Hello . I work in firewood industry around 2 years in Sweden. After pres/split wood moves with conveyor to steel gaskets (same as you have )1cub.m. Wood allways clean , drying fast coz ari circulates from all sides . Easy to move/flip/count and stack up to 4 floors by tractor . In our nordic climat you have to be very effective with drying , because we have only few dry and warm weeks in a year. WIsh you all the best with your buisness i love and respect all ppl who do honest work!
Wood doesnt dry below the freezing..... And i dry forewood in my garage without wind.... You need HEAT. The higher the heat, the fadte the evaporation. With heat, moisture rises out of the woodshed. But you cabt dry wood at freezing temps, leave it as long as you want, it won't happen
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Yep,borrowed my son-in-law's truck for wood...last block of the last load,a block slid a few inches and bearly touch the very bottom of the rear window. Shattering it in a million pieces!! 🤷
The future you said in a video, 5 things I'd do different, stack wood so you know how much you are delivering. You mentioned there is too many gaps in a thrown pile to be consistent. Also, you would've got a dump trailer much earlier. That definitely reduces touches and time! Love your channel, brother.
Being that I burn wood to supplement heat in my house, I stack mine. The important thing is the wood being off the ground. If stacked or left in a pile, the pieces on the ground will never dry. In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the drying season is short. Air, sun, and wind; dry wood. Moving wood in the winter to where the boiler is, is a lot easier in winter if stacked. Having access to the wood in deep snow is easier when stacked than digging through a pile covered in two feet of snow that is frozen to the ground and the frozen together. A pile may dry faster in an arid climate, but in other places, stacking works. It is an art no doubt, stacking wood tight to stacking it loose for air flow. Tighter allows more wood in an area, stacking loose allows less wood. And then, to cover or not to cover? I use 6 mil sheeting just on the top of a rack. Easy to push the snow off of the stack as the snow slides off easy. Keep warm, keep burning!
Your not selling bulk firewood, your suppose to keep your firewood in order for your convenience, as a firewood supplier I’m producing quantities and stacking firewood isn’t feasible…that’s you and every homeowner burner’s job.
Great information. Back in 1996 during Fran I collected 3 cords of wood from all the trees that fell over. I did not have a fireplace or a woodstove, I just saw a great deal, for free of firewood. The next year I bought a woodstove in November (1997), BlackBart2; which I still have, and have continued to use ever since! I even moved and carried my woodstove with me. I usually buy 2 cords of wood a year and buy early to give the wood about 6 additional months to dry out more. My stove is running right now 😀: outside it is 41 F - inside is 82. I like firewood. What can I say. I Live in Raleigh NC.
We do over 100 full cord a yr an stack it all because it’s faster for us than piling it . Conveyor drops it into a dump trailer an we stack from the dump trailer onto half cord movable pallets so instead of chucking wood into the bin an then chucking it back into the truck at delivery time we just stack it onto our pallets and instead chucking into the truck we just dump the half cord pallet into the trailer an grab another pallet . By my math that’s one less touch an twice as fast . Having a miles of flat ground an fields gives ya plenty of wind an sun up here in Maine it’s hills an trees an wood piled up like that would get very moldy unless it was like you out in open fields . We all do what works best for our situation .
had an old guy that had been burning wood for a few decades tell us the difference in stacking vs piling is nothing in volume. ive stacked a truck bed vs piling and i could not tell a difference. im glad to hear this being reinforced from another reliable source. ill continue to not stack. thanks.
No, it does not have to be stacked, loose wood takes up 25% more volume for the same amount of wood. If you put a full cord into a trailer hundreds of times you will learn that it is always the same amount each time as far as volume (level) in the trailer. That is what I learned the hard way...to much extra work.
I split a half full cord for a neighbour, She wanted it split small for the fireplace. So I split it all small and stacked it to show her it was a full half cord. I threw it into my 8 foot pick up box and I could hardly get the half cord in without it falling off the sides. For myself, I know I can get about 3/4 of a full cord in my truck if I stack it. If its just thrown in, its about 1/3 of a cord. I've proved that by stacking it to measure it after I get it home.
You're full of bs, bro. There's a massive difference. I haven't used my furnace in 12 years. In fact, I don't even know if it works! I process almost 4 cords a year and have been doing so for almost 17 years. I don't know how you stack, but I'll bet my entire property deed. You're dead wrong... There's a massive difference!
@@cw6136 ok, from someone thats hauled dump truck loads of fire wood the difference is so minimal its way not worth the headache and, youd have to puzzle piece it in like a tessellation, so yea you can waste all that time for 10 extra sticks of fire wood per chord. idk what your idea of "massive" is but my time savings is way more "massive" and ill put both of my property deeds on that!
Growing up, our father processed wood from our woodlot for extra family income over the Winter months. Dad downed the trees and cut it. We stacked the split wood into cords to measure in the woods. We threw it in the dump truck. We went with Dad to deliver the load of wood to customers. We frequently had requests to stack it at the delivery site. Some customers just wanted the convenience of having the wood stacked ...and some customers wanted the wood stacked to make sure they were getting a full cord, face cord, etc. for the $$$. So much work!
Because of your video I now understand why the price of wood cost as much as it does I did not realize the labor that goes into what you do for a living. Great video and it was also educational for me. I will never complain again about the price of a load of wood.
I totally agree with you about making piles instead of stacking, Chris. I've enjoyed seeing how you've evolved your operation in the past few years. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
The reason wood is sold in cords or ricks is so there a standard to go buy. To many sellers sell you a pile or bin of wood and cheat you on the amount you are getting.
If you did some research you would find that what people call different measurements of wood varies a lot around the world and region. Bush cords, ranks, face cords, rows, riks, cubic meters are common around the USA Canada and the rest of the world. ....1/3 of a cord is the same as a rik, facecord and rank. A bush cord is the same as a full cord. The vast majority of the world does not use cords at all. You are free to use what you want as long as your customers know what the are getting.
@@InTheWoodyard In Europe we also differenciate between a cubic meter of stacked wood, or a cubic meter of loose wood (like you have, just thrown on a pile). It's a significant difference, obviously. And you'll always find someone making use of buyer's inexperience, selling them a cubic meter of loose wood for the price of a cubic meter of stacked wood...
Yes great point got so bad at Tahoe w and m have people checking trying to take advantage of seniors and shorting tem I use to deliver full cord stacked in back of pu
Good evening Chris, Couldn't agree more about stacking. I've just done a moisture test on some mixed hardwood that's in a loose bin and not one piece I tested was above 15%. Dry and ready to burn.!!👍
Customer service will always be the way to get and keep customers. I think its unique how you can keep up with all your inventory and especially how you move so much. Keep chucking!
I am in PA and here it's based on cords. I bought 1.5 cords this year. I made a wood crib 11x4x3 that fits exactly a cord, then I use old skids to hold a stacked pile about 5x3x4 or about a half cord. Helps me to know where I stand all winter. I always have a half cord left over from the previous winter that I know is well seasoned
You live in coal country. Why aren't you using anthracite? Cleaner burning than wood, does not attract critters, such as spiders, snakes and rodents plus it doesn't absorb water and contains more BTUs.
@@InTheWoodyard - - Broke the front window on my box topper thing about three years ago stacking wood into the box of my 8-foot bed Silverado (piece of crap truck - don't ever buy one). I never replaced the window. Oddly enough, it seems to stay dry. By the way, here in lower Michigan a face cord is 18" logs stacked 4'x8' so I can get a whole face cord in the back of my 8-foot truck if I stack it when I pick it up at my source. He charges me $45 for one face cord but I have to go get it. Is that a lot? You didn't say what you charge for firewood delivered. Cheers and thanks for the info. I stack my wood next to the house on pallets and cover with a tarp to keep rain and snow off it. Seems to be OK.
@@q7winq7 If you can go get a face cord for $45, respectfully, you're seller is a sucker! Should be double that, and nobody's making much even at that price. As for a face cord being 4x8x18inches, that doesn't make sense. It's 16 inches. Seems to me that if people in your area do that, somebody screwed up eons ago, nobody caught onto it and people kept copying it, lol. 4x8x16inches is exactly one face cord, one-third of 1 cord. Cheers!
@@mydogdidit - - - - First, my supplier isn't selling firewood as a business, so who cares if he just wanted to get rid of it. Second, I'm sure he didn't give a fig if the wood is 16" or 18." Third, I'm sure he doesn't give a fig how big a face cord is. His sign said "this wood for sale for $45." Respectfully, if you're selling wood for a living, maybe try another career. The best way to fight inflation is not to pay high prices for ANYTHING. @$90 a face cord, heating is cheaper burning propane. God bless suckers for helping control inflation. Cheers.
I have an Appalachian stove with a fan. On a 28°F day it will keep a 2800 sq. ft. house 82°F. I use about 2-3 cords/year. I burn ash, oak, red oak, or hard maple. I season my wood well as you recommend. Thanks for all the tips and keep on choppin!
Great video. I do just my home firewood for heating and I hate it, cant imagine doing that much!! I do touch my wood WAY too many times. After watching this, I may just make a bin like yours up by my log pile and just pile it in there to keep it off of the ground until its moved to the woodshed which holds close to 2 seasons of wood so has plenty of time to finish drying before its burned!
