I'm trying to figure out a fair market value to make an offer on a recently fallen English Walnut tree in Washington State. Log is straight with 18" dia. at base and 12" at 20' mark. I estimate I can get about 250 to 275 usable bf out of the tree. Anyone have any idea of bf value for the un-cut log or know where I can look?
Welcome to the Forestry Forum. ;D
Might be worth anything from nothing to maybe a few hundred dollars, depending upon quality, iron, and whether or not somebody wants to pay for it.
might I recommend the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTgQHWQoatg
I'm the one making the offer to buy. Tree blew over in wind storm and log is green, straight, solid and branches start at +20', doesn't appear to have any bug damage. Easy access to park trailer to winch load with no adjacent structures to get in the way. Because of easy access and apparent soundness of wood, I offered to pay fair market log value before its sold as firewood.
Are you going to cut up and cleanup?
I can almost guarantee there will be metal in the log.
If you really want to be a nice guy, give them a hundred or two. Unless the log is at least bucked, I would not trust it is sound.
Yard trees have a high aggravation factor and should generally be avoided.
Your call.
IMO, you should decide what extra cash you are willing to part with in exchange for the log. Little to do with "market" prices, but if you figure a number like $400/mbf, $50 would be in the ballpark.
Imho,
you will be losing money by the time you drive off. That is not a large enough tree to be paying for if you have to cut it down and haul.
Have the owner look into what it would COST them to have it removed by an insured tree company, guaranteed to be many times the value of the log at 2 dollar a bf.
Frank
When I first started sawing, I went to a local hardwood mill and picked up a price sheet of what they pay for logs.. I use this as a rough guideline. I also use it to educate customers as to the value of that log laying in their yard. When I show them what a mill will pay for logs delivered to their door, it's easier to justify why I'm being fair when I offer them $50 for that log their brother-in-law's cousin's uncle told them was worth $5,000
We moved onto a 10 acre lot that was an old English on Black Walnut root stalk in 94'. Since then I have sawn a large amount of it and it is beautiful wood. A bit harder than Black Walnut but not as dark. Its nice wood and good for wood working but not as remarkable as Claro Black Walnut (less marbling or contrast color in the rings). It warps more in drying than Black Walnut also. You will loose 25% if you air dry. Not too bad for hobby wood.
There is not much of a market for it. I have never sold any and just use it for personal use. I once checked into selling logs and there was a mill sawing it in Oroville Ca paying 5 cents a pound for clean delivered logs. It would have taken half the money received just to deliver it. That mill was the only one operating that I know of and it is shut down now. Not enough old orchards coming out anymore. Almost all the English walnut trees removed now days are put into a tub grinder and sold as fuel for co-gen plants down here.
18" in Dia is small to mess around with. You might get come crotch block wood from the branches for turning bowls also.
The owner is coming out WAY ahead if you take the tree down and get the log for free. $20 would be fair, $50 very generous. I would see if they would trade you for replacement firewood before offering money.