What additions are you making to your 2020 firewooding arsenal?

[svk]

I’ve got a few new-to-me saws in the shed this year to try out.

I’m thinking I’d like to find a decent ATV or tractor. Would make firewooding a lot easier when I come across scrounges that aren’t near a roadway.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

A tractor sure makes firewood a lot easier. Especially with a skidding winch, and even more so with 4wd and a loader, though those last bits tend to bring the price up an awful lot. Just a 2wd and a winch can get a lot done though.

Myself, I'm pretty set on adding a grapple for my Kubota this spring. I've been using pallet forks for the last 6 years, and they do the job for the most part, but a grapple will be super slick for dealing with brush and for selecting and placing logs more carefully instead of having to let them roll or slide off the end of the forks. It'll make loading my trailer much easier.

 

[sirbuildalot]

I'm constantly trying to improve my system and make things more efficient, productive and easier. The biggest change i recently made is getting twenty 330 gallon IBC totes to put my wood in. Since getting them about 1 week ago, I have filled 7 of them.

I have a woodshed for one year, and the totes for the next. Each way can accommodate the 8 full cords a year I burn. I hope to get on a 3 year plan this way. I also have pallets with ends that accommodate another 5 full cords for overflow. I'm also labeling the totes with the type of wood and date filled.













I'm also building a heavy duty pressure treated staging table to put by the splitter.

Last year I added a sawbuck to my operation for smaller diameter stuff

 

[svk]

I'm constantly trying to improve my system and make things more efficient, productive and easier. The biggest change i recently made is getting twenty 330 gallon IBC totes to put my wood in. Since getting them about 1 week ago, I have filled 7 of them.

I have a woodshed for one year, and the totes for the next. Each way can accommodate the 8 full cords a year I burn. I hope to get on a 3 year plan this way. I also have pallets with ends that accommodate another 5 full cords for overflow. I'm also labeling the totes with the type of wood and date filled.









I'm also building a heavy duty pressure treated staging table to put by the splitter.

Last year I added a sawbuck to my operation for smaller diameter stuff

Very nice!

 

[svk]

A tractor sure makes firewood a lot easier. Especially with a skidding winch, and even more so with 4wd and a loader, though those last bits tend to bring the price up an awful lot. Just a 2wd and a winch can get a lot done though.

Myself, I'm pretty set on adding a grapple for my Kubota this spring. I've been using pallet forks for the last 6 years, and they do the job for the most part, but a grapple will be super slick for dealing with brush and for selecting and placing logs more carefully instead of having to let them roll or slide off the end of the forks. It'll make loading my trailer much easier.

I would love a good 4wd tractor for a multitude of reasons but unfortunately cannot afford or justify the expense (yet). I used to have a small Allis Chalmers and that would be great to have again. My FIL has a nice Ford 9n but unfortunately he keeps thinking he is going to farm someday (not happening unless my MIL somehow predeceases him) so he will not sell it and it sits outside. Every year he has more and more trouble getting it going again.

 

[peakbagger]

I picked up a gas powered Honda capstan winch last year. It worked well but in my steep hilly terrain the lack of a skidder cone became obvious. I work solo and jogging up and down a steep slope to get the butt lifted up over roots or rock gets old. If the skidder cone cuts that by 75% it would improve my throughput.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I would love a good 4wd tractor for a multitude of reasons but unfortunately cannot afford or justify the expense (yet). I used to have a small Allis Chalmers and that would be great to have again. My FIL has a nice Ford 9n but unfortunately he keeps thinking he is going to farm someday (not happening unless my MIL somehow predeceases him) so he will not sell it and it sits outside. Every year he has more and more trouble getting it going again.

If you want a budget tractor Steve, I have a Ford NAA sitting here that I'd like to move along. It needs a battery and some work on the 3 point system (probably a hydraulic pump), but it's got great rubber on it. It's a decent step up from an N series. Little more horsepower, little heavier, lower reverse gear, and live hydraulics.

I've got stuff to include too, should you be interested, bush hog, cultivator, back blade, carryall, that kind of stuff. None of it's pretty or expensive.

 

[svk]

If you want a budget tractor Steve, I have a Ford NAA sitting here that I'd like to move along. It needs a battery and some work on the 3 point system (probably a hydraulic pump), but it's got great rubber on it. It's a decent step up from an N series. Little more horsepower, little heavier, lower reverse gear, and live hydraulics.

I've got stuff to include too, should you be interested, bush hog, cultivator, back blade, carryall, that kind of stuff. None of it's pretty or expensive.View attachment 796883

OOOH!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

my 'firewooding' arsenal includes my fireplaces! I just added a new hot coals wire screen... r/r'd the old one. working great! and up country... I added a hot coals/chunks fence to the front of my fireplace grate. one thing I have learned from many years of enjoying fireside fires... is that the firewood in the fireplace burning... will walk around. my job is to make sure it does not take a walk forward past its zone. and if it trys to... must ensure it gets stopped. also thinking a splitting table for my splitter would be nice, too...

really like the wire fence I installed on my big 54" fireplace. already stopped some rolling coals. as in 2nd pix. it is easily removable, slide up, but is no hindrance to cleaning out ash...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I would love a good 4wd tractor for a multitude of reasons but unfortunately cannot afford or justify the expense (yet). I used to have a small Allis Chalmers and that would be great to have again. My FIL has a nice Ford 9n but unfortunately he keeps thinking he is going to farm someday (not happening unless my MIL somehow predeceases him) so he will not sell it and it sits outside. Every year he has more and more trouble getting it going again.

hope u can get it, svk! sure would do some serious traction up in your snow country. I like mine a lot! I have 3 tractors. 1 small prime mover for hauling in wood to cut here in town. gasoline. a small M-F up country, diesel. and a new New Holland, diesel, too. the 4x4 drive is nice, but I particularly like having the bucket...

