Two of your fellow KZreadrs that I follow daily have their firewood business down pat. They are Mike Morgan of "Outdoors with the Morgans" and Chris of "In the Woodyard". They both have trailers similar to yours and have measured out cords and facecords for their customers and have it down to a science. They are both smart guys who can definitely help you get started on the right foot.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

I follow both of those channels and they sure do have it down to a science! They both seem to load their cord wood into the trailers based on what a full cord “looks” loaded in their trailer, just got a new toy which should help with that. Thanks for the support!

I appreciate your honesty in this , this is coming from an old fire wood guy. a cord is a cord 4’x4’x8’ so I would suggestion that you put in steel fence post 8 ‘ apart , 3 rows 16” apart and place the 16” pc in between, or for me I want 24” pc. so in that case two rows 24” apart , thatsthe same cubic sqft.. I have never done it by the pc. Pieces can be different sizes. then if you want throw in a few extra pc. This way you know you are not cheating anyone including your self. Once you know the volume when you throw it in your trailer you could level the pile off in your trailer and mark the side walls so you would know at a glance. Just a suggestion

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Greg, just trying to figure it all out and I have since then! I cut my pieces to 18” so two rows of 18” deep 4.5’ tall and 9.5’ long equals 128.25 cubic feet!

Nice video, I stack mine and go by that measurement. Also, two rows of 18” pieces 4 feet high 8 feet long is not a chord. That would be short by 24 cubic feet. Most people would never know, but you make them all happy when it’s right. Keep up the good work.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

My rows were 4.5’ tall and 3’ deep when I would load a cord I would take 9.5’ of width to compensate. 4.5 x 3 x 9.5=128.25 cubic feet!

@thehoneybeegarden3149

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY I thought they were taller. If you said the height in the video I missed it. Thanks for replying, keep it up.

@kenweis2291

2 жыл бұрын

Yes it was..... Its a legal way to rip off consumers

@johnlewis4761

9 ай бұрын

It would be 32 cu ft short. 3'x4'x8' = 96 cu ft.

The College where I earned my Scalers Licence describes a cord as a neatly stacked pile of wood occupying 128 cubic feet. The face cord is considered as a term to cheat buyers.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

In many states a face cord is a legal quantity of firewood, where people get cheated is that the buyer does not know how much (or little) a face cord actually is. There are companies around me that will sell a $300 face cord! What a rip off!

@PremierIowaTreeSurgeon

3 жыл бұрын

A face cord is a 1/3 of a cord. 16 inches long. 4 feet high and 8 feet high. They get face cord because if you are looking at a full cord. It would be the first row of 3 rows of 16” x 4’ x 8’. Face cord is derived because your looking at the face or first row of 3 rows of a cord.

@brucebannerman6848

3 жыл бұрын

@@PremierIowaTreeSurgeon i believe that a cord is recognized as a measure of wood, both in USA and Canada,so why confuse the issue with terms like rack, rick,loose cord, number of pieces etc. It's easy to say, one third of cord.

@brucebannerman6848

3 жыл бұрын

@@thomaskallinens right,so just say one third cord!

Great video. Although when I sell wood I make sure they get 128 cu feet. The 500 piece thing doesnt really make sense because it would vary depending on the size of the wood, and your method of stacking your wood 2 rows of 18 inch with a gap in between isnt a cord either, because it's not 128cu ft, but its not far from one.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! You’re absolutely right, after filming this video I actually measured the height of my stacks and they were 4.5’ tall so there’s a little extra in that dimension. I haven’t had anyone complain about my 500 piece cords as of yet and like I mentioned I usually throw some extra in there ~15 pieces so as you said I don’t think I’m very far off... How do you make sure you are selling your customers 128 cu feet?

@Erhorn300

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY I have a small 5x8x4 dump trailer that I'll stack other than some space at the back (measures 128cu feet) and my dump truck I just load with a loader and figure a thrown cord is 185cu feet, and the truck fits 1.5 cords. As long as noone complains you are doing good, I tell everything if you have any questions or concerns to call me and I'll take care of it.

@ppuunniisshheerrrr

3 жыл бұрын

Two 18" rows 8" long has to be stacked 5'4" high to be 128cube.

@John_Ridenour

2 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY you should have hand stacked the 500 pieces into the trailer, then measured it with a tape to make sure it was 128cu ft. I know this was way back then, but unless you're splitting every piece with a box wedge, I can't see how counting pieces that aren't all the same are any type of accurate measurement. Been watching your channel for a while now, and enjoy it...this old one popped up today...maybe you measure differently after a couple yrs.😊

@dylon_will

Жыл бұрын

@@ppuunniisshheerrrr is this 100% facts?

I've sold firewood for 4 years now. I've always used the measurement of 4'x4'x8'. Regardless of the number of pieces. 128 cu ft is 128 cu ft, regardless.

@DudeRanchDIY

9 ай бұрын

Couldn’t agree more

I don't sell it... But I get my own and I would say it's just a bit short of a full cord of wood. The air space between the rows should full of wood. I stack mine in the same manner and ad an extra foot to the height of the stack to make up for the air space. Good video idea. Happy splitting.

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Yep I would agree, I ended up changing my measurements for a cord to 4.5’x36” (two rows) x 9.5’ which comes out to 128!

Cool vid. Thanks for sharing. iStart my first yr next spring

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Good luck bud, can never have enough!

