Dang, that sounds like some old stuff, cos MikeInMa ain't no spring chicken. Just kidding buzz-saw - I knew what ya meant.
I’d love to be 3 years out, just not going to happen until I retire. Or buy 60-80 cord to get there, hard enough getting 20-25 a year to burn.
I've only been here three years. I have 2-3 years' worth stacked. The first year I processed three cords. We bought the stove in the summer towards the end of the first year. Until this year my firewood operation has been slowed due to house remodeling projects. I'm hitting the firewood hard now. I would like to get 3-4 years stacked and then sell a few cords every year to pay from my chainsaw addiction.
I feel your pain. We had an outdoor wood burner heating 3 different buildings & it was all I could do to have enough for each season. One year I bought 3 triaxles & that was a big help but a bit of $! We just updated to a new gasification outdoor wood burner & I’m hoping it’s going to burn less wood to help me get ahead. Right now I’m on the 2 year plan which is better than I’ve ever been. Funny when I’m talking to somebody about wood burning & we ask each other how much we burn each season & I say 24 cords or so they look at me like I’m making it up or I don’t know what a cord of wood is but I tell them “Believe me I know all to well what it takes to produce a full cord of wood!” Keep on hoarding brother!
I'm about 5 years ahead. Primo oaks are worth the wait for sure. I easily get 8 hour burns overnight on them.
Being ahead with your stacks is a great feeling. Im hoping to hit the 5 year plan this summer. The problem I have is when I see any open spaces in the stacks, it drives me and I feel I need to refill it immediately. After a 5 year plan, I may start to sell. But I better get a splitter first.
I had some 40 cord split and stacked under cover, then the neighborhood changed- most everyone I knew for years either passed away or sold and moved. so in the new crowd was someone with a long nose poking it in everyone's face. That started a war with the local gov. - I wood get slammed with some new code ( not a good idea to pizz off the good humor man) and I wood reseach it and take them to court. Gets pricy and tiring- never lost a case. Got fed up with the constant harassment. Sold the place in 2017, but I could not possiblely move all those btu's to the new place out in the sticks. Took some along bulk stayed. Trying to sell fired wood in the middle of summer didn't go to well, even at give away price. Not much scrounging out in farm country. One of my customers bid a lot clearing job not too far away from my new to me place about 20 minutes out. 4- 30 foot dump loads of all the good stuff , bulk of it being 8-20 ft long X 15-30" dia. Been pounding away at it every since. slight hitch in the get along as I popped a hernia- not from the wood- had to have surgery to repair - so things were at a stand still for awhile while I healed up. Back at it now weather permitting. At present there is about 20 cord css maybe more, some at 3,2,1 years . at a stand still right now tractor been in the shop for the last month bunch of little issues that add up- mostly just age on the fuel delivery system . leaking running rough starting issues- O ring seals aging out. Can't really work out there when it's below 40 F. Dang PAD slowes me down, not to mention the snow drifts. Makes it hard to get at anything. We haven't had that much snow yet but being in the wide open the drifts build up quick.
Just now as I was loading up the stove for the overnight, another benefit of the 3 year plan popped into my head. (Even though I don’t think I’ve made it yet) I looked at the pile of splits beside the stove and thought, “ I’m sure glad I got a jag of wood brought inside before the last snow”. And then I got to thinking about how I used to have a pickup box trailer with wood sitting in the driveway, often times covered with snow. And when that would run out I’d scramble to find another load of usually standing dead elm that I believed to be dry enough to burn as soon as I got it split into the trailer. It also had to be readily accessible given what the snow condition might be at the time. Well this year we are having a winter the likes of which we haven’t had for decades. It would be nigh impossible to get around in the field to gather wood for over a month now. I’m sure glad I have a good stash in the back yard this winter, even if it’s not 3 years worth!! You can bet it will be by this time next year
Wondered how you might feel about this I am at least 2.5 years ahead BUT I will wait til ice melts to finish years 3 and four. This is birch and maple so it will be ok with 3 summers to dry
Three is good. Right now I’m burning oak that came to me in March of 2018, just shy of 5 years. I’ll be able to get the space that’s opening up backfilled this spring with a call to my tree guy. 3+ years of wood is piece of mind stacked up in the back yard.
