Great explanation. So many people are confused on this subject. I’ve found that some of my customers are shocked when I pull up with a cord of wood. They can’t believe how much wood it is. I’m pretty sure people think a face cord is a full cord. Really like how you dump the wood in the trailer. If I’m ever able to get a tractor, this is how I’ll be doing it! Your channel is doing great my friend. I knew it would after the first video
Thanks for your comments Brad and thanks for your support! The tractor is a must for me. After stacking in the tote (right off the splitter) I don’t touch the wood again. Eliminating touches makes it much more efficient. To be honest if I had to stack by hand and then load the trailer by hand I would really be limited in how much wood I could do.
Great explanation Dick! I typically stack just a bit higher than the rails so as to allow adequate overlap for my lids, but I also squeeze in a row in between the two main faces since there’s a gap between the 16 inch pieces I found that that basically gets me the extra wood needed For a full face cord in the smaller 275 gallon totes!
Great video and hard to argue the facts (measurements). I use IBC totes as well and always went 2 rows above the rim thanks to Adam's video a while back.
Thanks so much for watching. IBC totes are the most efficient way I’ve found to minimize “touches” in the whole firewood process. I did another video on IBC totes from start to finish (dumping them into my trailer). If you haven’t seen that one you might enjoy it.
This is the best video I’ve seen on this subject. Thanks for taking the time and effort to do it. I use ibc totes also. I have almost 70 now. They work great. I’ve found a few other uses for them as well. Thanks again.
Thanks for the kind words Wirey! My goal is to get to 100 totes. That will handle all the wood I can process through my small operation. I have over 30 now and I’m picking 17 more up today. I’ve found a new source so hopefully I can get to 100 by this summer. Thanks for watching and please subscribe if you haven’t already!
@@oldguyfirewood I hit the subscribe button on your first video. Haha. Your operation is very similar to mine. I’m small time and just started this past summer. I enjoy it so far & I’m constantly looking for ways to improve.
As always, thank you for watching Andrew. I was afraid I got into too much detail (to the point of being boring). As it turned out it’s one of my most viewed videos!
@@oldguyfirewood not at all dick, all those extra details really helped with relaying your overall thoughts for this video 💯👍. I appreciated it for sure! Cheers :)
Hey digger… welcome! I really appreciate you watching and commenting. Paul Bunyan was a great time. If you ever have a chance to go, do it. Thanks for subscribing. Us older guys need to stick together 👍😅
Thanks for watching Tom. I’m using a conveyor now and fill my totes loose. I’ve emptied and stacked them so I know how much is in a loose thrown tote. I need to do another video on loose thrown!
Thanks for watching Darwin. I hope you subscribed and have watched some of my earlier videos. Yes, there is a lot of confusion about firewood quantity measurements. I’m glad if this was informative.
Thanks Adam! I love your channel… one of the things I like is your empirical approach to things. I relate when you start talking numbers and throw a graph or spreadsheet up there to explain the results “mathematically”. I wish I was closer to your location. I’d love to visit, do some “young guy/old guy sharing” and maybe collaborate on a video. Thanks for watching and “keep moving”!
I'm new to your channel very informative you went to a lot of work to show people how to figure a cord out great job i love your channel keep up the good work .thanks from eugene oregon
Thanks for the comment Brad. I noticed we have the same bundler! I messed up in my bundling video and kept saying John’s Welding was in Pennsylvania… I caught my mistake when I saw your video but it was too late to correct at that point. Hope you’re having a great day!
Thanks TSG! They are getting hard to come by at a decent price. I’ve got about 50 and would like to get 50 more. That’s all the firewood I could produce in a year so it would be perfect.
Thanks for watching! I’m honored to have an “international” audience! I love watching the Morgan’s. I hope I can develop some content that is of interest to like minded folks. I really appreciate your comment.
Good info . I am also using IBC totes And Pallet bags from Northern Woodsman here in Wisconsin. Portable dry wood is my goal - 1 Touch wood from my Wolferidge splitter - season to my dump trailer - delivered . Thanks Again - Good luck with your channel
@@davidedwards3734 I have the kubota L3400. If I could figure out how to attach a picture with this reply I could show you how it’s attached. Basically 2 shortened heavy duty ratchet straps, one on each side from the tote frame to the fork frame. If you look closely in the first few frames you can make it out in the video
I’m filling my totes off a conveyor now, loose not stacked. Im going to have to do another video so I know how much they hold if thrown in loose! Thanks for watching watching Roger.
