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Value of Red Oak Tree

cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,624 ✭✭✭✭
edited December 2007 in General Discussion
I have a red oak trunk over 8' long and about 18" at it's small end. Does this have any value? Where do I look in central IN to sell it?

Thanks guys,
It's too late for me, save yourself.
«1

Comments

  • LOKO383LOKO383 Member Posts: 7,503 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    measure the diameter 4.5" above the ground,..then see if you have a good 8" bolt for the saw mill. then call around to local timber or saw mill co. in your area.asking the price of Red Oak in board feet..also can you take it down and carry it to the mill?..consider that in its worth also..Loko [:D]
  • nyforesternyforester Member Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It has about .115 board feet. The log is too short to make veneer grade. Here in New York, and average delivered price for oak sawlogs is about $350/MBF. Your log is worth $40.25 delivered to the mill.
    Abort Cuomo
  • mateomasfeomateomasfeo Member Posts: 27,143
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by nyforester
    It has about .115 board feet. The log is too short to make veneer grade. Here in New York, and average delivered price for oak sawlogs is about $350/MBF. Your log is worth $40.25 delivered to the mill.



    I think he needs an exact figure.

    [:D]
  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Firewood here in CA. Red and Tan oak sell for about $550 a cord.
  • Flyin_PaulieFlyin_Paulie Member Posts: 857 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mateomasfeo
    quote:Originally posted by nyforester
    It has about .115 board feet. The log is too short to make veneer grade. Here in New York, and average delivered price for oak sawlogs is about $350/MBF. Your log is worth $40.25 delivered to the mill.



    I think he needs an exact figure.

    [:D]Mattie, that is just too funny.[:D][:D][:D]
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,491 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wow.. Years ago I bought 85 tree tops of red oak to cut as firewood. Each top would yeild a cord of wood. Firewood was 90 bucks a cord cut and delivered.
  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Its bad here. The 36"+ oaks have been well logged out or now are protected. (Madrone) our prime firewood around here is next to nill.

    I get my fire wood from the locals that will not sell to the mills for pennys on the cord.

    Sorry Jeff not trying to hijack your thread[:)]
  • ZebraZebra Member Posts: 5,762
    edited November -1
    We have a 100+ year old black walnut tree in our back yard, a friend of mine said it could be worth $8,000 or more not including the roots?
  • LightningLightning Member Posts: 945 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by FrancF
    Firewood here in CA. Red and Tan oak sell for about $550 a cord.


    $550 a cord ?
    That means I have over $16,000 stacked in my back yard.
  • CutiegirlracingCutiegirlracing Member Posts: 2,595 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Okay for us younger members. How many ricks is a cord?
  • redneckandyredneckandy Member Posts: 9,714 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    $550 a cord! Oak brings $200 delivered and stacked max in my area (MO)
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,491 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Cutiegirlracing
    Okay for us younger members. How many ricks is a cord?


    3 A cord is 4' high, 4' wide , 8' long

    http://www.sizes.com/units/cord.htm
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    You fellas talking about fire wood, are you talking about a face cord, or a full cord?

    Here in upstate NY, the good fire wood is Ash, cherry, or hard maple.
  • minitruck83minitruck83 Member Posts: 5,369
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Cutiegirlracing
    Okay for us younger members. How many ricks is a cord?


    Depends on where you are. When I was growing up there were 3 ricks to a stacked cord. 4'Hx8'Lx16"W and I think this is a true rick. But some people will load a 8' P/U bed to the top of the siderails and call it a rick,face cord,short cord,or "truck load". This is actually closer to a half cord than a rick so if it's split,cut to appoximatly 16" length,dried,stacked neatly three wide in the truck,(if it's thrown in any which way it'll be short)and priced at 1/3 to 1/2 of the local going rate for a cord then it's a good buy. (if the bottom half of the truck bed isn't filled with poplar)

    gotta watch those fellers that park alongside the road.
    (I used to be one [B)][V])


    Best wood I ever used was Apple....just make sure someone else splits it!
    Allen
  • dongizmodongizmo Member Posts: 14,477 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jeff,
    Call Eric at the Indy store, he knows a guy with a sawmill.[;)]
    Don
    The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools.
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Apple does great for cooking steaks, or pork ribs and chops. I love cooking over a hardwood fire.

    Depends on where you are at, but by my secondary residence in the Adirondacks, one can get a face cord which is 8'x4'x12-18" for 35 bucks, delivered. In other areas it is as high as 300.
  • slipgateslipgate Member Posts: 12,741
    edited November -1
    One tree that small is worthless to a saw mill. As someone said, if you can get it to them, they might take it, but not knowing the origin, most sawmills would pass. It is not worth possibly damaging their systems for wood that is worth more as firewood that it is for wood projects.

