Large Rounds / Too Heavy to move

[upsnake]

OK so i hope the is not too stupid of a question.

I have a friend that owns a tree service, and drops off rounds for me, which is great, the only down side is some of them are pretty large.

I know I can noodle them down, but I just seem to suck at that, and it take forever. My splitter will go vertical so anything that i can physically move i have been rolling / pushing / dragging to the splitter and getting it small enough to lift.

Ideal i would just lift the logs with the front loader of my tractor, and set them down on the splitter, only one problem, I don't have a tractor, nor the money to get one.

My method had been working kinda ok, until the other day when i heard a pop in my back, and haven't been able to bend over for the last couple days. It is getting better but I don't really want to do that again.

So anyway I was trying to come up with a way to move the wood from the pile to the foot of the splitter.

I have a Garden tractor that has a 2 Inch ball on the drawbar, so i was thinking I could get a 2k winch, and an adapter that hooks to the ball. Then get a tree strap, just wrap the strap around the round and pull it to the splitter.

Do you think that would work or as anybody do something similar?

I am new to the world of winches so just trying to do some research before spending money. Haha

Thanks
Jay


Superwinch 1220210 LT2000 Utility Winch : Amazon.com : Automotive

Superwinch 2060 Portable Ball Hitch Mount : Amazon.com : Automotive

ProMark Tree Strap ATV Winch Recovery Kit. Includes Two Tree Straps and Two D Shackles.

 

[tld400]

JUst hand split them with wedge and sledge,mauls,fiskars axe and chop from outside in.

 

[stihly dan]

Or use a cant hook--peavey

 

[Jules083]

Can you stand the splitter up while it's hooked to the lawnmower, then back the splitter to the round? At least if you can back into it and bust it in half you'll have a good start on it.

 

[Woody912]

get on your knees and roll the, save the back!

 

[upsnake]

Stihly - Does the cant hook make moving them that much easier?

Right now the really big stuff (or really big to me at least), a 36 inch round piece of oak, for example i still noodle in half at least.

Woody - Ya that is what i was doing the other day where I hurt my back. Now in fairness to my back, I have so far done over 20 cord and this is the first time I have hurt it.

I was just thinking if i could just quickly drag the round right up to the foot plate of the splitter then I could just muscle it the few inches from there.

Jules - I could prob get the splitter a bit closer, (really it is not that far to begin with 15 feet or so). I was just trying to think of how to work smart rather than harder.

 

[howellhandmade]

I second the maul and sledge recommendation. On really big ones, I'll use the saw to mill a kerf across the end where I want to split it. Just go down a couple of inches, makes it easier to start the wedge and it starts exerting splitting force right away. If I know I'm going into quarters, I'll cut the end criss-cross before going to the wedge.

 

[dingeryote]

Noodles save backs.

Easier than dinking with winches.

Just give it some time and you'll get good at noodlin'.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Chris-PA]

Quarter it by hand in-place. I never hurt myself splitting by hand, only moving the big rounds - so I don't move them any more.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

There may be a better way, but so far if its too big to get it onto the vertical splitter I get out the wedges and sledge and get them down to size. I cut my firewood to 24" length so the big diameter rounds are beasts. With a couple or three good wedges and good placement with them you should be able to get them down to sizes that you can manage without throwing out your back. Have them close to the splitter and once you have them half mooned or quartered I do not have a problem getting them onto the base of the splitter in the vertical mode. Use of a cant hook or small digging bar works for flopping them around. Use the principal of leverage and do not try to manhandle large rounds. I usually study the round a little to take avantage of the wood grain for setting the wedges. You can also work the outside of the rounds with the wedges if splitting the round in half is not practical. Would be great to have all the equipment to handle the task but most of us do not have the coin to buy that kind of gear. Take care of your back or you wont be handling any wood of any size. Don't get in a hurry and try to enjoy it. The big rounds yield a lot of wood so you'll be rewarded in the long run.

 

[sgt7546]

I lay a 2x8 on the ground and just slide the rounds over to the splitter. Using the 2x8 makes the round at the proper level of the bottom plate of the splitter anyways. Sliding is a heck of a lot easier than lifting/rolling to me.

 

[upsnake]

Thanks guys.