Hey guys i read lot comments on the wood unstacked, some i agree on some i dont agree on. Wet wood don't burn worth crap in wood burner, Sounds like hissing cockroach, i pulled some my wood out back rack and must got damp with rain and wind blowing through pallets stood up locked together and roof is made of pallets with shingles on top covering it. Front is covered with 2- tarps side by side across with bungee cords for wind flex, i work my wood every day, So i can heat my house it's better than High gas bill
Thanks chris im startng building my bins,i watched for a year and made sure it dryed and didn't mold,and i love how they look, i hate stacking so im moving towards this
So I got a good laugh. Right after you said you don't stack wood, we get a tour and there is a bunch of stacked wood in totes. Lol. I agree with the piles though. As always great video.
Here in Maine it was always cords usually several. "Full cord" is used only to stress to the seller that we do indeed want FULL cords this time! And those sellers are often given a nickname, "Short Cord Jones" or whoever. Less often half cords and rarely 1/4 cords are bought and sold. In recent years some people are starting to say face cord/third cord, maybe because that amount fits somewhat into a UBC tote. I'm good at math so I don't care what quantities are used as long as I get full measure. By the way, I've been storing my firewood in pallet bins the last 2-3 years.
I started a small wood business mainly selling to locals in my community. I must say I be learned soooo much from your channel. My son hears your voice and says “Is that the wood guy?” Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Appreciate you!! 🪵
We go through about four cords a year here. Our woodshed barely holds four cords, so I have built an enclosed bay next to the door that holds another cord, and there's a porch we can use for an additional cord if we end up with a surplus. Stacking here is a necessity, not an option, and it has to be done systematically if we want to access dry seasoned wood throughout the year. In the first few years here, our firewood mostly came off the property. Previous owner had been one of those types who does half a job abd then moves on to the next, so we had a lot of felled trees that needed to be bucked and cleared off the ground and dried out. That plus windfall did well enough until the place was cleaned up. Now we buy in about three seasoned cords a year, and the rest comes off the land from windfall and road maintenance, needing one to two years of seasoning in this wet climate. It's dumped into two separate piles in the sun during the dry summer months, then the green wood has to be split and stacked at the back of the woodshed. If the back of the woodshed isn't exposed, the green wood has to stand out over the winter. Thst requires no extra work except for tarping it over. Owing to the steep terrain, firewood has to be moved by wheelbarrow from the dump pile to the woodshed. It takes about a week to move one cord, so the extra effort of stacking is not really significant for us, and it lets us keep the species, age, and sizes well sorted. All of this is to say, what works best depends very much on your situation.
@@InTheWoodyard Thank you. We always have to work with what we've got. My brother built a conveyor to deliver cordwood at his place, but his whole place is a giant works yard, so the conveyor fits right in. But it's not the style for everyone.
For you, in your location and climate that certainly makes sense. It is much wetter and colder where I live in Canada and so I stack it on pallets and cover it with tin or tarps. For my offcuts from carpentry work, I use feed sacks to fill with offcuts. Too many small pieces to deal with otherwise. Less touches is certainly the key
I used to not stack, I'd just pile into big cones but straight onto the ground. Seemed to cost me more wood that I figured at the time. Now I split straight into IBC totes. I was stacking into them until I got a big enough number of totes to just let it pile into them. Mostly burning myself. For the sell of wood, I just dump 4 totes ad a full cord into my trailer out of the totes instead of 3 stacked. I know I'm letting more wood go than if it's stacked, but I'd rather process wood then stack wood. I like the cutting and splitting and not so much the stacking. As for me I just bring a couple totes to the house and use straight out of the tote to heat with.
You have the perfect conditions for piles, sun from morning to night and plenty of wind. My first time getting wood delivered I got muddy bottom of the pile wood, I was not a happy customer and actually texted him to take it back and that’s when I started cutting and splitting my own wood now I have total control over my wood.
Thing is if you have to buy the wood you might as well just buy gas or oil or wood pellets, wood pellets are under half the cost of buying split and cut fire wood 🤷♂️ and you don’t have to handle the stuff 10 times
@@chrisbrunette9495 as crazy as it sounds I really enjoy cutting and splitting my own wood, as far as a pellet stove they are a lot easier to use but I love the look of logs burning and the smell, I get a lot of “free” wood on Facebook marketplace just my time and effort.
In comparison to how i process wood as a homeowner, you're handling wood 2-3x more than me so you would gain a ton of efficiency and productivity using IBC totes. I make splits as i cut each log and they go directly into an IBC tote. After drying, i set each tote on my front porch or back deck for stacking. I know its a little investment, but if you mounded a 330gal tote, that's a face cord. By either loading a tote on your truck with forks or developing a way to move that tote off your truck at the customer site, you'd gain a substantial amount of time. After all, time is $$. A building material supplier in the area uses large delivery trucks that have a small fork truck attached to the back.. That would be the cats a$$ for firewood sales...stackbup rows of IBC totes and deliver each one to the customer with a refundable deposit for the tote. Swing back a day or two later and pick up the totes.
I produce 200-250 full cords a year I would need 900-1000 IBC totes at $40 each......$40,000 ....no thanks! Plus a $30,000 machine and a $60,000 truck to haul it and to unload on location. Haaaaaaa!
I found on the beach the same polar fleece sweater as you're wearing. I wear it all the time. I also have woodlands I cut and sell fire wood. I agree completely
Staking it keeps the weather off, Where I live the grass is green year around, Because it rains a lot. If it is on the ground, it will rot to nothing, in less than a year. So NO! I will stack and be happy.
Lose wood dries faster because it can breathe easier. About 30% more space fro air to flow. ALL the major producers pile in big cones for a reason. Off the ground does help also which is why I put mine on pallets. . If you are in a wet climate tenting wood with only the top covered so the sides can breath would be best.
@@InTheWoodyard I understand, But not in a rain forest. If you take dried would here, and put it outside and unstacked, it will be socking wet in less than a week here. The wood warms will get to it and it will be Earth in no time. This would work in a wood shed. I am always looking for more places that are dry. Only thing I am saying is not all locations are the same. I have logged in Western WA, MT and WV. Even the rain forests are not the same in WV and WA. But I do understand and this will work for most people in North America. Just not all of us.
An interesting experiment would be for you to stack a facecord and put the same thrown in loose and mark the area and do moisture checks throughout the season.
Totally agree, if you have unlimited space you don't need to stack your wood, however, large piles of uncovered wood will not dry very well in the middle. Stacks do allow air circulation between the rows and help dry the wood if it contains moisture.
Nope, the piles dry BETTER than the stacks I used to do. More air flow...on pallets off the ground sun and wind all the time. Not packed in tight like sardines in a can. But I could be wrong, I only cut, split and sell 250 full cords a year and have only been doing this for a little over years now...lots to learn.
@@InTheWoodyard How many years? 50 years here. Up off the ground on pallets is best either way, but I've seen wood in (big) piles rot in the middle before it dried properly. The key to drying wood in stacks is leaving adequate air space between the rows. If you stack the rows tight with little or no air space then yeah, probably loose piles is better. But you can't beat piles for reducing labor.
Nothing wrong with stacking wood. Ive lived in the mountains of north Georgia for 60 years. Family has for over 150 years. The only folks that dont stack are lazy folk. Keeps would off the ground. Keeps bugs out of it, looks better. Might as well tell folks they shouldnt clean there home, dont make your bed or dont bother putting your tools up. Having a neat and tidy woodyard is like having a neat and tidy work shop. It just makes sense. What other folks do is what they do but as for me and my house, we will stack wood. Just my opinion.
Good for you! but here are the facts...yes it looks nice and neat and it saves space and you know exactly how much you have. BUT... loose wood on pallets off the ground has 25% more space to allow for air flow, requires a lot less work and dries MUCH faster. I have been producing about 200 full cords a year and have been doing so for about 50 years now. All major firewood producers pile (not stack) split wood into cones that are about 30' high and it dries great without touching the wood...ever. One producer I personally know sells 3-5 semi-truck loads a week years round and never stacks wood. He has 60 full time employees so is he wrong and lazy???
If your dealing with that amount of volume and selling, it makes sense. If your burning wood for home and hearth don't have piles in your yard it just looks bad. As far as statistics go where does that number 25 come from?? Who did the study and how many years did it cover?? Were talking opinions here thats all. Ive got mine and you have yours. Thats all. I'd still have a drink with ya and talk fishing and if you need help building a fence or a barn ill be there for ya. Im just not gonna throw wood in piles in my yard. Nor will I tell others to. Title of your video. Just struck me wrong. I apologize if I offended.
If you are only cutting 20 cords a year stacking looks awesome. When you are processing over 100 cords per year to sell, you want it dry fast and it’s an ungodly amount of work for nothing. Been there done that.
I do the same thing no stacking, I’ve also loaded enough stacked cords and single face cords that o know what it looks like in my dump trailer. I’ve stopped hand unloading all deliveries. 1. It’s clean 2. I dont have big equipment to move wood around. Slowing reworking my plan for this new year. I’ve upgraded to bigger better truck for hauling and I’m now looking to move locations to better facilitate to storing and processing of the wood. If I can I’d love to get the commercial splitter and conveyor to help fix my bottle neck of production speed. And I’ve narrowed it down to the bagged wood, mobile splitting once I get a commercial splitter and full trailer loads only.
My wife makes me stack on the fence line to block the view of the neighbors backyard and his nasty little noisy dogs. I’m currently cutting, splitting and stacking a new wall because I sold the last one. 😉
I go through 2 cords a year. We have a fire pit in the back yard that we all enjoy winter and summer. Nice to sit around relaxing and having cold snacks. Also have a fire place on the covered back deck that we only use in the winter. Needless to say we enjoy burning wood!