    Oak is used for cheap furniture and is at the bottom of woods that you would want, barely above pine.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In New Mexico we burn Pinon and Juniper. We have the best smelling pollution in the world.[^]
  • tacking1tacking1 Member Posts: 3,844
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by FrancF
    Firewood here in CA. Red and Tan oak sell for about $550 a cord.


    wow...one could about truck it out there from NC and make money....we pay 100 a cord here +/-...

    wonder how many cords I can get on a Semi?

    I could build containers that hold a cord...what get maybe 10-12 cords on a truck costing about 100-150 a cord...

    what are freaight rates now? $1 a mile?

    3 grand to ship to CA...sell load for 5500 clams retail....

    rats...wont cover cost of the containers..

    hey...was a thought!
  • wundudneewundudnee Member Posts: 6,108 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Aroud here most sawmills won't accept a log from a populated area, or in town. There is too big a chance that some kid has driven a nail or spike into it during the last 100 years.

    Firewood brings $150.00-$200.00 for hardwoods around here.
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  • glynglyn Member Posts: 5,698 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Oak is about $250 a cord here in northern cal,$550 sounds a lot.
  • iluvgunsiluvguns Member Posts: 5,351
    edited November -1
    quote:Oak is used for cheap furniture and is at the bottom of woods that you would want, barely above pine.

    Not necessarily. Depends on the quality. I had 45 acres of old growth white and red oak on my place in TN. I had it cut a few years back. It was all veneer quality and every log was sent to Japan. I won't say what it brought...but it was a very, very pretty penny. [8D]

    I have another 20 acres in pine. Been standing there since they were planted in 1964. Ready to cut now. Just like money in the bank. [:D]
  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022
    edited November -1
    I envy all of you. Here in Wyoming there is no hardwood. I burn pine and spruce, cottonwood if the pine runs out. I would give my left...uh...pinkie finger for a cord of oak.
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    River Rat,

    you should see how Elm, Cherry and Hard Maple burn in the fire place...long and hot. It is a shame for the hard maple, as we can make such good syrup from it in the spring.
  • slipgateslipgate Member Posts: 12,741
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by iluvguns
    quote:Oak is used for cheap furniture and is at the bottom of woods that you would want, barely above pine.

    Not necessarily. Depends on the quality. I had 45 acres of old growth white and red oak on my place in TN. I had it cut a few years back. It was all veneer quality and every log was sent to Japan. I won't say what it brought...but it was a very, very pretty penny. [8D]

    I have another 20 acres in pine. Been standing there since they were planted in 1964. Ready to cut now. Just like money in the bank. [:D]


    Yes it does depend on quality. Other than Stickley who uses only very high quality 1/4 sawn oak - and that is just on their mission furniture, I know of no other "fine" furniture maker that uses oak for any larger amount of their pieces.

    Oak furniture is typically found at discount furniture stores like Marlo and RoomStore.
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you shop for furniture at Ethan and Allen, you might see some of my Cherry and Hard Maple on display. If you buy from there, you might be sitting on it as we speak.
  • jwb267jwb267 Member Posts: 19,664 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    if you burn wood the best thing to do is rent a splitter and use it your self . many loggers will not think about one log around here
  • SP45SP45 Member Posts: 1,761 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Last year I cut up a couple of red oaks for firewood. The base was nice and straight on one so I had it cut into planks 5/4 thick. There were 8 of them 12" x 5/4 x 15'. I spaced and stacked them for drying. I also have some great pine 1" thick and some of them 25" wide.
  • cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,624 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks to all for the info. This tree fell on it's own and although I have cut a ton of firewood from it I hate to cut a trunk member that large. I guess I have bought too much oak lumber!

    Don, do you have Eric's phone number?
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tsr1965
    You fellas talking about fire wood, are you talking about a face cord, or a full cord?

    Here in upstate NY, the good fire wood is Ash, cherry, or hard maple.


    Full cord 4'x4'X 8' Split, and 1 year seasoned, delivered, Tax.
    16" $375+-
    24" $500+-
  • OleDukOleDuk Member Posts: 1,195 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Let me ask you fellers sum'pn related to wood but along a different line.

    Went into Lowe's a few days ago and saw some clear, pretty , white wood. It was labeled as aspen which I've never seen before since I live in tidewater VA.
    What do you fellows that know wood and do craft/construction work use it for?
  • dongizmodongizmo Member Posts: 14,477 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by cbxjeff
    Thanks to all for the info. This tree fell on it's own and although I have cut a ton of firewood from it I hate to cut a trunk member that large. I guess I have bought too much oak lumber!

