What do you do

[jhoff310]

What do you do to make your cutting and splitting easier? What little tips and tricks do you use?

I keep bar oil in an old squeeze soap bottle, makes filling easier and less messy.

I mount a 15 3/4" rod to the side of my saw to get me close to the 16" mark as possible.

What about you guys

Jeff

 

[unclemoustache]

Hmm. I don't know enough to give any tips, but I sure hope a lot of you guys post some good ones.

 

[audible fart]

What makes firewood processing easy for me is never stopping. I'm a maul splitter that enjoys maul splitting. I don't have an "off" season for firewood when I put saws in storage. I on average scrounge 1-2 times per week year round. Even on 100 degree summer days I'd go out in the morning & split rounds in half for 15 minutes. The next morning I'll go& split those half rounds in half. That's a tiny time investment that adds up to an enormous amount of split wood over the months. 15 minutes is barely long enough to break a sweat. I got a kick out of reading the "too hot to cut" and "too hot to split" threads every summer. 15 minutes of either cutting or splitting every day adds up to a hell of a lot of firewood. I give a lot away.

 

[indiansprings]

Keep the chains sharp! One of the biggest time savers for us is dragging all the tops to a central "landing". It consolidates all the activities from bucking up the tops, stacking the brush, and we run two splitters side by side. We have spray painted 16" 18" and 22" marks on the splitter beams, it helps throw anything off to the side that isn't the right length.

 

[STLfirewood]

Keep the chains sharp! One of the biggest time savers for us is dragging all the tops to a central "landing". It consolidates all the activities from bucking up the tops, stacking the brush, and we run two splitters side by side. We have spray painted 16" 18" and 22" marks on the splitter beams, it helps throw anything off to the side that isn't the right length.

Get that super splitter and you can put one of those guys to use somewhere else and produice more wood then 2 hydraulic splitters ever thought of. Do you run a grapple on a front loader for moving the tops.

Scott

 

[STLfirewood]

When I am wanting to get a lot of wood cut I use the skid stter and grapple a lot. I'll work ahead cutting tree tops where they fork and cut the ends off branches. Then I'll use the grapple for holding the tops off the ground while I cut. You would be amazed at how much wood you can cut in a day when you do this. No ground to hit with your chain. No pinching of the bar. No bending. Just standing up and cutting. The blocks really pile up. The blocks are all in one place. My other tip is get a set of radio headphones. These things really make the time go and keep you hoping.


Scott

 

[cuttingintime]

Not necessary cutting or splitting but loading on a trailer instead of truck. Much easier to load and unload.

 

[atvguns]

When I am wanting to get a lot of wood cut I use the skid stter and grapple a lot. I'll work ahead cutting tree tops where they fork and cut the ends off branches. Then I'll use the grapple for holding the tops off the ground while I cut. You would be amazed at how much wood you can cut in a day when you do this. No ground to hit with your chain. No pinching of the bar. No bending. Just standing up and cutting. The blocks really pile up. The blocks are all in one place. My other tip is get a set of radio headphones. These things really make the time go and keep you hoping.


Scott

I have the radio headphones also use them for just about everything haying, brushhogging, mowing the lawn

 

[indiansprings]

I use a four wheel drive tractor with a grapple on the loader. Sure is handy, we used to use to chain them to the bucket with three hooks welded on the bucket. I know I need a super splitter more than anything else.
I was over in NE Oklahoma the other day and saw some of the most consistent size firewood I've ever seen. I mean it was perfect, even stacked out perfect, it was a little mom and pop store with prolly 40 cords stacked out for sale. I had to find out how they did it. I was envious of how much better their product looked. I pulled in and asked what they used......
a Super Split was what they used. If the tax man is nice, one will be ordered, actually prolly will order one regardless.

This coming season I think I'm going to try to palletize and band some wood just so I can load it faster and with the loader rather than having it hand loaded for delivery.

I think one of the best ways to increase productivity is to make sure you go to the woods prepared. We carry a box full of any basics so we never have to shut down. Xtra bar nuts, circle clips, chains, one extra flippy cap, xtra spark plug, xtra chain plenty of mix and bar oil, we also carry a couple xtra bars under the seat. We take lunch when more than three or four miles from town. Bottle of charcoal lighter in the truck and kitchen matches to start a fire when it is real cold out or when we decide to cook polish sausages for lunch.

The trick is keep going and only take a couple of short breaks, the longer you sit the harder it is to get back to it.

 

[Guido Salvage]

For me, uniformity in length is key as it can mean the difference in getting 6 vs. 7 rows in each side of the shed. I have a 10' stick that I have marked off that I use to mark my rounds with, once I limb the trunk I mark my cuts and then cut. Since I am not producing for anyone else, time is not of an essence and I get uniform pieces and straight rows.

I also carry multiple saws and use the smallest/lightest that will accomplish each job.

 

[memory]

What do you do to make your cutting and splitting easier? What little tips and tricks do you use?

I keep bar oil in an old squeeze soap bottle, makes filling easier and less messy.

I mount a 15 3/4" rod to the side of my saw to get me close to the 16" mark as possible.

What about you guys

Jeff

How do you have that rod mounted? I have considered doing something just like that. Is it attached to the nut for the side cover? Is it possible to post of pic of your setup?

For me, uniformity in length is key as it can mean the difference in getting 6 vs. 7 rows in each side of the shed. I have a 10' stick that I have marked off that I use to mark my rounds with, once I limb the trunk I mark my cuts and then cut. Since I am not producing for anyone else, time is not of an essence and I get uniform pieces and straight rows.

I also carry multiple saws and use the smallest/lightest that will accomplish each job.