Love these types of videos

I go by the 60 cubic foot rule for 1 loose facecord... when using a loader or a conveyer you need to take into consideration the over size gaps ... so my trailer is 333 cubic foot 33 over the 5 facecord which always gets me to 5 plus a bit... never short... you have to be level on the top to achieve this... I just raised the side another 6 inches so now we just load and go ...

Here ( southwest Virginia) most folks get a pickup load that i consider a half cord,any where from 65 to 100 dollars. Most of the time that is stacked in and (hopefully hardwood) seasoned! I have peddled wood for years but never had it az a bizznes. Thankz for sharing.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

That sounds like quite a deal Mike! Prices are higher here, working to refill and expand that rack now!

The math is simple.... If you do it by feet. 4x4x8=128 and then by inches for what "you" consider a cord 36x48x96 divided by 1728 = 96 cubic feet. Your cheating the customers by 32 cubic feet. I'm sorry but if you are honest and know the correct measurement you can't possibly think that is just.

@philgriswold2133

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with your math 100%. I arrived at the same place by do 4x8x36" which is his two 18" rows. Short by 12" or 25% as your math says. As someone else suggested, stack it in the trailer to get a good measurement or mark out and stack a full cord.

With 40”x48” pallets, what I do is a 3 pallets side by side = 10ft wide X 40” (3.3ft) high X 4 ft deep. That comes out to 132cubic feet. Easy to lay out in the wood yard with this sized pallets. Just use pallets as the end holders for your racks. Cut your wood to average 16” and stack 3 rows deep on the 48” deep pallets. The extra 4 cubic feet is for the space that the end rack takes off of the pallets they sit on, and allow for a little shrinkage, so the wood is stacked a little high in the middle of the rows to compensate. Counting pieces of wood is almost as bad as selling wood by weight. Measure it correctly because if a customer says that they feel cheated, you’ll have to rack it and prove them wrong. If that ever happened, I’d rack it in the middle of their driveway. NOT where they want it racked. No free labor here.

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

I totally agree with you! This video is pretty old and was done kind of as an experiment. I now sell and store my wood by the IBC tote and everyone is on the same page! Thanks for watching!

I am in Kansas. Have sold wood off and on for 40 years. Used to cut 20-22 inches. 2 stacks 4x8 to make a cord. (We call these ricks) Now stoves here need 16 inch wood. So I sell 3 ricks as a cord. Still 4 ft x 4 ft x8 foot cord.

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah the length of the wood sometimes throws people off. I now cut to 16” and find it much easier 😂

Two 18 inch rows 4 feet x 8 feet = 3x4x8=96 cubic feet. If you make your rows 64” tall, 5.33’x3’x8’=127.9 cubic feet. Good video

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

This is the exact solution I’ve concluded on! I’ll be stacking taker rows rather than longer so as to conserve space in the woodyard!

@louiegorilla

3 жыл бұрын

Dude Ranch DIY I think that’s a good solution. Props for putting yourself out there.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

@@louiegorilla Thanks, I appreciate your feedback and support

A legal cord of fire wood is 4 x 4 x 8 feet. 128 cubic feet of wood stacked as tightly as possible. Fire Wood is measured by the cord or a fraction of a cord. One Third, One Half, One Quatre of a cord for example.

If you cut all of your wood 18 inches then 2 rows 4 ft high and 8 feet long will be 3/4 of a chord of wood to make it a full chord stack it 2 wide 4 tall and just shy of 11 feet to make a full chord.

Hello from Chicago! I think a better way to do this would be to stack the wood in the trailer up to a certain height, count the rows and then calculate how much you have exactly. Delivering wood that is neatly stacked is a nice touch, lets the customer know you have given them what they paid for and they will come back. Shouldn't take long to stack in that trailer, 10 minutes tops.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Hey there! That’s definitely a good way to make sure the cord is 100% accurate however when I deliver, 99% of the time I just dump in the driveway or other specified area so stacking in the trailer is a lot of extra work to just be dumping in the end! Thanks for the support!

@johnlewis4761

9 ай бұрын

From your estimated stacking time. It doesn't sound like you've stacked much wood. 10 minutes? I'd like to see it.

If your wood is 18 inches, a 96x48x18 is 48 cubic feet. This is just over 1 face cord. It takes 3 face to make one full cord. You may want to consider dropping your cuts back to 16 so you can verify your amounts or consider just letting the 5.3 added cubic feet (16x48x96 vs 18x48x96) be bonus wood. But I would be sure to clarify a face cord (or fractional cord) vs full cord. Or call what your counting 1/3 of a cord. Many states have rules on how to sell the wood, so I would look it up to make sure your calling it out to your clients correctly. Looks like Connecticut may only allow calling a full cord (128 cubic feet) a cord and other amounts have specifics on what they can be called. Worth looking up by state for sure. CT also has restrictions on selling out of certain areas.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

I think your right, the reason for the 18” is due to the size of our wood stove. It can easily fit 22” pieces so 18” seemed to fit the IBC totes well (40” deep) and the pallets well. This season was more of an experiment than anything. I sold about 10 full cords and didn’t have a single complaint about not enough wood. I told all of my customers how I measure and count the wood. That being said, I am not doing this to try and get rich by shorting anyone wood. I think moving forward I may separate out my personal wood (18”) from the wood for sale (16”) in an attempt to simplify things and make measuring out cords and fractions of cords easier in the future! Thanks for your time and support @practicalmetal!

