#45 Firewood - The size of pieces that sells and why

[@TakeNoneForTheTeam]

OMG... Watching a video from just over a year ago. Old yellow splitter, trees hadn't been cut down, piles were 6 feet tall, wood yard a little more disorderly, you spoke 1/2 as fast, birds chirping during the time-lapse portion, cookie and the other "face" round, and you asked us to comment (you hate our comments now... like this one). Very cool!

[@InTheWoodyard]

I love all the comments! The only thing that is tough is when one person asks 20 questions all at once!! Thanks for watching, Michael!

[@williammorris7895]

Great stuff :) I'm resplitting a load of my wood this winter, even smaller than yours ("oversize kindling" - I like that, lol!). The reason being was that we got the wood late (supply shortage), so it's not quite dry enough yet, and I find it burns a bit better when small. Not ideal to be burning damp wood, but sometimes you've gotta work with what you've got!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, it all burns!

[@joeford7350]

Chris, I just watched an old video of you splitting wood. You are so much better off today.

[@InTheWoodyard]

I am working at it!

[@rv3089]

your stacks look so neatly stacked!!. I just bought me a splitter and i want to start selling firewood here in texas since i already have a tree service business. Thanks for your content!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Cool, go for it, you will never have enough dry wood when you start! Get cuttin'!

[@edzeigler1164]

I agree with everything you said. I cut just for me and my family. I like to use up all my wood every year too, that way I always have nice wood for everybody to burn. I am 76 years old and it is harder for me every year to do this, so I am going to continue to cut trees all winter and keep dragging them up to my woodyard. That way I am sure to have several years of wood ahead for the years I can,t do it anymore. That isn,t the way I have always done it, but the way I will in my last year's. I never want to be without firewood. Wood heat is a nice dry warm heat, and the only heat I like. Thanks for your good videos Chris, keep up the good work. Have a great day. Every day is a great day for me because life means so much more to me now than it ever did when I was younger. I thank the Lord every night for 1 more great day.

[@InTheWoodyard]

ED! Waking up and working every day is a real blessing! Keep cutting!

[@RoyFabian]

I have a small fireplace in my house, but i run it alot and i run it hot. Sometimes on the weekends, i dont have to re-light it. I split mostly slivers, kindling, and smaller chunks just because its easy to carry and get going. But i also split a bunch of big all nighters too. Once i got a solid bed of embers, the all nighters burn beautifully.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, you know what works well!

[@larrymartensmartens1044]

Could you explain is middle & top of white oak tree's have more or less than around to the base as far the moisture percentage? Down here in southeastern Louisiana, l was suggested to cut the length 20 inches. Watching ,learning & doing(the wooden pallet pens) checking the moisture to separate above & below 20%. Would you suggest the different length fireplaces wood you would recommend to cut to be opened to customers?

[@InTheWoodyard]

16" is the industry standard, longer ones are requested occasionally for wood boilers. The butt of any tree will have more moisture if the tree is dead/dying because the tops will dry out first and faster.

[@tomwaldo9556]

I primarily heat with wood. My wife always tended the stove while I'm at work so I made the smaller more manageable sizes. She passed away in the late fall last year year so I have to relight the stove when I got home from work. I had a shortage of kindling. This year I'll have some bigger pieces so hopefully more coals when I get home. And I have plenty of kindling. Maybe less stress also. Wish my boxer would stack for me but he says I don't pay him enough.

[@charlesheinsohn2923]

My dog doesn't help either all he does is sleep on the job

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sorry to hear about your wife Tom. Maybe you need to get another dog that you can train better than the boxer! I saw the truckload of logs you got on Joe's video. Be careful on that pile!

[@chainsawFirewood89]

@@InTheWoodyard I got different customers I have Red Oak I sell a full cord for $120 an deliver as well an now one wants 16in another customer wants 14 in, do you just sell 1brand such as red oak and how long do you generally have to cut your firewood at?? Thank you 👍 an I Subscribed as well!