@@oldguyfirewood I did. I'm 50 years old and starting to sell firewood and BBQ wood. Firewood by the bundle perhaps as I live in Louisiana and it's hot most of the year. It's all an experiment for me.
Good info. I've yet to find a good cheap source for those totes, but I'll keep looking. Hope to get some. I like how you used them as ends for your pallet stacks.
Thanks for the comments! You’re right, it’s getting hard to find ICB totes. I’m picking 17 up tomorrow for $20 each. That will give me over 50. I’d like to have 100.
Thanks for the explanation.. Like a few others I dont do totes.. Heck my yard is not even set up the look at and say hey there is X many cords there.. It gets measured once loaded up.
Thanks for the comments Daniel! I apologize for the slow reply. I appreciate what you’re saying. In my case it just minimizes the manual handling after the splitting stage.
Thanks for another great video! I’ve been stacking on pallets. This year I started a system like Chris from in the wood yard & Brad from firewood at the forage. I don’t have as much sunlight as him, so I just stack in two rows. I take the supports for my uprights right off of one of the pallets. I did get my hands on a few totes. I will fill them next to try them at drying.
Thanks for the comments Chris! Totes are getting hard to find. I’ve got around 50 now but would like to have 100. I love the fact that once I split into them I don’t have to handle the wood by hand again.
Thanks for watching and thanks for subscribing! I love the totes. They eliminate a lot of touches. It’s getting harder to find them for a decent price. I just lucked out on 17 for free but it’s an hour and a half away. I’m picking them up on Monday.
Great job Dick! I’m interested to know how you secured the IBC to the mast of the tractor when you dumped it. 200 subs in the first month! Way to go buddy! Keep it up!
Thanks Mike! I use a heavy ratchet strap on each side. I cut the strap short and only use it for that purpose. I’ll take a close up picture and sent it to you. What’s the best way to community with you… email?
Very good info . I have to use pallets for now . I have an unlimited supply of pallets. I would like to get a tractor sometime . Then I could get the totes . Very good video . Have a great week . Del
Thanks for watching Del! You’re right, a forklift is needed to make use of totes efficient. At my age I couldn’t physically do it if I had to load everything by hand. I’m blessed to have the tractor. Hope you have a great week!
I totally understand . I have arthritis so bad I have to take medicine twice a day . I’ve had one knee replaced and am going to have the other one replaced as soon as we can get my wife over her breast cancer . That’s why in my videos I stumble around a lot . But it’s all good !! Have a good one .
The 275s hold a Facecord just fine. 2 rows of wood front and back and Stack the center void with smaller pcs. About 4 inches over the top rail. It wil fill a 4x8 wood rack every time. I do it several times a week.
Thanks for watching. You’re correct. As I mentioned in the video it will hold a face cord if you don’t fill the void and stack about 10” above the top.
@oldguyfirewood yes sir. Buttt still yet. Some people won't believe ya until u actually show them. I was just confirming everything you were says. Keep on splitting and stay safe
At the risk of starting a whole different discussion, an IBC holds 1000 litres, so it holds 1 cubic metre but I don't stack mine I just throw it in so I'm a bit shy of a 1 M2, thanks for the video from another old guy (on the other side of the world).
I appreciate that back breaker, and mental gymnastics to figure that out..I was wondering because a fella down the road is selling wood in those totes...His are not packed and stacked, but just thrown in, and short of the top, so i was trying to figure it out..Thanks Much
By having the equipment to dump into trailer, it's so much easier. I unfortunately do not, started last year with IBCs. Now its more effective using pallets, for me.
Thanks for the comments Bill. You hit the nail on the head… if you have to load your truck or trailer by hand it is much more efficient to work off of pallets. I’m blessed to have the forklift and it saves me a lot of physical touches. At my age I really don’t think I could do it without the tractor.
Good demonstration of a full face cord in an IBC tote. How high above the larger style size IBC tote do you think you would need to stack to get a face cord in it?
In the 330 gallon totes you can fit a full face cord if you stack it to the top of the tote. Mike Morgan did a video on that about a year ago. Thanks for watching B&F.
Great explanation. I always told people local the 275 level wasn't a face cord and you proved it. Great video. Where do you get your IBC totes? I get mine from farmers. What do you use to hold the tote on the forks? Nicely done!
