Yes they just took the logs and left the tops. I knew someone would call me out on the chaps. I have a pair and this is the first time in probably 3 years I have not cut with out them on. I had taken them out of the truck and forgot about them.WOW, some of those tops are huge, I wonder if they went for just the high quality logs. Either way better for you, there is a lot of wood in there.. and close to home!! No protective chaps?
No we do not have farm plates. It costs me $2 a year plus liability insurance ($25 a year) and I have to have farm use on the side somewhere. I can drive it within 30 miles of my house.Why the giant "FARM USE" in the window?? Doesn't your state have farm plates?
I'm basically the only person cutting on this land so I know there no way I can get it all or even close. You have no idea how MUCH wood is on the ground. So what I do is usually just back up to a top and cut it all up then go to the next one. One down ten thousand to go.LOLBy the size of some of those limbs and tops, the loggers were more interested in logs. I agree on taking the ones making contact with the ground first. You are going to be quite a while harvesting all that wood with a pickup and small trailer. Oak will last a good while on the ground, so concentrating on the other hardwoods first would be more beneficial in the short term, and buy you some time.
With that much wood available, it would justify one of these:I wouldn't waste time on cutting stuff small. I would try to get the larger branches in one piece onto your trailer. Something like the width of your trailer / length of your pickup bed should be easily managable. Those I would take home and split and stack there. Much more economical in the long run. And much faster getting the wood out of the forest. Weather or time table changes come unexpected and I am always happy to have the work close by so that I can do something for 1/2 hr or so. So as I said don't waste your time cutting it all small on the spot. Much easier to stack wood like below than the small pickings above.
And having rows with split wood like this it will last about forever.
Oh and since no one mentioned don't forget your chaps...
7
You sure have been handed a major "gift". I would have a long chat with the land owner and find out exactly what he would like to see happen. At the very least you could get yourself a few 20" tow straps, with safety hooks, and pull some tops out to where you can cut them in the open instead of in the brush. Those straps are 10,000lb. rated and I have pulled out many logs and tops with my just my 4x4 Dodge. A short piece of logging chain around the top, or log butt, and one to hook up to the truck, will keep the straps off the ground and greatly reduce fraying them. I picked up my Dodge Ram for $600, as it was not road worthy, and it has yarded some serious wood for me. Pretty cheap investment if all you need is a woods truck. The land owner would become my "best friend", in a hurry.
Enter your email address to join: