How to rough measure a cord of wood by a one yard bucket

Basically, I'm new to the firewood business and was wondering roughly how many one yard buckets on a skidsteer it would take to make a cord of wood? I've figured about three 1 yard buckets equals one third of a cord, so nine 1 yard buckets would make a cord. Does this sound right??? I would love a second opinion...thanks.


Answer

Your calculations sound about right, but it will likely vary based upon the length of the firewood. Also, because firewood doesn't fill a bucket fully like a product such as mulch, it may not be the best measurement to use.

I recommend that you do a few trial runs with the bucket and see how much variability you get. So, make three piles of firewood with 9 yards in each pile, then stack them all and see what you come up with. If anything, I think you may find that you have more than a cord in each pile.

Do you use a dump truck to deliver your firewood? If so, I recommend stacking a couple of cords of firewood and then hand loading it into the truck. Make marks on the inside of the truck measuring one cord and another mark for two cords, etc. I think that this will be a more reliable way for you to determine the amount of firewood. There will be less variability in a larger area, such as a dump truck, than in a one yard bucket. It will give you a starting point, and from there you can load your truck with the machine using the lines.

I hope this helps!

-Firewood Matt