Seems like a good deal on firewood....

ablelocks

vicwatson wrote: »

This whole firewood purchase is a minefield, trying to compare prices is very difficult.

Any ideas what weight is in a standard bag of softwood timber in the red net bag?

depends on where you are sourcing it - some of the wood in the net bags that gets sold say at the likes of your local garage still has very high moisture content. I got a couple of bags of it a few years ago and wouldn't get it again.

edit : i think these are reasonable value, particularly if you can get 5 bags for the price of 4 which sometimes does come up as an offer. The 600kg pallet is 289, with free delivery

lenscap

I have bought a mixed tonne pallet from www.greenfuelireland.com in Galway. It was half a tonne olive wood and half tonne "All Night Long" hardwood briquette all for 540.

The olive wood burns like coal, high heat and long lasting, I only use it once the fire gets going. The hardwood briquettes burn very well, high heat and only a little expansion (unlike other ones I have tried) and a tiny amount of ash, I use them to start and build up the fire.

I used to buy wood locally but as was mentioned, it is very hard to quantify the amount of timber purchased other than a trailer load (what size trailer?) and the quality of the wood and if properly seasoned. I bought a moisture meter and found that some of the wood varied widely in moisture content from 10% to 30%. Not much good boiling wood in a stove!!!

I had tried out a sample of the olive wood and hard wood briquettes before deciding on buying the pallet. I had used different brands of wood briquettes from different suppliers over a two year period and found the All Night Long ones to be the best. The next best were the Rocket Blaze from Prima Ecofuels in Ennis www.ecofuelbriquettes.com

maximum12

ablelocks wrote: »

depends on where you are sourcing it - some of the wood in the net bags that gets sold say at the likes of your local garage still has very high moisture content. I got a couple of bags of it a few years ago and wouldn't get it again.

edit : i think these are reasonable value, particularly if you can get 5 bags for the price of 4 which sometimes does come up as an offer. The 600kg pallet is 289, with free delivery

That co-op stuff looks way over priced assuming the pallet is the usual 1.1m

ablelocks

maximum12 wrote: »

That co-op stuff looks way over priced assuming the pallet is the usual 1.1m

not sure about the dimensions. will measure crate later and see what it is....

I haven't seen anything to compare against it though - have you?

maximum12

ablelocks wrote: »

not sure about the dimensions. will measure crate later and see what it is....

I haven't seen anything to compare against it though - have you?

In the past I've ordered crates from country products and best logs. Both have prices online lower than the co-op.

The eco wood place mentioned above is also cheaper.

ablelocks

maximum12 wrote: »

In the past I've ordered crates from country products and best logs. Both have prices online lower than the co-op.

The eco wood place mentioned above is also cheaper.

600kg kiln dried oak is €319 at www.ecofuelbriquettes.com (if this is the place you're talking about?

the best logs (oak or ash) 1.2m3 crates are approx 500kg @ 230 euro + shipping, which is free within Dublin, and minimum €25 euro outside of Dublin.

the country products crates are listed as 1m3 - suggesting that they are less again in kg terms - @ €220 (free shipping)

at €289, the co-op stores for 600kg to me is at least as good as, if not slightly better?

making comparisons would be a lot easier if there was a standard way of measuring obviously....

beertons

I found a guy on donedeal last year who was selling a trailer of hardwood logs, 8ft x 5ft x3ft trailer size. Delivered from Athy to Naas, 220 quid. There's over 3 cubic meters in it, as my log store full holds 3m3. Got another order off him this year too. Pm me if you want his number. I tried kiln dried logs, but they burnt up way too fast.

nebraska132

How does the mulch offering compare?
1m3 bag of seasoned (less than 15% moisture) for 164 euro or 180 delivered?

Thanks in advance for your advice

maximum12

ablelocks wrote: »

600kg kiln dried oak is €319 at www.ecofuelbriquettes.com (if this is the place you're talking about?

the best logs (oak or ash) 1.2m3 crates are approx 500kg @ 230 euro + shipping, which is free within Dublin, and minimum €25 euro outside of Dublin.

the country products crates are listed as 1m3 - suggesting that they are less again in kg terms - @ €220 (free shipping)

at €289, the co-op stores for 600kg to me is at least as good as, if not slightly better?

making comparisons would be a lot easier if there was a standard way of measuring obviously....

No it's Ecofirewood.eu for €209

You can't compare firewood by weight only by volume and secondly how it's packaged. The crates are stacked so have a lot more wood than wood thrown into a 1m bag.

