Infected ash, roadside weights?

[Big J]

I was wondering how much lighter you guys are finding your roadside ash compared to previous years, pre-chalara fraxinea? 

 

We're cutting ash presently, and even though it's early stage to moderately infected, I'd say it's 14-19% lighter at roadside compared to previous large parcels we've done. Even in contrast with ash on the previous site, it's lighter. For instance, an 8 wheeler load of 3m from the previous site was typically going out at 16.3t (two bunks) whereas an 8 wheeler load of 4m from this site is only just getting 18t. The actual volume measurement is 34.5m cubed versus 46m cubed, yet there is less than 2 tonnes difference.

 

I always prefer to sell on the tonne (as it's an irrefutable measure) but if it's this light, I can't unless the tonnage price is into the high sixties or low seventies.

 

Thoughts?

[Tom D]

Are you comparing Scottish with English wood? Or felled at different time of year?

[Wedgebanger]

I wonder what the moisture content is.. 

[Mark Bolam]

Can you not soak it?

[spuddog0507]

Hi we did some infected ash last week up in the yorkshire dales weight was very noticeable, went to move a log and it was very lite compared to non infected ash and one good thing about it when they hit the deck nearly all the brash shattered off em thus making the site easy to move about on, i am not sure if you got your numbers right J but i would say what we had was more like 20-25% down on weight,

[Woodworks]

Just cut some on the farm so with do test the weight of few samples when I get a moment. The lightest I have had so far was the 75 tonne I had  from you around a year ago. 

[Big J]

13 hours ago, Tom D said:

Are you comparing Scottish with English wood? Or felled at different time of year?

 

Different sites really. Did over 500t on one site last October/November. That was fairly light (as Beau referred to in the last quote), but the winter felled ash later in winter (January and February) was heavy. Ash we've felled this summer has been heavier too. Real variation, even when only a few miles apart.

13 hours ago, Wedgebanger said:

I wonder what the moisture content is.. 

 

Not sure. Mixed, depending on level of ADB infection

12 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

Can you not soak it?

 

I meant to take a photo for you of some of the stems in the river. No where else they are ever going to go!

 

11 hours ago, spuddog0507 said:

Hi we did some infected ash last week up in the yorkshire dales weight was very noticeable, went to move a log and it was very lite compared to non infected ash and one good thing about it when they hit the deck nearly all the brash shattered off em thus making the site easy to move about on, i am not sure if you got your numbers right J but i would say what we had was more like 20-25% down on weight,

 

14-19% is about where we're at according my calculations from my sites, but I am sure 20-25% is widely seen.

 

8 hours ago, Woodworks said:

Just cut some on the farm so with do test the weight of few samples when I get a moment. The lightest I have had so far was the 75 tonne I had  from you around a year ago. 

 

That was fairly light, but this is lighter still.