Thanks Craig! I’ve bought most of my totes on Facebook marketplace. I have about 35 I acquired a couple years ago. I have an average of about $10/tote in those. Prices I’m seeing lately are in the 50-60 dollar range. I actually made a call to a mulch production company today and I’m picking up 17 more tomorrow at $20 each. I always assumed they had someone else who was getting their totes… all it took was a phone call! I hope to build a relationship with them so I can get about 50 more over time. I hold the totes on with a short heavy duty ratchet strap on each side from the tote frame to the fork frame. If you look closely in the video you can see it.
hi there i cut and stack my totes different then everyone else so it does hold a full face cord . and cut my firewood at 18 so it fits tight in the tote also .i even put the lids on different the other people do . i don't sell fire wood just cut a lot so the 18 does not matter john
Thanks for the comments frickinjeep! I hadn’t thought about the difference the 18” cuts would make. I understand what you are saying and agree with you. Since my customers needs vary, (smaller woodstove, fireplace, fire pit, etc), the standard 16” seems to work best. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching Jeff. Hope you’re subscribed! I have another video about using IBC totes also. You may be interested. I really appreciate you watching.
Thanks for watching Dana! You’re right about cost. My threshold is $20. I just found an unlimited source for that amount. I would like about 50 more and I will accumulate them over time. They normally sell for $50+ in my area, so I may buy 20 at a time, sell 10 quickly at $40 each, and end up with the remaining 10 for free (other than my time and minimal transportation cost). The totes are held on with a short ratchet strap on each side. Look closely at the video and you can see it. I’ve had a lot of questions about that, so I may do a separate video.
Thanks for the comment Keith! I have a compact tractor… Kubota L3400. The lift capacity is around 1100 lbs. it serves me well but if I was buying a tractor today for my operation I would be looking for 1800-2000 lb lift.
I actually did a test once but I didn’t video it. Need to do that! Anyway, I lost about 28% when I took a loose full tote, dumped it and the re-stacked it. Based on that, about 1 2/3 loose stacked 275’s would be a face cord.
@@oldguyfirewood thanks for responding so quickly yeah that would be a good video I don’t like to stack wood and if I can just fill and drop that would be great, I see videos of the bags but wasn’t certain on how much they hold.
you are from rural upstate ny? i'm in the hudson valley and it's firewood time ...was trying to figure a way to work with the ibc totes...and checked your video -great information....i need a tractor ...i'm just stacking on some shelter logic rack's and a few homemade racks for now i only burn about 5-6 cords a year but i'm getting old and my back doesn't like it...i subscribed to your channel
Hi Bob. Thanks for watching and subscribing! Yes, I grew up in Port Jervis and moved south with my job when I was 29. The IBC totes work great for me but they are getting hard to find at a decent price. I can totally relate to the connection between aging and back pain! Thanks again!!
@@oldguyfirewood I was in port jervis yesterday,it was raining most of the day so i only bucked up a few logs..... i was thinking about some sort of gantry with a grapple hook to help lift the big pieces onto the splitter,i thought i had seen a few video's on you tube of some nice setup's like that
Hi John. That’s about right. Actually a face cord is 42.7 cu. Ft. The stack I showed in the video was 8’x4’x1.33’ which equals 42.6 cubic ft. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching Larry. I’ve gotten to the point where I have a pretty good idea based on species and how long it has been split. I also sample with a moisture meter. 20% or less is ready to go.
@@oldguyfirewood Thanks for the reply! A few years back I got into turning bowls on a lathe (twice turned as well as dried bowl blanks) and keep reading about moisture meters but can’t ever seem to find consistent reviews on what to buy and what is really accurate.
@@oldguyfirewood Thanks. I am a woodworker and lathe turner and keep looking at moisture meters but haven’t pulled the trigger yet…need to get back to that research.
Hi Paul. Thanks for watching. I did a video of the entire tote process from the raw tote to dumping them in the trailer. It was my video #8. Here’s a link ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-faeOZ93s_WM.html. Watch that video for a complete explanation.
Thank you so much for explaining it so well. I enjoy watching your videos. From an old guy to another « yes keep moving » I’m 83 and still learning » Paul from Ottawa Canada.
Here in NC I’m seeing prices around $50. I’ve paid $40, $20, and gotten several for free. I think I figured at one point that I have under $10/tote for all that I have.
Wood furnace is work but much better heat we bought 400 gallons of oil this year $2100 if we just burned oil furnace 6 weeks . We have tractors loaders ,splitter, and many chain saws free wood so each year we don't burn oil we buy a used tractor or a new chain saw or generator or something we need 😉
Don't you ever wish that IBC Tote manufacturers would come up with IBC container that could comfortably fit a full one-third of a face cord. That would make life easier for the firewood guys, convenient for the clients and the manufacturer will have a ready market.
Thanks for the comment David! The 330 gallon fits 1/3 cord perfectly, but the tote manufacturer doesn’t care one bit about their use for firewood storage ha!