The country products listing is rounded to a metre. It's the same volume as best logs.

Wet firewood will be very heavy but useless for burning.

Corca Baiscinn

Great info here, thanks everybody who posted! Beertons , When you mention your logstore which holds 3 cubic metres, could you elaborate? Is it one of those open sided affairs where you stack the logs but they are exposed to the air or a mini shed or like a coal bunker or what? I've been thinking of getting something but small garden and hard to know where to find space between windows/pipes on back wall and diagonal rain hitting some others!

ablelocks

maximum12 wrote: »

No it's Ecofirewood.eu for €209

You can't compare firewood by weight only by volume and secondly how it's packaged. The crates are stacked so have a lot more wood than wood thrown into a 1m bag.

The country products listing is rounded to a metre. It's the same volume as best logs.

Wet firewood will be very heavy but useless for burning.

coop stores is the same - 1m3 crate, stacked beech.

that ecofirewood then is currently the best value

edit : am I correct in thinking that beech and oak are longer burning than Ash? What about birch?

maximum12

ablelocks wrote: »

coop stores is the same - 1m3 crate, stacked beech.

that ecofirewood then is currently the best value

edit : am I correct in thinking that beech and oak are longer burning than Ash? What about birch?

I think ash beech and oak are very similar in terms of energy. Birch is a bit less.

I have not burned beech but always go with ash now as I find oak is very "splintery" so is a bit of a pain to handle with bare hands and a bit messier in the house.

beertons

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

Great info here, thanks everybody who posted! Beertons , When you mention your logstore which holds 3 cubic metres, could you elaborate? Is it one of those open sided affairs where you stack the logs but they are exposed to the air or a mini shed or like a coal bunker or what? I've been thinking of getting something but small garden and hard to know where to find space between windows/pipes on back wall and diagonal rain hitting some others!

Log store dot ie is who I got it off. Saw it at a Christmas fair, it was too late to order then, but I told him I'd give him a shout in 6 months. Made to what ever measurements you'd like. It's a great job. Exposed on 3 sides.

k123456

Those log stores are nice, but a bit Expensive
Easy enough to make, Use 1.5 x 1.5 Pressure treated timber, for frame and racks, roof needs to slope, roof WBP Water based ply, covered with mineral felt. If you can attach to a wall, will disguise an ugly wall, and will be supported better.
From a height POV make sure roof does not project where your head is or you will bump head a lot.
Try not to build too far from house, as a basket of wood is heavy. Done properly with wood stacked neatly , will add to a garden. Ideal situation in a sunny location, aids drying

An easier, cheaper but less attractive roof, can be made 10mm corriboard

Corca Baiscinn

Thanks k12456, I could acquire all that, apart from the sunny garden! It's a garden that would be attractive to a flock of ducks today! Still a useful idea though for inside wall of a shed, minus pitched roof, as a way of keeping the timber neat and not taking up the whole space.

An Ri rua

Moot point, but if your basket of wood is heavy, its not dry. A basket of bone-dry wood should weigh a lot less than 10kg

ablelocks

that time of year again - just bumping this in case anyone has any bargain alerts on firewood over the next few months

beertons

ablelocks wrote: »

that time of year again - just bumping this in case anyone has any bargain alerts on firewood over the next few months

Loads of lads selling logs on donedeal. Where are you based?

ablelocks

400kg kiln dried from topline = 179 euro. only available in-store though and not sure what they charge for delivery - probably varies from store to store

cormie

I was speaking to a well experienced man when it comes to fires, he fits and supplies stoves, has been called into court to give expert opinion on cases etc.

Anyway, he said there's no real need to buy kiln dried wood. That as long as it's seasoned, which can be done in Ireland by simply stacking wood in the open air for about a year, that it's no real difference and you're basically paying companies to do a drying process and get the moisture content down with no real benefit over regular seasoned wood.

Thoughts?

TTTT

cormie wrote: »

I was speaking to a well experienced man when it comes to fires, he fits and supplies stoves, has been called into court to give expert opinion on cases etc.

Anyway, he said there's no real need to buy kiln dried wood. That as long as it's seasoned, which can be done in Ireland by simply stacking wood in the open air for about a year, that it's no real difference and you're basically paying companies to do a drying process and get the moisture content down with no real benefit over regular seasoned wood.

Thoughts?