[@hardwoodharry6364]

Thank you for the great information and what's better it makes great sense to me cheers

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thank you for watching Harry!

[@stannelson2582]

Love Mr Pringle’s the face block

[@InTheWoodyard]

Hey Stan, their names are Cookie and Woody!

[@thefirewooddoctor]

The 3in size seems to be really popular in a lot of places. Keeping the size consistent makes it a lot easier to stack. You and your customers are right, 3in for recreational use. Is easy to handle and seems to burn a lot better in a fire pit/ring. Not sure if I'll cut/split for furnace wood.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Plus it drys faster to!

[@chrislaflair8243]

I have a few loads of larger split wood and I’m curious on others people’s opinions. I prefer the smaller easier to handle pieces and with the new high efficiency stoves if you put the same amount of wood in just more pieces for overnight will the burn last as long. I’ll know in a year or two because I’m splitting it smaller now.

[@InTheWoodyard]

You will get the same amount of BTUs out of it because it is the same weight solid or split into 3-4 smaller pieces BUT, it might burn a little faster unless you pack the pieces tight in the stove because more space provides more oxygen for the wood /fire to burn. Thanks for watching Chris!

[@redeagle6842]

I split most of mine about the same size. I call it Grandma wood. My wife like it that way when she takes care of the fire. I do leave some bigger splits for night logs. Always cut at least a year ahead.

[@InTheWoodyard]

William , it sounds like your a smart man, keep the wife happy!

[@marksparkplug7758]

You are correct Chris, I split small because the women fill the stove or fireplace. I Always get compliments on the smaller size. It helps me for faster drying time. I just finished bucking up a cord or better of Ash had to take a break getting hot out.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Exactly! Ya! I can't wait for frost!

[@hagen8745]

Do you sell with bark on? Does it make much a difference to your buyers?

[@InTheWoodyard]

Either way as long as it is dry!

[@kuzenr.413]

Hi Chris, can you give me a brief idea that if I want to heat my place up with a firewood in fireplace that is 1 meters wide and about 80 centimeters high with firewood. I am having difficulty to use the fireplace to heat my living area that is about 25 square meter. I have access to Oak or Alder wood. .

[@InTheWoodyard]

You should talk to a professional heating and cooling person, your whole system probably needs to be looked at for safety and efficiency. Thanks for watching Okan!

[@cowboyjoyandtheRoughCuts]

Chris - I am looking for your type of customers...And I am focused on Bundles. any experience you could share with that type of firewood sales? My brother keeps bugging me about retiring, he rubs it in about golfing four times a week and fishing once. IDK Keep going Chris with your brother's comment about "oversized kindling" is funny but keep cuttin'. that's what you teach us!

[@InTheWoodyard]

What will chasing a little white ball around on over manicured grass accomplish? Cut firewood and be productive. Fishing once in a while is good for recovery however!

[@cowboyjoyandtheRoughCuts]

@@InTheWoodyard Sounds good, I watched Tom and yourself evaluate the Prosizer....I just got mine in hand today. It came in the mail box - ordered direct spoke with Bob.

[@digbyodell2924]

If I'm burning it...will it fit through the furnace door?! Pretty much the same otherwise doing both recreation and for heating. For heating I'll crack the end in the middle on larger 4-6 inch pieces to help get them seasoned in a year yet still retain the longer burn characteristics.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, you got it right!

[@disenfranchisedcitizen1432]

How well does your wood in the longer logs season and does it take the same amount of time to season compared to being bucked to 16” pieces. My issue is time. I have a lot of red and white oak, cotton wood, sycamore, and cherry in logs and won’t be able to cut it to 16” until at least November-22 to split.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Splitting any wood will speed up the drying time a lot, oak always dries the slowest!

[@disenfranchisedcitizen1432]

@@InTheWoodyard do you cover your uncut logs ever, or only cover the split wood in the winter?

