Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[nomad_archer]

S Kurt, those non AV saws are even worse in the cold weather. Your hands will vibrate for a long time. Get a saw with AV, and you will never use it again. A nice 044 with a KS jug on the trading site, not pretty, but has been mechanically rebuilt, get it and you will love it, I promise! (and I'm not the one selling it). It will be so much faster and smoother than what you are using you will think it is Heaven!

S Dan, like Zogger says, Oak is always heavy. A little lighter when it drys, but don't expect it to be light after you cur it, EVER!

kurt - listen to what this mike character says he knows what he's talking about. Although there are other 70cc class saws other than the 044/046 but mike loves those saws and for good reason. They are good saws.

This site can cost you and save you a bunch of money. If you start looking at different bigger saws it can cost you but if you read enough you will learn what to check and you can buy used on CL and get some great deals. That 30" oak you tangled with begs for a 70cc saw. Honestly I wish I could find a tree that big just to play with my big saw.

Whatever you do sounds like you need to upgrade to something anything with good av. All the saws I own have good AV. I paid a little more for my ms271 for the better AV but that was my first and probably last saw I ever buy new after what I have learned here. The used saws the CS400 and 365 XT both are good in the AV department. The CS400 surprised me big time with the amount of AV especially for the retail price of the saw. In the chainsaw forum they are having a raffle with $10 tickets where the benefits go to help a member in need. They are raffling off some really awesome saws along with a ton of other stuff. Its just and idea if you want to take a chance.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Here's accuweather's winter guess

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weath...-2016-mild-northeast-california-rain/52732989

All I got to say is, ya ya ya, winter means mud here. It's already soup and it's just early fall. There better be some snow though or I switch on the mini ice age machine!

Good luck with the wood sales, guys!

I love it - "Not AS brutal" for the northeast. So it will be brutal, just not as brutal as last year?

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Here was my little weekend scrounge. My in-laws had a tree service come clean up their property. This is what I got CSS in a few hours on Saturday. This was all low quality hardwood and softwoods. There is a big ash and a decent sized black locust that I will go after next weekend. Then I will just need to haul it home. The ash and locust were standing dead, so they will burn this winter. The softer / less dense stuff can be my fall wood for next year. The rounds in the pic are white pine, and so wet that I couldn't split them, the Fiskars just sank in and splashed water everywhere. Hopefully when things freeze a bit, they will pop, and then I can stack them out and let it season.

For reference, the stack is about 5' high for most of the length of it. I cut to about 20" long, and the stack is probably 25-30 feet long.

It's official, I have started on firewood '16/'17!

 

[nomad_archer]

Looks good. I personally just finished my winter of 16-17 firewood. I am probably 1 year to 1.5 years ahead depending on the polar vortex that is unleashed this year.

 

[hardpan]

We went through New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine to Bar Harbor, then back through Massachusetts, the entire length of Pennsylvania, etc. People were getting nervous near the coast when the hurricane's course was uncertain. It was my first viewing of the New England states and gave me new perspective and respect, absolutely beautiful country and good people. Except for the mountains and all that rock (how in the hell do you ever get a clear lawn or pasture or cultivated field) the trees and vegetation in the rolling hills is very similar to my home. We mostly took 2 lane roads so 3200 miles in 8 days meant a disproportionate and undesirable amount of seat time but I only have 2 weeks vacation a year. We drove the length of Seneca Lake and I have never seen so many wineries and of course vineyards. Mount Washington was cloudy and closed.

I am glad we don't have the porcupines. Our beaver (the 4 legged variety) are destructive enough along our lakes, creeks and bottom ground. They dam a low area, cause flooding, and once the government classifies it a wetland the owner has lost control of his own property. As a coal miner it is a problem also. We can mine through a wetland but then we are required to replace it at a 3:1 ratio (mine a 1 acre wetland and replace it with a 3 acre wetland), expensive.

Salt/mineral blocks are "bait" here also, must be removed during deer season I think. I don't hunt deer so not a personal concern.

 

[Ambull01]

Dan, I'm coming for you.

 

[svk]

Dan, I'm coming for you.

Needs to be full and bumper dragging before we compare you to the king.....

 

[Ambull01]

Needs to be full and bumper dragging before we compare you to the king.....

lol. I actually thought it was full. The picture sure makes the load look smaller. The ass was starting to sag so I thought I better stop loading. It's all white oak and I still have multiple loads to go.

