I’ve thought about it but can never figure out what to say or how to approach a total stranger on their property about something of theirs I want...So it’s never happened.
I have adopted this attitude. For $200 I'll stack it. After a summer of cutting and gathering the 'free' stuff, I don't think it's worth it.
Yawner , please remember, tree felling is hard dangerous work involving expensive equipment, insurance, & gear. Good tree guys are hard to come by & deserve what they charge. Climbing & buckets are costly, can be dangerous & time consuming to do safely. If you're in need of firewood, by all means ask folks. I've done it many times with good success. Often the best/safest route is to have a pro drop the tree & then clean it up for the wood. Saves the owner money & you get wood & very little liability. I will not drop trees free of charge except for family/friends. I now manage two woodlots for deadfall & necessary removal/thinning. More wood than I can burn. The deal is simple, I will push brush into a designated are within 50 yards of the felling zone or charge by the hour to clean up. Too much time otherwise. jrider has it right. No such thing as "free firewood". That tree is yard waste till it's css & that costs time & money.
It just so happens the trees I am cutting down are elm. Not a bad burning wood for the high plains. Take what you can get.
That is true but if someone is giving you good wood from their yard, it just make sense to do that as a thank you.
Helping a neighbor is one thing. Doing free labor for a random home owner makes no sense to me but to each their own.
Everyone's situation is different so it will vary from person to person as most things. Some folks have plenty of land to cut off of, some have friends or family with plenty of land to cut from, some have an in with a friend or tree guy that drops wood off, while others like myself scrounge mostly off CL, FB, and the local neighborhood. Cutting down a tree for free firewood is a lot of work 1000% agreed, but if that's part of your only means to get BTU's then hec.
amateur cutter said it perfectly. Ive posted adds on CL looking for firewood and state that I will cut and take the usable wood and the property owner is responsible for brush and clean up. Even offered to sign a waiver. Have you tried an add on CL Yawner. Or advertised locally? Sounds like you can make a little money and get some wood in the process!
I have sold some cords here and there but it's word of mouth. I don't do Facebook anymore except to look for stuff on Marketplace but it's about the only place I could gain any leads around here in this small town to sell firewood. I don't 'need' wood as I have PLENTY on my woodlot. I just hate to see trees go to waste when I drive around. Around here, if people don't just let them rot down (taking that chance), and if they get a tree service to haul them off, where do they go? To the town burn dump for trees. That's just a waste to me. I scrounge there but it's a PITA due to heavily compacted trees/limbs, intertwined and tied into knots from dump trailer loads. One time I caught the town employee who runs the tractor with front end loader. I asked if he would pull some great wood off the big pile. He pulled off enough me AND another guy got all the wood we wanted for a couple days. Brad, I am plenty neighborly but, I swear, I am thinking taking wood and cleaning up the whole mess for no charge is a mistake. I have always cleaned places up where I took wood, but I am rethinking it. It is a huge amount of work, and as I have said more than once in this very thread, people pay a LOT of money to get trees cut and hauled off. Rightfully so, as mentioned here, it's hard work and it is very dangerous! To sell wood, I am going to have to expand into the next town away where people have more money. And more fireplaces. I really need a better/heavier trailer. I have a 5x10, a 5x8 and a 4x8. I need longer and dual axle. I also need a 3/4 ton pickup instead of 1/2 ton, lol. I also need a dependable helper! That's the big one around here. People won't work and if a guy will work, he's employed or spoken for by somebody else. Kinda worry about liability, too. What if he gets hurt? I like messing with wood and as I said, love running a saw!
Just a little (411) for everyone. Some land owners are now so afraid of getting sued they won't let you cut due to if you get injured. This has actually happened to me and what I was told. They would rather the tree fall and rot or hit something then let the insurance pay. Get to know or ask a "landscaper or tree surgeon". A lot of times they have to pay "dump/tipping" fees to get rid of wood. They would make money dumping it at your place. I have found a case of Beer goes a long way with some of these guys! After a couple Nor-Easters here though, people are "begging" you to take their trees. That has always been my saving grace here is a good storm.
I hear you about the wood waste. I don't often go there, but the local town dump has mound of wood and brush. Homeowners and landscapers dump there. Mound is huge. I take brush there on occasion. The guy let's me grab some wood even though it's not allowed. He even let me cut after hours once. I've posted pics before and will do so for you when I get my netbook back on Friday. Have you tried local high school or VA for help? I had a vet helping me years back. Good worker. I'm like you with the old school hand shake agreement.
That's exactly what I need to do. I need to keep my eyes and ears open a little better and find that opportunity.
There is a certain tree guy who charges really big money but he's really good and I watched his guys work one time as they took down a big tree and he let me take some wood. He was real personable. The last crew I hit up it was a no go. Luck of the draw, I suppose. Next time I see that first guy I am going to see if we can't strike a deal to bring wood to me instead of town dump. Will be interesting to get his response.
I’ve always been fortunate to have property to cut on, but I would see no harm in asking. Around here people seem to think it’s better to sneak in and take what they want without doing so. Actually have had people claim I’m taking their wood when I’m cutting on my own place. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
one big farm i shoot on has a lot of falling trees in a big wood, and they have been down a few years i asked him if i could clean them up and have the wood, he said help your self,