 

[SS396driver]

The teactor does make it easier. Not planning on getting anything to add to the firewood processing . I just did the log arch for my dump trailer and that was last on my list.




But something always pops up for sale that I didn't know I needed for firewood

 

[esshup]

I made a magnet with a piece of threaded rod that is strong enough to stick to the bar and stay there while I make cuts. I use it to mark the wood length instead of paint. Works pretty good.

 

[rarefish383]

I was only thinking saws, silly me. I plan on buying my friends Nortrak 25 HP 4X4 FEL. Hope to bring it home as soon as I get back from Denver.

 

[rarefish383]

If you want a budget tractor Steve, I have a Ford NAA sitting here that I'd like to move along. It needs a battery and some work on the 3 point system (probably a hydraulic pump), but it's got great rubber on it. It's a decent step up from an N series. Little more horsepower, little heavier, lower reverse gear, and live hydraulics.

I've got stuff to include too, should you be interested, bush hog, cultivator, back blade, carryall, that kind of stuff. None of it's pretty or expensive.View attachment 796883

I had a ford 640. That was right after the NAA. It had over head valves, a few more HP than the flat head. I liked it. My Massey 135 was another step up. Not much, but it will pull a 6' bush hog pretty easy, the Ford was happier with a 5'.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I had a ford 640. That was right after the NAA. It had over head valves, a few more HP than the flat head. I liked it. My Massey 135 was another step up. Not much, but it will pull a 6' bush hog pretty easy, the Ford was happier with a 5'.

Yep, the NAA and 640 are pretty hard to tell apart. Both are a nice step from the N series and hardly cost any more, though there aren't quite as many to pick from. I grew up on a pair of 8ns. And not having to clutch the NAA or 640 3 times every time you want to lift the bush hog cause you bogged it down is really nice. Never have spent much time on those Masseys, but I wouldn't mind having one around.

Edited to add: this is what I replaced the Ns with. It's hydrostatic with 4wd and will literally work circles around an N!

 

[MechanicMatt]

Geez, I was gonna say bring my 8N home from my pals farm. But all the N hatin’ hmmmm

In all seriousness, gonna find a FEL, figure between the firewood and the trail maintenance I plan on doing up at the hunting camp. I don’t want one, I need one!!

My dads knees are shot, I need to groom him some trails up there. This was the first year he rode the quad to a stand. He ended up not climbing into it. But a FEL would do me nice

 

[cantoo]

I'm planning to use the word "No" more often this year to add to my 2020 firewood arsenal.
If my wife had of said No to friends and family a few more times it would have put at least 150 more hours in the bush, hauling logs, cutting rounds and maybe actually using my bandsaw mill. The piles of logs on the landing took me around 4 hours from standing to ready to load to haul home. Those 150 hours would have had 35 more piles like that sitting there. I put maybe 15 hours on my processor this year, 10 hrs on my bandmill and maybe 20 hrs on my 36" splitter. I rode my motorcycle for 3 rides, jet ski never left the shed and my 4 wheeler maybe 5 or 6 times. The ash are falling down on their own it's time to get them into firewood or lumber.

 

[Brownthumb]

Split Zone heat pump
My split zone a/c took a crap so I installed a split zone heat pump figuring it would take care of the shoulder season.
I burned ten cords at the house of hardwood Ash mostly and 5 cords of spruce and junk in the garage.
I also put a split zone heat pump in the garage for cooling in the summer at the same time.
I have not burned one split yet. My electric bill went up 100 bucks heating a garage and a house a month.
I need more wood to cut

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I picked up a gas powered Honda capstan winch last year. It worked well but in my steep hilly terrain the lack of a skidder cone became obvious. I work solo and jogging up and down a steep slope to get the butt lifted up over roots or rock gets old. If the skidder cone cuts that by 75% it would improve my throughput.

A little derailing of the thread, but here goes. To effectively use a winch one must use a device that can maneuver over around obstacles. There are many ways to do this that are cost effective. A capstan can be usable, but do not have much of a payload. On the other hand my larger winch really can pull, but is not too maneuverable. One thing that works pretty well with small winches is a 1/4 to 1/2 cord trailer. I built a small adjustable wheel to bolt up to the tongue of a small trailer. I could adjust the tongue wheel to steer a little right or left to miss objects. When my truck was full you merely hook up the trailer to your vehicle and go. Whether you process your wood on site does not matter. If a splitter is used the splittler can go into the trailer. Or when truck and trailer is full go home. At my work site I stay several weeks which makes setting up and unsettling much more manageable. Thanks

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Over the last 15 years scrounging was quite tough. I did not need to haul a lot so I let my tractor and dump truck sit. Now that I have hundreds of cords of wood I need to get my old tired behind moving. This past season I got at least 500 calls for wood delivery or more than $250,000 worth of wood sales. So many other businesses have moved away there is little competition. The biggest problem now that old and senile I need plenty of beauty rest. Thanks