I'm done stacking!

[7sleeper]

Yep.

If a t post in soft ground can hold up a rick, then why can't a little stamped tubing?

Do you stack them with a cut opening 2-3 high? That was what I was refering to.

7

 

[olyman]

Sure sounds like a funny guy. Doesn't know how to store firewood. How about the traditional way of simply splitting and stacking....

Personally I would cut anything on those totes. Their stability would be seriously compromised.

7

yup. thinking of cutting any side bars, seriously puts the integrity of that tote in question...........

 

[XSKIER]

Do you stack them with a cut opening 2-3 high? That was what I was refering to.

7

I don't think my lawn mower could lift a loaded one that high. I don't use them to store the wood either. I haul out rounds with one, split into another one, then stack in my lean-to from that one. I haul my wood in the house with wheel barrow

 

[7sleeper]

I don't think my lawn mower could lift a loaded one that high. I don't use them to store the wood either. I haul out rounds with one, split into another one, then stack in my lean-to from that one. I haul my wood in the house with wheel barrow

Yeah we can see that your "lawnmower's" front tires definately don't like the extra weight...

Well the question was as far as I understood, if it is possible to stack them with a cut open front. That is something I wouldn't dare do even with a much larger tractor than yours.

7

 

[cantoo]

Cheapest I have found metal totes around here is $85 each, some go as high as $200 if they have had edible (no chemicals)in them.
I have $35 each invested in these. Could be made cheaper but I wanted to make sure they would last abit. Some are made from hardwood skids and some have spruce2x4 skids under them. The bottom 2x4 is just tacked on so when it rots I can replace it easily. I plan to stack them on other skids or in the barn on concrete so they should last awhile. Skids are 30" deep and 48x48.

 

[zogger]

Yeah we can see that your "lawnmower's" front tires definately don't like the extra weight...

Well the question was as far as I understood, if it is possible to stack them with a cut open front. That is something I wouldn't dare do even with a much larger tractor than yours.

7

You could turn them over sideways and add another pallet on one side that is down, just bolt it on. Then you have an open front for loading and unloading that is still strong.

 

[Joesell]

I don't understand why you need to cut a hole in the tote. I think everyone is looking at this to closely. The awesome part about having totes is handling the wood less.

I'm sure my process isn't perfect, but it's getting better.

I grab 8 totes. 4 wide, 2 deep.
Get the grapple bucket and dump the wood in, filling the totes about 3/4 of the way.

Jump out and rearrange the wood in totes to fill in the gaps. This takes about 10 min.

Jump back in the skidloader and top off the totes.

Drop the grapple, and grab the forks.

Move the totes to the drying area.

When I need wood, I move a couple totes over to the wood burner.

When I get near the bottom of the tote, I tip the tote on its side. No need to climb in. No need to cut a hole in the tote.

Overall, I feel like I've drastically reduced the amount of times I have to handle the wood.

 

[esshup]

He's going to have 1 wood stove in the apartment that is above the pole barn and one downstairs. I might sacrifice one tote to see how stable it is.

Yep.

Using the tote pictured as an example, I'd cut just the middle 3 horizontal bars out of just just the center section, leaving a "window" so to speak to get the wood out. All the uprights would stay, the top horizontal bar and the bottom 2 horizontal bars would stay.

 

[firebrick43]

I think reaching thru that hole would be worse than reaching over the top and then knocking on its side when getting close to empty.

Also your still cutting a significant number of vertical supports so stacking would be out. I don't think you realize how thin the suckers are. The are made out of emt type tubing. They are a very well engineered design to minimize material. Sort of like a beer can. You can stand on an empty one but tap it with a number two pencil and they collapse.

The totes only weight 128 lbs with a plastic tank so under a 100 without a tank.

 

[motoman3b]

We only have one tote like this but we cut a few bars out of the front about half way down just fill them right as we split the logs stacking isn't bad at all just now got a tractor big enough to move enough wood to make it worth while to stack them on a pallet, working on finding somemore totes but also have just been doing the stack on a pallet and shrink wrap thing which I've heard some guys say acts like a greenhouse effect and drys the wood faster??? Will see first time trying that but anyway to make it less handling I'm up for so keep the good ideas coming guys!

 

[zogger]

We only have one tote like this but we cut a few bars out of the front about half way down just fill them right as we split the logs stacking isn't bad at all just now got a tractor big enough to move enough wood to make it worth while to stack them on a pallet, working on finding somemore totes but also have just been doing the stack on a pallet and shrink wrap thing which I've heard some guys say acts like a greenhouse effect and drys the wood faster??? Will see first time trying that but anyway to make it less handling I'm up for so keep the good ideas coming guys!

hmm, never tried that, but I don't think a full shrinkwrap around the pallet stack will allow it to dry at all. Needs some way for air to get in and moisture out.

Cheap plastic strapping to hold the wood in place might work, and still allow a lot of air flow.

 

[sam-tip]

Cheapest I have found these totes is $70 on CL. I don't want to drive to Ohio from Iowa for pallets for $25 each. What do the industrial companies do with the empties. Is there a totes return fee? I see them all the time at plants I work at. But I am just a contractor. But then I keep thinking about the firewood bags on pallets. But they degrade from UV light. Been using farm fence on pallet with some success at less than $20 each.

 

[motoman3b]

Zogger I've kinda thought the same thing but have heard others say it gets plenty of air flow from the exposed top and bottom, at any rate I did come across some netting at a reasonable price so I went ahead and ordered some I'll keep you guys updated on how it works out

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-20-1000-K...214?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cdbe6c2e

 

[zogger]

Zogger I've kinda thought the same thing but have heard others say it gets plenty of air flow from the exposed top and bottom, at any rate I did come across some netting at a reasonable price so I went ahead and ordered some I'll keep you guys updated on how it works out

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-20-1000-K...214?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cdbe6c2e

Oh, I thought you were going to shrinkwrap the whole thing, including the top, to keep it firmly attached to the pallet.

 

[KiwiBro]

Why not the dino bags?

http://www.dinobags.com/products/firewood-bags

 

[motoman3b]

Dinobags look like a good idea but the cost is there with those if I remember right about $10 a piece so right now pallets are free and the cost of wrapping is minimal, I'd really like to have enough totes like the original poster is getting those seem like the best log term option but I'm anxious to see how well the netting works compared to regular stretch wrap as I really only need it to keep the stack from crumbling if the tractor gets somewhat outta balance while transporting and sometimes the splits don't stack nice and pretty like I'd like!

 

[TIMberbear]

This is how I bring my wood to the heaterI have the whole front cut out almost to the corners. I havent stacked them filled because it makes no sense to me to do it.

This is my heater shed.The one closest to the heater is over 6ft high with 2 rows of 16in red and white oak.

 

[sam-tip]

I like the tote baskets but still looking for a cheap supplier. I see them use as trash cans in south west Arkansas.

tappa talk samsung note 2

 

[066blaster]

I was pulling out of a snow plowing job today and a guy went past with a f250 plow and tailgate salter. He had one of these totes with plastic insert still in it with the top cut off. I'm assuming they put bulk salt in it and shovel into the salter. Anyway I'm following him for a couple miles. We get to a stop light and the passenger door opens. A guy gets out then I see a guy jump out of the tote and they switch places. It was about 2 degrees at the time. I hope their getting paid good.

 

[RVALUE]

I like the tote baskets but still looking for a cheap supplier. I see them use as trash cans in south west Arkansas.

tappa talk samsung note 2

ouch