@optimoprimo132

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY that would be a good idea.

I always gave my customers a little more so I knew they got a full cord!, I made my stacks 18' × 4' × 18", but I think the ultimate way is using totes and you only handle it once as long as you can dump it into your dump trailer!. After cutting most of the dead wood out of the woods I started getting 2 loads of logs the first year and bumped it up to 3 loads and then 4 loads to handle my customers which gave me roughly 40 cords and what little bit I got out of the woods!. I miss it but I'm retired @ 64.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Nice Steve! The IBC's work great, only limiting factor is having enough of them!

A cord of firewood is 128 cubic feet. just because you consider 2 rows of wood 2 feet long stacked 4 foot high and 8 foot long a cord of wood doesn't make it so!! by the way ! pcs of would to make a cord would depend on size of pcs ! ( common sense )

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Debbie! You're absolutely right, however after loading many cords of wood into trailers and trucks over the years and counting the pieces that go into them one can deduct an average of how many pieces it takes to make up a cord. This is where my 500 piece number comes into play. I always throw a little extra in there as well and have never had a customer complain! Thanks for the support!

Hey bro. Good video. Obviously, a cord (as a unit of volume), could contain pretty vastly different numbers of pieces depending on how much air space you have in it. When I am filling orders, I am trying to give people enough wood that once it is stacked in a row, it equals out to what they ordered-- especially since, more than likely, that's how they will store it, and that's what they would be doing to measure it, if they cared to. Alternatively, if your wood was reasonably leveled off in a trailer, you could show the customer the dimensions of your trailer before dumping the wood and work out the math for them to show them that the wood they ordered fills up the appropriate volume. You would not be cheating them if you filled up 128 cubic feet with tossed wood. It's just a preference, but it does make you a better value than your competitors, since the customer is getting more wood. I guess that's what we have trouble wrapping our brains around-- not all cords are the same amount of wood. A good rule of thumb is that a cord of stacked wood will fill up about 180 cubic feet if it is "tossed" (or run off a conveyor) into a trailer, etc. That is for 16-18" pieces. Just for perspective on pieces-per-cord, I typically average about 1000 pieces per cord with city splits. Doesn't necessarily mean much, but it is interesting.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback Paul! Since this video I’ve done the math and can fit one cord tossed in evenly up to the top of the metal sides, two cords evenly to the top of the wood side boards! Works well and takes the thinking out of it!

@pyroman6000

2 жыл бұрын

City splits?? Not familiar with this term.

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Just smaller pieces of wood, generally for people who don’t heat with wood but rather use it for ambiance burning in the fireplace!

Just stumbled on to your channel I subscribed hit the 🔔 , great content.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for the support! Plenty more to come!

I stack in face cord or half cord piles. 18" pieces and use a log cabin stack to mark my end and start of the next section.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a good system Mike! I’ve been doing some math and figured out the dimensions I need to do something very similar!

I cut at 18" or 16" , I stack 4' high @ 8' long by 4' deep ...... I love bucking firewood but at the end of the day it's my saws, my fuel, and my sweat spitting with a wedge and sledge hammer the big rounds then either knocking down logs with a maul or splitting axe. I stack 4x4x8.....no exceptions unless they are older folks ,or folks who are on hard times

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like you got a good system!

The metal bins you have in the background of your video, how many of those would make a cord of wood?

@DudeRanchDIY

9 ай бұрын

3

When you cut your firewood to 18" it is very difficult to get your 128 cu ft of wood. That is why most firewood sellers stay with the 16" pieces. You need to think two rows of 18" wood comes out to 36" therefore at 4' tall and 8' long you are still missing 32 cu ft of wood. because 3 x 4 x8 equals 96 cu ft compared to 128 cu ft in a whole cord.

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

When I was cutting to 18” it was actually pretty simple to get to 128 cu ft Ron! Two rows of 18” pieces is 3’ I stacked my rows a bit taller to 4.5’ and I would take a bit more in length 9.5’. 3’x4.5’x9.5’ = 128.25 cu ft. Just a matter of changing up the dimensions!

A cord is 128 cubic feet. 4x4x8 period. The reason 16 inches is preferred is because it is easier to make it 4 foot wide and yes it is a good average for stove capacity. I'm sorry but 2 rows of 18 inches is not 4 foot wide no matter what way you slice it. You can't just make a space between 2 stacks and say it's what "I" consider 4 feet to be. I'm sorry I sell firewood and I try to get the length of pieces 16 to 18 inches and it's always 3 rows deep 4 feet high and 8 feet long. If I was to do it by your calculations I would feel I was cheating the customer and to tell you the truth most would just walk away from those stacks. You even said that you were trying to settle the question in your mind... You gave the correct measurement for a cord and then you proceeded to make what "you" consider a cord.. so I ask you what is true cord then? If you were to come to my place and I offered you a choice between a stack of 2 rows 18inchs long by 4 foot high and 8 foot long or a stack of 3 rows 16 inches long per piece by 4 high and 8 long. Which would you choose?

