Logs - S.W London/Surrey

surrey_commuter

As a newbie to the world of log burning stoves and having turned my garden into the Easter Islands I thought I would turn to the collective wisdom to see if anybody can recommend me a good supplier of logs. Happy to collect as the kids like doing jobs like that.

I have learnt enough to know that quality is more important than price and even found a charity with good logs but they are only open in office hours.

mamba80

Surrey Commuter wrote:

As a newbie to the world of log burning stoves and having turned my garden into the Easter Islands I thought I would turn to the collective wisdom to see if anybody can recommend me a good supplier of logs. Happy to collect as the kids like doing jobs like that.

I have learnt enough to know that quality is more important than price and even found a charity with good logs but they are only open in office hours.

I ve been cutting down loads of Sycamore, Ash and beech, mixed in with some pine, all logged, split and seasoned, £100 per load.

I live in Cornwall but not to worry because distance is no barrier to trade.......

Matthewfalle

Head in to the BB - loads of log burner discussion in there recently.

rick_chasey

Surrey Commuter wrote:

As a newbie to the world of log burning stoves and having turned my garden into the Easter Islands I thought I would turn to the collective wisdom to see if anybody can recommend me a good supplier of logs. Happy to collect as the kids like doing jobs like that.

I have learnt enough to know that quality is more important than price and even found a charity with good logs but they are only open in office hours.

Hate to be a boring green eared fun sponge...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38746482

surrey_commuter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

As a newbie to the world of log burning stoves and having turned my garden into the Easter Islands I thought I would turn to the collective wisdom to see if anybody can recommend me a good supplier of logs. Happy to collect as the kids like doing jobs like that.

I have learnt enough to know that quality is more important than price and even found a charity with good logs but they are only open in office hours.

Hate to be a boring green eared fun sponge...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38746482

I have brand new stoves so they actually clean the air on it's way through (if I understood the promo literature)

surrey_commuter

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

As a newbie to the world of log burning stoves and having turned my garden into the Easter Islands I thought I would turn to the collective wisdom to see if anybody can recommend me a good supplier of logs. Happy to collect as the kids like doing jobs like that.

I have learnt enough to know that quality is more important than price and even found a charity with good logs but they are only open in office hours.

I ve been cutting down loads of Sycamore, Ash and beech, mixed in with some pine, all logged, split and seasoned, £100 per load.

I live in Cornwall but not to worry because distance is no barrier to trade.......

I see you have a Surrey price. This is half of the problem that there is no consistent unit of purchase. Your £100 load may be the best or worst deal ever.

surrey_commuter

Matthewfalle wrote:

Head in to the BB - loads of log burner discussion in there recently.

I will put on a disguise and pop in when it is quiet. Maybe unfairly I see them more as a scavenge, in a Toyota Hilux in the remote badlands, group of people rather than knowing a good vendor in leafy Surrey

haydenm

Depends if you are in a smoke controlled zone or not but you can get smokeless stuff even if you are. Give a few local tree surgeons a call, they should either have their own or will know someone who does

These are good also if you want to supplement 'acquired' wood:
https://www.woodfuel-direct.co.uk/hotti ... S0QAvD_BwE

haydenm

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Head in to the BB - loads of log burner discussion in there recently.

I will put on a disguise and pop in when it is quiet. Maybe unfairly I see them more as a scavenge, in a Toyota Hilux in the remote badlands, group of people rather than knowing a good vendor in leafy Surrey

It's an Isuzu Dmax actually but yes, all 'scavenged' in my case

prhymeate

You can buy them on Wimbledon Common, near the Windmill. I haven't been for years but it used to be something like £40 to fill the boot of an estate.

edit: https://www.wpcc.org.uk/the-commons/log-sales

surrey_commuter

Prhymeate wrote:

You can buy them on Wimbledon Common, near the Windmill. I haven't been for years but it used to be something like £40 to fill the boot of an estate.

edit: https://www.wpcc.org.uk/the-commons/log-sales

that looks perfect - many thanks.

surrey_commuter

HaydenM wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Head in to the BB - loads of log burner discussion in there recently.

I will put on a disguise and pop in when it is quiet. Maybe unfairly I see them more as a scavenge, in a Toyota Hilux in the remote badlands, group of people rather than knowing a good vendor in leafy Surrey

It's an Isuzu Dmax actually but yes, all 'scavenged' in my case

I have realised that I did not scavenge enough 2 years ago and am now redoubling my efforts. Plus I have realised that I am going to need another log store

surrey_commuter

HaydenM wrote:

Depends if you are in a smoke controlled zone or not but you can get smokeless stuff even if you are. Give a few local tree surgeons a call, they should either have their own or will know someone who does

These are good also if you want to supplement 'acquired' wood:
https://www.woodfuel-direct.co.uk/hotti ... S0QAvD_BwE

paying £400 for a pallet of those is going to challenge my ability to convince myself that the payback time on the burners is relatively short.

Not smoke controlled and have clean burners.

haydenm

Surrey Commuter wrote:

HaydenM wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Head in to the BB - loads of log burner discussion in there recently.

I will put on a disguise and pop in when it is quiet. Maybe unfairly I see them more as a scavenge, in a Toyota Hilux in the remote badlands, group of people rather than knowing a good vendor in leafy Surrey

It's an Isuzu Dmax actually but yes, all 'scavenged' in my case

I have realised that I did not scavenge enough 2 years ago and am now redoubling my efforts. Plus I have realised that I am going to need another log store

I've realised that now and I don't have central heating

You wouldn't need anything like a pallet, it was just the first thing I saw. You might use one or two a night along with scavenged stuff

mamba80

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

As a newbie to the world of log burning stoves and having turned my garden into the Easter Islands I thought I would turn to the collective wisdom to see if anybody can recommend me a good supplier of logs. Happy to collect as the kids like doing jobs like that.

