Logburner noob q please about log deals

tank666

Hi Just bought a log burner and trying to source cheap logs. I found homebargains deliver a pallet of 64 x 7kg kiln dried birch for £310.
I have also found a local place that offers this:

1m³ Delivered in 4 x ¼m³ Barrowbag £180.00 (bag not included)

1.5m³ £180.00 or 3.0m³ £350.00.

This wood is mixture of ash, beech, birch and oak hardwood. (Ready to burn)

I read for an average winter you need about 3 cubic m if using just in evenings? 

Can anyone kindly advise if you think either of these are good deals or should I shop around more?

Thank you in advance

QrizB

tank666 said:

Hi Just bought a log burner and trying to source cheap logs. I found homebargains deliver a pallet of 64 x 7kg kiln dried birch for £310.

448kg for £310 is £692 a tonne.

tank666 said:

1m³ Delivered in 4 x ¼m³ Barrowbag £180.00 (bag not included)

1.5m³ £180.00 or 3.0m³ £350.00.

A cubic metre of loose logs is about 350kg of wood although it does vary.

1m³, 350kg, for £180 is £514 a tonne.

1.5m³, 350kg, for £180 is £343 a tonne.

3m³, 1050kg, for £350 is £333 a tonne.

tank666 said:

I read for an average winter you need about 3 cubic m if using just in evenings? 

Can anyone kindly advise if you think either of these are good deals or should I shop around more?

The best deal in your list is the last one.

Netexporter

Certainly Wood do various formats. Most economical is 1.6 cubic metre bulk bag for £340. Kiln dried to (advertised) lower than 20% moisture. I've never had a delivery above 12% and often it is so dry I can't get a measurement. Excellent company. All hardwood - oak/ash/beech

If you buy in the summer you get a 10% discount and a free box of natural (wood-wool and wax) firelighters.

tank666

Thank you for the replies sorry should have clarified apart from the weight I wasn't sure if smaller amount of all birch wood is superior to a larger amount of mixed wood some of which may be inferior to birch? Or am I overthinking it?

tank666

Netexporter said:

Certainly Wood do various formats. Most economical is 1.6 cubic metre bulk bag for £340. Kiln dried to (advertised) lower than 20% moisture. I've never had a delivery above 12% and often it is so dry I can't get a measurement. Excellent company. All hardwood - oak/ash/beech

If you buy in the summer you get a 10% discount and a free box of natural (wood-wool and wax) firelighters.

I will check certainly wood as well thank you

Netexporter

Birch has a relatively low calorific value, similar to softwood, by the way.

I also burn manufactured logs made from factory wood waste. Mine are oak and burn at least as hot as the natural logs. You can get softwood briquettes, too. Much cheaper but also much lower calorific value.

FreeBear

Don't forget, you also need somewhere dry and under cover to store the logs off the ground. I have a couple of sheds to keep my stash in, and a large quantity outside on pallets covered in tarpaulins - This will be the fuel for winter 2024/25 and will be stacked in the main shed early spring. The summer sun will bake out the last few drops of moisture, and it will be as good (if not better) than kiln dried logs.

The most economical way of buying logs is usually as a loose load tipped on your drive. But I've been rather disappointed with the quantity once stacked.

Ectophile

The cheapest option is likely to be a truck full of barn stored logs, dumped on your driveway.  Check your local newspaper(s).  Don't assume they will be partucularly dry or well seasoned.  I would prefer to buy in spring, and store them for a whole summer.

These days, almost all of my firewood is scrounged.  My garden shed is waist deep in logs from a tree in my brother's garden.  But this option is much harder work.  You'll have to collect the wood yourself, cut and split it yourself, and then allow up to two years for it to season.

Northern957

Just comparing price per weight is only half the story. Not all logs are equal. We had to stop using Homebargains log packs as they weren’t dried properly. The amount of soot they put out was unhealthy.