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Michael you raise a few good points here, my pieces are 18” long and stacked in two rows. However my stacks are 4.5-5’ tall. And when I load my trailer I’ve said I always throw in a bit extra which is where the width comes into play...Instead of 8’ I would load 9.5’ of each 18” row which is why I was loading just shy of 3 pallets. If you do the math it’s quite simple, 128.25 cubic feet! A cord is 128 cubic feet period. However, it can be stacked in any dimension as long as it equals 128! Thanks for watching 🍻

@optimoprimo132

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY I get it. Thanks for the clarification. As long as it works out... I must have missed the the dimensions in the video. I had thought you were measuring out 8 feet on the pallets.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

@@optimoprimo132 No worries! I actually don’t think I ever stated the height of my stacks or the overall length of what I was stacking, which has led to confusion amongst a few viewers. Rookie mistake! Still new to this whole KZread thing! Thanks for the support!

@optimoprimo132

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY it's all good. Your doing well.

@Here_Today_

3 жыл бұрын

@@optimoprimo132 you and I both missed the dimensions in the video. It was stated as marked at 8 feet long. Dude at the ranch, it's good you made this, we're not even paying customers and we're not completely clear in your explanation. I'm sure you'll have a customer who will measure their delivery, once stacked, and will let you know whether or not it's up to par.

2rows of 18" is only 36" your short 12" for the 48" wide dimension. So your cord is 36"×4'×8'

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

You are correct however, my rows were 4.5’ tall and I loaded 9.5’ of length to compensate which equals 128.25 cubic feet of wood.

@tmach58

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY sorry did not know they were 4.5' tall that makes sense . probably easier for you also.Keep the vids coming.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

@@tmach58 No worries! I should’ve stated that in the video...would’ve saved me a lot of explaining on comments! 😂🍻

A cord of wood is 4×4×8..That is how wood was sold as pulpwood for paper mills. Has nothing to do about firewood. Just a measurement. A cord has 128 cubic feet. 1"" by 6"" just as long as 128 no matter what length.

The way this trailer was loaded would require 180 to 195 cubic feet depending on the size the wood is spilt to which is called a thrown cord and for this reason in most states is illegal

We go 192cu ft for 1 cord 384 for 2, this is usually generous occasionally 1.2 or near 2.5 full cord. On the same note, it's occasionally a few inches short depending on how sharp the client likes to keep his pencil. We don't really worry about the people who like to Lazer level the tops of rows an inch or two high. Any time I have been back to honor an armload or small percentage, I have found it a complete waste of my time once I see why it took 2 weeks to meticulously stack a cord or 2, bottom line is there's no point stacking it 3x or counting pieces. It's 128+50% for loose wood 16" ish, or stack your rows in measurements and toss from there. Personally I find it pretty accurate when filling our 4 cord shed with 2 loads leaves me almost a full row on the side. And whenever I have dumped a half truck to fill half cord orders, we usually end up with a few wheelbarrow loads over from stacking a full cord to deliver two half cords. We have delivered nearly 8k cords. 98.8% positive feedback. Anyone willing and able to put in the work with an honest attempt to provide a good service shouldn't let a few people discourage their efforts.

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the explanation. This is an older video and method I don’t currently use to measure wood anymore. Most people missed the point in that it was an experiment, a method an old timer firewood guy shared with me and I wanted to see how it stacked up.

First of all, I now no one who stacks in a trailer and unstacks it to the ground and restacks it again. For setting up a trailer to be hauled to site, measure out the trailer's contents and dump it in until it approximates all the dimensions of the interior. For exampe, a chord is 120 cubic feet. Measure out the interior of the trailer for its perimeter and then see where 10 cubic feet comes up on the trailer vertically, give or take a bit. that is 1 cord. You might want to measure the height in 3 levels for a face cord, a half cord and a ful cord, to accomodate whatever gets ordered. Get close to this measured line of height and you are good. Then take it to the guy and dump it na let him stack it - -or sell it stacked by you on site and charge a premium to stack it. Always sell your wood unstacked as it is more labor for you and he can stack it where he wants it anyway. Another way is to arrange bins of so many cubic foot and fill them up flat to meet the cubic foot of the order. Again the price is unloaded, or you load his trailer for a premium. Keep your labor out of it, you are selling wood - not throwing in labor for free. - unless you have powered equipment to keep your back out of it. Hope this helps. Time is money!!!!!! And fooling around with wood takes TIME. and can be hard work.

while a Cord is 128 cf it is actually 90 cubic feet of solid wood excluding rot and air space when stacked. if tossed or pile in the trailer add 30% more space or a total of 183 cubic feet for extra air space to get the 90 cubic feet of solid wood, which is why stacked wood dry's at least 20% slower than piled.

Good morning, I do not deliver firewood my customers come to me and 90% of them like 1\2 of face cord, so I built racks 4 ft high 4 ft long and split 16 inches, so the other 10% customers buy full cords that is 6 half face cords. I sell bundle wood by 1 cubic ft. I have found through the years that customers like smaller splits, so the number pieces would not work, measuring is the way to go. Take care keep whacking and stacking.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Good morning Mark, sounds like your system works well for the amounts your customers buy! I’d say 90% of my customers buy at least 1 or more cords. Now that I’m refilling my racks for next year, I’m thinking that I will measure out what a true 128 cu foot cord is on my big pallet racks based on 18” pieces (because people seem to like longer wood around here) and mark it with spray paint so I have a visual representation of where each cord starts and ends so I won’t have to continuously be counting! Thanks for the support!

@marksparkplug7758

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY sounds like a plan, for myself the issue is stocking enough season wood.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

@@marksparkplug7758 You can never have enough! I ran out this season...

