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Old 02-18-2020, 05:02 PM
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Default Happiness is....

hitting mid-February with a nice stack of firewood outside your door. Those who heat with wood can relate, I'm sure. It's been a pretty mild winter in my neck of the woods, but my previous firewood supply dwindled nevertheless. I knew I wasn't going to make it a month without getting some more, and I like to get a decent amount when I order from my "firewood guy."

Those who either cut their own or don't heat with wood may not be able to appreciate the importance of having a "firewood guy." I generally don't give it much thought until my neighbor remarked on my newly acquired pile. She asked where it came from and the cost, which I shared. In her own roundabout way she shared that she thought that I'd overpaid. That got me to thinking.

She tends to order small loads from local guys, one of whom I'd previously purchased several loads from. However, I found that it was difficult to pin this particular guy down as to when he might be able to deliver, a pretty important consideration during a cold snap. The quality of his wood tended to be inconsistent - some of it may have been a tree several weeks prior to delivery (green & unseasoned) while other stuff would be junk wood like pine and cedar which burns way too fast. In addition (and this is important), he would throw his delivery into the back of his truck rather haphazardly leaving a lot of empty space in the truck bed rather than firewood. In the world of firewood, all truckloads of the same size truck bed are not equal and all firewood is definitely not equal.

My "guy" delivered the firewood the day after I contacted him. The wood was stacked inside his truck bed so there was a minimum of empty space that wasn't firewood. In addition, and those with bad backs like mine can appreciate this, he stacked the wood in front of my cabin as shown below. I don't want to stack firewood for the same reason that I no longer cut my own firewood - a bad back. I should also state that my firewood guy cuts his wood a year in advance of sale so it's nicely seasoned and consists of all hardwoods. So all things considered, did I overpay for my firewood? I don't think so.

However, it got me to thinking that buying firewood is a metaphor of sorts for the adage that you get what you pay for. We frequently get AGF questions from new guitar players regarding what guitar to purchase. Guitars can seem very pricey until one gets immersed and then that refrain, "You get what you pay for" gets oft repeated. This is not to say that less expensive guitars are not playable, but if one has his heart set on a $1500-$2500 Martin or Taylor and can afford it, does it make sense to buy a less expensive stepping stone guitar knowing full well what he really wants. Clearly guitars outlast firewood - firewood is very expendable while guitars for the most part are long term acquisitions. I'm at the point in my life when I'd rather pay a little more for firewood or a guitar and get what I want. Ok, sure sometimes my guitars end up in the AGF Classifieds, but that happens knowing that I got what I wanted. If it ends up being sold, then someone else got what I thought was a great guitar...

Last edited by RP; 11-20-2021 at 07:06 AM.
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Old 02-18-2020, 05:15 PM
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Hope it stays mild for you. I've noticed the rainy season running later out west, so December and January haven't had as much rain, but then we catch up in February and March.
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Old 02-18-2020, 05:16 PM
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Nicely stacked as well. I've dealt with both the shady guys and the straight-up guys. I'll pay a little more to get a good product, well-handled.

Bob
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Old 02-18-2020, 06:09 PM
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fazool fazool is online now
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I can relate.

I added a fireplace when we put a large addition on 20+ years ago and the fireplace is used to supplement the furnace. But I grew up with a wood fireplace that heated part of the house so we have it going most days.

Back when my wife stayed home she became quite the firetender and ran the fire essentially around the clock from Thanksgiving until the wood ran out in March.

Lately I've been buying seasoned wood from the same "guy" and it's always good except if you order earlier in the off-season you get the better wood and late in the off-season the less seasoned wood is what's left.

I go through about 4 face cord each season now. But this has been such a mild winter I haven't even finished 2.5 yet.
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Old 02-18-2020, 06:19 PM
Don Lampson Don Lampson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RP View Post
hitting mid-February with a nice stack of firewood outside your door. Those who heat with wood can relate, I'm sure. It's been a pretty mild winter in my neck of the woods, but my previous firewood supply dwindled nevertheless. I knew I wasn't going to make it a month without getting some more, and I like to get a decent amount when I order from my "firewood guy."

Those who either cut their own or don't heat with wood may not be able to appreciate the importance of having a "firewood guy." I generally don't give it much thought until my neighbor remarked on my newly acquired pile. She asked where it came from and the cost, which I shared. In her own roundabout way she shared that she thought that I'd overpaid. That got me to thinking.

She tends to order small loads from local guys, one of whom I'd previously purchased several loads from. However, I found that it was difficult to pin this particular guy down as to when he might be able to deliver, a pretty important consideration during a cold snap. The quality of his wood tended to be inconsistent - some of it may have been a tree several weeks prior to delivery (green & unseasoned) while other stuff would be junk wood like pine and cedar which burns way too fast. In addition (and this is important), he would throw his delivery into the back of his truck rather haphazardly leaving a lot of empty space in the truck bed rather than firewood. In the world of firewood, all truckloads of the same size truck bed are not equal and all firewood is definitely not equal.

