How many years or heating seasons are you ahead on wood?

[uplander]

 Myself, not anywhere close to where I should be. Building the house and barn I have been working
for the past five years has taken all of my available weekend time.

Work, mon.-fri. takes the rest. I plan on cutting enough this spring to get 3-4 years ahead and then staying there.

Uplander

[Al_Smith]

In answer probabley more than I should be .I burn about 4 -5 at the most cords per heating season and  have about 20 split and stacked .

It just amasses after time ,a little here a little there and pretty soon you have a mountain of it .

Now I don't cut perfectly good live standing trees for firewood like some .It's all dead or dying or hazard trees .With the EAB and wind storms it's just has gotten everwelming in the last few years .

A person could let the dead standing if not for the fact if the wind tosses them you never know exactly where they might land .A half ways decent feller can at least drop  them some direction in mind to minimize collateral damage .

In my case my grandchildren like to tromp around in my little woods .If one of them gets clobbered by a widow maker I could have prevented I could never forgive myself .

[chevytaHOE5674]

I should have enough to get me through until spring but I'm on my way to the woods to make a few trailer loads as I type. What I don't use this winter will get burned next.

[thecfarm]

I am REAL bad when it comes to this. Drives my FIL nuts,maybe that's one reason I do it. ;D I really do have to get going on it. I only have enough for about 2 weeks now ready to go. I have some in a pile in whatever length but not sawed or split. This is the time I do my wood,when snow is on the ground. I may thin out the dead and bad stuff and bring it into the landing and push it into a pile when there is no snow on the ground. Most years I at least have enough for a month so if I get sick,I'm all set. I do know how wood should be dried. Been around wood heat my whole life.In my other house I had to have it done up and dried. Summer time I'm busy wasting time on other things,all 170 acres of it.

[doctorb]

My routine is to stay two years ahead.  When I empty an area of seasoned wood for fuel, I fill it back up with green wood.  Depending upon the time of year that I refill with green wood, that wood will sit for at least one full year plus the amount of time until the next heating season, which usually includes another summer and fall.  So, in general, I won't touch that gree wood for two heating seasons.  That way, everything I burn is seasoned.

[clww]

I'm going to be, but for now, I am not. I'm clearing a 75' wide X 150 yard area for our power line right-of-way at the cabin. 75 % of this is going to be firewood timber-oak, maple, a few hickory. Once completed, that should get me a 2 year stockpile. I do have enough in the wood shed for the remainder of this year.

[ronnie tucker]

when it is bad to do anything else you can cut wood.i am 60 years old if i have a months worth a head i think i am doing good.there is always something to do on a farm.getting wood is usually not the top of the to do list unless you are about out.

[beenthere]

I have two heating seasons ahead, split and stacked on pallets that are covered.
That's not counting the pallets for this heating season.

[Al_Smith]

There was time in my life I waited for colder weather before I got with it .Those days are behind me now because I'm more inclined to sit by the fire fueled by wood I had cut when the weather was warmer .

Although I do in fact live in a colder climate than perhaps Georgia or Florida doesn't mean I like cold weather .Those huge  corn fields are now just an endless waste land of frozen tundra .

Global warming ,maybe but I about froze my butt off hauling in a trailer load of wood from my stacks this morning .

[proteus]

I have about +2 years cut and stacked in one location on the property and have started another stack in a different locaton. iI have the first stack covered but plan to leave the 2nd stack uncovered until I start to use from it. As I get older, I enjoyed geting my exercise cutting wood rather than working out on fitness equipment  

[r.man]

Three weeks so I am with thecfarm on this one, I know better but as long as I have some wood I can postpone doing it and this year I am worse than normal. Admittedly I was busy but realistically that is just an excuse. I am perversely glad that I am not the only one and I think that makes me a bad person. If anyone is interested in my whole list of excuses of why this or any other number of things are not done by now they can pm me and I can provide them with a copy.

[stumper]

Well I thought I had this year and 60 percent on next years cut split and stackked, this the remaining 40 percent blocked, and about half of the following years in log length.  However I seem to be on track for 7 cords this year instead of my normal 6 so I will off my plan by a bit unless it warms up some.  These below zero nights hurt the pile.