I wonder how much would it take for a quarter cord to be stacked in the ibc totes. People around here sale and purchase by the 1/4 cords and not face cord (1/3). Looks like I could just sell “1/4 cords” with just a full tote.
Hi Amanda. Thanks for watching. I've found a quarter cord stacked will be about 8"-10" below the top of a 275 gallon tote. I you throw them loose in a 275 and round it up over the top it will also be 1/4.
Hey Dick, it’s been a while since we spoke. I’ve crunched some numbers, and this is what I’ve come up with. A 1/4 cord is two rows stacked even to the top and a face cord 15” higher in the 275 gallon totes. Here is my formula of how it got it. I used it to calculate the total volume. Hopes this helps. 1/4 cord 46” L x 40” H 3.8’ L x 3.3’ H = 12.5 x 1.3 x 2 rows = 32.6 cu ft 1/3 cord 46” L x 55” H 3.8’ Lx 4.5’ H= 17.1 x 1.3 x 2 rows = 44.4 cu ft
Thanks for the question Jean. Firewood in the United States is typically sold by volume, not by weight. The common measure is the “cord” which is 128 cubic feet of wood, or a “face cord”which is just under 43 cubic feet of wood. I use the totes to store the wood and then empty the appropriate amount out of the tote based on the volume of wood the customer orders. For example, a cord of wood is about just under 4 full totes. A face cord is about 1 and 1/4 totes. Typically the more wood a customer purchases, the lower the price is per cubic foot.
Thanks for watching! Of course it depends on the wood species and how dry it is, but generally a face cord of mixed hardwood will be around 1300-1500 lbs. My tractor will only lift about 1200 so I put less than a face cord in each tote.
Good question Charlie. I cut the side out of the tote and use it as a top cover for the full totes. Look in the background of my video and you will see what I mean. The excess goes to the local waste management company for disposal.
Thanks for watching and commenting Don. I've actually done that and found loose thrown will be about 30% less. That probably would have been good to do in that video... good suggestion.
So 3 totes make a full cord or darn near it.Here's what I'd like to see..... We know 1 stacked tote is a face cord..... How about a tossed in 275 gallon tote... not stacked.... how much less is the tossed in tote compared to the stacked tote?.... I know when we stacked our 8 foot bed up we always had more than just tossing it in the bed..
Somehow I missed your comment Greg… sorry! I have actually tossed in a tote full, taken it out, and then stacked it back in. You actually loose about 1/3 when you throw in loose.
Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting Mr. Redneck! Haha I get your point but a lot of folks like the detailed math. A 275 gallon tote cage holds about 36 cubic feet if stacked level with 16” pieces.
I noticed that the IBC tote at the beginning of the video only has 4 sections..is that yet another size of tote? Also, I am able to get a few more pieces stacked in between the rows on my IBC totes..I need to check if I have the larger ones because yours seem to be pretty packed with 2 rows of 16” pieces….
In my opinion 3 face cords is more than a cord, a cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood and you will never fit 3 face cords into a 128 cubic ft. 16+16+16 is 48 but unless you compress the wood it just will not fit. The face cord is a 2D measurement does not account for depth properly. Good for the consumer not so good for the firewood seller!!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the comments! The most common definition of a face cord (and the one I use in my video} assumes 16” pieces of wood stacked 4’ high and 8’ long. This is a 3 dimensional measurement, 8’x4’x1.3333’ which equals 42.7 cubic feet (a 3 dimensional measurement). Three of those stacks equals 3x42.7 which equals 128.1 cubic feet… 1 cord. Another way to think of it is to stack the 3 face cords end to end. You would have a stack of wood 24’ long, 4’ high, and 1.333’ deep. 24x4x1.333 equals 128 cubic feet or one cord.
@@oldguyfirewood and if you are off by 1/2 inch and your avg is 16.5in you will be out about 3% per cord, if your avg is 17 you will be out 6%. You end up loosing double because you loose volume and you paid to produce the lost volume. If the market is generous and you get decent $$$ for your wood this is absorbed in the mix. But if you are in tighter markets it makes or breaks you!
Great video, and I have subscribed to your channel! I really enjoyed how you broke down the amount of wood you can put in the IBC totes! I use the totes to bring firewood to the house, and I love using them. Donald @ #moneypithomestead
Hey Larry. Your comment made me smile… you’re right! Problem is, this Woodhound’s major chuck and stack days are behind me haha. As frustrating as it is, I have to constantly look for ways to make it easy enough for me to continue. Have a great day Larry!
