Where do you hobby folks get logs?

[jackganssle]

Hi all,

Long-timer lurker, first time poster here, thinking about buying an LT15. I live in Carroll County, MD, a somewhat rural area. I'm wondering where you all who mill in small quantities for personal use get logs? It only makes sense for me to get a mill if logs are cheap and easy to obtain.

To make it harder my truck is a Chevy S10, just a little half-ton job.

Thanks,
Jack

[Magicman]

Jack, wow, you have been lurking a while....Welcome to The Forestry Forum (posting)..... :D

I'd contact your local Arborist.  In my area, they often have logs for free, and you can't beat that price.  Also keep on the lookout.  You'll see dead or dying trees that folks will give to you for removal.  Also, sawing on the "halves" is an option.

I just sawed two huge White Oak logs that were given to me.   He had no market for them, and didn't have to pay for disposal.

[Planman1954]

Hi Jack.

I was in the same boat down here in Louisiana as you seem to be now just a few months back. It's kind of neat when you get a mill and set it up for all to see. Folks seem to show up, deals are done, and logs appear. I still don't quite know how it happens. Anyway, about the truck. Ha...all I have to pull stuff is a 95 chevy van. You should see it pulling my dad's 45 year old trailer full of logs. (I go about 25 with the flashers on). When I get em home, I tie one end of a chain to a tree, the other to one log at a time, and start spinning my back tires. Sometimes, one of em falls off. I guess I'm trying to say that you can make do with what you have. Also check with tree trimming services. They might bring a log to two to you just to get rid of them (especially species they don't usually take to mills). God bless.

[Dodgy Loner]

You'd be surprised how easy it is to get logs. I get them from my house, my Dad's house, my Grandad's house. At least four of my fellow church members have given me logs (and I'm going to pick up some cedar logs from another this month). I had an appraiser at my Dad's house who saw all the furniture I built and and the lumber I sawed, so she offered me a huge oak log that had fallen at her office. One of my forestry professors has given me several logs. A community forester who I went to school with has given me logs removed from the city. I've begged fallen trees out of the botanical gardens and the school forest. My neighbors on both sides of my house have given me fallen and storm-damage trees.

I probably didn't have to list all of that, but you get my point ;D. Once your friends and acquaintances see what you can do with their logs, they'll be lining up to give you trees.

[pineywoods]

Jack, you can haul logs with a chevy s10. I did it for years with a trailer behind a ford ranger. Helps if the trailer has brakes. There's all manner of cheap ways to get the logs loaded, do some reading on here..

[nas]

Buy a mill, tell one person.   In a couple years you will wonder what to do with all the logs people give you. :D

Oh yah
Welcome to the forum ;D

Nick

[John Bartley]

I'd contact your local Arborist.  In my area, they often have logs for free, and you can't beat that price.

This is great advice, and is a source that is often overlooked. Busy arborists often have more logs than they can handle, and many municipal areas charge for dumping them. Someone who will show up as agreed, and will remove logs without bothering the work crew are appreciated. I have worked with a local arborist now for a couple of years and the logs have been coming steadily and in excellent quality. I've sawed white oak, honey locust, white ash, sugar maple, cherry and elm, and all have been free. The only downside is that "yard trees" may have metal and/or other debris in them, but when you look at the cost of a band or two vs the free logs, it's usually still a good deal.

cheers

John

[TimJr]

I also bought an LT-15 and am very pleased with it. I get logs from all over the place. There's alot of people down here that buy 5 or 10 acres that are full of trees and bulldoze the whole thing just to put a house in the middle. Alot of times I stop and ask them what they are doing with the wood. Sometimes they just say take all you want, and sometimes they will also cut it to length for you. Don't be afraid to ask.

Welcome to the forum.

[VictorH]

I did not worry about the log problem myself.  I figured I would scrounge enough from the local tree dump.  Last week I was given anything and everything I wanted from a 1/3 mile creek bed that is going to be cleared.     Walnut, osage, maple, hackberry, sycamore, cotton-wood, elm, there is even one Ky. coffee-bean in there.  Now I just need to get it down and out before spring.  You will find logs and they will find you.  Have fun

[alsayyed]

Hello Jack welcome to the forum. A word of advice a void hauling logs into the back of the truck or on the truck bed because you will run into trouble by bringing the logs down again and this will result in damaging the truck back door. Now  since I built  this trailer I do not have to worry of hauling a logs and bringing the logs down because it is made of 4 inch channel for a chassie. I added few safety accessories like the chains on both side and some lights on the side, and strong vehicles hubs and 6 bolts rim and it is working good for me. If there are more information you need about trailer just let me know maybe I can help.