A man can appreciate a fine woodstack ge has made all by himself. There is something grand about well stacked neat fuel reserves. Its good to have one or two set up. The rest can be piled 😬
First video i have seen of yours. Great job. Like you I load and unload by hand. My experience with piling wood has always produced the mold and poor drying mentioned by other comments. I believe you about your results, and would love to figure out the reason for difference. Yes, I do live in a moist area (MI, Upper Penninsula near Lake Superior). Yes, I have piled off ground. No, there is no way that air flow is better in pile than stack rows with ends exposed.
As someone who burns the product you sell, I know the wood buried under several layers has no sun or wind to aid in its drying. I believe the concept of seasoned wood is over rated. Firewood needs a period of time to dry out or age its cambium, but it also needs to be in a place to dry out. Away from sun and wind will drastically slow its drying. I have burned wood which was seasoned for 2+ years, and it just dripped a lot of water before it finally started to burn. Firewood needs to be dry to properly burn, and it won't dry if it is covered under several layers exposed to the elements.
In late autumn, usually as the first part of the 1st snow storm, here in the heart of the Rockies, we get drenching rains… One year we didn’t get the wood stacked and tarped in time, and spent the winter battering and kicking out chunks to haul in and thaw. But where you are, it looks right handy.. 👋🤗
I've previously watched your channel with great interest. My thoughts: 1. You must be in incredible shape with all the work you do! 2. A dump trailer would eliminate one more handling upon delivery, although you probably have considered this...and it would save time. 3. BRAVO for the wonderful job you do addressing customer service. I'm fortunate to cut hardwood trees from my 40-acre woods. I only cut/split about 5 (full) cords for my own use each year. I'm able to keep it very clean. Your thoughts on not stacking have given me pause to consider dumping it in piles on a gravel base I already have. Thank you for your clarity in presentations and wisdom from experience.
Great content. What you call touching the wood we call handling in Ireland. On building sites and making heavy deliveries, you try to park your truck as close as possible to the end user/destination to minimise heavy lifting. One question. Isn't there a tipper truck option for you so you can tip the wood on the customers yard without handling/touching?
I looked at the gloves you used and picked up a pair. Awesome gloves. Keeps my hands warm in cold conditions. Sturdy on the outside and soft on the inside.
As a consumer, you should always stack your firewood purchase. There are a lot of dealers out there who either by ignorance or deceit will short you. Remember, you are buying firewood, not the space it occupies. A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet of wood. If you had a 4x4x8 chunk of solid wood. Rectangular with 90 degree angles, that would be 128 cubic ft. Take that chunk of wood, cut it into pieces, you will have less than 128 cubic ft due to saw cuts. Split that wood chunk and you have even more waste and space. Dealers use machinery that often splits the logs and conveyors the pieces into a trailer. Unless they previously have stacked tight a cord of wood, loaded into a trailer, the amount of wood is a guess. To even get close to having uniform amounts of wood, the lengths and size have to be uniform, the trailer or truck has to be filled evenly. Good dealers avoid problems with shortage by ensuring the truck or trailer is fuller than what has previously been measured out. In many states, firewood sales are governed by the states' weights and measures department. Some states require sales receipts with the sale price and quantity of wood. Think about all the commodities you purchase, either by weight or volume. Claiming a certain volume or amount of a product and not being accurate is fraud. Firewood is no different, than gasoline, flour or milk.
@InTheWoodyard Unfortunately in my area, N Az, honest wood dealers are hard to come by. Dealers here think a stack of wood with 2 inch spaces between the wood is a cord. Lol.
I learned how to build my bins out of pallets by watching your channel... I learned how to use zip ties to measure my rounds by watching your channel... and now you tell me not to stack?!?! I learned by watching you, Chris! I learned by watching you!!! 😂 (not sure if you'll get the reference) but, lol either way 😁👍
Very interesting. We use full chords here in Mew England. I have a woodlot and have always got my own wood with my son and grandson. I burn 4-41/2 chords a year. This year I had to order 2 chords of wood because I’m getting a new knee. Your video has given me a new understanding of terminology😊
Really enjoyable video. I'm in North East Scotland, I don't bother stacking wood either. To season it gets thrown on a pallet and left to the elements. Prior to using, it goes undercover in an open type outbuilding we have. Not sure if I saw them in the background of your video but we have similar/same. IBC cages we call them, not sure if terminology is the same? Easy to come by here either free or cheap, great way to store wood after you pull out the plastic container 👍🏻
Done my share of wood selling on the side getting semi loads delivered of whole timbers of eucalyptus up to 4' in diameter, and had to buck, split, 7 stack for saving space and curing, I would have 20 full cords at a time in a 3/4 acre lot with my house and 2,500 square shop. Had a nice dump trailer that held a perfect load, so I dump and run! Made a ton of money!
Baby steps towards no stacking!👍 Now that you know the bins work awesome!Have you put any thought into what type of materials you should be gathering to build new ones with yet? These bins are an eyesore (imo)and will soon rot away. IDK if you have ever been in a confinement hog barn? But they have these concrete floor panels with slots in them, so pee and poo can fall through. If you could find some of these cheap. They would make a really nice floor and then build a permanent fence around the bin. I am just thinking outloud again for moving forward toward the future with a more permanent but not permanent structures!🤠
The pallets have worked great and you made use of materials you already had. I guess my comment is on thoughts of maybe doing something different in the future as these need replaced. Ideas on materials that won't break the bank but last longer than ankle breaking pallets!
We have a wood ministry at church. An 85 acre campus has lots of trees and some donated wood from others. We split and stack in a large shed. People who need it can take for free to heat their homes. We also have some guys that can deliver if they have no way to pick up.
Great channel, thanks for all the hard work creating these videos. I've learnt a lot. As regards bins, it wouldnt work here in the Uk because we have a mild maritime climate. Continuous rain and little sun especially in the winter. Even with stacking on pallets there's often mould growth in the base. I'm envious of those blue sky Wisconson winters. ☹ Cheers Sid
same here in Western Washington state, it is cold and wet for months in the winter, moldy wood is a real problem. Lots of firewood companies around here kiln dry their wood since the drying season is too short otherwise.
Yes, I get it . A lot of extra work. I would do the same if I were a supplier. Cut, split and stack my own wood by April, 4-5 bush cord in Eastern Ontario and stack it two rows wide and four feet high on pallets. The advantage of stacking is that in autumn I can cover it in lumber tarps. Interesting video. BTW, you need a dump trailer, haha.
Yup, for you own wood it is fine to stack it especially if you want it neat and and have limited space. We do have 4 dump trailers, you might want to watch a few other videos here, there are 1300 waiting for you!
Lots of theories. Here in the mountains in Australia I don’t stack wood either. Just for my use I cut it in the bush , usually a standing dead tree with now bark left on it. Then I throw it on the ute, dump it on the ground at the wood heap, no cover or shed. Then I split a wheelbarrow load with an axe or block buster and park it up on the porch undercover once it’s split. It’s dry inside until it is split. Our wood is hardwood usually Ironbark or box, it burns really hot , even if it’s wet.
I have a skid steer a dump trailer and a barge as we live on an island. I can’t imagine hand chucking that much wood. Just pour some cement pads in your bins and get a modified grapple to pick the wood and drop it in the dump trailer. Like you said, time is money.
That's a good idea for a lot of wood! I am fat enough as it is...I need MORE exercise not less...most equipment operators are very round..I fear round.
Nice video Chris. Happy that your wood corrals are working out. I really don't have enough space to do that. Years ago a used car guy near here used to make huge hay stack size piles on a concrete slab behind his shop. Always had half a dozen or so used pickup trucks for sale and 3 or 4 pickup box trailers. He sold wood in the high rent districts of Omaha (70 mile drive). Used an old grain elevator with a big old Kohler motor on it. He kept 3 or 4 local kids busy cutting, splitting and making the piles. GNI
G’morning Chris ! My youngest misses you “working really fast” while stacking. I have a boundary fence of full cords on 2 sides of my 1.5 acre. Thanks for ‘splaining. GoodNightIrene
Chris, for the longest time I have always wondered why people stack fire wood to sell. I guess that customers have a hard time with what they will be getting, and stacking makes it easier to identify .....But I really agree with your system, it works, so you work less... Good job
for over 40 years I have been chopping/ splitting wood etc,I would go with my father in-law, RIP. who was a Forrester(part time) and fell a tree (he was given trees ,a perk of the job,,and I spent many a back breaking weekend helping him fell,cutting and then splitting the oak, ash, birch and sometimes a pine (pine I always found was good to get the wood burner started)one thing to this day he taught me is chop/split the wood as soon as possible,same day if you can,and leave it for a year uncovered in these round metal cages..THEN stack it under the covered area(our covered are was basically a big car port)6-8 months later you have a 15 to 20 percent moisture,perfect oven wood
No it does not. I have loaded thousands of stacked and measured cords of firewood over the last 55 years and found that it always fills my trailers the same ....every time so why do I need to stack it if it fills my trailers the same every time. I was slow to get this fact after being told for years by full time professional firewood producers for years that they NEVER touch there firewood....ever... and always know how much wood fits their trailers so........
not allways I have bought and allso sold firewood by the truck load I use to get a lot of wood from a saw mill it was really cheap it was mostly oak and maple it was clean no bark a lot of it was 4x4 or4x6 any where from 10 inches to 16 inchs long
In your eyes I suppose so but I cut and sell 250 full cords a year and have for decades...I used to stack all of it until I realized it was a waste of my time to do so...my piles dry better and faster than the stacks I used to make so....
