Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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I could definitely use one of those. Especially since as I get older, the wood gets heavier.
It’s definitely a back saver. Especially compared to the vertical design to deal with large rounds, personally working with those kills my back. The lift makes for a great staging platform too. If I’m by myself, I’ll throttle down, load it, split, rinse and repeat. These splitters really need two people to utilize their speed, one to operate and one to load the lift, otherwise you’re just burning gas. Good thing I got 3 kids.
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Interesting. For all of that talk about only being sold through Mom and Pop dealerships, Stihl sold their soul once they put their goods in John Deere dealerships and now into NT. Northern Tool used to be an awesome place, I will never step foot in there again unless I need trailer axles. Most of the rest of their stuff is grossly overpriced now.

When I was a kid, getting the NT catalog was second to only the Cabela's catalog. Shame.
And John Deere sold their soul when they started offering their riding mowers at Home Depot. Same thing can be said for Ariens and Bolens and blah blah blah. A new Ace hardware moved into our home town about 6 months ago and brought in a good inventory of Stihl power equipment. It was the final nail in the coffin for the last struggling mom and pop power equipment dealer we had.
 
Man that thing is clean! Those are damn near indestructible! I'm very jealous! Don't forget they have a oil filter under a side cover. Probably a 5HO filter but some did have 1UY's. I've seen them never changed before and plugged. Also if it has a shift detent never mess with it! LOL! Rod adjustment only. Also you want to make sure to run a motorcycle approved oil. I run yamalube 10-40. They have clutch plates just like a motorcycle in them.

Did I mention I'm super jealous!! Still has original rubber!
Wasn't exactly looking for one but my buddy took it on trade for his boat that I stored for 5+ years and offered me a deal. Everything works, no cracks in the plastic, no seat tears, almost no corrosion, and the skid plates are barely even scratched. The oil even looks like it was just changed. One owner and I think they must have used it a few times a year to plow their driveway. Oh, and it came with the plow which is in similar shape.

Thanks for the advice - I'll give it some attention next week. So far I only had to bump the idle speed and aim the headlamps! LOL
 
Actually, can you take a couple of close-ups of the wood and bark so I can compare to the oak I have here that I have been told is English oak?
Sure, I'll get a few for you. As with all trees the bark varies with age and limb/trunk. Generally the furrows get deeper with age. Bark is thick, wood varies a bit i colour, often quite light in limbs although not ash light, but can be yellower in the trunk. for me it is the most consistently easy to split wood when green. it is very wet when green, freshly bucked it often pools water on the round ends. its heavy, and stil heavy when seasoned. tight grain and the medullary rays can be spectacular. The oak smell though...wow, it is strong on english oak. So hard to describe though...some moments it smells like sweet cider..or rather a fake sweet cider like the ice lollies I remember from when i was a kid, other moments its a sort of farmyard manure smell, but the nice sort...not pig sh*t! Most of that goes for european/turkey oak too though...which i not such a good firewood. English oak is more rot resistant, sapwood will stil rot, ...all of it will if wet, but you'll probably not have that trouble! I'll get you some photos, hope they help.

btw....you have split it haven't you? If not it will still split dry, but its harder....well made oak hulls would resist a cannon ball.....its probably why we have so many, Henry VIII wasn't to know steel ships would come along but could see we needed to keep a very good navy, so he made us plant a lot of oaks.
 
Red Oak is pores, White Oak is not. All the ships, locks on the Erie Canal and wine barrels are White Oak. But Red Oak has beautiful grain and makes good furniture and flooring, and it also burns very well.

Red Oak also thrives in areas that had acid rain, and is becoming more abundant in those locations.
 
For all of that talk about only being sold through Mom and Pop dealerships, . . .
A new Ace hardware moved into our home town about 6 months ago and brought in a good inventory of Stihl power equipment.
I don’t care who sells it, but they make such a big deal about their dealers in their ads. I have seen them sold in farm stores and hardware stores where the sales people didn’t know a bar from a chain. Only could quote the prices on the stickers. I guess that ‘someone’ in those stores knows enough to qualify for a dealership, but they are not always there.

Philbert
 
I don’t care who sells it, but they make such a big deal about their dealers in their ads. I have seen them sold in farm stores and hardware stores where the sales people didn’t know a bar from a chain. Only could quote the prices on the stickers. I guess that ‘someone’ in those stores knows enough to qualify for a dealership, but they are not always there.

Philbert
Correct!
 
English oak is a white oak I think, although also seen it classified as brown (?!). I agree it's a stink but a good one. Although first time I smelt it was unsure, one of those smells not sure if it's nice or not. I suspect I love it now because I know it's oak and such good firewood.
 
Yes, but it is White Oak accents … not Red Oak! And, it is generally "burned Oak", they char the inside of the barrel. (Or a mix of burned or not, or a mix of 1st year burned, 2 nd year burned, 3 year burned to get the desired flavor). They may also use a mix of French Oak … it is a big deal thing in wine country!

The length of time they age it, and what it is aged in all make a difference. I used to have a client who had his own wine label, and they pay the wine makers a lot for their knowledge!
 
Yes, but it is White Oak accents … not Red Oak! And, it is generally "burned Oak", they char the inside of the barrel. (Or a mix of burned or not, or a mix of 1st year burned, 2 nd year burned, 3 year burned to get the desired flavor). They may also use a mix of French Oak … it is a big deal thing in wine country!

And then, this is this kind of 'Oakie' accent!



Philbert
 
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