Good luck

[sdunston]

From a hobby farm were else 8) Could not resist that one. I have my own wood lot but if I need something that I dont have I have 2 loggers that I use and am glad to pay the market price delivered.
Sam

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

i do pretty good finding logs by searching the "free" category on craigslist. A lot of times I find people that had a tree come down and just want it taken away or that had a tree service just drop the tree to save money and will let you have it for free just for taking it away. Some of the times I even get paid to come and get it I they run the ad for a few weeks and get no takers. That is the best of both worlds....free logs and money in your pocket to boot.

Consider getting a log arch that lifts the logs completely off the ground because a lot of home owners want the logs removed, but do not want you digging up their yard. A log arch and an atv or small garden tractor solves that problem and gets them out to the street with minimal evidence that you were even there.

[bandmiller2]

Welcome Jack,Talk to local tree service guys that cut and prune for hire.They chip the small stuff but larger logs they usally have to pay to dump them most are decent folks that always need hardwoods for trailer beds and trucks.Most will haul to you and take a share.Frank C.

[sigidi]

Jack welcome to your first posting 8)

Have a look here; https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,41851.0.html I got 50 tonne of log from that

[fishpharmer]

Jackganssle, great question to ask here on forestry forum.  Glad to have you here. 

[rbarshaw]

I have found at logging sites, the guy cuting the trees will give and load for you, any logs that are too big/crooked for them to sell or the mill they are cutting for won't accept.

[backwoods sawyer]

Hey Jack, Welcome that is a well asked question, with no wrong answer.
I ran a Toyota SR5 chasing hounds for a good many years, you would be surprised at what a small truck can handle, and even my 80 LUV did ok but not as good as the 67 Mazda with sawdust tires. It hauled out more then one 500lb bear, even the 79 Currier hauled some big loads of wood with a trailer on behind, down out of the Cascades.
Now a truck is to be used not torn up so use some caution every time you load it.
A good rule of thumb for the small trucks is if you and your passenger can load it in the back of the bed then you can put 3-4 logs in. Just balance the load.
For logs larger then that just put the mill on a boat trailer and haul the mill to the log deck, then haul the mill, lumber, edgings and sawdust home.
You will need to bee selective it what is a millable log and what is not.

[WDH]

Sawmills attract logs  .

[Tim/South]

Welcome to the forum.

Another way to get free logs is to ask any local excavation company.
My uncle kept a guy in the logging business with free logs. He would clear land and not want to burn the logs. The guy would bring his truck and my uncle would load it for free just to get rid of the mass.

I bought a boom truck from a forum member. Once people found out I would remove free logs, I have more than I need.
Every time we have a storm I get free logs.

[HUMS MILL]

Welcome to forum
  Glad to see another sawyer in Md. If your ever in Garrett county, look me up. I started 4 yrs ago. Didnt take me long to figure out I needed a loader. I bought a old track loader and made forks for it. I get a lot of logs on car trailers so I got some straps for lifting logs out and setting lumber back in. Back to your questions. Watch for a contractor clearing a lot. Around here they trade some sawn wood for logs. Usally not a lot of logs at a time. I dont have a trailer I borrow 1 sometimes and pull w 1/2 ton. I lose some logs because I dont pick up but my lot is full of logs right now. Have to move 3 ft of snow tomorrow so i can saw. Word gets around             
                         Brian

[limbrat]

 Like these guys have been saying logs just seem to find you. I get a lot from National forest you can buy dead as long as its within a hundred yards of a road. The trick with that is not to buy trees that have a market. like i dont buy pine from them but the last bunch of fire killed red cedar i bought was sold as fence post and cost thirty cents a tree for a hundred and ten trees, it was a lot of loads of logs on my little sixteen foot trailer. Hardwoods are sold as firewood, i got ten prety white oaks for twenty bucks. But there are plenty of yard trees that are either free are they will pay a little to have them taken down.
My favorite places are the V.A. a Federal hospitol, a State Mental hospitol, and a state facility for mentaly handicaped. each one is a couple of hundred acres and there park like i cant run a saw in there but there happy to load the logs on the trailer for me.
A local tree service brings lots of logs as long as he can hang his sign out front, I might have to stop that more people are stopping by and i might have to change it from hobby to full time.

[Handy Andy]

  If you can find folks involved in a construction project where trees have to be removed, contractors charge them, so giving away saves them money.  Even if they are removed, they have to be either burned or hauled off, so makes sense why you can get free trees, or logs.  If they are standing and don't need to be removed, people want money for them.  So watch for activity.  I've hauled some huge loads with my old Toyota pu.  I  use a 16' car trailer and winch them over the side.