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$ per BTU: oil vs wood

Started by rank, January 27, 2018, 09:39:19 AM

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rank

Hello all. At these prices, I think I'm the most expensive in the area but I'm having a hard time feeling bad about it.  Does this sound about right?

1 Bush cord of hickory sells for $400 and has 28,000,000 BTU = $14/million BTU
1 Bush cord of Basswood sells for $200 and has 14,000,000 BTU = $14/million BTU
1 CDN gallon of oil sells for $4.50 and contains 165,000 BTU = $27/million BTU

Grizzly

I'm trying to calculate our coal costs and I'm running into some info that requires math. But so many zeroes!!

Our coal has 18GJ per tonne (2204lbs)
1btu = 1054.615 joules
1GJ = 1,000,000,000 joules

so each tonne of coal has 17,067,839.93 btu's? Something don't seem right cause that would put my cost at:
$80.00 per tonne / 17,067,839.93 btu's = $0.000004687 per btu or $4.69 per million btu........... something ain't right.

My slab cost are covered by lumber sales but don't burn near as efficiently as logs/firewood do.
2011 - Logmaster LM-2 / Chinese wheel loader
Jonsered saws - 2149 - 111S - 90?
2000 Miners 3-31 Board Edger

DelawhereJoe

 I saw 24-28 million  btu's per ton depending on what kind of coal it was. If it was 18 GJ/sec it would come out to 17060708.17 btu/sec.
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Hilltop366

To get the true cost per million BTU's you have to factor in the efficiency of the heating appliance.


Hilltop366

There are on line calculators.

submarinesailor

During Energy Management training both @ NCSU and with the Association Of Energy Engineers, we were taught to use 138,950 per gallon of #2.  In addition to that, all the calculations I did while at the Defense Energy Support Center, we used the same number or 7.19 gallons per MMBTU/DTH/million BTUs.

Bruce

Kwill

Built my own hydraulic splitter
Built my own outdoor wood stove
Built my own log arch
built my own bandsaw sawmill
Built my own atv log arch.
Built my own FEL grapple

starmac

Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Kwill

Built my own hydraulic splitter
Built my own outdoor wood stove
Built my own log arch
built my own bandsaw sawmill
Built my own atv log arch.
Built my own FEL grapple

rank


rjwoelk

Is there a difference between a bush cord and just a cord?
Lt15 palax wood processor,3020 JD 7120 CIH 36x72 hay shed for workshop coop tractor with a duetz for power plant

LeeB

I'll join the ranks. I never heard of a bush cord either.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Roxie

From Wikipedia:  In the United States and Canada, firewood is usually sold by the full cord, face cord or bag.

    A full cord or bush cord has a volume of 128 cubic feet (3.6 m3), including wood, bark, and air space in a neatly stacked pile.[11] The actual wood volume of a cord may be in the range of 80 to 100 cubic feet (2.3 to 2.8 m3) as stacked wood takes up more space than a piece of solid wood. The most common firewood piece length is 16 inches (41 cm).[12]
    A face cord is one third of a full or bush cord stack of wood that is 4 by 8 ft (1.22 by 2.44 m) by 16 in (41 cm) and has a volume of 42.6 cubic feet (1.21 m3).[12]
Say when

Woodcutter_Mo

 I had never heard of a bush cord either, or atleast not locally. Learned something new.
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Blue Noser

Quote from: Kwill on January 29, 2018, 10:48:51 PM
Quote from: starmac on January 29, 2018, 10:18:19 PM
Quote from: Kwill on January 29, 2018, 08:29:48 PM
What is a bush cord?

You too huh.
yeah that's a new one on me.

This is why I like the metric system. Cubic meters are so much easier on the head  :D

That being said, I have never seen firewood sold by the cubic meter (stacked) in my part of Canada. It is always done by the cord, as that is what the vast majority of people know and are familiar with.

We also have issues with variants of the definition of a "cord". A cord is 128 cubic feet of wood, bark, and air. That is the only measurement which is approved for use in terms of firewood sales.

Roxie

If you use the forum search you can find 3 pages of threads where bush cord is used.  Google is your friend.   :P
Say when

Kwill

Quote from: rank on January 30, 2018, 12:03:21 AM
Quote from: Kwill on January 29, 2018, 08:29:48 PM
What is a bush cord?
Is this sarcasm?
no sir. Never heard of a bush cord. Around these parts wood gets sold by the rank ( cut 16-18 inch long stacked 4ft high by 8ft long) or by the cord which is 3 ranks or 4 ft high 4ftwide and 8ft long.
Built my own hydraulic splitter
Built my own outdoor wood stove
Built my own log arch
built my own bandsaw sawmill
Built my own atv log arch.
Built my own FEL grapple

thecfarm

Bush cord is new to me. But the worst part is I have read posts that it was in.
I don't feel all that bad,Tom did not know either.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

square1

Based on the BTU & cost I assumed it was a federal / standard / full cord.

rank

Lots of first time firewood buyers here that only want a face cord.  Not only is it best to specify bush, it's best to specify how many cu ft in your definition of face

John Mc

I've never heard a single person here in VT call it a bush cord, so I'm guessing it's a regional thing. I never bothered to look into the meaning, since no one around here uses the term. I always assumed it meant the same thing as a face cord (which is a pretty nebulous thing, since it doesn't specify length). Learned something new today.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

rank

I think I'm going to stop using the term face cord.  Being as you have to explain what it is anyway, might as well just call it a quarter cord or third cord

Ianab

Firewood here is sold by the Cube (cubic meter). So imagine a box, 1m cube, and fill it with firewood, that's the measure. So you measure your truck / trailer box, and work out how many cube, and charge accordingly. Easy enough to verify with a tape measure.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

John Mc

Quote from: Ianab on February 04, 2018, 12:40:26 AM
Firewood here is sold by the Cube (cubic meter). So imagine a box, 1m cube, and fill it with firewood, that's the measure. So you measure your truck / trailer box, and work out how many cube, and charge accordingly. Easy enough to verify with a tape measure.

I assume a Cube is defined as neatly stacked, not just thrown in?
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

petefrom bearswamp

that is my question John.
I sold many thousands of cords of firewood stumpage in my career.
Here in NY the official measure is a standard cord 4x4x8, containing 128 cu ft of wood and air.
My sales were on an estimate basis but in doing this for 25 yrs only had a handful of complaints and I addressed them.
Firewood sales were while accomplishing TSI.
the fuel oil vs firewood figures cause my eyes to glaze over as I am a simpleton.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

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