    Don, do you have Eric's phone number?



    He's at WT Indy[;)] 800-551-2251 Tell him I sent ya......
    Don
    The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools.
  • nyforesternyforester Member Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by OleDuk
    Let me ask you fellers sum'pn related to wood but along a different line.

    Went into Lowe's a few days ago and saw some clear, pretty , white wood. It was labeled as aspen which I've never seen before since I live in tidewater VA.
    What do you fellows that know wood and do craft/construction work use it for?


    Aspen is basically Poplar. It could be quaking aspen, big tooth aspen, ect.......there are many sub-species. The wood is considered a hardwood because the tree looses its leaves, however it has the wood structure of softwood. It is very soft and commonly used as trim molding, and carving.

    Full cord measures 4' x 8' x 4' = 128 cubic feet
    (I sell this for $170 delivered locally)

    Face cord is 1/3 of a full cord - 4' x 8' x 16" = 42.6 cubic feet
    (I sell this for $70 delivered locally)
    Abort Cuomo
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,666 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    nyforester: Zebra posted that he has a 100 year old black walnut tree, he wants to know what it is worth. Let's say for the sake of argument that it is straight, and has a 3 foot trunk. What is it worth?

    I got a truck load of apple once, for firewood. An apple orchard was replanting, they had bulldozed 50 acres of big old apple trees, and were begging people to come and get it.
    Never again! Damn stuff is too hard to split. Also, not very big, and the trunks are crooked.
    I used it to smoke some steaks and fish, I was not that impressed. I prefer mesquite.
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    allen griggs,

    The value of a tree on the stump can only be an estimate, compared to the true value. A good timber buyer will absolutely not pay veneer prices for standing timber. That is where a lot of people who sell the standing timber on their lots to the highest bidder get screwed, or should I say screw themselves.

    An example would be if you wanted that walnut tree taken out, and i looked at and estimated there was 2000 board feet in the tree, and it was worth $3.50 per board foot, for a total of $7000.00, and paid you for it. Then when i cut it it was hollow or imperfect in the middle, and it was only worth 75 cents a bord foot.. On the flip side of that, the buyer who pays for saw logs and runs into veneer, and makes a killing...but the land owner gets screwed.

    As for the worth of that walnut...need more info to scale it...like how long is it straight for, and how big at the smallest of the straight.
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,666 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK, let's take those figures. If that tree were perfect it would be worth $7,000 retail. That is, after cutting, limbing, hauling, sawing, drying, warehousing etc.
    What would they pay the landowner?
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    No, that would be wholesale to the saw mill, not to the end user. A tree that is worth 3-4 dollars a board foot will be 6-10 once cut into boards and finnished. On the average 50% is what it will bring to the land owner, some harvesters will operate for less, some more when it is being done on the mill scale. Need more dimensions other than the size of the base to determine the volume of how many board feet the tree is though.
  • nyforesternyforester Member Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been running a logging company now for 17 years. I buy standing timber and hire logging contractors to cut, skid and process the trees to my specifications. Then I re-sell the logs and pulpwood/firewood. All prices are set at contract signing between the landowners, loggers, truckers(in some cases), and myself. Everyone gets paid as to the grade and volume of the trees because everyone gets to see the scale slips. Its the fairest way to sell and buy wood.
    As far as the black walnut - I get asked that question a lot. My response is, whats a 57 Chevy worth ? I don't know, is it a coupe, or a convertible, is it rusted out......you get the picture.
    Trees are the same, but its called grade, not condition.
    All trees have different grade logs from the butt all the way up to the top and they all have different dollar values.
    Shooting from the hip - I'd say your black walnut tree could be worth that on the stump, but that would be one hell of a tree !
    Abort Cuomo
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,666 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Around here, black walnut sells for $3.50/ board foot, in roughsawn 1xs, from the sawmill.
  • nyforesternyforester Member Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The best price I have found right now for black walnut delivered to the mill - International 1/4" log rule

    8"-9" 1 clear face - $400/MBF
    10" 2 clear face - $1,000/MBF
    12" 3 clear, 11" 4 clear, 15" 2 clear - $1,400/MBF
    13" 3 clear, 12" 4 clear - $1,700/MBF
    14" 3 clear,13" 4 clear - $2,000/MBF
    16" 3 clear, 15" 4 clear - $2,300/MBF

    $3.50 for sawed walnut sounds good to me !
    Abort Cuomo
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