buying wood

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smokingranby

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 4, 2008
25
10
Here are a few questions for some of you.  I have purchas my wood from a local retailer to smoke with.  It comes in a bag of chunks and small logs.  I have really started getting into smoking and have decided to smoke stuff out more often.  Because of this I don't want to pay the high price of the wood at the retailer.  How do you buy wood from an individual?  Does it come in ricks like firewood?  How much should I expect to spend?  I know some of these may sound dumb to some of you but I have never bought wood like this.  Any suggestions would be helpful.   
 
Not knowing your location and type of smoker you have kind of handcuffs me in a reply.

 But most of the wood down here is sold by the cord or half cord.

 BUT! you have to make sure that  you know what you are looking at when you purchase wood from a dealer.  Down here we can buy cords of pecan and oak .

 But i have seen cotton wood and willow in fire wood that some dealers try to pass off as hard wood.
 
What Eman said, plus if you live near any orchards, you can go there and ask them if they have any limbs & trimmings left from when they cut their trees back. You can usually get that pretty cheap.

Bearcarver
 
There again depending on where you are check with local nut growers and property owners.  It's a lot easier to just pickup wood from some guy with a loaded pickup truck but if you are up for it and don't mind running a chain saw there are cheaper ways.  Most people don't mind a bit of help taking out an old broken up oak tree or picking up broken branches from a pecan orchard after a wind storm.  You could probably get all the wood you need just picking up trash after a storm.  You may also check with local sawmills.  They often have big piles of scrap and trimmings of dried hardwoods available real cheap.  All you need is one good load, kept out of the weather and dried properly to last you for years.

Good luck, if you are down in SE Louisiana I have a pecan tree from Katrina you can come help me cut up.
 
Thanks for the replies.  I live in SW Missouri.  We have lots of oak and hickory around here.  I am wanting some hickory if possible.  I have a couple of guys that have told me they have some for me but I wanted to check on here first what I needed to look for as far as price and how it comes.  I have a walmart char-grill with a fire box on the side.  Eventually I am going to upgrade but it has worked for me.  Looks similar to this but with the side car. 

 
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Heck I just walk around the yard and pick up sticks. Now it takes me a few monthes to save up enough for a good smoke but you know if you wait it will come. Or you can go down to the wood gettin store and buy some. That's what I do in the intrim. I really don't know where to get bulk wood I buy mine in bags and boxes. I use chips mostly.
 
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