@pyroman6000

2 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a guy I just bought from, except his racks had 2 rows/ ea, both rows = a face cord. If you want a half a face cord, you can just grab 1 row. You pick up, and he helps you load it. Works quite well- you can SEE that it measures up, and loading up is quick and easy. Like you, he sells lots of half face cords- he's just off a big lake with a ton of seasonal vacation homes and rental cabins on it. He's also got full cord stacks for the permanent residents who heat with wood. The splits are somewhat big for me- but that just means I get to break out my axe, and have some fun splitting now and then, lol. Good stuff, too- I got a rack of nice cherry and hickory. I'll definitely go back again. Looking on Craigslist, for my area, some will deliver, some won't. All do customer pickup.

Are 2. 2 by 2 by the same? I'm asking for drying purposes?

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Not sure what you mean? As long as it’s 128 cu ft it’s a cord. Doesn’t matter what dimensions you stack it in.

@makincash3337

Жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY thanks

Could you build your trailer to 128 c.f.. Then stack the trailer, or would that throw the weight off on the trailer axle. ?

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

If I fill my trailer to the top of the metal sides loose it’s a full cord. If I fill to the top of the wood sides it’s two cords.

@makincash3337

Жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY thanks

@andrewslagle1974

Жыл бұрын

if you had to hand stack every load you would make nothing we are selling wood not flower you can weigh .I tell my customers we get it as close as we can.It also depends on how it is stacked some people stack it like legos no air space they think your selling bricks its wood !

Haters will always hate, no matter what you show them and prove them

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Thanks for watching!

How many pieces would a cord have if it was cut in 16" lengths?

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Not sure, i don’t use this method anymore, it was more of a test. I now measure my wood by the IBC tote.

You’re a good guy and there’s nothing simpler than basic math. Pieces are completely subjective and cannot be used to measure a constant volume due to piece size variability. Volume is volume. Regardless of what size you’re cutting each piece, measure in inches, find volume, convert to cubic feet. A cord is a cord, less is not, more is over. 18in is 1.5 ft, so two rows 8ft long would need to be 64in tall to be a true cord. Now, there seems to be debate on whether it’s split or rounds, stacked, which would definitely be two different volumes, but at least probably not terribly different in size. Cheers!

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

You’re absolutely right! This was more of a test than anything else. I now use IBC totes to measure and stack my firewood!

how much you charge per cord wood

I'm watching your video and I'm at 8:57 of the video and I think I have watched enough (also read a few of the comments) to leave my comment. I am 57 years old and have been around firewood quite a bit in my life and I have never heard about 20" logs or a count of pieces for measurement of a cord and I don't believe I've heard of a face cord. The only measurement I have heard is that usually logs are 16" long (can vary depending on user preference) and that a single row 4' tall and 8' long is a rick and 3 ricks is a cord.

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

A cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood. Doesn’t matter the dimensions as long as it equals 128 cubic feet when stacked… 4x4x8 just happens to be a common dimension people stack it to.

@CliffsideStables

23 күн бұрын

A rick, a face cord and 1/3 of a cord are all synonyms.

Who counts the pieces in a cord of wood

I just fill the dump truck full load 200$ free delivery. I do sell alot of wood. = 2. Cord. + of wood mixed ash oak maphle.

The gentleman I purchase wood from has individual rick or cord orders set aside separately and you pull up and load your order yourself.

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a nice labor saving system!

OK if you do 2 rows at 18inches long that about 6 inches short of length on each row thats 32 cubic feet short, basically 1/4th of a cord short.

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Yeah in this video I was calling a cord 2 18” rows 4.5’ tall and 9.5’ long if my memory is correct!

Pick-up load a 1/2 cord❓

To me the best way would be to stack 4x4x8, then load and count. Bet the 500 number is way off. This is always debated. I'd go by the 128 cubic feet.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, I've since moved away from the counting method!

At 18 inches, a half cord is a row 4 feet high and 10 feet 8 inches long. A cord would be 2 rows 4 feet high and 10 feet 8 inches long. A standard face cord would be 4 feet high and just a shade over 7 feet long. 7 x 4 x 1.5 = 42 cubic feet. 1/3 cord is 42 2/3cubic feet. So you can measure 7 x 4 and throw in 4 or 5 extra sticks. 18 inches is a foot and a half. if you divide the cord volume (128 cubic feet) by 1.5 you get 85.333333... That makes 42.666666... for a half cord. That gives you the square footage of the face of the stack. You can vary the height and width as long as multiplying the two gives you those numbers.

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Finally someone who understands a cord doesn’t have to be just 4x4x8… the key to a cord is 128 cu ft! It could be 12”x12”x128’ tall!!

Anyway you say it your short if your calling 2 rows of 18”pcs 3x4x8 a cord ….a half a cord would be @24” 4x8 one row -16” is the way to go and a also 16” pcs for the IBC is about a third of a cord sell them in thirds of a cord then nobody get the short end mainly you thanks for the video👍

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah this video was a while ago and kinda just a test. When I was cutting my wood to 18” I would call two rows (36”) 4.5’ tall and 9.5’ long a cord (128.25 cubic feet). I now just measure using the IBC totes, much faster and easier.

Is your truck a half ton?