 

[square1]

lol. I actually thought it was full. The picture sure makes the load look smaller. The ass was starting to sag so I thought I better stop loading. It's all white oak and I still have multiple loads to go.

I think Dan's motto is "If you can see the daylight through any window, including the windshield , keep loading!".

 

[Ambull01]

I think Dan's motto is "If you can see the daylight through any window, including the windshield , keep loading!".

Yep, that sounds like him. Wish I didn't have so many windows on the side of my van. Oh well, just have to make do until I pick up a Cummins Ram. Can't wait.

 

[nomad_archer]

Dan, I'm coming for you.

You're still in pee pee league with that load. If your not ridding on the bump stops and have headlights to the sky keep on loading.

 

[Ambull01]

Sorry about all my posts everyone, been away for a while and trying to catch up. Super busy with work, looking for a new job, home maintenance, learning Python, etc. I just found a new job with a huge increase in salary so it was worth it.

If you can narrow down specific dates, I can see what I can do. In DoD, ya gotta submit your leave planner by end of Jan each year, for that current year, but it can certainly be altered. We do a lot of dove and quail huntin here...would love to get up there and bust some birds with you guys, regardless of bird type.

What agency do you work for? I've been with DoD since my Marine Corps days. I'm finally getting away from them and going to an independent smaller agency. They've been able to have a clean audit for 18 consecutive years! The Army has never been able to achieve a clean audit. Shame, shame.

I personally move stuff about 40 miles from my hunting cabin to my main cabin where most of my wood is consumed via boiler and fireplace. Granted 99 percent of the trips are made with another purpose making the wood delivery cost zero except for the difference in mileage from running from unloaded to loaded.

You have to determine if there is a value on your time ie could you be working at $XX per hour instead and the actual cost of fuel and a small amount of depreciation on your vehicle. I would happily drive an hour to get good wood knowing that my truck and trailer can haul 1.25 cords. Don't need many trips like that to put up a season of wood. Or if I had to haul alot I would borrow my buddy's dump trailer and haul a couple of cords at a time.

What's your wood hauler? I've been thinking a 3/4-1 ton Cummins Ram as my future vehicle to safely carry 1/2 cord in the bed and haul 1 cord in a trailer. If you have a 1/2 ton truck, how does it handle with all that wood?

 

[USMC615]

Sorry about all my posts everyone, been away for a while and trying to catch up. Super busy with work, looking for a new job, home maintenance, learning Python, etc. I just found a new job with a huge increase in salary so it was worth it.



What agency do you work for? I've been with DoD since my Marine Corps days. I'm finally getting away from them and going to an independent smaller agency. They've been able to have a clean audit for 18 consecutive years! The Army has never been able to achieve a clean audit. Shame, shame.



What's your wood hauler? I've been thinking a 3/4-1 ton Cummins Ram as my future vehicle to safely carry 1/2 cord in the bed and haul 1 cord in a trailer. If you have a 1/2 ton truck, how does it handle with all that wood?

I'm civil service DoD...work in C-17's. I'm originally A-6/E Intruders / EA-6/B Prowlers avionics and electrician from back in my Corps yeas. I run a repair, back shop now for all C-17 flight control equipment. Robins AFB is one of only a few bases worldwide that handle Depot Level maintenance on C-17's, C-5's, C-130's, and F-15's. Flightline gets crazy everyday. When the F-15's get rollin, they can sure put on an air show...and a free one at that, seven days a week.

 

[USMC615]

Scored another good handful of arrowheads a couple weeks back...check 'em out in the Off The Topic, Arrowhead deal. Son and I had a blast...they were laid up everywhere after they turned peanuts.

 

[crazywolf]

Hello all! I've been lurking for awhile and read this entire thread. It's been a great help in making some choices. We just put in a wood stove at the end of winter this year after having huge power bills for an old home. I had a few saws but most were small for general land owner stuff. I had a Husqvarna 445 which I loved and a few years ago added a MS211 which is great for the small stuff. After reading this thread and looking at what kind of wood I was going to be into I bought a new 562xp and was amazed at the difference even after seeing all of you say how different the power was. I can't imagine how the truly large saws run.

Luckily I already had plenty of useful tools like an x27 and a tractor with a FEL

This was an old pine that had died and half fell over. I knocked it all the way down with my tractor last winter. The 562xp went through it like it was nothing.

I plan to store as much as possible on our front porch so it's easy to get to.

Using the FEL to hold a load as close as possible definitely makes my life easier.