I burn about 6 to 7 cords a year, all of which I cut myself. It has been very tempting to pile it up without neatly stacking it, but when I have done that, I always overestimate how much wood I have on hand. One year, I thought I had about 8 cords, when I actually had about 5.5 !!!
After one time of doing that you should know what you have. Stacking it in a shed one year vs throwing it in I know what’s in there now doing it both ways. My wife actually said why do you waste your time stacking it all ? It’s in the shed who cares. Farmers don’t stack corn cribs. I haven’t bothered since. It saves so much time now. Go out fire up Honda ,hook up otter sled ,go out cut ,load rounds bring back split make pile in clear Sunny area after wood is close I throw in wood shed to be out of weather to burn. Has worked for years.
absolutely agree! I put my firewood in wire bin made of rebar wire 5 ft tall 5 ft diameter. Dries just fine. I also have goats , so stacks of wood don't stay stacked. Also allow me to use wood that wouldn't stack very well.
I agree with just throwing in the logs in the truck. Hauling it down from the mtn after cutting and loading is enough work for me. I split it at home. My 8’ bed (that never has to be made btw) with 2’ sides AND plywood rear door above the tailgate, fits plenty for a day
This ain't Rocket Science. Neatly stack a measured amount, then toss that same amount in a pile. Do that a few times and you'll have a good estimate for both types. I know you know what you're doing by not stacking unless a customer pays for stacking.
@@InTheWoodyard Make a video (shown in fast motion to save their time) available and show them the evidence. Tell them to watch it and make an informed decision based on facts, not speculation.
here in eastern canada, you pile wood on the ground the bottom 25-40 cms will never dry, will freeze into the ground & leave it long enough it'll rot. so big commercial wood yard no stacking make sense. homeowner , stack it up a few inches off the ground, cover it on top so it breathes/drys
True only if you don't mind "good enough dry". The driest wood burns hotter with less creosote. Another factor is how much moisture comes up through the ground. A car always parked over dirt will rust out underneath faster than one always parked on pavement. I saw a 25 year old car with 6,000 miles on it that just sat in someones dirt driveway, it smelled like new on the interior and you could push your finger through the rusty frame. A larger pile of wood is exposed to more surface area of ground moisture. I'd be curious if you'd see drier wood faster if there was a tarp down first then put your big ole' pile over it
The real secret about selling wood is that everybody's definition of a cord, a face cord, a half a cord, a third of a cord, or any type of cord, is not the same at all
I burn larger pieces in an outdoor boiler here in NW MN. When I collect the wood all the processing is done right there and then into the dump trailer. I dump it on the ground and occasionally stir up the pile with my skid steer. You do have to be careful not to dig the bucket into the ground and then the wood stays pretty clean. If I spent much more time handling wood I would just pay for propane.
@InTheWoodyard I quess it varies regionally. Here we've based a face cord at 32 c.f. or 1×4×8. Making a full cord 4×4×8 or 128c.f..But let's not split hairs when there's wood to split.
No, he does not, I am a big boy now and I fold and put away my clothes in a dresser and I hang my clothes in a closet to just like my mommy taught me about 60 years ago. Like I told you in my other comment I produce hundreds of cords of wood every year... for decades now...and to stack it all would take thousands of hours...I used to stack it all. I have a lot of old videos on my channel (1300) showing and demonstrating how to do it easy and fast but it would be a waste of time and effort for me to do it any more. I grew up just like other professional firewood producers. A friend of mine produces 3-5 semi truck loads every day and he never touches one piece of wood and neither does any of his 60 employees. So.....
@@InTheWoodyard are you actually trying to tell me that you didn't understand my comment was a tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor? As if I thought that you handled your clothing the same way as commercial firewood? You must be a really sharp one. And a great sense of humor!!
It is kinda hard to imagine exactly how hard you work. I calculate at least ten hours a year. Unbelievable!!! And you would not do it if it did not sell. More power to you.
I stack my wood above ground 8 feet deep by 12 feet wide by 4 to 5 feet high gives me over 3 cords , I’m good for the next two years, if I just threw it in a pile I wouldn’t know how much I had because there would be many voids in the pile as there always is when we just throw it in a pile!! You deal in a higher volume than I do so I wouldn’t stack it either if I’m just selling it off anyway!!!!
Hello . I work in firewood industry around 2 years in Sweden. After pres/split wood moves with conveyor to steel gaskets (same as you have )1cub.m. Wood allways clean , drying fast coz ari circulates from all sides . Easy to move/flip/count and stack up to 4 floors by tractor . In our nordic climat you have to be very effective with drying , because we have only few dry and warm weeks in a year.
WIsh you all the best with your buisness i love and respect all ppl who do honest work!
Thanks so much for watching! Keep cuttin'!
You need WIND to cure your stack. It will cure just fine under 10 ft of snow. Been there done that.
Wood doesnt dry below the freezing..... And i dry forewood in my garage without wind....
You need HEAT. The higher the heat, the fadte the evaporation. With heat, moisture rises out of the woodshed.
But you cabt dry wood at freezing temps, leave it as long as you want, it won't happen
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@@sportbikeguy9875freeze drying is a real thing.
I'm glad I'm not the only person who gives people an old fashion good deal, thank you.
Good to here there are good people out there!
whatever made you think you were?
@@InTheWoodyard ...were out here by the millions.
I am really impressed that you can throw the wood in the truck without breaking the rear window.
No broke windows in 55 years and thousands of cords chucked...so far.
Yep,borrowed my son-in-law's truck for wood...last block of the last load,a block slid a few inches and bearly touch the very bottom of the rear window.
Shattering it in a million pieces!! 🤷
@@barryfirth1187 doesn't happen when wood supposedly "barely touches" a rear window
@@willybman3723 When it's real cold, glass breaks a lot easier.
The future you said in a video, 5 things I'd do different, stack wood so you know how much you are delivering. You mentioned there is too many gaps in a thrown pile to be consistent. Also, you would've got a dump trailer much earlier. That definitely reduces touches and time! Love your channel, brother.
Being that I burn wood to supplement heat in my house, I stack mine. The important thing is the wood being off the ground. If stacked or left in a pile, the pieces on the ground will never dry. In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the drying season is short. Air, sun, and wind; dry wood. Moving wood in the winter to where the boiler is, is a lot easier in winter if stacked. Having access to the wood in deep snow is easier when stacked than digging through a pile covered in two feet of snow that is frozen to the ground and the frozen together. A pile may dry faster in an arid climate, but in other places, stacking works. It is an art no doubt, stacking wood tight to stacking it loose for air flow. Tighter allows more wood in an area, stacking loose allows less wood. And then, to cover or not to cover? I use 6 mil sheeting just on the top of a rack. Easy to push the snow off of the stack as the snow slides off easy. Keep warm, keep burning!
Yup, all wood is work! Keep cuttin'!
Your not selling bulk firewood, your suppose to keep your firewood in order for your convenience, as a firewood supplier I’m producing quantities and stacking firewood isn’t feasible…that’s you and every homeowner burner’s job.
I stack mine in a wood shed ,with am opend . The open end allows air flow, so it dries faster and probably
You are absolutely correct .wood covered in ice and snow is a pain in the ass . And it burns like crap
Hi daddy. 😊 yes I stacked it so it won't fall over.
I never seen anyone work so fast , I have a soar back just watching you .
Yup, I like to keeper movin'!
Great information. Back in 1996 during Fran I collected 3 cords of wood from all the trees that fell over. I did not have a fireplace or a woodstove, I just saw a great deal, for free of firewood. The next year I bought a woodstove in November (1997), BlackBart2; which I still have, and have continued to use ever since! I even moved and carried my woodstove with me. I usually buy 2 cords of wood a year and buy early to give the wood about 6 additional months to dry out more. My stove is running right now 😀: outside it is 41 F - inside is 82. I like firewood. What can I say. I Live in Raleigh NC.
Wood heat is great!
82? 😮way too hot.
@@51sicboy i keep the wood stove so the heat in the house is between 65-68F. Outside -35F, log cabin holds heat well!
We do over 100 full cord a yr an stack it all because it’s faster for us than piling it . Conveyor drops it into a dump trailer an we stack from the dump trailer onto half cord movable pallets so instead of chucking wood into the bin an then chucking it back into the truck at delivery time we just stack it onto our pallets and instead chucking into the truck we just dump the half cord pallet into the trailer an grab another pallet . By my math that’s one less touch an twice as fast . Having a miles of flat ground an fields gives ya plenty of wind an sun up here in Maine it’s hills an trees an wood piled up like that would get very moldy unless it was like you out in open fields . We all do what works best for our situation .
Sounds like you all have a great system Phil!!
@@InTheWoodyard It works for us
had an old guy that had been burning wood for a few decades tell us the difference in stacking vs piling is nothing in volume. ive stacked a truck bed vs piling and i could not tell a difference. im glad to hear this being reinforced from another reliable source. ill continue to not stack. thanks.
The volume is way different....25% more with no stacking!!! Same amount.