I agree. I cut split and stack my firewood outside with a cover but open to the prevailing winds and can get it down to 15% moisture content. I try to bring it inside a shed during a warm period in September but this year it was the first week in October.

I have found that it is much harder to dry hardwood to under 20% than softwood. Softwood will dry in one year. If I split and stack it from now to January it will be ready for next winter but I've found that the hardwood takes two summers to dry and even then some oak, blackthorn and hawthorn rounds will still be over 20%. I try to mix the wood when burning to even this out. I do split my wood fairly big as I have a big firebox so that effects it as well.

I think that those crates of kiln dried firewood are vastly overpriced but most of the firewood I see being sold is not even close to being properly air dried so maybe that's why people buy them.

People who have bought wet firewood before and switch to kiln dried will say there's a massive difference 🙂

ablelocks

with the kiln dried, you're fairly confident that it will be dry - many people don't have their own wood source or storage, so it's convenient as much as anything else. edit - also, because the logs are big, once the heat was built up in the stove, we only had to use 1 log at a time in the stove (beech that was, soft woods burn faster).

There's so much ****e out there that claims to be air dried but when you pick up a log they're like bricks in weight.

I haven't had to buy in wood for 2 years thanks to some tree felling after the big storm of 3 years ago - i have a moisture-ometer and like TTTT, let it air dry in an open shed. Air dried is just as good as kiln dried if you have the patience and the facilities to wait. If not, get a moisture reader to check any wood before you buy it...

Mickeroo

I was stuck for some wood yesterday and got a couple of bags of the stafford kiln dried timber from woodies (it looks like pine to me so not hard wood).Some of the logs ended up being close to 20% moisture content when i tested them and actually seemed to have mould on them. They'll still be fine to burn I'm sure but a bit annoying when you're paying 9 euro for a relatively small bag.

I'd love to get a crate of kiln dried or decent air dried wood but storage is a real headache when you live in a 3 bed semi.

Cloudio9

Mickeroo wrote: »

I'd love to get a crate of kiln dried or decent air dried wood but storage is a real headache when you live in a 3 bed semi.

A lot of places sell log stores which don't take up much space. I got this one https://bestlogs.ie/shop/log-storage-cabin/

The larger one holds more than a cubic metre crate and the crate can be chopped up for kindling.

lenscap

I have used olive wood from Greenfuelireland in Galway. It burned like coal.

http://greenfuelireland.com/olive-wood/

I used it last year, half a ton olive wood and half a ton hardwood briquettes.

Cloudio9

I’d be willing to try naturally seasoned wood but anyone selling it seems to be lads with trailers on done deal so am sticking with kiln dried for the moment.

macjohn

The Olive wood comes in from South Africa.

It seems a long way to go for a bit of firewood.

macjohn

Cloudio9 wrote: »

I’d be willing to try naturally seasoned wood but anyone selling it seems to be lads with trailers on done deal so am sticking with kiln dried for the moment.

Loads of genuine sellers of naturally seasoned out there but they tend to be selling in larger quantities because thats what they are set up for - dont know where you are but few goods ones in the Limerick/Tipp area. Min load would be €125 plus delivery - most of the smaller sellers dont have the set up to store and air dry for the year. (Not their "fault" in that takes investment etc in the business)

Fingers Mcginty

Has anyone here used this crowd .....firewoodman.ie
150E for 300 x 25cm logs seems good value ??

d31b0y

More than what I'd be paying but then I wouldn't be bothered with kiln dried. Seasoned hardwood is just as good in my opinion.
My last purchase, I was getting one of those builder tonne bags for €60. Seasoned hardwood. Had to buy 4 for free delivery.

vicwatson

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

Has anyone here used this crowd .....firewoodman.ie
150E for 300 x 25cm logs seems good value ??

Is €150 good value? Seems expensive

Fingers Mcginty

d31b0y wrote: »

More than what I'd be paying but then I wouldn't be bothered with kiln dried. Seasoned hardwood is just as good in my opinion.
My last purchase, I was getting one of those builder tonne bags for €60. Seasoned hardwood. Had to buy 4 for free delivery.

where?

Fingers Mcginty

vicwatson wrote: »

Is €150 good value? Seems expensive

It is compared to here ....

http://www.goodwoodfuel.com/product/1-17-m3-kiln-dried-ash/

d31b0y

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

where?

https://www.donedeal.ie/heating-for-sale/firewood/16465972
Price is down by a fiver.

vicwatson

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

It is compared to here ....

http://www.goodwoodfuel.com/product/1-17-m3-kiln-dried-ash/

Approx how many logs in that crate do you know?