My "guy" delivered the firewood the day after I contacted him. The wood was stacked inside his truck bed so there was a minimum of empty space that wasn't firewood. In addition, and those with bad backs like mine can appreciate this, he stacked the wood in front of my cabin as shown below. I don't want to stack firewood for the same reason that I no longer cut my own firewood - a bad back. I should also state that my firewood guy cuts his wood a year in advance of sale so it's nicely seasoned and consists of all hardwoods. So all things considered, did I overpay for my firewood? I don't think so.

However, it got me to thinking that buying firewood is a metaphor of sorts for the adage that you get what you pay for. We frequently get AGF questions from new guitar players regarding what guitar to purchase. Guitars can seem very pricey until one gets immersed and then that refrain, "You get what you pay for" gets oft repeated. This is not to say that less expensive guitars are not playable, but if one has his heart set on a $1500-$2500 Martin or Taylor and can afford it, does it make sense to buy a less expensive stepping stone guitar knowing full well what he really wants. Clearly guitars outlast firewood - firewood is very expendable while guitars for the most part are long term acquisitions. I'm at the point in my life when I'd rather pay a little more for firewood or a guitar and get what I want. Ok, sure sometimes my guitars end up in the AGF Classifieds, but that happens knowing that I got what I wanted. If it ends up being sold, then someone else got what I thought was a great guitar...

How much does a cord of firewood go for in your area?

I have a great firewood guy who always delivers, and stacks it in my shed. Pine is $100, Eucalyptus, $200 (my favorite). and oak for $300.......

Don
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Old 02-18-2020, 07:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Lampson View Post
How much does a cord of firewood go for in your area?
Here's a link to my guy's Craigslist ad....https://charlottesville.craigslist.o...054429185.html
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Old 02-18-2020, 07:27 PM
AmericanEagle AmericanEagle is offline
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Nice, but I can’t relate. I’m stuck with oil heat.
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Old 02-18-2020, 07:29 PM
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I think you've got a good firewood guy. Quality is always worth it!
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Old 02-18-2020, 08:04 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RP View Post
...Clearly guitars outlast firewood...
Never played an Esteban, have you...?
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Old 02-18-2020, 08:09 PM
Ben M. Ben M. is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
I can relate.

I added a fireplace when we put a large addition on 20+ years ago and the fireplace is used to supplement the furnace.
You might already know this but, a fireplace isn't the most efficient way to heat your house. Most of the heat goes right up the chimney.
With a wood stove you've got a big ol' chunk of cast iron with a fire blazing inside of it radiating a lot more heat.

As for firewood "You get what you pay for" is just as true as with anything else you buy. If you burn unseasoned wood you're chimney is probably gonna get clogged with creosote buildup.

I cut all my own fire wood and only turn the furnace on in extremely cold temperatures. It's a lot of work and a pretty giant pain in the rear end but I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Old 02-18-2020, 08:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
Never played an Esteban, have you...?
No, but to be fair, here's the rest of the sentence....

"firewood is very expendable while guitars for the most part are long term acquisitions."
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Old 02-18-2020, 08:14 PM
rjathon rjathon is offline
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Default Great Depression

My Dad grew up, without electricity, during the Great Depression. They burned wood for heat. They cut the wood by hand with ripsaws and axes and transported it with horse drawn wagons.

During the energy crisis in the 1970’s, when wood stoves, log splitters, and chain saws became popular he said that he would be destitute before he would ever go back to burning wood. He saw central heating as a modern day marvel.

As an aside when my sister was in college, around 1976, she took a guitar course. Dad dredged up an old guitar from his childhood and she took it to class. This guitar had to be built in the 1930’s. The instructor told her that it was unsuitable to learn on.

Russ
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Old 02-18-2020, 08:26 PM
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Burning wood is a messy way to heat, but my cabin is a rental that came with a wood stove which easily heats its 900 sq. feet. The cabin also retains the heat well, and I keep a pot of water on the stove to maintain humidity. Wood heat is especially desirable when there's a power outage so like most things, there are plusses and minuses. With all due respect to your Dad, Russ, central heat becomes less of a marvel when the power goes out for several days...

Last edited by RP; 02-18-2020 at 08:46 PM.
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Old 02-18-2020, 10:15 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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That looks a good load of firewood, Randy. Nicely stacked, nicely split, about the right size to dry well. Good for you.

I cut my own firewood every summer, about 5 cords, and it's always a lot of work and it involves some risk of getting hurt, so I am always extremely careful and deliberate about how I work. It takes me at least two months to cut and split and stack that much firewood, but it gets us through the winter. We have electrical heat in my studio and a heat pump in the house, so we can get by without any wood heat, but having a fire makes things so much more comfortable. And, it saves on electricity by a significant amount every year. All my wood comes from my own property, all downed trees, so there is no waste and I'm not denuding my own forest property.

- Glenn
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Old 02-19-2020, 01:26 AM
flaggerphil flaggerphil is offline
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I have a gas fireplace, but then we live in east-central Florida, so...
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