Not necessarily, when we were doing this job, Our biggest logging job yet. we checked with the local saw and chip mills. The big sweet gum, 10" and bigger brought 55/ton, small hardwood for chips was 21/ton. They were paying 58/ton for oak, had to be 12"+, 14.5', 16.5, or 18.2' long specs. Decided we needed to oak for inventory.
A little white oak hoarding this morning. Was only gone three hours and about :45 of that was driving. Less than 7 miles away, but 2 miles is creeping in four wheel drive. Next two victims are a hickory and white oak. When I started obtaining firewood from logging operations 2&1/2 years ago, all I cut were treetops. It is hard and dangerous work. Lots of getting smacked and stuck by limbs not to mention all the saw pinches. So cutting mainly tree trunks these days sure is spoiling me.
Cutting blowdowns can be dangerous too, but getting nice trunk wood is so rewarding. Nice looking area to cut. Have a great day
Hickory chainsaw massacre this morning. Base is about 40", but split into two trunks four feet up. Made for easy cutting this morning. Also got a full load off the right trunk yesterday. Unfortunately the large tree next to the hickory is a Sweetgum, so it will lay there undisturbed.
Big hoardy day. Bagged a hickory load this morning then a cherry load next door at my Dad's after a quick lunch. Now I am icing my aching mauling elbow. I try to limit myself to one load a day, but sold a FC of cherry Tuesday and felt the need to keep my cherry inventory steady. Cherry is what brings home the Benjamins during the summer months.
Awesome summer day of selling firewood. My restaurant account ordered another two ricks (2 every three weeks) and a JD distillery manager drove up to the restaurant from Lynchburg for a rick during my delivery. Bag a lot of $1G+ days in the winter, but very happy with my $750 hickory day. Fortunately I have about 25 cords of hickory out of my 70 inventory. Just this restaurant will bring in almost $9k a year. Hoping the JD dude will pay in single barrel select for his next purchase.
The storage shed almost holds a cord. Had to stack some off to the left side. Shed holds two rows and not easy on the back ducking in and out over 100 times.
Thank you very much. Bad thing about summer deliveries is the sun beating down on you. Went through a gallon of ice water and a change of clothes before I departed. Met the owner for the first time this morning. He let me know his chef's were very pleased with the hickory and wanted me as their full time firewood guy. He asked me for larger splits before this delivery. So I sorted through about four face cords to delivery the two today. Fortunately the Jack guy wanted smaller splits, so it all worked out. I've learned to have pallets of each type of wood split into various sizes. Most customers are happy with a medium split, but there is always the ones who wanted bigger or smaller.
Just as I predicted, the logger is raising his mixed and hickory $10 a FC. So I pre-paid him for six loads yesterday and plan on picking it all up today and tomorrow. Surprisingly, the splits sucked and lots of scrap. Ole well, it is too awesome of firewood to pass up. Just have to re-split 3/4s of it.
Big hoarding week and Father's Day. Sold four FCs, bought six FCs, and cut seven. This is only because my wife is visiting family for two weeks and she cooked me fourteen lunches and diners. So have been putting in 15 hours days and the weather has been perfect for going balls to the walls. Very surprised this year how the late Spring and early Summer sales are going. My smoking cherry, hickory, and white oak is in high demand. Cut 28 rounds out of this hickory
So this 20" hickory was at about a 40 degree angle tangled in the top. I drove in 2X4s along the length of the tree to support it. The first cut out of it was the only challenge since the weight of the tree was pushing towards the root ball. I am no chainsaw expert, but very happy I was able to get 35 feet out of this awesome hickory without any issues. The land owner is supposed to help me pull the top out with his tractor later next week since it is next to one of his deer hunting shacks.
I always bring my trimmer this time of year to clear around where I am cutting. Ticks, chiggers and snakes are always a concern so I like to have close to bare ground around me when cutting and hauling.
This was my cherry and white oak delivery today. His wife bought him a smoker for Father's Day, so he desired a delivery for today. I added another 30 or so pieces after shutting the tailgate. About 50 cuft of cherry and white oak. Cherry was reading 8-9% and white oak 12-14%. Getting very tight getting down my gravel road.
That's a great idea with the trimmer. Busy, busy, my friend. Stay hydrated. Heat will be here shortly.
Took the rackers on my chain down a lot before cutting today. Wow, the 372XP was spitting out big hickory chips like crazy.
