What do you do? How do you do it? Got tips for a newbie? As a newbie to wood cutting, burning, and the like, I'm blown away with how much firewood you guys have on hand. Do you follow tree cutters? Craigslist ads? I've spotted wood along the road and in median strips but don't know the protocol/rules for scrounging alongside busy roads. What do you do?I've been eyeing some big rounds in a cul-de-sac for a week or so and it seems they have no home. I'm a little apprehensive to just go pick them up, though. It'd be more than a notion to get those in my truck alone.
Ask the landowner about any wood you think you could use… always. Even if it's a state cutting job and the wood is just sitting there for a while. You never know. Lots of times, they just want it gone.
Started by watching Craigslist 4 times a day. Now I know some small tree companies and I just get called to go pick up wood. Helps having a good truck or trailer to haul the wood.
Here craigslist is hit really hard with a lot of people that can't find wood other ways. I have done great just asking around. A lot of people are very glad to have someone clean up their land. Once I started asking around I have way more wood that I can go after.
My early stuff all came from the city's branch drop off. After the city guys went home at noon on Saturday, all the small time tree guys would dump the big stuff. Now it has a fence around it with a gate that is locked all off hours Watching CL for small time tree guys is a great source but you have to be ready to work on their schedule with little notice. Anything other than the random hit on a tree service on CL is really hit or miss in my experience. Check local golf courses and farmers.
Welcome to the forum! Where in MD you from? Really all you have to do with wood in question is ask about it. Craigslist works pretty well in my area of Maryland, especially after a storm that knocks down trees. Another tip i see in your signature you have a cheapo axe and a maul. Do yourself a favor and get a fiskars x25,x27 they are serious splitting weapons. I split all mine by hand and it handles wood like a champ.
Make friends with the local tree guys, big and small. Depending on where you live you might even find that they will deliver for free because they would have to truck it to a dump otherwise (and pay to get rid of it.) If you are spotting wood lying about the right of ways then I think you are in an area where there isn't much demand, in some places roadside wood would be gone within hours.
Craigslist, made contacts through it. Keeping an eye open while driving around and stopping to ask. Some will deny, but the majority will pleasantly be grinning that they dont have to touch it again.
Ask your neighbors and friends, especially people who have lots of trees in the yard. Probably every year a friend of yours has a tree taken down, or large branches fall in a storm, or a tree they have been wanting to get rid of. I don't try to cut down trees that could hit a building or wires, but that still leaves a lot of stuff I'll cut down, and most of the 30 cords of wood I've collected in the past few years has been already down. Lots of towns or counties have dumps where wood, branches, etc. are piles and you might be able to take a lot of wood from one of those places. Around here some townships have rubbish days when they'll chip and haul off trees and branches, and before those days it is common to find some decent firewood piled along the curb. Once stuff is along the curb I'll just take it without asking. I'll ask if somebody is present to ask, but I don't always take the time to knock on the door - they're throwing the stuff away so I don't worry about taking it. I have collected a lot of wood by picking up a few pieces at a time. I figure a few rounds or a decent sized branch are enough for a fire in my stove so they're worth the effort to pick up.
Thanks for the tips, y'all. I'll just start asking around more, and definitely ask before I just start taking roadside wood.. I have a fair amount of pine and oak available for me to cut, but seasoning oak for the upcoming year won't work out and I think I want longer burn times than pine can provide. I'm thinking I'll call around to see about the legality of cutting downed trees along right-of-ways. It's just my luck I'd get hassled about it. Considering I need a couple black locusts dropped in the yard, I'll probably be in contact with a couple of tree removal guys pretty soon. I'll be sure to ask them, too.
I live in Columbia but work down in Brandywine. I've been debating on getting an X27 but I'd hate to try it out and hate it. Everyone raves about how great it is but that's $50 for something I won't be able to try out first. I haven't seen any in stores locally just yet but will probably break down and get one soon. Also, I'm tempted by those cheapo Earthquakes you guys stocked up on. Same price as the X27...
The x27 is worth it trust me. I have seen it at my local walmart. Got mine off amazon. I doubt many people burn wood in columbia should make for good scrounging!