Sounds like winches are out. Hahah I may get one eventually to help with fallen trees around for the forest clean up project of the future, but for now it looks like maybe the cant hook would be the best way to go to help get them to the splitter.

I can always try hand splitting again. The last time i attempted to break apart some large rounds that way i got my wedge stuck, then wore a bunch of skin off my hands through the gloves swings at it trying to unstick my wedge.

I am still very much and armature at processing wood, but trying to get better, everybody here is just a great resource.

If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.

 

[howellhandmade]

Thanks guys.

Sounds like winches are out. Hahah I may get one eventually to help with fallen trees around for the forest clean up project of the future, but for now it looks like maybe the cant hook would be the best way to go to help get them to the splitter.

I can always try hand splitting again. The last time i attempted to break apart some large rounds that way i got my wedge stuck, then wore a bunch of skin off my hands through the gloves swings at it trying to unstick my wedge.

I am still very much and armature at processing wood, but trying to get better, everybody here is just a great resource.

If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.

One wedge is asking for it. : ) You need at least two. If possible I'd rather split than noodle, but you may feel differently and there are some rounds that it's no use trying to split anyway. I've had big maple rounds that were wet and mushy and twisty and would just swallow wedges, and then there are the knots and crotches in any wood.

 

[trailmaker]

I second the maul and sledge recommendation. On really big ones, I'll use the saw to mill a kerf across the end where I want to split it. Just go down a couple of inches, makes it easier to start the wedge and it starts exerting splitting force right away. If I know I'm going into quarters, I'll cut the end criss-cross before going to the wedge.

I think this is the way to go. Moving heavy stuff around (like big rounds or a splitter) is tough on the back.

 

[turnkey4099]

Stihly - Does the cant hook make moving them that much easier?

Right now the really big stuff (or really big to me at least), a 36 inch round piece of oak, for example i still noodle in half at least.

Woody - Ya that is what i was doing the other day where I hurt my back. Now in fairness to my back, I have so far done over 20 cord and this is the first time I have hurt it.

I was just thinking if i could just quickly drag the round right up to the foot plate of the splitter then I could just muscle it the few inches from there.

Jules - I could prob get the splitter a bit closer, (really it is not that far to begin with 15 feet or so). I was just trying to think of how to work smart rather than harder.

1. Get a "Hookaroon" - They'll have to pry mine out of my cold hands.

2. Drag the rounds over to the splitter with the tractor - may require weights/chains but it will beat fooling around with a winch.

3. Get a "Hookaroon".

4. Get a 'back support belt/brace and wear it whenever you are working the wood. I meant to do it years ago but somehow never did...until last week after straining _my_ back. It does wonders and I'll never work wood again without it.

5. Repeat 1 and 4.

That tool will reduce your bending over by around 90%!

I resisted buying for for near 30 years due to the cost. ONe use and I kicked my rear raw for not having done it 20 years earlier.

As for 'noodling' a sharp chain is an absolute must. If you are have to 'fight' the saw/round stop and either change chains or sharpen the one you have. Trying to noodle with a "not quite sharp chain" is about the most frustrating job I know.

Harry K

 

[BrokenToys]

I use a hand truck to move them around; i have one i picked up at costco that has pneumatic wheels and a ratchet strap the log onto it and move as necessary.
Granted; after that it is maul or wedge&sledge time ... but to move them it's all about the hand truck. I have had some pretty big rounds moved by myself this way [biggest being about 49" across in diameter].

 

[bootboy]

The old fashioned way...

 

[mhrischuk]

I made cross cuts to get the wedges in. Sure made splitting them a heck of a lot easier....

 

[mountainmandan]

Protect your back at all costs. You only get one, and it is a weak spot in your body. If you do hurt your self to the point that you are impinging on the bundle of nerves called the cauda equinia, you can be wearing a diaper the rest of your life. Or you might lose feeling in your crotch, or have painful tingling and numbness in one or both legs. Modern medicine does not have many good options to deal with this either besides steroids, or fusing the lumbar vertebrae.

You say this will not happen to you, it happens every day.

Protect your back!

Dan

 

[mhrischuk]

mountainmandan is spot on. My back is messed up. One leg gets all kinds of pain. Been to the doctor, had all of the imaging done. Not much they can do.

Notice I have two tractors, a vertical splitter and a hand truck. I try not to do any heavy lifting at all.