I have learnt enough to know that quality is more important than price and even found a charity with good logs but they are only open in office hours.

I ve been cutting down loads of Sycamore, Ash and beech, mixed in with some pine, all logged, split and seasoned, £100 per load.

I live in Cornwall but not to worry because distance is no barrier to trade.......

I see you have a Surrey price. This is half of the problem that there is no consistent unit of purchase. Your £100 load may be the best or worst deal ever.

in all seriousness, ask down your local pub/shop, u really need at be buying at least a year in advance and local recommendation is your best bet, seasoned hardwood can be v expensive.

surrey_commuter

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

As a newbie to the world of log burning stoves and having turned my garden into the Easter Islands I thought I would turn to the collective wisdom to see if anybody can recommend me a good supplier of logs. Happy to collect as the kids like doing jobs like that.

I have learnt enough to know that quality is more important than price and even found a charity with good logs but they are only open in office hours.

I ve been cutting down loads of Sycamore, Ash and beech, mixed in with some pine, all logged, split and seasoned, £100 per load.

I live in Cornwall but not to worry because distance is no barrier to trade.......

I see you have a Surrey price. This is half of the problem that there is no consistent unit of purchase. Your £100 load may be the best or worst deal ever.

in all seriousness, ask down your local pub/shop, u really need at be buying at least a year in advance and local recommendation is your best bet, seasoned hardwood can be v expensive.

the problem in built up areas is that there are more people looking than there are potential supplies. When I go to the sticks the pricing model is turned on it's head. Maybe I need to buy a trailer.

surrey_commuter

HaydenM wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

HaydenM wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Head in to the BB - loads of log burner discussion in there recently.

I will put on a disguise and pop in when it is quiet. Maybe unfairly I see them more as a scavenge, in a Toyota Hilux in the remote badlands, group of people rather than knowing a good vendor in leafy Surrey

It's an Isuzu Dmax actually but yes, all 'scavenged' in my case

I have realised that I did not scavenge enough 2 years ago and am now redoubling my efforts. Plus I have realised that I am going to need another log store

I've realised that now and I don't have central heating

You wouldn't need anything like a pallet, it was just the first thing I saw. You might use one or two a night along with scavenged stuff

so you think they are cost effective for the heat they throw out.

What about coal or coal substitutes - a mate swears by the heat they throw out and he lives in a wooden house on an island in the Thames :shock:

Moonbiker

Have a look here:

https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/forum/12-firewood-forum/

Cheapest source of logs is green "arb waste" if you can get hold of it, but then you have to have a chainsaaw & axe to process & wait a year for it to season.

Some tree surgeons actually have to pay to get rid of it, its normally logs & wood chip combined though.

Firewood seems to be something that if you know the right person/place can be cheap, otherwise is very expensive.

surrey_commuter

Moonbiker wrote:

Have a look here:

https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/forum/12-firewood-forum/

Cheapest source of logs is green "arb waste" if you can get hold of it, but then you have to have a chainsaaw & axe to process & wait a year for it to season.

Some tree surgeons actually have to pay to get rid of it, its normally logs & wood chip combined though.

Firewood seems to be something that if you know the right person/place can be cheap, otherwise is very expensive.

Chaps on there are mostly talking in terms of grab lorries :shock:

briantrumpet

Moonbiker wrote:

Firewood seems to be something that if you know the right person/place can be cheap, otherwise is very expensive.

That about sums it up. My efforts to get decent firewood once I didn't have a van and access to wood from farms were mostly experiences of dishonesty: a 'load' would be whatever the seller felt like, reduced by keeping a load of tools under a tarpaulin under the 'pile'; and 'well-seasoned hardwood' was hardly-seasoned-at-all softwood. It was costing me far more to heat the house with wood, with all the effort involved, than just turning up the gas fire.

In the end I took the woodburner to the French house, where the sellers seem to be 100% straight, and the wood a good price.

I'm sure there are some good wood sellers in the UK, but I didn't find one, and in a rural area, at that.

keef66

We joined the ranks of log-burner owners last year. Initially we just bought bagged kiln-dried logs, but it was inconvenient, expensive and some of them were pretty poor quality. The best ones had been from Certainly Wood, so I took a punt and ordered a bulk bag of kiln dried from them.
Arrived on the allotted day, bag on a pallet, parked right outside the garage, and I spent the evening stacking it inside. It's quality stuff, very dry (the garage now smells of slightly charred wood) and reassuringly heavy. It lights easily, burns for a long time, and throws out a lot of heat leaving almost no ash.
There's a free returns bag to put the big bag in, and I'll turn the pallet into kindling.

I'd initially planned to build a log store and buy cheaper, local logs and keep them for 18 months to season them, but I might not bother now...

grenw

https://www.andrewheard.co.uk/

I've used these folks for a few years now. Probably not the cheapest source but good quality logs. I only get a trailer load every couple of years as I only burn them on an open fire - weekends in winter only so price less of an issue.

They are not far off the usual Surrey hills loops (Shalford - just south of Guildford) so you may save some cash by stashing a log in your saddle bag every time you go past!

surrey_commuter

I found a Polish builder, in West Molesy, on ebay who has literally thousands of very dry logs, many are eucalyptus or oak
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bag-of-Mixed ... SwH3haIv0U

And by dry I means three years old