No, it does not have to be stacked, loose wood takes up 25% more volume for the same amount of wood. If you put a full cord into a trailer hundreds of times you will learn that it is always the same amount each time as far as volume (level) in the trailer. That is what I learned the hard way...to much extra work.
I split a half full cord for a neighbour, She wanted it split small for the fireplace. So I split it all small and stacked it to show her it was a full half cord. I threw it into my 8 foot pick up box and I could hardly get the half cord in without it falling off the sides. For myself, I know I can get about 3/4 of a full cord in my truck if I stack it. If its just thrown in, its about 1/3 of a cord. I've proved that by stacking it to measure it after I get it home.
You're full of bs, bro. There's a massive difference. I haven't used my furnace in 12 years. In fact, I don't even know if it works! I process almost 4 cords a year and have been doing so for almost 17 years. I don't know how you stack, but I'll bet my entire property deed. You're dead wrong... There's a massive difference!
@@cw6136 ok, from someone thats hauled dump truck loads of fire wood the difference is so minimal its way not worth the headache and, youd have to puzzle piece it in like a tessellation, so yea you can waste all that time for 10 extra sticks of fire wood per chord. idk what your idea of "massive" is but my time savings is way more "massive" and ill put both of my property deeds on that!
Growing up, our father processed wood from our woodlot for extra family income over the Winter months.
Dad downed the trees and cut it.
We stacked the split wood into cords to measure in the woods.
We threw it in the dump truck.
We went with Dad to deliver the load of wood to customers.
We frequently had requests to stack it at the delivery site.
Some customers just wanted the convenience of having the wood stacked ...and some customers wanted the wood stacked to make sure they were getting a full cord, face cord, etc. for the $$$.
So much work!
Yup, wood is work!
You are one of the hardest working person that is in the firewood business. Keep up the hard work
Thank you, I will!
Because of your video I now understand why the price of wood cost as much as it does I did not realize the labor that goes into what you do for a living. Great video and it was also educational for me. I will never complain again about the price of a load of wood.
Glad to help! I just do this for exercise, the money pays for more toys and wood!
I totally agree with you about making piles instead of stacking, Chris. I've enjoyed seeing how you've evolved your operation in the past few years. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Thanks 👍 I have a long way to go!
The reason wood is sold in cords or ricks is so there a standard to go buy. To many sellers sell you a pile or bin of wood and cheat you on the amount you are getting.
If you did some research you would find that what people call different measurements of wood varies a lot around the world and region. Bush cords, ranks, face cords, rows, riks, cubic meters are common around the USA Canada and the rest of the world. ....1/3 of a cord is the same as a rik, facecord and rank. A bush cord is the same as a full cord. The vast majority of the world does not use cords at all. You are free to use what you want as long as your customers know what the are getting.
@@InTheWoodyard In Europe we also differenciate between a cubic meter of stacked wood, or a cubic meter of loose wood (like you have, just thrown on a pile). It's a significant difference, obviously. And you'll always find someone making use of buyer's inexperience, selling them a cubic meter of loose wood for the price of a cubic meter of stacked wood...
A cord of wood is an official and only official measurement in USA!
Yes great point got so bad at Tahoe w and m have people checking trying to take advantage of seniors and shorting tem I use to deliver full cord stacked in back of pu
@InTheWoodyard well we are in USA😷 4x4x8 gba dav here vn 63 69 got hit twice still walking g barley
Another lesson on why and how .Always something to learn .You are the wood educator. Thank you for all you do
Thanks for watching!
I'd like to see this as well very curious to know
Good evening Chris,
Couldn't agree more about stacking.
I've just done a moisture test on some mixed hardwood that's in a loose bin and not one piece I tested was above 15%. Dry and ready to burn.!!👍
Yup...good to hear!!
Customer service will always be the way to get and keep customers. I think its unique how you can keep up with all your inventory and especially how you move so much. Keep chucking!
Yup, thanks Michael!
I am in PA and here it's based on cords. I bought 1.5 cords this year.
I made a wood crib 11x4x3 that fits exactly a cord, then I use old skids to hold a stacked pile about 5x3x4 or about a half cord. Helps me to know where I stand all winter. I always have a half cord left over from the previous winter that I know is well seasoned
Nice!
You live in coal country. Why aren't you using anthracite? Cleaner burning than wood, does not attract critters, such as spiders, snakes and rodents plus it doesn't absorb water and contains more BTUs.
Your “chuck” is on point! Not even a guard on the rear window 👍🏻
Yup. in 55 years of wood chuckin' no broke windows.
@@InTheWoodyard - - Broke the front window on my box topper thing about three years ago stacking wood into the box of my 8-foot bed Silverado (piece of crap truck - don't ever buy one). I never replaced the window. Oddly enough, it seems to stay dry. By the way, here in lower Michigan a face cord is 18" logs stacked 4'x8' so I can get a whole face cord in the back of my 8-foot truck if I stack it when I pick it up at my source. He charges me $45 for one face cord but I have to go get it. Is that a lot? You didn't say what you charge for firewood delivered. Cheers and thanks for the info. I stack my wood next to the house on pallets and cover with a tarp to keep rain and snow off it. Seems to be OK.
@@q7winq7 If you can go get a face cord for $45, respectfully, you're seller is a sucker! Should be double that, and nobody's making much even at that price. As for a face cord being 4x8x18inches, that doesn't make sense. It's 16 inches. Seems to me that if people in your area do that, somebody screwed up eons ago, nobody caught onto it and people kept copying it, lol. 4x8x16inches is exactly one face cord, one-third of 1 cord. Cheers!
@@mydogdidit - - - - First, my supplier isn't selling firewood as a business, so who cares if he just wanted to get rid of it. Second, I'm sure he didn't give a fig if the wood is 16" or 18." Third, I'm sure he doesn't give a fig how big a face cord is. His sign said "this wood for sale for $45." Respectfully, if you're selling wood for a living, maybe try another career. The best way to fight inflation is not to pay high prices for ANYTHING. @$90 a face cord, heating is cheaper burning propane. God bless suckers for helping control inflation. Cheers.
I have an Appalachian stove with a fan. On a 28°F day it will keep a 2800 sq. ft. house 82°F. I use about 2-3 cords/year. I burn ash, oak, red oak, or hard maple. I season my wood well as you recommend. Thanks for all the tips and keep on choppin!
Right on, keep burning that wood!
Great video. I do just my home firewood for heating and I hate it, cant imagine doing that much!! I do touch my wood WAY too many times. After watching this, I may just make a bin like yours up by my log pile and just pile it in there to keep it off of the ground until its moved to the woodshed which holds close to 2 seasons of wood so has plenty of time to finish drying before its burned!
Yup, it is work but good exercise and a great kind of heat...wood is good!
Hey guys i read lot comments on the wood unstacked, some i agree on some i dont agree on. Wet wood don't burn worth crap in wood burner, Sounds like hissing cockroach, i pulled some my wood out back rack and must got damp with rain and wind blowing through pallets stood up locked together and roof is made of pallets with shingles on top covering it. Front is covered with 2- tarps side by side across with bungee cords for wind flex, i work my wood every day, So i can heat my house it's better than High gas bill
Your wood needs to breath to dry.take off the side coverings and maybe the top too?
Thanks chris im startng building my bins,i watched for a year and made sure it dryed and didn't mold,and i love how they look, i hate stacking so im moving towards this
Go for it!
So I got a good laugh. Right after you said you don't stack wood, we get a tour and there is a bunch of stacked wood in totes. Lol. I agree with the piles though. As always great video.
Bert did that, not me, but it is nice and it does look good!!
Apparently you can get ointment for dry piles. Stacks of it.
@@bikerfirefarter7280 A friend of mine put some on his new Dodge Ram Hemi, now its just a Dodge Ram...
@@rogerrolfe8114
I'll pass. 😉
I've been stacking for 8 years in rows, ,until now, I'm going out this morning and building just what you Have,,,i see the light, thanks for sharing.
That is awesome! Get to it!
Here in Maine it was always cords usually several. "Full cord" is used only to stress to the seller that we do indeed want FULL cords this time! And those sellers are often given a nickname, "Short Cord Jones" or whoever. Less often half cords and rarely 1/4 cords are bought and sold. In recent years some people are starting to say face cord/third cord, maybe because that amount fits somewhat into a UBC tote. I'm good at math so I don't care what quantities are used as long as I get full measure. By the way, I've been storing my firewood in pallet bins the last 2-3 years.
Yup, all good points David!!
I started a small wood business mainly selling to locals in my community. I must say I be learned soooo much from your channel. My son hears your voice and says “Is that the wood guy?” Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Appreciate you!! 🪵
Thanks so much for watching!
We go through about four cords a year here. Our woodshed barely holds four cords, so I have built an enclosed bay next to the door that holds another cord, and there's a porch we can use for an additional cord if we end up with a surplus. Stacking here is a necessity, not an option, and it has to be done systematically if we want to access dry seasoned wood throughout the year.
In the first few years here, our firewood mostly came off the property. Previous owner had been one of those types who does half a job abd then moves on to the next, so we had a lot of felled trees that needed to be bucked and cleared off the ground and dried out.
That plus windfall did well enough until the place was cleaned up. Now we buy in about three seasoned cords a year, and the rest comes off the land from windfall and road maintenance, needing one to two years of seasoning in this wet climate. It's dumped into two separate piles in the sun during the dry summer months, then the green wood has to be split and stacked at the back of the woodshed. If the back of the woodshed isn't exposed, the green wood has to stand out over the winter. Thst requires no extra work except for tarping it over.