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

No it’s a F-250: 3/4 ton. But I’ve upgraded to 1 ton leaf springs, add a leaf, and rear air bags

Nice video, but I think you are short by about 25% or 32 Cu Ft. One the other hand, we don't know what you are charging compared to what others are charging in your area. If your price is good, you'fair

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Phil, after filming this video I went back and measured my rows and they turned out to be 4.5’ tall (wish I had done this prior to filming...) To accommodate for that that height as well as my 18” lengths I would load an additional 1.5’ totaling 9.5’. So 4.5’ x 3’ x 9.5’ = 128.25 cu ft!

@philgriswold2133

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY Well there you go, you were spot on all along.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

@@philgriswold2133 Yep, definitely took some trial and error though... I think there are better ways to go about stacking out measured amounts I will be exploring.

If you will go to IN THE WOOD YARD and watch some of his videos. He explains it very well

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Haha I was just with Chris last weekend, I’m well aware what a cord is. This was a video to show the difference.

If you're cutting 18" pieces a single row 4' high 21.3' long is a cord. So if you do 22' rows that gives you your "little extra". Counting a piece cord is very dependent on consistency of size and your ability to not lose count when loading. You could easily divide your rows when stacking the green wood to make life alot simpler.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve actually done a bunch of different calculations lately very similar to what you did there in preparation for stacking soon. However, I think I’m going to be stacking taller rows rather than longer in an attempt to conserve space in the woodyard!

What don’t you just cut them to 16” and 3 stacks is 48” and go 8’ wide? That’s the honest way to do it.

how much does a cord weigh

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

That can depend on a lot of things mainly species and if it’s dry or not. I’ve never weighed a cord but I would imagine somewhere between 2,500-3,000lbs based on how my tractor lifts the totes and how my trailer feels fully loaded.

I cut all my firewood 16 inches and I give people around 675 pieces for a cord. And charged $250 delivered.

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Nice Chris! I no longer use the counting method, I’m either measuring using the totes or by markings I have measured out on my trailer, need to make some for my dump truck now too!

WTF? Counted cord? What happens if you lose count? Do you dump it out and start over? How do you count small splits vs large?

Tim and Shannon are correct, 500 is not enough, you are short 250 pieces of 12 inch long . The 12 inch air gap is not fire wood. Weights and measures form your county will bust your ass from just watching this video. You had better cut only 16 inch wood from now on, and make 3 rows 8 feet long, then you can have all the air gaps between rows you want. 16 inch wide wood rows could be 10 feet apart as long as you load 3, 4 foot high by 8 feet long rows .Totes are great for dry ready to burn wood, A 4 foot high stack of green wood will shrink by 2 layers in one year. You should buy a Moisture Meter and test the wood. Be sure to get the money BEFORE dumping the wood.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the input Rex, a cord can be any dimension as long as it equates to 128 cubic feet. I didn’t mention it in the video but my rows were actually 4.5’ tall, two rows of 18” wood is 36” or 3’ and I loaded 9.5’ of length! 4.5x3x9.5 = 128.25 cubic feet

16' x 3= 48'. 48' = 4 feet- there fore 4x4x8 = 1 face cord so x3 face cords will be exactly 1 full cord 18' lengths is way to long you will lose at least a half and more cords in total full cord if you keep your length at 18"

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

4’x4’x8’ = 1 full cord/128 cubic feet. At this time I was cutting my wood to 18”. Two rows of 18” firewood equals 36” (or 3’). My rows were 4.5’ tall. When loading a cord I would take 9.5’ off of those rows. 3’x4.5’x9.5’ = 128.25 cubic feet. No loss of wood. Just have to alter the dimensions of a cord to accommodate for the slightly longer length of the firewood. As long as it’s 128 cubic feet nobody is getting jipped!

a cord of firewood would amount to a single stack (18" deep x 6 feet tall x 14.25 feet long).

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

In my case to maximize space I’ve been stacking two rows of 18” pieces 4.5’ tall and 9.5’ long to reach the 128 cu. ft size of a cord.

You dont measure pallets or air space or any other measurement except the actual stacked wood. Most people cut them 16 inches so they can do three row stacks 4 feet tall and get correct measured chords. For you cutting at 18 inches that means you need to measure your width by 36 inches or 2 18 inch rows side by side or 1 long row 4 ft high. If you use just double rows of 18 inch wood to make a chord would be 36 inches wide 4 ft tall and 10.5 ft long to get a chord of 128 cu ft or 1 row 4 ft tall and 21 ft long. What you threw in the trailer was definitely not a chord.

I've been selling firewood for 25 years, and at age 68, I still do it, but at a smaller scale; I don't even stack it anymore; I hate touching he same piece more than 3 times, so I just get, cut, split and pile it up, and fill the truck and trailer by hand, unload with a roller unloader and charge a buck a piece. Easy. Comes out to about $120 per face cord, $360 per full cord, delivered, NOT stacked. If you want it stacked real nice and pretty, do it yourself.

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Nice and simple Laurence! Thanks for watching!

There’s no such thing as “roughly a cord”. A “Cord” is a legally defined unit of measurement. What you “consider to be a cord” doesn’t sound like it is a cord. Fine to sell a “cord” that is actually a little extra, but better make sure that cord you sell someone stacks up to the legal definition. Or at least just don’t advertise it as a cord unless it is a true cord. That being said, some states don’t define split or whole, just well racked. So a cord of 8” rounds may actually be smaller when split. Also, looks like 500 pieces came out pretty short. Not even close to a proper cord

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

My stacks were 4.5’ tall and 3’ deep, I would load 9.5’ of length to compensate for the shorter depth dimension something I didn’t really mention in the video. 4.5 x 3 x 9.5 = 128.25 cubic feet. The 500 piece thing was something I was told by a long time firewood guy in my area. Most of the time it came pretty close but depends on size of the pieces. He would use that estimate because they were loading from a bulk pile and had no real way to measure besides stacking in the truck which I guess he didn’t want to do. Thanks for watching!