These are oak chunks. My parents had a large oak dropped a few years ago unfortunately the rounds were just a bit too large so I cut them down before splitting. I lost alot of wood to moisture as they sat on their ends for way too long. I mainly split out what was still solid.

I got this to make it easier to bring in a load.

Here is the final product keeping me warm this weekend in the evening. I mix the pine in with the oak for now. Unfortunately I have a ton of pine on my property the oak were cleared out before I bought it. I still have enough to help bring in the deer. I don't want to cut any nice tree's just dead stuff. I'm hoping to bring home a bunch of stuff from our hunt club property but at this point I'm not running a saw in the woods until after bow season.

 

[H-Ranch]

Part of 5 loads on the ground waiting to be processed - 3 from the cherry tree started a couple weeks ago. The 2 loads of oak, ash, and mystery wood are from my senior citizen. Some of those are 30+" long - some have been Fiskarized already in the foreground. I did have to pick them up at his place this time, but he had the wood cut and stacked by the driveway and helped me load it. There are probably 2 more truck loads of seasoned and many more green. Plus he's working on more deadfall, leaners, and the like.

Load 4 of the cherry is in the truck - big stuff that had to be noodled just to load. There are 2 more loads of pine on the ground to pick up tonight and more of that to come as well.

 

[dancan]

Structural glass Reid , load till the structure fails LOL
Soon have the ef250 on the road and dump trailer so we'll see how that works out but I think it'll be hard to beat for the in and out incognito .
Nice bunch of loads guys and welcome aboard crazywolf , don't forget , we like pics .
Reid if you're only running a 1/2 cord in the Cumins you should just buy a 1/2 ton

 

[USMC615]

Anyone having 'alert' problems?? I sure am. Might be an IOS problem/glitch...no clue. And ain't smart enuff above the average idiot to know what to check or do.

 

[Ambull01]

Hello all! I've been lurking for awhile and read this entire thread. It's been a great help in making some choices. We just put in a wood stove at the end of winter this year after having huge power bills for an old home. I had a few saws but most were small for general land owner stuff. I had a Husqvarna 445 which I loved and a few years ago added a MS211 which is great for the small stuff. After reading this thread and looking at what kind of wood I was going to be into I bought a new 562xp and was amazed at the difference even after seeing all of you say how different the power was. I can't imagine how the truly large saws run.

Luckily I already had plenty of useful tools like an x27 and a tractor with a FEL

This was an old pine that had died and half fell over. I knocked it all the way down with my tractor last winter. The 562xp went through it like it was nothing.

I plan to store as much as possible on our front porch so it's easy to get to.

Using the FEL to hold a load as close as possible definitely makes my life easier.

These are oak chunks. My parents had a large oak dropped a few years ago unfortunately the rounds were just a bit too large so I cut them down before splitting. I lost alot of wood to moisture as they sat on their ends for way too long. I mainly split out what was still solid.

I got this to make it easier to bring in a load.

Here is the final product keeping me warm this weekend in the evening. I mix the pine in with the oak for now. Unfortunately I have a ton of pine on my property the oak were cleared out before I bought it. I still have enough to help bring in the deer. I don't want to cut any nice tree's just dead stuff. I'm hoping to bring home a bunch of stuff from our hunt club property but at this point I'm not running a saw in the woods until after bow season.

Is that the 30-NCH? I just bought one after I saw it on sale for $649. Supposed to be here today.

Structural glass Reid , load till the structure fails LOL
Soon have the ef250 on the road and dump trailer so we'll see how that works out but I think it'll be hard to beat for the in and out incognito .
Nice bunch of loads guys and welcome aboard crazywolf , don't forget , we like pics .
Reid if you're only running a 1/2 cord in the Cumins you should just buy a 1/2 ton

You're going to hurt yourself trying to fill your new scrounge rig up.

Well I figure I couldn't load a truck any more than I can load the van without pieces falling out. I have my eyes open for a trailer though. I'm guessing about 2k pounds in the truck bed, trailer will probably weight 1-2k lbs, then hopefully a cord of wood in it for close to 5k lbs. That sounds like a hefty load to pull.

Also, I thought you mentioned the amount of trouble diesels can give and now you own one?

 

[Ambull01]

Question for all the chainsaw fanatics. Do you guys think a Stihl 045 AV Super electronic is worth $50? The guy says it doesn't run and has no idea what's wrong with it. Supposed to have compression. I believe it's a 80+cc saw. I want to tinker with it if there's a chance to fix that beast. My Poulan Pro 360 started my itch.