OMG! My Wife's and I Next Tree

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Or no idea on the equipment needed. When I started cutting wood for myself with just a saw and a pickup truck, I thought I could turn a few bucks and sell a few pick up loads of rounds to a local firewood business. Man was I way off on the time and equipment needed for my own supply much less trying to make a buck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Or no idea on the equipment needed. When I started cutting wood for myself with just a saw and a pickup truck, I thought I could turn a few bucks and sell a few pick up loads of rounds to a local firewood business. Man was I way off on the time and equipment needed for my own supply much less trying to make a buck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I started in 1976 just cutting for myself. Never sold a load.
I helped my son cut and split two loads to sell when he was a teenager. He decide that wasn't the way he wanted to go.
I have given some to older needy folks that I knew I wasn't being taken for a ride.
I've cut for my hunting club, my sister and my mother.
I've got saws, mauls, trailer and also a hydraulic splitter for tough rounds.
Every time I think I need something else I think to myself, how long will I have to burn wood to pay for it.
I just do it because I like doing it.
Clint
 
I remember an old cartoon that calculated the cost savings for having a wood stove for the first year.

It included costs for the price of electricity and fuel oil saved, compared to the costs of:
- buying the wood stove
- installation
- an axe
- a chain saw
- a wood splitter
- fuel

Then in added in:
- trip(s) to the emergency room
- 4-wheel drive pickup truck and insurance
- towing
- divorce . . .

Philbert
 
I understand the economics of tool buying in the sense of how long it will pay for it self. Sometimes you gotta purchase a tool or equipment just because it will make the task more enjoyable or save time even if it never pays for itself. With the price of natural gas, I could never “save money” by burning wood. Especially if I factor in the time spent on wood, could be spent on making me money doing something else. I mainly cut and burn wood cause I enjoy it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I remember an old cartoon that calculated the cost savings for having a wood stove for the first year.

It included costs for the price of electricity and fuel oil saved, compared to the costs of:
- buying the wood stove
- installation
- an axe
- a chain saw
- a wood splitter
- fuel

Then in added in:
- trip(s) to the emergency room
- 4-wheel drive pickup truck and insurance
- towing
- divorce . . .

Philbert
Then you get stuck several times and a Skidder goes by your truck while you are cutting, runs over the end of a 5 inch cut down gum and it flips up and turns in mid air and lands across the hood of you truck.
We just may be a little nuts.
 
I understand the economics of tool buying in the sense of how long it will pay for it self. Sometimes you gotta purchase a tool or equipment just because it will make the task more enjoyable or save time even if it never pays for itself. With the price of natural gas, I could never “save money” by burning wood. Especially if I factor in the time spent on wood, could be spent on making me money doing something else. I mainly cut and burn wood cause I enjoy it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes we must enjoy it to do it.
Just think of all the time put in from sawing to the stove. We really don't save nothing money wise.
I've always wanted a 30 some HP tractor, 4 wheel drive and hydrostatic. Next year my wife and I will buy a new Kubota.
We can in no way justify the cost, but we are 64 and 67 and we only live once. I don't want to die wishing I had bought one.
Clint
 
Yes we must enjoy it to do it.
Just think of all the time put in from sawing to the stove. We really don't save nothing money wise.
I've always wanted a 30 some HP tractor, 4 wheel drive and hydrostatic. Next year my wife and I will buy a new Kubota.
We can in no way justify the cost, but we are 64 and 67 and we only live once. I don't want to die wishing I had bought one.
Clint
When you get that tractor, make sure you DO NOT LEAVE THAT DEALERSHIP UNLESS IT HAS A FRONT END LOADER ON IT. You'll never regret the extra cost it adds and you'll wish someone would create a time machine so you can go back in time and put your foot in your own @ss for not doing it sooner.
I replied just in case you dont have to access to one in the past so or not sure what you are missing.
 
When you get that tractor, make sure you DO NOT LEAVE THAT DEALERSHIP UNLESS IT HAS A FRONT END LOADER ON IT. You'll never regret the extra cost it adds and you'll wish someone would create a time machine so you can go back in time and put your foot in your own @ss for not doing it sooner.
I replied just in case you dont have to access to one in the past so or not sure what you are missing.
Thanks
I should have said front end loader also. That's the most important reason we are getting one.
Clint
 
11/4/2020
My wife and I started on the dangerous White Oak today.


BWO 4.jpg

The first order of business was to make it safer. Lots of wood was left cut and on the ground.
Much of it was doughy. The smaller rounds we threw off to the side. Not worth carrying home.
I can't stand having stuff like this in my way when I'm sawing.


BWO 2.jpg

This pile we didn't get to today. We were working on the other side of the tree.

BWO 3.jpg

BWO 5.jpg

This is one dangerous tree. My plan is to pull off those broken limbs with my truck.
You see that 5 foot stick balanced in the top.
This was after the clean up today.
I cut down 3 small Maples. I cut them high so the farmer can uproot them easier.
The farmer said to just leave the brush where it fell and he will shove it away later. Lucky us.


BWO 6.jpg

Load # 1 on a 7 X 14 trailer. I expect 3 more, maybe 4.

BWO 7.jpg

Thanks for looking.
Clint
 
Awesome! I had four oaks die on my hill behind my house this year. I helped my girlfriends son work on his truck so he dragged them down the hill for me. Easier for him since he is 17 and six foot eight and about 270 lbs. :oops:
Thanks for the reply.
Wow! he's a big one. My son is 6'4" and has a problem with my mauls 32" to 36".
 
This thread should be sent out to all the callers that think "the firewood in the tree and be sold by you and will surely pay for the cost of taking the tree down so lets make a fair swap."

"click"
Very true. I don't sell anyhow, but have been known to give a load to older folks.
Those that set around and do nothing, don't have a clue what it takes to do this.
My wife Debbie is 64 and I'm 67. We enjoy doing this together. It's great exercise.
We enjoy and respect what other like minded folks are doing here on the forum.
Thanks for the reply.
Clint
 
Yes we must enjoy it to do it.
Just think of all the time put in from sawing to the stove. We really don't save nothing money wise.
I've always wanted a 30 some HP tractor, 4 wheel drive and hydrostatic. Next year my wife and I will buy a new Kubota.
We can in no way justify the cost, but we are 64 and 67 and we only live once. I don't want to die wishing I had bought one.
Clint

I check some of it off to what it would cost for a gym membership to keep me in shape and good condition. I'm 85 and I'm sure I wouildn't be here were it not for cutting/splitting/stacking/burning. It is a year around physical fitness program.
 
I check some of it off to what it would cost for a gym membership to keep me in shape and good condition. I'm 85 and I'm sure I wouildn't be here were it not for cutting/splitting/stacking/burning. It is a year around physical fitness program.
That's wonderful. I have always been inspired by older folks.
The oldest man I personally know is over 90 and still splits with a maul.
I split for over a hour today. I call it my morning fix.
Clint
 
The wife and I cut load #2 today. All green White Oak.
We stopped short of a full load because of the weight.
My wife Debbie loaded most of that while I was cutting. I loaded the heavier rounds.

BWO 10.jpg

We got rid of the dangerous limbs today. What we couldn't pull of with the truck, I sawed off with the pole saw.
BWO 11.jpg

BWO 9.jpg

>>> Vid pulling the biggest limb off. <<<

Thanks for looking.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top