What do you use to make your marks for each cut? We have been using one of those paint sticks that are made to mark on cows and it goes through them to fast.

I noticed several people on here saying they use a super splitter. I assume they are talking about the Fiskars product. We use a 20 ton Yard Machine hydraulic splitter and we can get a lot of wood split in a short amount of time. I don't see how someone can split wood faster by hand especially if the wood is hard to split. Now I can understand if the wood will split with one hit. The only problem with using the splitter is really big pieces, especially if they don't split in half the first pass. Myself, I like to split wood by hand but if I have to take several swings or use a wedge, I will save it for the splitter.

 

[mizzou]

"What do you use to make your marks for each cut? We have been using one of those paint sticks that are made to mark on cows and it goes through them to fast."

I have a 2x2 that is marked off in the lengths like Guido has but is only about 3 ft. long and make my marks with a hatchet, one length at a time.

 

[wampum]

How do you have that rod mounted? I have considered doing something just like that. Is it attached to the nut for the side cover? Is it possible to post of pic of your setup?



What do you use to make your marks for each cut? We have been using one of those paint sticks that are made to mark on cows and it goes through them to fast.

I noticed several people on here saying they use a super splitter. I assume they are talking about the Fiskars product. We use a 20 ton Yard Machine hydraulic splitter and we can get a lot of wood split in a short amount of time. I don't see how someone can split wood faster by hand especially if the wood is hard to split. Now I can understand if the wood will split with one hit. The only problem with using the splitter is really big pieces, especially if they don't split in half the first pass. Myself, I like to split wood by hand but if I have to take several swings or use a wedge, I will save it for the splitter.

When they say super splitter I think they mean this Demonstration Videos for the Super Split(R) Log Splitter

Had one at our GTG yesterday that Andy brought,nice machine.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I have a couple, one is a long hickory sapling that I ringed every 16", the other is a 1"x2" piece of lumber that I have marked off with a magic marker. The piece of lumber is 8' long and I just lay it on top of or next to the log and mark it with the tip of the saw. Once I get to the end I move the stick down and repeat.

Once I am done I just make each cut, saves having to mark and cut each one. The only fallacy is if the log rolls your marks may end up underneath the log.

 

[memory]

I can see where the super splitter would be good for the smaller stuff. But I would not want to have to lift really big pieces on to that. I can really see where you can split alot of wood with that. It may be fast but how does it do on the tough to split wood?

Normal hyrdaulic splitters may be slower but I would almost bet they have more splitting power that the super splitter.

 

[sunfish]

After 30+ years of firewood cutting. Light weight high performance saws and a Super Split works for me. (Not the Fiskers!)

I got the chainsaw thing figured out 10 years ago but took another 10 years to figure out the splitter

 

[indiansprings]

Memory, believe it or not they will split anything a hydraulic will. I've watched video's and read threads on here by owners that have switched from hydraulic to the Super Splitter, it may take more than one cycle, but with the speed it is still faster than a hydraulic. I run a 27 ton and a 30 ton hydraulic and that is my biggest bottle neck. We sell wood commercially and when we start splitting I have two guys on each splitter, 1 running it and one loading and off bearing split wood. Depending on the day, we have a part time high school boy also helping keep rounds to the guys.
I feel like if I get a super split I may very well be able to either eliminate two guys labor or just keep them and increase production, as we can always sell more wood than we can produce. We haven't totaled the books yet but I feel like we will be right on last years numbers of 370-380 cord which is small time by some of the guys standards on here.
But......my son has done an excellent job in marketing the fact we will custom cut wood for people who have standing timber on there property.
As of today we have an additional 50-60 cord booked by people who want us to cut their wood for them for the next burning season. Normally by next week we would be pretty much wrapped up selling and delivering but this has been a nice little boost in the business and I'm sure it will grow as word spreads.

One thing about increased productivity, in this part of the country the economy is just plain terrible, there are people looking for any kind of work, you can get a guy here that will work his azz off for 8.00 cash an hour with us providing him lunch and sometimes transportation if they live close enough. This is one of the easiest ways to effectively increase production cheaply and effectively.

If your behind or need help 64.00 bucks a day can double your production, prolly less than half the price of a cord in most places and it'll give someone needed cash in their pocket. I've got one guy that has been with us for three years, he makes 11.00 bucks and hour now and is happy as a lark.

 

[mizzou]

I have a couple, one is a long hickory sapling that I ringed every 16", the other is a 1"x2" piece of lumber that I have marked off with a magic marker. The piece of lumber is 8' long and I just lay it on top of or next to the log and mark it with the tip of the saw. Once I get to the end I move the stick down and repeat.

Once I am done I just make each cut, saves having to mark and cut each one. The only fallacy is if the log rolls your marks may end up underneath the log.

Guess I did'nt explain very well. I don't mark and then cut each piece. I usually bring home 8-12 ft logs and then set them on some timbers. Then I mark all the logs and then cut to length. I like having only 1 length on the measuring stick so I can mark out knots and the like.

 

[Ohiowoodguy]

If you REALLY want to make it easier, drop anywhere from $50K-$150K into some heavy steel equipment of the hydraulic variety

 

[Woodcutteranon]

1. Never go into the woods with one saw
2. When cutting, keep your extra saw on the hood of your truck, in plain view when you are sitting in the driver's seat
3. Don't split elm with a maul
4. Keep your chains sharp
5. Don't forget the air filter
6. If anything in life is more important than your saws, it's probably your truck.
7. Never pay money for your own firewood
8. Noodle before you lift big rounds
9. Remember to tell the wife you love her when she's helping you lug and stack
10. Stop, close your eyes, take in a deep breath, and appreciate how special cutting wood is for your soul.