Best lengths for handling

[Michigan_JS]

Looks like I'll have some time to get it out. Finally cornered the farmer today and he plans to have the corn crop off that field in the next two weeks. It was planted late and the guy farms close to 2000 acres. He also assured me I'm the only guy with cutting rights to the wood and can take until April if needed. So as long as the weather holds, the ground freezes and the snow stays under 8" deep my nights after work & weekends are full. I do have an unemployed brother who needs some get-in-shape work, and I can borrow my cousins 3-point hydraulic splitter for him to use while I cut the pieces for him. I appreciate the advice on cutting the straight stuff and leaving the gnarly stuff for last. Given that there's so much of it there, I can afford to be choosy. Should save some time. And if the weather looks like it's taking a turn for the worse I can load up chunks for at-home processing. Thanks for all of your advice.

 

[pdqdl]

Lots of time on site? Saw & split on site, less mess that way.

Offer to burn the brush as you go for a fire to stay warm by (and to dispose of knotts that won't split). Who knows, maybe the farmer would be doing the same thing anyway, you would be helping him out.

 

[MATTYB11]

Usually the fellas on this site appreciate some pictures of your wood cutting/splitting/hauling in action as payment for their wisdom.:camera:

 

[Mike PA]

However you can maximize your load determines how you cut. For me, I will usually cut to firewood length and split on-site, as needed, and stack in the truck or throw on when I have extended sides and weight will become the issue. At $25 per load plus fuel costs, you need to figure out how to maximize your hauling capacity. Bucking longer logs usually leads to more air space and dead storage, which is why the shorter lengths and splitting tend to pack the best.

As someone else said, take the easy stuff first, to try to cut down the competition. Cut and split only what you can take. I've had many location where I was the first one in, took the easy stuff, and had time to get teh harder stuff later. Some people really are lazy, so it helps to make it harder on them.

 

[sdt7618]

if time is a problem, why not hire a dump truck. or a log truck. you would save on the gas money trundling back and forward and could take almost any length you wanted... of course if you had the room to store it all!!

 

[pacman]

Seems like to me if he is clearing his land he should let you cut it free. That $25 you are paying I bet you can find a tree service company to bring all the wood you want for free.