# How much should I pay?



## Peet-SAW (May 30, 2012)

Hey guys newbie here,long time stalker.
A tree guy call me several weeks ago,I put off going down to his place but finally did. Holy Cow
He has a stack 40+ logs, 1-2yrs cut up to 20' long. About half 12-14', I spotted oak, ash, walnut, and 2 huge tulip poplars in pile.
I have Oscar 228 @ farm 45-50 miles away, after discussing options.
I'm taking mill to his place, he's going to use his grappler to load mill, I get lumber he gets the slabs for heat. He's a nice chap 40ish, we shook on you treat me fair I'll treat you fair.
He cuts alot in Cincinnati, if they don't want it he log dogs it to street & loads on truck & heads for home.

I've only bought 1 log (walnut) everything else I got next to nothin' or free
So what would be a fair price, per log / boards or ??


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## qbilder (Dec 19, 2010)

Given your location, I wouldn't bother with yard trees unless they are burly & crazy figured. You're smack dab in the center of the Appalachian hardwood country. Lots of mills are shutting down & many loggers are getting other jobs because it's not a good business right now. This is for forest timbers, not yard trees. You should be able to get great logs for cheap. 100 miles east of cinci is McArther, a hub of hardwood mills, and times are tough. Point being, no since in offering good money for burgers when you can get prime steak for cheap. 

If you just like the guy & wanna horse trade, then offer him the firewood slabs & maybe some lumber. I wouldn't offer money. And he should understand exactly why. They are bottom of the barrel logs because of their origin and likely full of tramp metal. They're old & exposed, likely full of cracks & stress & bugs. They simply aren't worth paying for by the load. Again, there might be something with special figure, but most will be trash logs. I think "fair" will be you sawing up the pile of trash in his yard and him getting to keep the firewood while you haul the rest away. In every deal somebody's getting the good side, and if you pay him money, it won't be you. Trading is fine if you're ok with it, but spending money is robbing yourself. Even trading, he's the one getting the bargain. With commercial mills in every hollow of southern Ohio, if his logs were worth anything at all they'd have been gone long ago. You're his last chance, so play that card & don't let him "old fashioned smile & handshake" his way into robbing you. Reminds me of Huckleberry Finn suckering the other local boys to white wash the fence by telling them how awesome & fun it is to do.


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## BigJoe16 (Feb 20, 2012)

I kid of agree. He is probably just going to split the wood and sell it as fire wood. If he's lazy, you could get alot of free wood. It gets cleaned up and he dosent have to do anything. If you just met him, I would give him the better end of the deal so he will call you back to get more next time. Just dont let him rob you. I bet he gets paid to haul away the logs then wants to sell them to you. 
Just keep in mind he dosent have to sell them to you so be nice about not wanting to pay alot.


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## Woodenhorse (May 24, 2011)

No offense here but I believe it was Tom Sawyer who boondoggled everyone into painting the fence. Huck Finn was an orphan.


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## qbilder (Dec 19, 2010)

Woodenhorse said:


> No offense here but I believe it was Tom Sawyer who boondoggled everyone into painting the fence. Huck Finn was an orphan.


:yes: I won't argue. It's been eons since I watched that movie or read the book. I discovered women since then :laughing:


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## Peet-SAW (May 30, 2012)

Just kinda updating, it's been 4 Sat's. and a couple of evenings and last Monday for sawing. And we still haven't come up with a $ amount, .
The 1st 2 logs were 8-9' white oak spalted almost 2' in on both ends, got 2 3" live edge slabs & the rest 5/4s.(all on my trailer)
I've got 2 more trailer loads (oak) for my deck overhaul,cut enough oak & ash for his 2 new chicken coops. We cut 8/4 ash for his new(used) 12' trailer...it just worked out. 12' 5" cant,needed (7)
12' 1/2" boards & that's we got of it.
Oh and you guys are right that yellow poplar sure is pretty when you slice open,(1st time cutting for me).
The Tree Guy has the sawing bug NOW:yes:, the 1st day when I was cutting the Spltd Oak, he asked if it usually takes this long?
I said ballpark 1 log/hr,cuz I spent alot a time on these these 2. Anyway he's come to appreciate the beauty inside those trees, he saw'd a poplar this week & made 2 8/4 live edge slabs. And said 
"these would be pretty as 2 sofa or 1 big table, LOOK at the GRAIN!"

I said "You have been bitten by the Bug" & "God's beauty he hides inside these plain old logs":thumbsup:


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

You should post some pics of what you have so far

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## stevem2 (Jun 13, 2010)

I hope you have a metal detector. Those free logs might get expensive in saw blades.:smile:

If your buying any of them consider that if they have sat for two years you've lost at least a foot on each end from splits.

Just saying


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