Looking for logs Oxford area

[Elwira]

Hi,

Its my first season with log burner and need to stock up. Happy to take logs/ have delivery for a fee, but would prefer to avoid paying the current Oxford prices. Any suggestions on how I could reduce cost - please share. 

[Stubby]

10 minutes ago, Elwira said:

Hi,

Its my first season with log burner and need to stock up. Happy to take logs/ have delivery for a fee, but would prefer to avoid paying the current Oxford prices. Any suggestions on how I could reduce cost - please share. 

Move to Littlehampton 🙂.   Seriously though everything has a value now a days . The fact you have said you would pay something will help . Have you put yourself on the tip site  directory ?  

[Steven P]

For your first season it is unlikely that they will be dried suitably (or at least for the beginning of the winter), so you might want to buy some in... for this year... Get some this summer, split, stacked to dry ready for next winter (2026-27), and you should be away.

 

Similar to Stubby, put a listing on the tip sites, and click the button 'Happy to pay' - it might make your site stand out from others around you... That doesn't mean you'll be paying for all your logs though, some people are happy to tip for free (the finances can make that work, less driving for them, perhaps a shorter day, or no second day on the job with local tipping, no council tip fees and so on).

 

If you are new to wood burners don't get hung up about 'kiln dried oak' only - all wood burns, even softwoods.

 

Back to the local firms - the more you can do yourself, the less they need to do, the happier they will be to tip. Some people are set up at home with saws, axes, splitters (plus safety kit), some don't - if you are happy to cut and split wood (can be therapeutic hitting things with an axe) - you'll get more.

 

For the tip sites, note that anyone local to you will probably have tip arrangements in place, people they know, a yard or whatever, but those working locally to you but from outside their usual area are more likely to look for a tip site... but there will will fewer working in your are - so don't expect your drive to be full of logs 52 weeks of the year (I reckon I get 1 or 2 loads a year).

 

One good thing about tree surgeons is they typically have a liveried van with a phone number on, are not quiet when they are working, you can spot them driving about - take a note of the number and give them a call direct (try to avoid times they are up a tree!) - that can work, or at least make an introduction. Likewise a lunchtime / morning cuppa walk can locate any chainsaws working within earshot (not quiet things)... divert your walk in their direction - can see who it is from their van, and if you get a chance a friendly "do you have somewhere to tip that" might also get results.

[Rob_the_Sparky]

The only other thing I'd add is, are you after ready to burn logs or wood that can be processed (cut, split and dried) to become fuel for the wood burner. I can't advise at all if you are after logs as I process tree surgery waste (arb arisings) and that is what the tip site pages are about.

 

As above if it is your first year I think I'd ensure I had somewhere dry for storage and then buy some logs as it is a bit late to just starting to process logs for this winter.  A lot to learn about logs in your first year so keep it simple initially.

 

P.S. I started in the bad old days with plastic wrapped logs from the supermarket that turned out to be as wet as you like.  Whatever you get now should be better than that! (following that I got some logs from my Dad and since then have processed my own, never actually bought logs in any quantity...)

[Steven P]

1 hour ago, Rob_the_Sparky said:

P.S. I started in the bad old days with plastic wrapped logs from the supermarket that turned out to be as wet as you like.  Whatever you get now should be better than that!

 

Thy will also bankrupt you! Need twice as many wet logs for the same heat and at double the price