake up or come back from work it's nice not to have to restart you fire. Creosote.. ya, ya, ya, just clean your pipes once in awhile.
Too dry of wood is fine if you can starve your appliance for air, but a few green wintercut clunkers works well.
Whatever gets you through the night.
John


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## ShoerFast (Dec 11, 2005)

Gypo
Have you ever tried water to re-stoke, it's called the Indian alarm clock, works every time for me, about 3:30 AM!
Selling firewood for the first year here in Colorado, it is so true what you had said about the business,,,
"I found dealing with the customer was a rewarding experience." 

And so very true about treating your customers right! Don't you just love it when they tell you how much more wood there is in your cord then the last guy they bought from!
Even as I'm near sold out for the year, I get calls from friends of people that I have sold to!

Dose anyone here sell under a branded name for there firewood? I'm just thinking that hooking the integrity to a name should help the next years sells?
Also thinking that as I cross that 100/per season mark, that I should hand out refrigerator magnets as a form of advertising?

This year, just a free ad on CraigsList got everything started! at: http://denver.craigslist.org/about/cities.html


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## Gypo Logger (Dec 11, 2005)

Hi Shoerfast, advertising is great. Your magnet idea is good, you may also want to try a calender with pictures of woodcutters or a wall hanging with that poem about different kinds of wood and how they burn, sorta like those oriental bamboo hanging things.
When I had my Brute splitter and conveyer I thought of having my company name and # welded into the push block so it would leave it's impression in the end grain.
John


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## turnkey4099 (Dec 11, 2005)

ShoerFast said:


> Gypo
> Have you ever tried water to re-stoke, it's called the Indian alarm clock, works every time for me, about 3:30 AM!



Just wait a few years and you won't need the water. Age does wonders for getting up in the night!

Harry K


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## BlackenedTimber (Dec 11, 2005)

*proper firewood size*

Howdy Everyone,

I am new to this bulletin board, but I have sold alot of firewood on the past few years, roughly 200 cords per year. 

I've found that communication with the buyer is the BEST way to go. If they are recreational burners (weekend warriors, as they are refered to here in the Catskills) They will probably only be burning the wood for aestetics, so 15-16" by 3-4" peices will work best for these customers. If your customer is burning to heat thier house, they will probably want larger diameter pieces, so that they dont have to stoke the stove so many times.

I cut cords from 14" long to 28" Long, and in diameters from 2" up to 12". Everyody is going to want something different, and rarely will you find that one size is perfect to cut for all customers. Remember that a cord is 128 cubic feet, so no matter what length you cut, you can still measure up your stack to make sure that you have got a full cord. 

I got alot of my wood from either Recreational Removals, or I used the tops from my selective forestry jobs. Obviously, If you can get your hand on standing dead timber, thats all the better.

I would split in the spring, and then sell in the fall, so that the wood had 4-6 months to sit and season. 

I also found it an excellent strategy to cut the logs I brought in into block-wood (rounds) and then pile it. It would season much faster than in log form, and could be split when the necessity arose. But, then, I had 28 acres set aside for storing logs...

I hope my info helps...


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## BlueRidgeMark (Dec 11, 2005)

ShoerFast said:


> And so very true about treating your customers right! Don't you just love it when they tell you how much more wood there is in your cord then the last guy they bought from!
> Even as I'm near sold out for the year, I get calls from friends of people that I have sold to![/url]



Right on. I'm sitting here with NO firewood because three different firewood sellers have not shown up when they promised. No show, no calls, and you can bet, no future business from me. I've chased one of them for two weeks, which is a lot more than I usually do. I figured if someone wants my business enough to advertise, it sort of follows that they want my business enough to deliver some product, but apparently I've been wrong about that!  

I know things happen, and plans fall apart, but phone calls are easy. Call me and tell me your truck broke down, you had an accident, whatever, and I'll understand.

No show and no call? 

No excuse.


And no more business!


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## Locoweed (Dec 11, 2005)

BlueRidge, there is a lot of that out here. Nobody seems to do what they say they will.


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## ozy365 (Dec 11, 2005)

Anybody selling to out door wood boiler customers? My boiler is fed in three foot lengths in up to 12" diameter. We use the wood from our tree business. Bigger diameter stuff gets split in 16" lengths. I will burn anything in my boiler (hardwood, hemlock, chipper leavings). Just wondering if any of you guys selling wood are tapping that market...... Sure eliminates our dump fees and heats two households with wood to spare.


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## Redbull (Dec 11, 2005)

ozy365 said:


> Anybody selling to out door wood boiler customers? My boiler is fed in three foot lengths in up to 12" diameter. We use the wood from our tree business. Bigger diameter stuff gets split in 16" lengths. I will burn anything in my boiler (hardwood, hemlock, chipper leavings). Just wondering if any of you guys selling wood are tapping that market...... Sure eliminates our dump fees and heats two households with wood to spare.



This is exactly how I would like to heat my house. Just can't afford the initial investment. 
As far as firewood size goes, mines anywhere from 16-24" because thats what my customers want.


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