Where to buy firewood

sandmaneo

New Member
Nov 21, 2010
5
0
Little Egg Harbor
Hello,

Just moved to the Tuckerton area and have a wood burning stove. I was wondering if anyone knew a good place to buy firewood? Good seasoned firewood at a fair price..

Thank you for your help.
 

gipsie

Explorer
Sep 14, 2008
548
67
56
atlantic county
There are a lot of places with firewood signs on Stage Road. When I camp there, I get it from a house just before the RV campground on the same side of the road. $10 a stack and it lasts a night or two. Just take a ride out stage road and keep your eyes open for the firewood signs.
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Hello,

Just moved to the Tuckerton area and have a wood burning stove. I was wondering if anyone knew a good place to buy firewood? Good seasoned firewood at a fair price..

Thank you for your help.

For the future, the state runs the Homeowner Firewood Program at $20/cord, Bass River is included. It may be too late but it's worth a call; details at the link. For a more immediate need, check the classifieds in your local paper. From the ads I've seen, a cord is running around $120 seasoned, delivered and stacked.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/forest/njfs_firewood_prog.html#firewood
 

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,842
3,020
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
I cut wood on my own land because it's good exercise and is very satisfying. I also see ads like that and wonder if their definition of a cord is the same as mine - 4'x8'x4' (128 cubic feet). That's a lot of firewood; about half of what it takes to heat my home for the whole winter.

I don't understand how anybody can make money selling it for $120 when you consider the time and effort to cut, split, haul and stack. Maybe someone has insights into the economics of firewood?
 

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,842
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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Wow. Just think how many acres you could clear-cut with one of those. Sort of doubt those are the guys putting the ads into your local paper. Even so, what do you think it costs to purchase/operate/maintain one of those? And you still need to get the trees to it, move the split wood somewhere, let it dry, deliver it. Still a lot of man-hours and fuel.

I'd be willing to bet you will get something less than a full cord for $120, and maybe it won't be so pretty. How much profit could there possibly be on a cord? $50 seems like a stretch to me. So if you sell 100 cords you make $5,000. There are better ways to make that kind of money. :)
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Wow. Just think how many acres you could clear-cut with one of those. Sort of doubt those are the guys putting the ads into your local paper. Even so, what do you think it costs to purchase/operate/maintain one of those? And you still need to get the trees to it, move the split wood somewhere, let it dry, deliver it. Still a lot of man-hours and fuel.

I'd be willing to bet you will get something less than a full cord for $120, and maybe it won't be so pretty. How much profit could there possibly be on a cord? $50 seems like a stretch to me. So if you sell 100 cords you make $5,000. There are better ways to make that kind of money. :)

The last time I bought a cord I paid $110, all oak, seasoned and stacked. It was measured before I paid for it. Anyone that doesn't do that is a very trusting soul. Firewood sales come under the states dept of weights & measures, see the link. The fellow I bought from also ran a tree service, they get suitable wood from the jobs they do, customers pay to have it hauled away, so they are making money in all directions.

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/weights/tips.htm
 

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,842
3,020
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Well I suppose that makes sense. Would still be interesting to know the details. The family of my daughter's best friend ran a tree service in upstate NY years ago. It was really difficult, dangerous work. They did OK for themselves but certainly weren't "making money in all directions". :)
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Well I suppose that makes sense. Would still be interesting to know the details. The family of my daughter's best friend ran a tree service in upstate NY years ago. It was really difficult, dangerous work. They did OK for themselves but certainly weren't "making money in all directions". :)

Isn't that the truth. I had to have someone take down 14 red pine that were too close to our cabin for my peace of mind. One old-timer did the work and charged what one tree would cost down here. He also cut and stacked all that he cut. If it weren't for the winters I'd be living there today.

I just finished splitting about a qtr cord of apple. Even with my handy dandy electric splitter from Harbor Freight its a chore, but the weathers perfect for it, especially with that big storm on the horizon.
 

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
The last time I bought a cord I paid $110, all oak, seasoned and stacked. It was measured before I paid for it. Anyone that doesn't do that is a very trusting soul. Firewood sales come under the states dept of weights & measures, see the link. The fellow I bought from also ran a tree service, they get suitable wood from the jobs they do, customers pay to have it hauled away, so they are making money in all directions.

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/weights/tips.htm

There's cords, and there's face cords, is my understanding. A cord is 4' wide, face cord is 2' wide. The stuff they deliver to residences is almost always a face cord.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewood

Wiki says that a face cord is 16" deep. Another site said it varies with the cutter. I always thought it was 24".
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
There's cords, and there's face cords, is my understanding. A cord is 4' wide, face cord is 2' wide. The stuff they deliver to residences is almost always a face cord.

From the weights and measures site;

"2. It is unlawful for a seller of firewood to advertise or sell firewood by terms such as "face cord," "rack," "pile," "truckload," etc."

Sure it's done, but the buyer is probably paying too much.
 

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,893
1,036
A friend of mine bought a "chord" of wood and when it was delivered he thought he was shorted. He called Weights and Measures, they came out and made the seller provide a full chord.
 

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
From the weights and measures site;

"2. It is unlawful for a seller of firewood to advertise or sell firewood by terms such as "face cord," "rack," "pile," "truckload," etc."

Sure it's done, but the buyer is probably paying too much.

Well, my first exposure to the difference between a face and a full cord was like 40 years ago, and I thought it was a common practice at that time.
 
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