Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Ryan A]

looks good Ryan. where do you go upstate? been hunting deer all summer in the sweet corn patches. they have gotten out of control in the last couple of years thanks to land hunting leases where the hunters don't practice good management. i'm in the 5b area. @nomad_archer has come over from Lancaster the last couple of years and "helped" out and put some meat in his freezer.

Upstate Pa, Luzerne County-WMU 4E near Hazelton/Wilkes-Barre. About a 2 hour ride from home.We have a family farm with 113 acres.

I am in WMU 5D in Delaware County( special regulations) and we open up here 9/15. TONS of deer here and antlerless tags are abundant, just few places to hunt as its so developed. Just got into archery and I love it. I've yet to harvest but I enjoy all aspects of hunting. Scouting, prep, time spent with family/friends In the woods.....LOVE the fall

 

[Ryan A]

I don’t know much about Chevys. But if you go with a Ford, you can’t go wrong with the 7.3 diesel or the 351 or 460 gas engines. Even the 5.4 is a decent option but you have to avoid 2004-2008 because of cam phaser problems. And whatever truck you decide on, definitely get the 8 ft. bed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your going to have rust problems no matter what make you go with, geographics and road salt for the winter play a major role. It's a shame about your truck, you could easily part it out and make some money toward the purchase of a new one. 130k on a 4.8/5.3/6.0 is just getting broken in. Sounds like you have a daily driver so MPG may not be at the upmost concern. As said previously Ford 351/460, dodge 360, Chevy/GMC any V8 all good platforms. I've seen rust in all three makes in the cabs, rockers, bed. Sounds like you are looking for something that was cleaned underneath after winter storms.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

A guy I know asked me to take down all the standing dead ash around his property. Got 3 truckloads today, probably 15 more to go. Only thing I hate about ash is how the branches grenade when they hit the ground. Most I can drop in the edge of the woods but some are in or leaning towards the yard, sucks cleaning all that crap up.

 

[pdqdl]

Question for the brains trust, how do the moulded handles on these Isocore and X27’s hold up to long term abuse vs a wooden handle?

I think X27 has a lifetime replacement warranty. Mine has taken some vicious hits to the handle, and it is just fine.

 

[pdqdl]

View attachment 671251 View attachment 671252 A guy I know asked me to take down all the standing dead ash around his property. Got 3 truckloads today, probably 15 more to go. Only thing I hate about ash is how the branches grenade when they hit the ground. Most I can drop in the edge of the woods but some are in or leaning towards the yard, sucks cleaning all that crap up.

Are you in an EAB declared area? Be careful that you don't transport that wood to a non-EAB county. Federal regulations say that you can get hammered with fines for transporting ash trees out of a declared quarantine area. Whether or not they are infected.

This is a little old, but might help anyway: http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20030614.pdf

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Are you in an EAB declared area? Be careful that you don't transport that wood to a non-EAB county. Federal regulations say that you can get hammered with fines for transporting ash trees out of a declared isolation area. Whether or not they are infected.

This is a little old, but might help anyway: http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20030614.pdf

In this part of western PA there isn’t a live ash tree to be seen, plus it’s 4 miles from home.

 

[MustangMike]

The 7.3 diesel is supposed to be rock solid and very sought after. Avoid the 6.0 version.

I've yet to find a maul that out performs my X 27, but I have a fast swing. If I can't split it with that, I bring out the Sledge Hammer and wedges (or the hydro).

Accuracy is key, and work a line across the larger pieces and focus on both edges (not the middle), you get more leverage. If it does not split, rotate 90* and give it a try, if that does not work flip it up side down.

 

[dancan]

Question for the brains trust, how do the moulded handles on these Isocore and X27’s hold up to long term abuse vs a wooden handle?

The X27 and Isocore are 2 different animals .
Most know what the X series is like but the Isocore has a solid handle with a dimple texture no slip rubberized grip at the handhold .
I'm not a fan of the no slip , it causes blisters on extended use unlike how you can slip a an X series or a wooden handle .
Having said that , the Isocore is still my favorite 8lb tool for causing blunt force trauma lol

 

[Ryan A]

Loving the 262xp. Took down all of the knotty pine no trouble.Hard to start( many pulls but has the KS jug,hi comp no decompression valve) and will die after prolonged cutting after the cut.I suspect carb issues(HDA 120). Simple carb kit? Idle too low? Never tuned a saw, always replaced with new, but I'm willing to learn.....