[@firefly6396]

You might want to look into getting a kinetic splitter they have between a 3-7 second cycle time so you could split even faster love the videos keep them coming

[@InTheWoodyard]

I looked at all of the kinetic splitters and almost bought one but after hearing about the problems and the lack of power for nasty knotty stuff I decided on the Eastonmde ULTRA because it was a fast yet powerful hydraulic heavier built machine. Thanks for watching!

[@JesseLJohnson]

I usually mix the size of the wood in my piles but I normally don't sell either. The last couple years I have sold the extra and all that I have split smaller then I would normally use heating the body shop but I still mix in some medium sized chunks and everybody that has bought has either had a camp or a fireplace nobody was actually heating with it and nobody usually wanted more then just a face cord. I have had quite a few message me lately though all urgent that they were out of wood. Not sure how you could be out when winter hasn't even started but all of those people wanted me to deliver and were so far away it didn't make sense since I don't have a dump trailer and the only trailers I have are either flat or enclosed car trailers. I can fit a couple face cords in the bed of my old 06 crew cab 8 foot 3/4 ton Silverado I keep around and all these people wanted 1-3 whole cords not making that many trips especially since they all were basically expecting free delivery and they were all an hour or more away.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yes, if they want it for a low price and free delivery you do not want them as customers, raise your prices and charge for delivery. Good luck!

[@JesseLJohnson]

@@InTheWoodyard I was only getting $60 a face probably should have got more. Don't really have a problem delivering but I can't do it free especially when most of them want me to do a 2 hour or so round trip besides the time loading and unloading. I have had some that have messaged me that are as far as 80-200 miles away. They are in big cities too though so assuming the wood there is considerably more expensive. Normal price is $50-75 around here it seems but I see some listed for $100 that is only cherry or oak see some that is only apple I guess people must buy for smoking and that is a bit more expensive then that. I just have it all mixed cherry, maple, ash for the most part with some hickory, birch, and what everybody calls ironwood here think its really called hophornbeam. Lot of that ironwood here and most of it is dying just the trees never seem to get very big. Most of it is no bigger then 8-12 inch diameter. I cut a dozen or more of them that had blown down behind my body shop and I found more recently looking around the woods.

[@eddiemortontapman7252]

Have you ever done a count on how many pieces you get in a face cord with the size that you are splitting? Helped a friend fill his road side stand and he put 19 pieces in his $10 slot

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yes, lots of times. I kinda know how many pieces in a face cord, but it does vary a bit.

[@mjmtreeservicemaintenance2940]

Lot of different customers. Heating with wood, the weekend warrior, outdoor burning and smoking and cooking. I offer different sizes and different species of hardwood. Oak is King around here we have so much of it.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Oak is king around here too! But I sell everything I get every year, but the oak does go first!

[@stannelson2582]

My stove is small Vermont casting intrepid 20 inch box. I like small and 12 to 14 inches long

[@InTheWoodyard]

In 6 years of selling wood now I only had 1 guy ask for bigger stuff. And I have about 120-150 customers each year.

[@mauricefancey7580]

i heated and did my own wood for 30 years now old and cant do it but like watching it

[@InTheWoodyard]

Thanks for watching Maurice!

[@stephenkininmonth63]

I sell firewood full time in the UK we cut to around 10inches in length as the wood stoves are more efficient than the ones in the US and wood burnt on an open fireplace is very rare next year in the uk moisture content of firewood is controlled by law 20% maximum also firewood is around 3 times the price in the uk

[@InTheWoodyard]

I'm going to have to start shipping wood over to you to sell, 3x $$$$ sounds good to me!