Owing to the steep terrain, firewood has to be moved by wheelbarrow from the dump pile to the woodshed. It takes about a week to move one cord, so the extra effort of stacking is not really significant for us, and it lets us keep the species, age, and sizes well sorted.
All of this is to say, what works best depends very much on your situation.
Sounds like you have a great system!
@@InTheWoodyard
Thank you. We always have to work with what we've got. My brother built a conveyor to deliver cordwood at his place, but his whole place is a giant works yard, so the conveyor fits right in. But it's not the style for everyone.
I've got one of those hand crank loadhandler pickup truck unloaders for dumping my truck bed out, sure saves a lot of time and back ache.
Yup, i have one too, it is a piece of crap and I can unload faster by hand.
For you, in your location and climate that certainly makes sense. It is much wetter and colder where I live in Canada and so I stack it on pallets and cover it with tin or tarps. For my offcuts from carpentry work, I use feed sacks to fill with offcuts. Too many small pieces to deal with otherwise.
Less touches is certainly the key
Do what works for you and keep cuttin'!
I used to not stack, I'd just pile into big cones but straight onto the ground. Seemed to cost me more wood that I figured at the time. Now I split straight into IBC totes. I was stacking into them until I got a big enough number of totes to just let it pile into them. Mostly burning myself. For the sell of wood, I just dump 4 totes ad a full cord into my trailer out of the totes instead of 3 stacked. I know I'm letting more wood go than if it's stacked, but I'd rather process wood then stack wood. I like the cutting and splitting and not so much the stacking. As for me I just bring a couple totes to the house and use straight out of the tote to heat with.
Yup, it sounds like you have a great system!
You have the perfect conditions for piles, sun from morning to night and plenty of wind.
My first time getting wood delivered I got muddy bottom of the pile wood, I was not a happy customer and actually texted him to take it back and that’s when I started cutting and splitting my own wood now I have total control over my wood.
Yup, I understand..control of your wood is good!
Thing is if you have to buy the wood you might as well just buy gas or oil or wood pellets, wood pellets are under half the cost of buying split and cut fire wood 🤷♂️ and you don’t have to handle the stuff 10 times
@@chrisbrunette9495 as crazy as it sounds I really enjoy cutting and splitting my own wood, as far as a pellet stove they are a lot easier to use but I love the look of logs burning and the smell, I get a lot of “free” wood on Facebook marketplace just my time and effort.
In comparison to how i process wood as a homeowner, you're handling wood 2-3x more than me so you would gain a ton of efficiency and productivity using IBC totes. I make splits as i cut each log and they go directly into an IBC tote. After drying, i set each tote on my front porch or back deck for stacking. I know its a little investment, but if you mounded a 330gal tote, that's a face cord. By either loading a tote on your truck with forks or developing a way to move that tote off your truck at the customer site, you'd gain a substantial amount of time. After all, time is $$. A building material supplier in the area uses large delivery trucks that have a small fork truck attached to the back.. That would be the cats a$$ for firewood sales...stackbup rows of IBC totes and deliver each one to the customer with a refundable deposit for the tote. Swing back a day or two later and pick up the totes.
I produce 200-250 full cords a year I would need 900-1000 IBC totes at $40 each......$40,000 ....no thanks! Plus a $30,000 machine and a $60,000 truck to haul it and to unload on location. Haaaaaaa!
I found on the beach the same polar fleece sweater as you're wearing. I wear it all the time. I also have woodlands I cut and sell fire wood. I agree completely
Thanks for watching.
Staking it keeps the weather off, Where I live the grass is green year around, Because it rains a lot. If it is on the ground, it will rot to nothing, in less than a year. So NO! I will stack and be happy.
Lose wood dries faster because it can breathe easier. About 30% more space fro air to flow. ALL the major producers pile in big cones for a reason. Off the ground does help also which is why I put mine on pallets. . If you are in a wet climate tenting wood with only the top covered so the sides can breath would be best.
@@InTheWoodyard I understand, But not in a rain forest. If you take dried would here, and put it outside and unstacked, it will be socking wet in less than a week here. The wood warms will get to it and it will be Earth in no time. This would work in a wood shed. I am always looking for more places that are dry.
Only thing I am saying is not all locations are the same.
I have logged in Western WA, MT and WV. Even the rain forests are not the same in WV and WA.
But I do understand and this will work for most people in North America. Just not all of us.
You sir are a blessing to your community! All I can get within 100 miles of me in southern Missouri is wet dirty garbage wood. :(
Sorry to hear that, maybe you need to make your own now!!
An interesting experiment would be for you to stack a facecord and put the same thrown in loose and mark the area and do moisture checks throughout the season.
Yup.
Totally agree, if you have unlimited space you don't need to stack your wood, however, large piles of uncovered wood will not dry very well in the middle. Stacks do allow air circulation between the rows and help dry the wood if it contains moisture.
Nope, the piles dry BETTER than the stacks I used to do. More air flow...on pallets off the ground sun and wind all the time. Not packed in tight like sardines in a can. But I could be wrong, I only cut, split and sell 250 full cords a year and have only been doing this for a little over years now...lots to learn.
@@InTheWoodyard How many years? 50 years here. Up off the ground on pallets is best either way, but I've seen wood in (big) piles rot in the middle before it dried properly. The key to drying wood in stacks is leaving adequate air space between the rows. If you stack the rows tight with little or no air space then yeah, probably loose piles is better. But you can't beat piles for reducing labor.
Nothing wrong with stacking wood. Ive lived in the mountains of north Georgia for 60 years. Family has for over 150 years. The only folks that dont stack are lazy folk. Keeps would off the ground. Keeps bugs out of it, looks better. Might as well tell folks they shouldnt clean there home, dont make your bed or dont bother putting your tools up. Having a neat and tidy woodyard is like having a neat and tidy work shop. It just makes sense. What other folks do is what they do but as for me and my house, we will stack wood. Just my opinion.
Good for you! but here are the facts...yes it looks nice and neat and it saves space and you know exactly how much you have. BUT... loose wood on pallets off the ground has 25% more space to allow for air flow, requires a lot less work and dries MUCH faster. I have been producing about 200 full cords a year and have been doing so for about 50 years now. All major firewood producers pile (not stack) split wood into cones that are about 30' high and it dries great without touching the wood...ever. One producer I personally know sells 3-5 semi-truck loads a week years round and never stacks wood. He has 60 full time employees so is he wrong and lazy???
If your dealing with that amount of volume and selling, it makes sense. If your burning wood for home and hearth don't have piles in your yard it just looks bad. As far as statistics go where does that number 25 come from?? Who did the study and how many years did it cover?? Were talking opinions here thats all. Ive got mine and you have yours. Thats all. I'd still have a drink with ya and talk fishing and if you need help building a fence or a barn ill be there for ya. Im just not gonna throw wood in piles in my yard. Nor will I tell others to. Title of your video. Just struck me wrong. I apologize if I offended.
@@InTheWoodyardThat guys comment had to chap ur ass for a responce that long from you!!🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you are only cutting 20 cords a year stacking looks awesome. When you are processing over 100 cords per year to sell, you want it dry fast and it’s an ungodly amount of work for nothing. Been there done that.
@@InTheWoodyardjust because you do it wrong for 50 years don't make it right 😂😂
I do the same thing no stacking, I’ve also loaded enough stacked cords and single face cords that o know what it looks like in my dump trailer. I’ve stopped hand unloading all deliveries. 1. It’s clean 2. I dont have big equipment to move wood around. Slowing reworking my plan for this new year. I’ve upgraded to bigger better truck for hauling and I’m now looking to move locations to better facilitate to storing and processing of the wood. If I can I’d love to get the commercial splitter and conveyor to help fix my bottle neck of production speed. And I’ve narrowed it down to the bagged wood, mobile splitting once I get a commercial splitter and full trailer loads only.
Sounds good! Keep cuttin'!
My wife makes me stack on the fence line to block the view of the neighbors backyard and his nasty little noisy dogs. I’m currently cutting, splitting and stacking a new wall because I sold the last one. 😉
Good idea!
That's a good idea I would do the same
Sounds like your wife needs to build herself a spite wall.😖
@@LF12468 my mother passed away in 2010 so now my wife has the honors. 👍
Happy Wife Happy Life
I go through 2 cords a year. We have a fire pit in the back yard that we all enjoy winter and summer. Nice to sit around relaxing and having cold snacks. Also have a fire place on the covered back deck that we only use in the winter. Needless to say we enjoy burning wood!
Sounds great! I will stop in sometime...have the whiskey ready!
A man can appreciate a fine woodstack ge has made all by himself. There is something grand about well stacked neat fuel reserves. Its good to have one or two set up. The rest can be piled 😬
They do save space and look nice!
First video i have seen of yours. Great job. Like you I load and unload by hand. My experience with piling wood has always produced the mold and poor drying mentioned by other comments. I believe you about your results, and would love to figure out the reason for difference. Yes, I do live in a moist area (MI, Upper Penninsula near Lake Superior). Yes, I have piled off ground. No, there is no way that air flow is better in pile than stack rows with ends exposed.
Thanks for watching Scott! There are 1600 more videos here for you to watch and a new one every morning at 5:30 am! See you here then!