 

[turnkey4099]

View attachment 671251 View attachment 671252 A guy I know asked me to take down all the standing dead ash around his property. Got 3 truckloads today, probably 15 more to go. Only thing I hate about ash is how the branches grenade when they hit the ground. Most I can drop in the edge of the woods but some are in or leaning towards the yard, sucks cleaning all that crap up.

I use a garden rake to 'windrow' the trasha nd then a 4 tine hay fork to pick it up.

 

[Cowboy254]

As they say, it's my birthday and I'll scrounge if I want to. I cunningly arranged work so I could knock off at 1pm. There's a skinny wattle down there somewhere to the right that got blown over a coupla weeks ago. Transporting the essential tools was not difficult.


There it is. There's a sheer drop of about 5 metres on the other side of the wire fence and I didn't really want to send half the tree down there. I cut the base to free it from the root then was able to push it off the other wattle it was leaning on.


Wasn't much work for the monkey saw, which I am pleased to say started first pull. Pulled the root out as well. That can go in the firepit at some point.



Ended up with a wheelbarrow load of firepit wood and a wheelbarrow load of kindling. I generally regard these things as standing kindling reserves anyway. Grow fast, die young, with a cloud of little twigs once they dry out.



Firepit ready to roll.

 

[farmer steve]

Are you in an EAB declared area? Be careful that you don't transport that wood to a non-EAB county. Federal regulations say that you can get hammered with fines for transporting ash trees out of a declared quarantine area. Whether or not they are infected.

This is a little old, but might help anyway: http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20030614.pdf

they have pretty much given up on the quarantine on the ash here. i don't think there is a non EAB county in PA. the bigger threat now is the spotted lantern fly. this d@$n bug doesn't care what it destroys.
https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/pest_pathogen/spotted-lanternfly-html/
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/re...-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly

 

[LondonNeil]

We use road salt in the UK so know rust. The biggest thing that you can do to reduce it, each Spring spend 5 minutes with the pressure washer to clean the arches and underside of the vehicle. If you can do it after the worst of the storms/salt during the winter too then that's great.

 

[nomad_archer]

looks good Ryan. where do you go upstate? been hunting deer all summer in the sweet corn patches. they have gotten out of control in the last couple of years thanks to land hunting leases where the hunters don't practice good management. i'm in the 5b area. @nomad_archer has come over from Lancaster the last couple of years and "helped" out and put some meat in his freezer.

It's always a good time hunting with ya steve. Hope we are able to give it a go again this year. I think we will need to have a GTG this winter if the weather cooperates.

 

[nomad_archer]

they have pretty much given up on the quarantine on the ash here. i don't think there is a non EAB county in PA. the bigger threat now is the spotted lantern fly. this d@$n bug doesn't care what it destroys.
https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/pest_pathogen/spotted-lanternfly-html/
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/re...-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly

My ash tree's are in the process of dying. I haven't seen the lanterfly in my backyard yet but something is killing all of my fruit trees and the dogwood is taking beating this year.

 

[woodchip rookie]

I know where several live ash trees are but I'm not gonna post where. EAB might be watching this thread.

 

[svk]

Question for the brains trust, how do the moulded handles on these Isocore and X27’s hold up to long term abuse vs a wooden handle?

Much better.

I have wailed my X27 hard several times. Definitely would have shattered a few wooden handles. I am approaching 50 cords split with it and the only wear is on the top of the cutting edge because I split on the ground.

 

[svk]

Thanks Mike, my heavy maul is starting get a loose head, so was thinking the Isocore might make it into my line up.

Isocore is the best "maul" I have ever used. I generally prefer a splitting axe like Fiskars X25, X27 or Husky S2800 but sometimes a heavy hitting maul is necessary.

 

[svk]

I think X27 has a lifetime replacement warranty. Mine has taken some vicious hits to the handle, and it is just fine.

My understanding is as long as someone didn't hammer the poll, they will warranty the tool, no questions asked.

 

[Philbert]

Dog sculpture at the State Fair.

First thought: 'Cool!'

Second thought: ' I know what every one of those parts is!'

Philbert