Questions About Selling Logs

[steviegwood]

Hi Folks, I have a very large Ash tree on my mothers property that has died. It is close to three foot at the butt and over two feet at sixteen foot and possibly at twenty feet. I also have a Sycamore that is two and a half from butt to eighteen feet. I do not know anything about calculating the board feet. I called a local mill and asked if they would be interested and they offered $38 per ton. I was under the impression that wood was bought and sold by the foot. How do the mills in your area purchase logs? If they purchase by weight, what do they pay? I have know idea what these logs may weigh but it sure seems to me that I could get more money by selling it as firewood. Any insight to selling logs that are still standing timber would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Steve :eusa_thin:help::dontknow:

 

[gator]

I know nothing about how a mill works business wise. I do know that powder post beetles will go after a dead ash really quick. It may already be too late for the ash, I don't have any experience with sycamore.

George

 

[manfre]

Another option is to get the logs milled (portable or transported) and kiln dried. Assuming the wood is in good condition, you could end up with a nice wood stash and/or sell a bunch of dimensioned lumber.

 

[CrealBilly]

Hi Folks, I have a very large Ash tree on my mothers property that has died. It is close to three foot at the butt and over two feet at sixteen foot and possibly at twenty feet. I also have a Sycamore that is two and a half from butt to eighteen feet. I do not know anything about calculating the board feet. I called a local mill and asked if they would be interested and they offered $38 per ton. I was under the impression that wood was bought and sold by the foot. How do the mills in your area purchase logs? If they purchase by weight, what do they pay? I have know idea what these logs may weigh but it sure seems to me that I could get more money by selling it as firewood. Any insight to selling logs that are still standing timber would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Steve :eusa_thin:help::dontknow:

Here's a couple of calculators to help you figure out log weight weight and board feet, use the doyle scale for board feet - it's the most common used.

Saw log board feet ---> http://www.forestryforum.com/calcs/sawlogbf.htm
Saw log weight ---> http://www.forestryforum.com/calcs/log_weight.htm

Assuming your measurements are correct and there's no dote.

The Ash is about 400 board feet and weighs about 2500 lbs
The Sycamore is about 675 board feet and weighs about 4000 lbs

So you got about 3 1/2 tons or a little over 1000 board feet - $133.00 or .13 ~ .14 a board foot. That's about right for mixed hardwood stumpage, if they are going to come get the trees.

WV Timber Prices ---> http://ahc.caf.wvu.edu/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=62

It's kind of interesting to play around with the (Plot Species Stumpage Value Over Time) function of the AHC webpage I gave you a link to above. You can see most all species stumpage prices are the lowest they have been since 1988.

BTW lumber guys really only speak Ben Franklin