TheChevron

d31b0y wrote: »

https://www.donedeal.ie/heating-for-sale/firewood/16465972
Price is down by a fiver.

How long would that ton bag last you?

d31b0y

Got 4 bags mid October and I've used betwee 2 and 3 bags up until now.
Fairly mild winter though, and my house stays quite warm so the fire wouldn't be lit daily.
It was dry as a bone too (I don't have a moisture meter mind you) so I didn't need to stack it. Just dumped it out.

I don't think you should be taking someone elses usage as a gauge for how long you will get out of it.

monkeybutter

Anyone use Sean Ambrose Fuels, seems reasonable for Ton bags

depends on quality I suppose

vicwatson

monkeybutter wrote: »

Anyone use Sean Ambrose Fuels, seems reasonable for Ton bags

depends on quality I suppose

His Facebook page implies a tonne bag of logs is a tonne of logs, it’s not. Just be aware. Those bags are 1 cubic metre ie 1mx1mx1m you’d be hard pushed to fit a tonne of logs into a 1 cubic metre bag.

monkeybutter

vicwatson wrote: »

His Facebook page implies a tonne bag of logs is a tonne of logs, it’s not. Just be aware. Those bags are 1 cubic metre ie 1mx1mx1m you’d be hard pushed to fit a tonne of logs into a 1 cubic metre bag.

I think he just calls it a ton bag, that's how every one refers to them really, don't think that's underhand

I don't even think all builders bags are necessarily 1m3, some are .6 of a cubic meter, so if the bag wasn't in fact 1m3, that would be sly

at the price delivered, if dry, it might be value

vicwatson

monkeybutter wrote: »

I think he just calls it a ton bag, that's how every one refers to them really, don't think that's underhand

I don't even think all builders bags are necessarily 1m3, some are .6 of a cubic meter, so if the bag wasn't in fact 1m3, that would be sly

at the price delivered, if dry, it might be value

I’m just letting people know that a “ton bag” is not a tonne of logs, that Facebook page has “ton bag” all over it.

Sasso

Agree. There are three types/sizes of ton bags. What some advertise are technically correct as they say a ton bag of hardwood etc but are using ton bags that are used for sand etc. So it's a play on words. When comparing suppliers' prices you may not be comparing like with like. So shop around and ask plenty questions.

allthedoyles

My experience with a tonne bag of logs was that the top few rows were lovely blocks but as I went down through the bag the timber was getting smaller and worse quality.
Eventually got to the bottom of the bag and last barrowful were dirty and wet.
Some places fill bags from a bulk heap and all blocks are similar. This is the ones to buy.

monkeybutter

allthedoyles wrote: »

My experience with a tonne bag of logs was that the top few rows were lovely blocks but as I went down through the bag the timber was getting smaller and worse quality.
Eventually got to the bottom of the bag and last barrowful were dirty and wet.
Some places fill bags from a bulk heap and all blocks are similar. This is the ones to buy.

where had you it sitting? did you move them on the day?

I moved them all on the day, was a fairly consistent load, air dried, which is what i want, most were 20% a few slightly higher, but each tree is going to be slightly different, especially if mixed varieties

Deep Thought

whats the better wood for a wood burning stove in my house - both are kiln dried..

Ash or Oak?

DT

deisedav

Deep Thought wrote: »

whats the better wood for a wood burning stove in my house - both are kiln dried..

Ash or Oak?

DT

Both are good, the oak will last a bit longer

Cloudio9

Deep Thought wrote: »

whats the better wood for a wood burning stove in my house - both are kiln dried..

Ash or Oak?

DT

I prefer ash. It’s not as messy as oak which tends to have lots of splinters and flakey bark.

I also prefer the brighter flame with ash

deisedav

Cloudio9 wrote: »

I prefer ash. It’s not as messy as oak which tends to have lots of splinters and flakey bark.

I also prefer the brighter flame with ash

Yeah ash is good alright. Beech another good one too but not as easy to come by

allthedoyles

I always thought if it was kiln dried it didn't matter what breed of tree it was.
Wrong again I suppose.

Cloudio9

allthedoyles wrote: »

I always thought if it was kiln dried it didn't matter what breed of tree it was.
Wrong again I suppose.

Well there’s not much in it, I just prefer ash.

There’s a lot of kiln dried birch around which smells nice but burns a little fast.