[DR Buck]

"....years or heating seasons" ?    :D :D :D    I have routinely been anywhere from 9 down to the current day for my needs.   Unless, you count the uncut slab pile and all the downed stuff in the woods.  If you count that I am good 5 years ahead, especially on the "downed stuff in the woods".  ;D   

I've had the outdoor furnace just over 4 years now and am in my 4th heating season.  I don't have a clue how much wood I need for a season because I cut it when I have time and never have more than a week or two at the most stacked up and don't measure or kreep track of it.   When I run out of burnable sizes I go out and cut some more.  I usually cut enough to cover a 3 to 5 day period at a time.   If I cut from my slab pile or waste logs I have stacked near the barn I can cut enough for 3 days or so in about 30 minutes.   It really depends on the temperature.   Under 30º I need to add wood once a day.   Above 30º  I can go 1-1/2  to 3 days on a single fill up of the CB 6048.

I don't spend much time at all splitting for my use.   My rule is if I can lift it and it will fit through the door, then it is small enough to burn.   Even on larger logs I cut them into "cookie size" pieces that I can throw through the door.   The only time in the last 3 years my splitter has been used was for splitting for my daughters wood insert.

[Slabs]

Two to three seasons ahead, as of now.  And that's because it just became available.  Like Al, I use mostly "junk" trees and trimmings.  Neighbors' junk also.  Nothing is too small to pile up and burn in the IWB.

[Dave Shepard]

I'm currently behind two years on my wood supply. Will be cutting ash trees this weekend in an attempt to catch up. Good thing it burns so well green. :D

[Al_Smith]

Well if EAB has made it to Mass. you won't find any live ash .Even grave yard dead for two years those ash will still retain water within . Dang things are hard as a  rock though .

[Dave Shepard]

They found one of them North of here last summer. It won't be long now. I haven't heard if they've set up the quarantine area yet, but I know just over the border in NY they have quarantines set up.

[Slab Slicer]

I would say about 1 1/2 seasons to 2 full seasons is split, and ready to go. I've gotten into the habit of not stacking it. A good sized pile with a tarp will do the job. I've used upwards of 9 cords or so in a season, but that's before we re-insulated the attic. We only need a small fire in the wood stove that's in the basement now. I plan on a wood furnace before the next heating season. I wanted to get one for this season, but that plan didn't happen. I'll be looking for bargains on a wood furnace late this winter, or early spring.

[r.man]

In my fathers generation it was the Dutch elm disease. When I was growing up we burnt nothing but elm that had died off. It was only when I was in my late teens that we had to switch since the ones left standing were going too punky to bother with.

[Corley5]

I've got about a weeks worth left dumped in the shed  ;D  I'd planned to fill the shed this fall and put the processor away for the winter.  Hasn't happened yet 

[kderby]

Well, I was going to congratulate everyone on thier stash-o-logs 8) 8).  Then along comes Corley5 :(

We could also start another thread about people who are calling for slab firewood because they are out.  It is January.  Hello :new_year: it is winter!  Unless you live near Ian or Chris :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:  Ya oughta have some wood in the shed.  I chained up the forklift because I have been getting daily calls from locals saying "How is my credit because momma's out of firewood."  I hope spring is coming, ;D  for their sake.

Kderby

[martyinmi]

We've got around 30 cords, plus or minus one or two. About half is split. I'd split it all, but my gasser doesn't like it if it gets too dry(under 15% mc). We'll go through about 7 or 8 cords on in an average winter. A bit over 5 last heating season.
I just brought home a half pickup load tonight. Had to try out my new to me CS 40 Homelite. I'll be cutting most of the day either Saturday or Sunday.
Can you ever have too much wood on hand? Or too many saws?
Didn't think so! 8)

[Randy88]

Christmas vacation just ended yesterday, so my help [kids]went back to school, college, work,military, etc, after three saws running, two skid steers, and 25 gallons of gas mix and too many chains to sharpen to even count, we now have at least two years cut and split and shoved into a pile, it was all dry wood anyhow, the logs were all from dead or down trees, stacked in neat piles two years before that, some were even not worth cutting but we did anyhow, dozy wood burns too. 

[thecfarm]

Randy88,dozy,my Father used to use that wood. I have not heard that word since 1997. Thank you

[albirk]

3 plus and 2 more waiting for me to get to i need to get some to the stove tho it has been cut split and stacked for 5 years locust and hedge (it will burn nice)

[muddstopper]

I have all of this years, and most of next, split and stacked in the shed. My sons where all up over the holidays and I intended to split the last cord or two that is in the pile. Rain and a general lack of interest prevented that from happening. I'll get around to it eventually.