As someone who burns the product you sell, I know the wood buried under several layers has no sun or wind to aid in its drying. I believe the concept of seasoned wood is over rated. Firewood needs a period of time to dry out or age its cambium, but it also needs to be in a place to dry out. Away from sun and wind will drastically slow its drying. I have burned wood which was seasoned for 2+ years, and it just dripped a lot of water before it finally started to burn. Firewood needs to be dry to properly burn, and it won't dry if it is covered under several layers exposed to the elements.
Wind and sun...more is better.
I like going into winter with a full woodshed, a full freezer, hay barn and root celler. I love stacking wood !
Nice! Get it done!
Glad to see you are still stacking...not wood , just the Benjamin's !!
Yup!
In late autumn, usually as the first part of the 1st snow storm, here in the heart of the Rockies, we get drenching rains… One year we didn’t get the wood stacked and tarped in time, and spent the winter battering and kicking out chunks to haul in and thaw. But where you are, it looks right handy.. 👋🤗
I will cover some of the wood this fall to keep the snow off.
How many rear glasses have you replaced? Great set up for a wood operation.
Not sure yet....let me count.....oh ya....zero! Thanks!
I've previously watched your channel with great interest. My thoughts: 1. You must be in incredible shape with all the work you do! 2. A dump trailer would eliminate one more handling upon delivery, although you probably have considered this...and it would save time. 3. BRAVO for the wonderful job you do addressing customer service. I'm fortunate to cut hardwood trees from my 40-acre woods. I only cut/split about 5 (full) cords for my own use each year. I'm able to keep it very clean. Your thoughts on not stacking have given me pause to consider dumping it in piles on a gravel base I already have. Thank you for your clarity in presentations and wisdom from experience.
OK, I just found another of your videos with a dump trailer! Ignore #2 above!!
Thanks for watching!
yup, we now have 4 dump trailers, I just got another one, you will see it soon!
Great content. What you call touching the wood we call handling in Ireland. On building sites and making heavy deliveries, you try to park your truck as close as possible to the end user/destination to minimise heavy lifting. One question. Isn't there a tipper truck option for you so you can tip the wood on the customers yard without handling/touching?
Yup, you might want to watch some of my other 1600 videos on the channel....I have 4 dump trailers that I use 97.3791351% of the time!
I looked at the gloves you used and picked up a pair. Awesome gloves. Keeps my hands warm in cold conditions. Sturdy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Yup, the KINKO pig skin ones are nice!
What kind are they? I always end up w/ holes in the fingertips! TIA
As a consumer, you should always stack your firewood purchase. There are a lot of dealers out there who either by ignorance or deceit will short you.
Remember, you are buying firewood, not the space it occupies. A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet of wood. If you had a 4x4x8 chunk of solid wood. Rectangular with 90 degree angles, that would be 128 cubic ft.
Take that chunk of wood, cut it into pieces, you will have less than 128 cubic ft due to saw cuts. Split that wood chunk and you have even more waste and space.
Dealers use machinery that often splits the logs and conveyors the pieces into a trailer. Unless they previously have stacked tight a cord of wood, loaded into a trailer, the amount of wood is a guess. To even get close to having uniform amounts of wood, the lengths and size have to be uniform, the trailer or truck has to be filled evenly.
Good dealers avoid problems with shortage by ensuring the truck or trailer is fuller than what has previously been measured out.
In many states, firewood sales are governed by the states' weights and measures department. Some states require sales receipts with the sale price and quantity of wood.
Think about all the commodities you purchase, either by weight or volume. Claiming a certain volume or amount of a product and not being accurate is fraud. Firewood is no different, than gasoline, flour or milk.
Or you could just by from a honest person that over delivers...I am one of those.
@InTheWoodyard Unfortunately in my area, N Az, honest wood dealers are hard to come by. Dealers here think a stack of wood with 2 inch spaces between the wood is a cord. Lol.
I learned how to build my bins out of pallets by watching your channel... I learned how to use zip ties to measure my rounds by watching your channel... and now you tell me not to stack?!?! I learned by watching you, Chris! I learned by watching you!!! 😂 (not sure if you'll get the reference) but, lol either way 😁👍
That is awesome! But you can try somethings I show but if another way works better...go for it!
Very interesting. We use full chords here in Mew England. I have a woodlot and have always got my own wood with my son and grandson. I burn 4-41/2 chords a year. This year I had to order 2 chords of wood because I’m getting a new knee. Your video has given me a new understanding of terminology😊
Thanks for watching!
Good Morning Chris and all you wood hounds. My wood yard is buried with 1 1/2’ of snow.
Yup, we have a big steamy dump coming tomorrow!
Really enjoyable video.
I'm in North East Scotland, I don't bother stacking wood either.
To season it gets thrown on a pallet and left to the elements.
Prior to using, it goes undercover in an open type outbuilding we have.
Not sure if I saw them in the background of your video but we have similar/same.
IBC cages we call them, not sure if terminology is the same?
Easy to come by here either free or cheap, great way to store wood after you pull out the plastic container 👍🏻
Thanks...yup, IBC totes here too.
Chris another excellent piece of work ,advice and video 😮😊❤
Thanks Todd!
Done my share of wood selling on the side getting semi loads delivered of whole timbers of eucalyptus up to 4' in diameter, and had to buck, split, 7 stack for saving space and curing, I would have 20 full cords at a time in a 3/4 acre lot with my house and 2,500 square shop. Had a nice dump trailer that held a perfect load, so I dump and run! Made a ton of money!
A ton of money is a lot! You must be rich!
@@InTheWoodyard I don't work anymore! Retired & living the dream!!!!
How is the splitter working now ? Hydraulic problems worked out?
All good for a long time now...you will see a bunch of it soon!
I agree, it gets lots of air between the space and dries just as good if not better.
Yup!!!
Baby steps towards no stacking!👍 Now that you know the bins work awesome!Have you put any thought into what type of materials you should be gathering to build new ones with yet? These bins are an eyesore (imo)and will soon rot away. IDK if you have ever been in a confinement hog barn? But they have these concrete floor panels with slots in them, so pee and poo can fall through. If you could find some of these cheap. They would make a really nice floor and then build a permanent fence around the bin. I am just thinking outloud again for moving forward toward the future with a more permanent but not permanent structures!🤠
The pallets have worked great and you made use of materials you already had. I guess my comment is on thoughts of maybe doing something different in the future as these need replaced. Ideas on materials that won't break the bank but last longer than ankle breaking pallets!
I think that building "walls" from IBC totes full of wood (ran in loose from conveyor) would be the most efficient way to build a bin.
That sounds nice???? Maybe?
We will see!
Maybe so??
We have a wood ministry at church. An 85 acre campus has lots of trees and some donated wood from others. We split and stack in a large shed. People who need it can take for free to heat their homes. We also have some guys that can deliver if they have no way to pick up.
Very nice.
Great channel, thanks for all the hard work creating these videos. I've learnt a lot.
As regards bins, it wouldnt work here in the Uk because we have a mild maritime climate. Continuous rain and little sun especially in the winter. Even with stacking on pallets there's often mould growth in the base.
I'm envious of those blue sky Wisconson winters. ☹
Cheers
Sid
Great point! Thanks Sid!
same here in Western Washington state, it is cold and wet for months in the winter, moldy wood is a real problem. Lots of firewood companies around here kiln dry their wood since the drying season is too short otherwise.
Nice pockets
A glasshouse works well in damp climates to dry wood.....i got one of those cheap kitset 8x14ft ones just to dry firewood....worked great
@@unhippy1 sounds good but for production firewood work this isn't going to be practical.
Yes, I get it . A lot of extra work. I would do the same if I were a supplier. Cut, split and stack my own wood by April, 4-5 bush cord in Eastern Ontario and stack it two rows wide and four feet high on pallets. The advantage of stacking is that in autumn I can cover it in lumber tarps. Interesting video. BTW, you need a dump trailer, haha.
Yup, for you own wood it is fine to stack it especially if you want it neat and and have limited space. We do have 4 dump trailers, you might want to watch a few other videos here, there are 1300 waiting for you!
First one for me, will check them out. Thanks@@InTheWoodyard
Lots of theories. Here in the mountains in Australia I don’t stack wood either. Just for my use I cut it in the bush , usually a standing dead tree with now bark left on it. Then I throw it on the ute, dump it on the ground at the wood heap, no cover or shed. Then I split a wheelbarrow load with an axe or block buster and park it up on the porch undercover once it’s split. It’s dry inside until it is split. Our wood is hardwood usually Ironbark or box, it burns really hot , even if it’s wet.
Sounds like some great firewood...keep cuttin'!
I have a skid steer a dump trailer and a barge as we live on an island. I can’t imagine hand chucking that much wood. Just pour some cement pads in your bins and get a modified grapple to pick the wood and drop it in the dump trailer. Like you said, time is money.
That's a good idea for a lot of wood! I am fat enough as it is...I need MORE exercise not less...most equipment operators are very round..I fear round.
Nice video Chris. Happy that your wood corrals are working out. I really don't have enough space to do that. Years ago a used car guy near here used to make huge hay stack size piles on a concrete slab behind his shop. Always had half a dozen or so used pickup trucks for sale and 3 or 4 pickup box trailers. He sold wood in the high rent districts of Omaha (70 mile drive). Used an old grain elevator with a big old Kohler motor on it. He kept 3 or 4 local kids busy cutting, splitting and making the piles. GNI
That sounds like a good system he had!
How much wood would Woodstock stock if Woodstock would stock wood?
None, they where to high.
