ironhead
ArboristSite Member
Thought i would share what iv'e been doing the last couple weeks. There is an old timer (72 years old) up the road about a 1/2 mile from my house that is having some timber cut on his property. They started last Sept. so shortly after i stoped and asked if i could cut tops for fire wood.He says he has to think about it and tells me to stop back in a couple months. A couple of months go by and i stop again. We get to talking and i offer to do any welding on his equipment in exchange for cutting wood. We talk some more and come to find out he used to work for the same company that i have worked for the last twenty years.He still is'nt sure about letting me cut wood and tells me to stop back. I stop back a couple of weeks ago and offer to pay for each load. He says ok so i ask how much and he says hows $10.00 per load. I happily agree. He is worried about me getting hurt so i write up a paper and sign agreeing not to hold him responsible should i get hurt and hes happy. By the way they are still cutting timber and should finish next week.The area he tells me to start at is about 50' off of a diirt road. I head up with my little 28 Hp case international and start draging some logs out to little clearing next to the road. I get a bunch out and then go get my truck and trailercut up and take home and stack. I'm happier than a pig in SH*!. I was hooking a chain on the logs and draging out. But got to thinking about this old set of tong that i have had for 20 years. They had long hanndles on each side for two men to lift and carry. I cut the handles off and bend an eyelit on them and hook to my tractor boom and head back wed. to drag some more logs out. The hooks work great, i van hook up about 90% of the time without getting off the tractor. I tried to make a release on the hooks but they do'nt work so well. I could release about 25% of time without getting off the tractor. I modified the release yesterday but have'nt tried it yet. I have one more load to grt today. I can get the logs to within 5' of my trailor. This is some of the easyest wood i have ever gotton in 22 years of burning wood. The tongs keep the wood up off the ground so its not getting packed with dirt or mud except for the very and of it and my little tractor is great for getting in and out of the area. Have a few pictures to show my process. I have about 4 cord stacked for next winter and hope to have enough for the next two winters by the time it warms up as long as it does'nt get to wet.