[Tiewire]

 

                                                                                  About 3 yr's I believe. Don't really like to get much further ahead than that. Lets see if this pic shows.

[beenthere]

Got it!!

Nice pic.
Is that a model 430 in the pic? or maybe a 420? 

Appears you keep a fire going while splitting. Is that to just clean up around, or to keep you warm?   ;D

[Tiewire]

430,Yes and Yes

[r.man]

I'm very weak on geography, does it get cold in Missouri?

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 
r.man, yes but probably not as cold as your area gets but a little more than my area. Clear as mud eh?

I have about half of next years wood cut. Hope to make a little more of a dent in it tomorrow. Because why do today what you can put off till tomorrow...

Jon

[Tiewire]

I'm very weak on geography, does it get cold in Missouri?

Yes r.man it can get pretty cold the lowest temp I saw this week was 8 Degrees on my woy to work.This morn was 18 but is supposed to be in low 40 this afternoon.

[doctorb]

We've got around 30 cords, plus or minus one or two. About half is split. I'd split it all, but my gasser doesn't like it if it gets too dry(under 15% mc).

Could you tell me what your gasser and dry (?really dry) wood don't like about each other?  Burns too fast?  Doesn't create lasting coal bed?

[beenthere]

I'm interested too. Pretty unusual to get air dried firewood stored outside (and not in a heated place) to dry more than 12% mc, if that.

[Al_Smith]

Marty is in St. Johns Mich. ,nothing is dry up there .Lawdy during summer they have mosquitoes the size of crows .

[martyinmi]

I can't speak for all gassers, so I won't. The two that I've owned-my Portage and Main 250 and the Empyre Pro Series 100 do not like wood that is too dry. I noticed 3 winters ago when I had the Empyre that it would "Huff" quite often when I had a load of really dry wood in it. This "Huffing" was actually the unburned gasses igniting in the primary burn chamber and exploding and forcing smoke clear back and out of the blower housing.
I called Pro Fab(the Canadian company who manufacturers the Empyre line) and was able to speak to one of their engineers about the situation. I won't go into a bunch of detail about our conversation, but in a nut shell, he explained that a gasser needs at least 15% mc to help control how fast the gasses are released from the wood. Not enough moisture and too many gasses are released too fast, thus the "Huffing". Too much moisture and gasification is harder to achieve. He said that mc's should ideally be between 15 and 25%.
My P&M behaves the same way as my Empyre did. I'm the type of person who doesn't waste wood. If it is as big as my wrist, I'm cutting it up and bringing it home. If I load my 250 with a bunch of small, too dry dead Ash, it will start huffing and blowing a lot of smoke through the blower and out the back of the stove.
If your blower,solenoids, or actuator flaps have a bunch of creosote on them, the same thing is happening to you. Mix in some wetter wood and problem solved.
Beenthere, you are very close about the ambient mc for this area. I have some Ash that I've had split(split very small for the little Empyre) for 5 years and off the ground, and if I cut a piece in half and check the mc, it reads as low as 11% on two different moisture meters. It averages in the 15% range. I mix it with fresh cut standing dead Ash(around20-25%) to get rid of it.

Bigger than cows Al? come on now! They can take down a crow in mid flight, but that does not make them bovine sized! :D 

[WindyAcres]

One year ahead (minimum).

[thecfarm]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that does not give the time to firewood.  :D

[forest]

I have between two and three years in split hardwood (26 cords) depending on the winter. I also have a pile of poplar that needs to be split.

[John Mc]

I'm usually at least a year ahead, and let any Oak dry through at least two summers.  When I first got into this, I borrowed a moisture meeting and tracked the MC with various stacking methods.  I found if I cut and split and put it right in my woodshed (open on 3 sides) in the Spring while still somewhat green, it was still wetter than ideal by the time the heating season rolled around.

If I cut (16"), split & stack in single rows out of my woodshed, exposed to the sun and wind, I can cut in the Spring (even late spring) and have most species well below 20% by the time the heating season starts that fall.  Generally had very little trouble getting it down to 15% MC average (I cut up some logs and tested MC ever 2" or so, out of curiosity, and to "calibrate" my eyeball/feel moisture estimates).  This does involve some extra handling, since I eventually move it into the woodshed, but I end up with dry wood hen I need it.

Usually, I'm cutting and stacking in the woods at least a year early, to get started on drying. Then I bring it out into better drying conditions as I have time.  I'm a bit behind that schedule now.