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red oak market

Started by Old TimberCutter, January 27, 2008, 02:03:58 PM

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Old TimberCutter

Was wondering what you are getting paid for prime northern red oak logs?

The price is down in my neck of the woods, and as luck would have it I have a job with some as big as  wagon wheels.

I would hold off cutting it if I thought the price would go back up anytime soon. Any insight would be appreciated.

Ron Scott

Oak is down here also. We haven't been able to sell any quality oak timber sales for the past year or so. Markets haven't been good; we're.not putting up any oak sales at present until when and if markets improve.
~Ron

Ron Wenrich

Our white oak lumber markets have been really good, and we have been exporting white oak sawlogs.  Red oak lumber has shown only a slight improvement in the past month, but I'm not expecting any huge pickup in red oak for any time soon.

Markets were explained to me by a panel producer some 20 years ago.  There is about a 30 year cycle that lumber goes through.  When diffuse porous woods (maple, cherry, birch, etc) are at their height, ring porous woods are at their bottom (oak, ash).  The cycle will switch to where ring porous are up, and diffuse are down.

Think back about 15 years ago and tell me how much hard maple was moving, and at what price.  Where was red oak and ash?  Red oak peaked about 5 years ago, but nobody seemed to notice.  I remember a time when red oak was considered a junk wood.  I was a procurement forester and told not to buy any, since there wasn't any market.

Another "test" I use is to go to one of the box stores and see what type of kitchen cabinets they have in the forefront.  Maple was put in the forefront about 6 or 7 years ago.  That told me that things were changing.

With housing starts off as much as they are, I don't expect the red oak market to bounce back anytime soon.  Add to that where mills and loggers want to log off any oak that they have before markets fall further, and you have problems with anything supporting the market.  I've been wrong before.   ;)
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

thecfarm

I don't know if I have the same red oak as you do.I was asking about it and I was told to let it grow if you can.I don't have that much of it,but would hate to give a couple truck loads away.
I always like to see big wood.Not much of it around here anymore.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Ed

A friend of mine had some logging done last fall. The logger wouldn't bid any Red Oak, as it wasn't worth messing with. White Oak price was so low they were left alone also, more value to my friend as a food source for deer.
Only species taken were Walnut, Cherry & Hard Maple.

Ed

Ron Wenrich

I've been really puzzled about the white oak prices out there in the Midwest.  I always thought that our white oak quality was lower than yours.  We've been getting $1.60-$2 for our uppers in white oak.  And we get to throw our chestnut oak in with it. 

Veneer logs are selling well, although I'm not real sure of the price.  Those export logs were quoted at $900/Mbf Doyle, and they weren't butt cuts. 

We are pretty close to the ports, and they send container trucks, which we have to load.  But, I think we get paid extra to do that. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

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