@stingray4540

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY I see. Well, sounds like you are getting a cord+ to your customers, but that even further demonstrates how inaccurate 500 pieces is. Didn’t you set your little stump at 8’? And your piles need to go to 9.5’ to be a cord? 500 pieces came up short to your 8’ mark, and very short of 9.5’. This is why every year people are encouraged to make sure they are getting a true cord so they aren’t getting screwed by some guy throwing 500 pieces in the back of his truck.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

@@stingray4540 You’re absolutely right! I was doing the 500 piece method at first but was questioning if what I was providing was accurate. That’s why I made this video. What I failed to show in the video was the extra bit I loaded into the trailer to make it a true cord. I always try to add a bit more rather than less. If someone isn’t happy (which no one has been thus far) I’d give them a full refund! My reputation and name isn’t worth the cost of a cord, firewood is only a by product of my full time job.

@CAS89

2 жыл бұрын

Always them type of guys in the comment section

I find this weird.. lol. I was raised believing a cord was one row, 16-18” blocks and 4’ tall by 8’ long

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

So there are lots of different names but one row 4’x8’x16-18” would be a “face cord” or 1/3 of a full cord which can be any dimension as long as it’s sum equals 128 cubic feet! The most common definition of a cord would be a stack of wood measuring 4’ x 4’ x 8’ or 128 cubic feet.

Perhaps advertise as 500 pieces, not a cord. Your missing 1××4×8, which is a quarter of the cord.

It's also very simple to calculate after measuring the actual stack because it works out that 32 square feet equals 42.66 cubic feet of 16 inch firewood (48 equals 1/2 cord, 64 equals 2/3rds cord and 96 equals a cord). So just measure the dimensions of any stack, any length, any height, and get the square feet and divide by 96 and that will tell you exactly how much of a cord(s) you have. Now if it's all 18 inch, you can expect to be over by just a bit so go exact. If you vary between 16 and 18 inch, then I'd add about 6 cubic feet (or about 4.5 square feet) at the most to be sure you're on the good side, unless you have nice tight, fitted stacks, in which case I'd be exact again. For the totes just measure inside dimensions and get the cubic inches, divide by 1728 to get cubic feet of wood if it's all stacked in tight and neat. I've heard you get just over a face cord in one (around 48 cubic feet) with two stacked rows and filling in the space between them.

500 pc theory i dont think is the right way to go about cause wood sizes very. If you are going to sell camp fire wood small stove wood, split smaller so you get more out of your chunks and drys faster that way you can speed dry time and sell in shorten dry time if that makes sense. Watch in the wood yard channel, Chris has alot of knowledge on this subject

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah I’ve since abandoned this method and just measure using either totes or the markings on my trailer.

HOW TO FIND NUMBER OF CORDS IN ANY SIZE RELATIVELY SQUARE STACK OF FIREWOOD Use a calculator. 1. Measure the stack in inches. Inches Wide or Deep X Inches Tall or High X Inches Long = a big number. Example: 36 in wide X 69 in tall X 156 in long = 387,504 cu inches. 2. Now divide 387,504 by 1728, (cubic inches in a cubic foot) = 224.25. 3. Now divide 224.25 by 128, (cubic feet in a cord of wood) = 1.75 cords of firewood.

I think they call his method new math

I give a true cord i give 3 rows of 18 inches 3 feet 8 inches tall.... 125-150 a cord picked up only

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Yep I no longer use the counting method, in this video the stacks were 4.5’ tall and about 9’ running length.

4 feet high 16in by 24 long is cord

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

Yep, doesn’t matter what dimensions you stack it in, as long as it equals 128 cu ft you’re good!

We have marc inthe truck

That's not a full cord. You're still missing a 4' high x 8' long row of 12" to make it up

are you talking full chords or face chords? what you put in that trailer was not a chord of wood. It wasnt even 2 rows 8 ft long.

is a toothpick wood

Why don’t you pound stakes in the ground every 8 feet and then spray paint at 4 feet high and then you could just stack your wood on the pallets in between the posts and go to 4 feet high then you know everybody’s getting a fair shake and you’re not giving your wood away

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

That’s a great idea Mark! I tend to stack the wood higher than 4’ to maximize my space in the wood yard and I cut to 18” but nothing a few quick calculations couldn’t solve to get me to a visual representation of 128 cu feet! Thanks for the feedback and support! 🍻👍🏼

650 to 700 is a cord. I smash mountains down for a living.