@@InTheWoodyard How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck if a Woodchuck would chuck wood?
G’morning Chris ! My youngest misses you “working really fast” while stacking. I have a boundary fence of full cords on 2 sides of my 1.5 acre. Thanks for ‘splaining.
GoodNightIrene
Stacked wood is pretty!
Chris, for the longest time I have always wondered why people stack fire wood to sell. I guess that customers have a hard time with what they will be getting, and stacking makes it easier to identify .....But I really agree with your system, it works, so you work less... Good job
Yup, thanks...Stacking is the best way for a true measure and it does look good!
Can you please show us how you are keeping the pallets from falling out when you pile the wood in the bins?
I have several videos on the channel showing it. They are wired at the corners top and bottom and across the middle at the top too.
200 cord of wood. 300 per cord. 60k gross. Maybe 50k net. Am I close?
Answered on the other post.
for over 40 years I have been chopping/ splitting wood etc,I would go with my father in-law, RIP. who was a Forrester(part time) and fell a tree (he was given trees ,a perk of the job,,and I spent many a back breaking weekend helping him fell,cutting and then splitting the oak, ash, birch and sometimes a pine (pine I always found was good to get the wood burner started)one thing to this day he taught me is chop/split the wood as soon as possible,same day if you can,and leave it for a year uncovered in these round metal cages..THEN stack it under the covered area(our covered are was basically a big car port)6-8 months later you have a 15 to 20 percent moisture,perfect oven wood
Yup, good system!
If you're buying wood by the "truck load" , chances are you're not getting cord price. Wood has to be stacked for measurement.
No it does not. I have loaded thousands of stacked and measured cords of firewood over the last 55 years and found that it always fills my trailers the same ....every time so why do I need to stack it if it fills my trailers the same every time. I was slow to get this fact after being told for years by full time professional firewood producers for years that they NEVER touch there firewood....ever... and always know how much wood fits their trailers so........
You load enough in a pickup you know how much you are selling buy from reputable sellers I know what a rick is on a truck
not allways I have bought and allso sold firewood by the truck load I use to get a lot of wood from a saw mill it was really cheap it was mostly oak and maple it was clean no bark a lot of it was 4x4 or4x6 any where from 10 inches to 16 inchs long
To save unloading the pickup, could you not put it on a tarp with a rope then hook up the rope and drive forward?
I suppose you could??
A beautiful wood stack is so satisfying, while a big messy pile looks the complete opposite, terrible.
In your eyes I suppose so but I cut and sell 250 full cords a year and have for decades...I used to stack all of it until I realized it was a waste of my time to do so...my piles dry better and faster than the stacks I used to make so....
Your not wrong but there’s something pleasing about a pile of chopped wood just piled up like a shocker of wheat 🤷♂️
Smooth Genuine presentation + common sense
Love from England
Thanks for watching from across the pond!
I burn about 6 to 7 cords a year, all of which I cut myself. It has been very tempting to pile it up without neatly stacking it, but when I have done that, I always overestimate how much wood I have on hand. One year, I thought I had about 8 cords, when I actually had about 5.5 !!!
User error
Yup, stacking does get you a pretty accurate measurement!
After one time of doing that you should know what you have. Stacking it in a shed one year vs throwing it in I know what’s in there now doing it both ways. My wife actually said why do you waste your time stacking it all ? It’s in the shed who cares. Farmers don’t stack corn cribs. I haven’t bothered since. It saves so much time now. Go out fire up Honda ,hook up otter sled ,go out cut ,load rounds bring back split make pile in clear Sunny area after wood is close I throw in wood shed to be out of weather to burn. Has worked for years.
absolutely agree! I put my firewood in wire bin made of rebar wire 5 ft tall 5 ft diameter. Dries just fine. I also have goats , so stacks of wood don't stay stacked. Also allow me to use wood that wouldn't stack very well.
Sounds like a great system!
Stacking or not stacking is not the issue.
Keep it off the ground and cover it.
It ain’t rocket science.
Yup I agree, but people like to fight about that there way is the best!
Good morning! I'm working toward not stacking
Awesome!
I agree with just throwing in the logs in the truck. Hauling it down from the mtn after cutting and loading is enough work for me. I split it at home. My 8’ bed (that never has to be made btw) with 2’ sides AND plywood rear door above the tailgate, fits plenty for a day
The 2 foot sides + the bed depth actually..
Yup, that sounds like a good day in the mountain!
Nice!
This ain't Rocket Science. Neatly stack a measured amount, then toss that same amount in a pile. Do that a few times and you'll have a good estimate for both types. I know you know what you're doing by not stacking unless a customer pays for stacking.
Yup, but some people think it is not possible to figure it out!
@@InTheWoodyard Make a video (shown in fast motion to save their time) available and show them the evidence. Tell them to watch it and make an informed decision based on facts, not speculation.
when I bought firewood They allways bumped it and I stacked Myself I liked My firewood stacked but I did it Myself
here in eastern canada, you pile wood on the ground the bottom 25-40 cms will never dry, will freeze into the ground & leave it long enough it'll rot. so big commercial wood yard no stacking make sense. homeowner , stack it up a few inches off the ground, cover it on top so it breathes/drys
Yup, off the ground does matter!
Not stacking it works out…😊
Where are the kitty cats 🐈
Yup! Cats are in the barn ..they stay in most days.
True only if you don't mind "good enough dry". The driest wood burns hotter with less creosote. Another factor is how much moisture comes up through the ground. A car always parked over dirt will rust out underneath faster than one always parked on pavement. I saw a 25 year old car with 6,000 miles on it that just sat in someones dirt driveway, it smelled like new on the interior and you could push your finger through the rusty frame. A larger pile of wood is exposed to more surface area of ground moisture. I'd be curious if you'd see drier wood faster if there was a tarp down first then put your big ole' pile over it
A vapor barrier on the ground is a good idea...I just put the wood on pallets.
Keep your Wood Clean Boys And Don't Touch It!
Yup.
Yup a bottom, sides and air to breathe all around looks good. In Alaska I heat with spruce, aspen, willow, birch, cottonwood. Heat is life
Yup, burn what you have!
The real secret about selling wood is that everybody's definition of a cord, a face cord, a half a cord, a third of a cord, or any type of cord, is not the same at all
No, the real secret is good honest prompt customer service selling clean dry ready to burn firewood.
I burn larger pieces in an outdoor boiler here in NW MN. When I collect the wood all the processing is done right there and then into the dump trailer. I dump it on the ground and occasionally stir up the pile with my skid steer. You do have to be careful not to dig the bucket into the ground and then the wood stays pretty clean.
If I spent much more time handling wood I would just pay for propane.
yup.
Time is money.... always... You're either makin it or spending it... choose wisely
Yup, I can make more money but not more time!
Wouldn't 20 face cords be 5 fuii cords or are you factoring the longer length of the split wood? In Canada a bush cord is the same as a full cord.
20 face cords is 6 2/3 full cords. One face cord is 1/3 of a cord.
@InTheWoodyard I quess it varies regionally. Here we've based a face cord at 32 c.f. or 1×4×8. Making a full cord 4×4×8 or 128c.f..But let's not split hairs when there's wood to split.
Poll for the day: How many of us replayed 1:51 back again 🤔
Ha! So you noticed that!!
Could you build a bucket for a loader like a rake so the crap and mud would fall through?
Yes but lots of them exist already.
Good Morning Woodhounds!!(-:
Hello!
What do people in your part of the world burn wood in mostly? Stoves, fireplaces, or outdoor pits?
I am in a small suburb kind of area here (fox river valley..250k people) mostly fireplaces and fire pits, very few heating stoves or boilers here.
He probably puts his clothes in big piles on the floor instead of using something silly like a dresser.
No, he does not, I am a big boy now and I fold and put away my clothes in a dresser and I hang my clothes in a closet to just like my mommy taught me about 60 years ago. Like I told you in my other comment I produce hundreds of cords of wood every year... for decades now...and to stack it all would take thousands of hours...I used to stack it all. I have a lot of old videos on my channel (1300) showing and demonstrating how to do it easy and fast but it would be a waste of time and effort for me to do it any more. I grew up just like other professional firewood producers. A friend of mine produces 3-5 semi truck loads every day and he never touches one piece of wood and neither does any of his 60 employees. So.....
@@InTheWoodyard are you actually trying to tell me that you didn't understand my comment was a tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor? As if I thought that you handled your clothing the same way as commercial firewood? You must be a really sharp one. And a great sense of humor!!
It is kinda hard to imagine exactly how hard you work. I calculate at least ten hours a year. Unbelievable!!! And you would not do it if it did not sell. More power to you.
I work 12-16 hours every day doing what I love to do. I wish days where longer!
“Don’t stack firewood”, then proceeds to explain “how to stack firewood”. 🤣🤣🤣🙄🙄🙄
No, I talked about why you do not need to.
I stack my wood above ground 8 feet deep by 12 feet wide by 4 to 5 feet high gives me over 3 cords , I’m good for the next two years, if I just threw it in a pile I wouldn’t know how much I had because there would be many voids in the pile as there always is when we just throw it in a pile!! You deal in a higher volume than I do so I wouldn’t stack it either if I’m just selling it off anyway!!!!
Btw opinions are like noses , everybody has one and they all smell!!!!
If you give a gift and expect something in return it’s not a gift it’s merely an exchange.
Yup, you are exactly correct. The true measure of a man is when he gives more than he takes...I say be a better man...give.