Firewood in Fencerows - post your tips, tricks, and timesavers!

[gcdible1]

My inlaws family farms, therefore I have access to a good bit of cleared/dug up trees and established fencerows. The one I am working on tomorrow has been dug up and trees tossed to the side. Give me your tips on harvesting that wood as quick as possible. I already know the usual; sharp chains, plenty of mix and oil, etc. Looking for tips to get as much cut and loaded quickly. Should i start with the limb wood or use the backhoe to grab the trunks and buck away? Give me your plan of attack. I have a polesaw, couple of 50ccs, and an 066 for the bigger stuff. They are mostly 16-24 inch oak trees and a big ol maple.

 

[gregfox]

Go after the biggest trunks without limbs. If you have limited time to get it go for all of the biggest stuff first, it adds up the fastest. The tops do all add up but are not the most efficient way to pile up the firewood. And leave that maple alone...just get the oak.

 

[gcdible1]

Kinda what I was thinking. Ill take it all if I can get it. I do almost all of the cleanup around the farm and woods. The inlaws get some free wood outta the deal, but only burn about a half cord a year. I was told from a friend to grab the trunk with the rear hoe and pinch it between the bucket and boom that way you can cut off the top and the rootball without pinching so much. Then load her up. Come back for the tops later he said. Thanks for the input, Im hoping some others will bite as well.

 

[gcdible1]

They want it cleaned up ASAP so they can push up the piles to burn and clean up the field. Also some other guys have gained permission to cut. Hate to be that way, but they certainly will take what they want and leave the mess for me.:msp_sneaky:

 

[tld400]

They want it cleaned up ASAP so they can push up the piles to burn and clean up the field. Also some other guys have gained permission to cut. Hate to be that way, but they certainly will take what they want and leave the mess for me.:msp_sneaky:

Maybe you can work something out with the other guys to all work together to get all the wood done and then split it even. That way you would probably get more wood cut before they burn it to clean up the fields.

 

[Hellbent]

Maybe you can work something out with the other guys to all work together to get all the wood done and then split it even. That way you would probably get more wood cut before they burn it to clean up the fields.

If you can work out some ground rules that sounds like a great idea to me as long as the others are gentlemen...

 

[tld400]

If you can work out some ground rules that sounds like a great idea to me as long as the others are gentlemen...

Yeah you make a good point. I guess it would be good to make sure the other people are ready to work hard so he's not cutting 3 cords to there 1. But if they are gentlemen and hard workers it could really work out good. I wouldnt mind haveing a partner to cut with if I had a good amount of wood to get. An extra set of hands can't hurt.

 

[Herd8497]

I am battling this issue right now. I can't find the guy or guys who are willing to bust @$$. Gotta grab the available wood now before the farmers are ready to work ground. Been cutting at a golf course. Unlimited wood, but by myself I am fighting to get all I can. It goes in the burn pile as they get ready for the upcoming season.

 

[Herd8497]

Never know when the next free wood score might present itself

 

[Mad Professor]

Buck up the bottom 4 feet, last, as you may find metal/fence remnants. Have a few sharp but well used chains (semi-chisel sacrifical lambs) for this.

 

[walkerdogman85]

Yeah it sure is hard finding someone dependable to cut with!

 

[Sagetown]

Some good advice already. Like leaving the bottom 4' because of possible metals embedded. Leave the tops for brush pile. Get all the oak first. Don't under estimate the other guys, or you'll end up empty handed.

 

[Jere39]

Buck up the bottom 4 feet, last, as you may find metal/fence remnants. Have a few sharp but well used chains (semi-chisel sacrifical lambs) for this.

I'd double ditto this observation. Around here fence rows are notorious for having at one time or another in the past 150 years actually had fencing nailed, stapled, wrapped around trees. And, if you are in hunting territory (or were over the history of the farm) there may also have been safety zone and no hunting signs posted with nails to trees. And, we also nailed our targets to some of these trees to shoot in the deer rifles. So, our fence rows are ripe with buried nails, bullets, staples, wire, hinges. Heck, I've even found remnants of metal drinking cups, beer cans (pre-aluminum), farm tools, single trees, chain, cable, tractor parts, implement parts, ... buried in the 100 years of growth on some of our fence rows. I don't think it is a wise bet that you wouldn't hit metal or rock grown up a couple feet around here.

 

[gcdible1]

All very valid points fellas, thanks. Im not too worried about the fencing embedded, although it does happen I keep my eyes peeled when cutting that lower 4 foot. Luckily the other guys cutting are my brother in laws buddies so I think they wont take it all or anything. Just stinks because Im good enough to clean things up around the farm all year when they ask me, but when some easy wood presents itself they go ahead and invite buddies to snatch it up. Oh well, I am gonna head out and get cutting and stop whining. Who knows they probably have only got a couple pickuploads so far. Be safe!

 

[zogger]

I wonder about these farms with all this big equipment but they dont have a commercial chipper. Seems it would be better to chip the brush and use the chips for erosion control or to make big mountains of compost to spread on the fields. Big burn piles seem such a waste.

And ya, those bottom trunk sections, not worth it, fulla metal. Again, drag those sections to gullies.

 

[Cheesecutter]

My best score ever was when the land owner right next to me decided to clear his fence rows. I had 3 days to take all I wanted the rest would be burned. The farmer dropped them all, a buddy helped me limb and buck them into 8-12 foot logs. Then I used my skid steer and grapple bucket to clean and pile the brush, which the landowner thanked me for by letting me use his dump trailer to haul the logs 1/4 mile to my place(sweet). I piled them until I had time to work them up. I ended up with over 200 8-20 inch cherry, red elm, and locust trunks! About 40 cords in 3 days.

As for tricks and tips use every mechanical advantage you have available, skid steer, backhoe, FEL, dump trailer etc.. Is it possible the in-laws have an out of the way spot you could use to pile logs as a storage/staging area to work them up later? I buck logs 16 inch and larger to 8-12 feet long, then I cut rounds only 3/4 of the way through and use my skid steer to load them on my trailer- when I get home I finish the cut and roll the round off the trailer.

 

[gcdible1]

I landscape so I have a dump trailer. Went out today- a few hours too late as it started warming up and got really muddy on top. Will post more details later its dinner time!