CT Department of Consumer Protection, Weights & Measures Division has very explicit regulations on selling firewood. The only legal measurement allowed by regulation is "cord" (or parts or fractions thereof) and specifically prohibits "face cord," "rack," "pile,"­ "truckload," or other means of measurement or representation. "2.4.1.2. Cord. -- The amount of wood that is contained in a space of 128 cubic­­ feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed. For the pur­pose of this regulation, "ranked and well stowed" shall be construed to mean that pieces of wood are placed in a line or row, with in­dividual pieces touching and parallel to each other, and stacked in a compact manner." They specifically post a phone number to take complaints about "short cords." Don't get caught or you'll end up under the microscope of the state! Best real way to be accurate is to stack it legit and load the trailer with a conveyor when you're ready to deliver. Reference: portal.ct.gov/DCP/Food-and-Standards-Division/Food--Standards/Firewood-and-Stove-Wood-Regulations

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Yep I totally agree with you! In one of my more recent videos I went over how I'm stacking my wood to be seasoned for next year in rows that are 18" deep 4.5' tall and 9.5' long which equates to 128.25 cubic feet! Once it comes time to load I think the conveyor will be a huge help!

@Northof25A

3 жыл бұрын

Annoying government lib comment

18"firewood 2 rows 4 x 8 is not a cord

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

18” firewood. 4.5’ x 9.5’ x 3’ = 128.25 cubic feet as clearly stated in the video. A cord is measured in cubic feet, 4x4x8 is simply a measurement, as long as it totals 128 cubic feet it’s a cord no matter how you stack it.

A cord is 400 or 450 pieces of wood,

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

A cord is 128 cubic feet. Depending on the size you split your wood it could be way more or way less than 400-450 pieces!

So I feel it’s common knowledge that a row of wood 16”x4’x8’ is a face cord, and there are 3 face cords in a full cord. You cut yours at 18” and claim 2 rows is a cord and you’re wondering if you’re shorting people on wood? Common sense and a tape measure says you’re missing an entire foot of wood to be called a full cord, so yeah you’re shorting people wood.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Yep that’s pretty common knowledge JT, what isn’t common knowledge is that a cord can be any dimension as long as it equals 128 cubic feet. In this case I have two rows of 18” pieces (3’) that are 4.5’ tall and 9.5’ long to compensate for the shorter depth in rows. 3 x 4.5 x 9.5 = 128.25 cubic feet. 👍🏼

@jorrick66

3 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY I got ya. I’d say you’re good then

stack it 4-4-by 8 cord restack it to see it is a cord

You're doing face cord.. True cord is 12x12x24 which is basically 3 face cords

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

As far as I know a cord is 4’x4’x8’ or 128 cubic feet. Whereas a face cord is 1/3 cord or 4’x8’x16”

@jaystrahan4546

2 жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY I'm not sure where you got that from my friend.. I've been having this knowledge since I was 7 years old helping my dad cut and split for our fireplace and I'm 51 now so I don't know what to tell you😆 I still do it for my fireplace

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

I know there are many different understandings of the measurement of a “cord” of firewood depending where you are in the country. However according to NY state and Cornell University: “A full cord is defined as a stack of firewood measuring 4ft x 8ft x 4ft” putnam.cce.cornell.edu/energy/heating-with-wood/buying-firewood

@jaystrahan4546

2 жыл бұрын

Right.. I'm from Louisiana so my thinking is since it's a New Yorker stating it.. He's probably the one that invented Pa Cawn and Pee can or potato and tomato 🤷

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Haha a debate for the ages!

That was about 90% of a cord

Please! Think about it. It's 4 feet wide, 4feet high and 8 feet LONG. Not 4 feet wide 4 feet high and 8 feet WIDE!

@DudeRanchDIY

5 ай бұрын

A cord can be any combination of measurements as long as it equates to 128 cu ft. 4x4x8 just happens to work out nicely

Let me get this straight. 2 rows of 18 inch wood on a 48 inch pallet is 48 inches? My math(not common core) comes up to 36 inches. You are screwing you customers by 25%. Hint.... Air space between the stacks doesn't count as WOOD.

@DudeRanchDIY

3 жыл бұрын

You’re math is correct 18+18 does equal 36! However a cord needs to equate to 128 cu ft no matter the dimension... Judging by my math and measurements of my wood pile 4.5’ tall stack, 36” deep, and 9.5’ wide equals 128.25 cu ft of wood!

Still didnt get an accurate measurement

2 rows of 18" is what you call a cord? Yes, that is shorting your customer. Words have meaning. If you use a term, it doesn't work if it's "your version" of that term. That's called fraud.

@DudeRanchDIY

Жыл бұрын

2 rows of 18” wood 4.5’ tall and 9.5’ long equals 128.25 cubic feet Rob. Last time I checked that’s a cord buddy.

@RobCalhounPGH

Жыл бұрын

@@DudeRanchDIY 2:49 "I cut all my pieces to 18in. I give a little bit for air to circulate through. I stack them up on pallets, which are 48in deep. 2 rows of 18in firewood takes up the 4 feet. so that's what I consider to be a cord." Then you proceed to mark off 8 feet. Not nine and a half. Eight. Even if the height is 4.5', you're still short. Maybe you've learned since then. Maybe not.

You are ripping people off. If you showed up with thatload to me I'd tell you to go home with it. Do it the right way if you're going to sell wood.

@DudeRanchDIY

2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate your opinion Chris. This was more just a demonstration or test if you will. I currently measure out my wood by either the ibc totes or by filling to calculated markings on my trailer for 1 or 2 cords.

googled it. 600 -800 pcs for a cord ,guess you are cheating your customers

Not very helpful...too many discrepancies to male a satisfying decision... Start with 16 in pieces and do a separate stacking on a set up that has end walls to take a 4' x4' x 8' area and re-stack those 500 pieces and see what it loos like...