[@offroadlife05]

I know the wood I do for myself Is much bigger then those that I sell I half it for myself I sell to a mixture so I quarter my wood and when my customers call me o ask is they want fine split or what I call normal quarters

[@offroadlife05]

I’m in southern Ontario Canada I sell out of dry wood late fall every season by January the only wood you can buy around here is green wood big demand here

[@InTheWoodyard]

Same here! I sell out every year and I always wish I had more to sell. So every year I increase the output only to be mad that I run out and have people that want to give me money but I'm out of wood again!

[@stannelson2582]

Why do you always toss your splits across your body and not out the far side over the splitter

[@InTheWoodyard]

Sometimes it's because I'm throwing them to where I'm going to stack it. And sometimes I try to change up the throwing motion to save my arm or shoulder from getting sore. If I split for 8-10-12 hours I need to use my body in different ways so that I can last longer. Good question!

[@stannelson2582]

In The Woodyard that makes sense I toss out with my left hand. Don’t think I could do it day after day. Happy splitting

[@Bill-rs3mj]

Been sale firewood 18 years most is smaller wood wear in NC.

[@InTheWoodyard]

18 years! You probably know a lot about what people want and how to run a firewood business!

[@CABINDAD]

I cut for myself. I’m 68,in a wheelchair and have a outside boiler

[@InTheWoodyard]

That is great, keep cuttin'

[@integralstanley]

Most if my customers burn in fire pits and fireplaces. They like thin seasoned pieces that are easy to burn.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup! People that burn for enjoyment want a flame!

[@Mainelywork]

🤘

[@InTheWoodyard]

T H A N K S !

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

I split my stuff down to the size of my hand. So when it's on the stack anyone can grab it with one hand.. Have not had anyone complain the last 3 years..

[@InTheWoodyard]

Daniel, you sound like you are a true professional!

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

@@InTheWoodyard : thank you. But just like you thw wood yard is something to do out side for me as I am inside all day for my primary job..

[@DylanDyck]

I like burning big pieces in my stove because they burn longer but this year I want to start selling about 15-20 cords but here everyone and their dog sells firewood so hopefully people actually buy

[@InTheWoodyard]

Here is the best tip you are going to get this year!!!! Offer free delivery within 10 miles or so, people love it and will pay more than having to go get it.

[@garykampmann8070]

Sweet sometimes small is better lol

[@InTheWoodyard]

That is what the customers want.

[@mikebransden452]

Who's Irene?

[@InTheWoodyard]

Irene was my grandma and we all used to say that when saying good bye in our family. And it is the name of a old song for the 1930s by Leadbelly that was a classic and was redone often.

[@billybobswood8153]

i might have found my niche here! nobody sells fireplace wood! here thats a yr old!

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yes, dry, seasoned,ready to burn NOW is a big selling point! Go for it!

[@JesseLJohnson]

I see some listing wood that you can see in the pics is clearly green. To me its worth half what seasoned wood is worth. Who wants to buy firewood they have to let sit 1-3 years before they can actually use it. All of mine seasons a min of 1 year but what I sold this year quite a bit of it I cut in 2018 so its been sitting a good few years. I was sorting through the wood in my body shop and found some real old stuff. Never seem to use it all so every few years I like to shuffle the piles so the stuff that has been in there for a while gets used and I found some hickory in there. I haven't cut any hickory in 10-12 years lol. No rot and hickory takes a while to season anyway but seeing as how that was cut sometime between 08-11 it better be seasoned by now lol. I cut a lot of ash since its all long dead here. Most of that is ready to burn basically the second it hits the ground. If you let it sit a year or longer it starts to rot and you probably loose 1/4 or so of it.

[@ottohonkala6861]

People without boiler - want smaller pieces! Nobody wants to smell huge smoldering logs! Never mind older people handling the big pieces.

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup, all the people who criticize the small size usually have a boiler or don't sell wood to fireplace people.

[@CABINDAD]

If it’s six or under it’s kindling

[@InTheWoodyard]

Yup people who heat with wood say that all the time I sell my wood to fire place people and they buy about 600 face cords a year from me.