Cost of raw timber

amandstu

What would the cost of timber be?

I have just seen a trunk of recently felled beech being offered for sale at 1500eu.

This for a trunk measuring 3metres and 1 metre or so wide.

Would that be a ballpark valuation for what I calculate to be something around 2 and a quarter square metres of timber

650eu a square metre?

I presume this would be being sold for some kind of woodwork and not for burning.....

tabby aspreme

That's expensive, it would probably cost 30€ / cu ft by the time you have it sawn, and then you have to dry it

amandstu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121558429#Comment_121558429

Are you suggesting that the market rate would be similar to 30 eu/cu ft even if it would be lower?

(20-25?)

I am totally unfamiliar with these prices but just taken a bit aback by the price being sought.

CelticRambler

Standing or recently felled wood is sold by the cubic metre (not square), and the price rises with an increase in trunk diameter. That said, the current (international) market price for standing beech is only 80€/m³ for trunks of 1m+ so your 2.4m³ has an open-market value of just under 200€ standing.

Add on whatever you think it's worth for someone to fell it. Then, as tabby says, you'll have extra cost (and losses) when it comes to milling and drying it. 1300€ to pay a guy to wield a chainsaw for a few minutes sounds like an awful lot to me!

amandstu

Yes.I wrote square metres by mistake but I think I got the volume(2.25) more or less right.

As I said ,not my tree but my eyes did light up a bit since I might have the odd comparable tree and for a while there thought I might have access to a little potential cash.

200 euros is a lot less than 1500 so maybe the seller is chancing his or her arm or maybe just a misinformed as me over what it is worth

The tree is already felled and has to be collected by the buyer.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121558545#Comment_121558545

tabby aspreme

For that tree to get to a sawmill there needs to be access for a loader, or truck grab to move it, otherwise its firewood.

amandstu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121559401#Comment_121559401

2.25 cu metres seems to me to be around 2.25 ton weight of timber

Would a tractor be able to drag it to somewhere on firm ground where it could be loaded?

(I have never driven a tractor and have no idea what weight they are able to handle.I do cut wood for burning and generally carry trunk sections back across the field over my shoulder.Perhaps a hundred weight max if it balances nicely)

CelticRambler

Would a tractor be able to drag it to somewhere on firm ground where it could be loaded?

Definitely! The right tool for the job would be a log-arch, but only worth finding/making one if you plan to move more than one tree. Otherwise, some kind of sled under the back end would allow it to be easily dragged across even very rough ground.