Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Ontario Firewood Resource]

Speaking of Murphy's law. I have a short chain for lifting and dragging logs out of the woods with the tractor. We went to hook one up yesterday and when I slid it under the log the slip hook fell off. Lost the cotter pin that holds the other pin to the hook and chain. Found a piece of wire in the truck to improvise. Pulled the chain off the tractor to fix it and the grab hook on the other end fell off. What are the chances of both cotter pins breaking within 10 minutes of each other? Gonna put a couple extra cotter pins in the saw box although I'll never need then in the next 10 years.

Use a device that has braided steel cable that pulls taught. Much more friction that way

 

[chipper1]

My 346xp is ported, although it's one of the first saws I ported, so I'm sure Its not the best job, my older brother has an oe and it does run better that that, keep thinking I should give it a retry but time is scarce for such things. Too many projects atm.

No a bandsaw mill isnt in the works for me right now. The Alaskan works fine for my needs, my cousin did just pick up a smaller portable mill last year, so if I'm feeling froggy I can rake logs over to his place, but it's just about as much work as the Alaskan mill.
The pile has shrunk considerably in the back yard. Need to finish it up this week and empty the trailer and get it all stacked.View attachment 894767
Managed to muff up the yard as well. Just so wet out right now.
View attachment 894768
Have no idea why my pictures are loading sideways...

You're a couple port jobs ahead of me , I figure the guys who know how to make them run can make them run. I just buy them ported, seems to be pretty cost effective for me. The 359 I bought off a friend who needed the cash. He's done 3 of the saws I own, and they all run great, they aren't real aggressive, very easy to keep tuned, good fuel economy, and I've not had any problems with them. 359's and 346's show a nice bump in power with a base gasket delete and a muffler mod, the 359 wakes up big time with those little mods.
I have a 346 ne cylinder kit(non decomp version) that I could put on one of my 353's, or on a 346 I have that is scored (haven't gotten to diagnosing that one yet). I like the handling of the 346's a lot, probably because that's the first real pro saw I had, it's the one in my avatar.

BSM seemed like the next logical progression lol.
I can't see your pics at all, I have to make sure they are fully loaded onto the page before selecting "full image" or they won't work.
My piles gotten way smaller, I'm certainly past half way on this pile now . I'll probably do a few more buckets today.

 

[farmer steve]

It happens. Were you dragging it over something that’d be hard on it? Which side do you have the cotter pin on? The business side of the hook, or the back side?

Most of the time the hook is off the ground as I lift the log up with the 3 point to keep it out of the dirt. Never though about which side of the hook the cotterpin was on. But, I just went out and put the chain around a big limb the same way I wood hook a log and the pin is out of the way of most rub/friction points. I'll keep an eye on how it looks the next time I drag logs.

 

[old CB]

I was too busy at the time so didn't post, but I had a great scrounge back in early Feb.

In my work I produce mountains of pine (and some Doug Fir) firewood year round, which I give away. Through the winter months, during which I rarely work, I hunt for good hardwood to heat my house. We heat exclusively with wood. Craigslist is my main source for hardwood, as the in-town arborists have learned that anything that will burn will disappear from the curbside.

But one day I was driving . . . (I have to whisper here--was going to get a needle stuck in my arm) and passed where a crew was just finishing up cutting a strip of large ash trees on the roadside. Man did I hurry thru my errand and raced back to where the ash was. I filled my pickup with rounds and limbs, then walked back to where two sawyers were sitting in a pickup (they'd seen me loading up). I asked "Will this wood be here long?" "Till tomorrow morning," he said (this was early afternoon). "We'll be bringing a grapple truck then." I told him, "Don't hurry, because I'll make a bunch of it disappear."

This was nice green, healthy ash, mostly 20--24" dia. trees cut into lengths mostly, stuff you could grab with a grapple. He said take all you can, but don't run a saw. I told him I'm a commercial sawyer, gave him my card--been cutting trees for almost 50 yrs. He smiled, said "Well, don't let me SEE you running a saw." Cool, understood.

Man, I raced home, dumped my load, hooked up the trailer and loaded saws, and was back on site in a jiffy. Filled the pickup and trailer and unloaded at home twice before dark. (The site was about 35 minutes away.) I was back there at daylight the next morning. Filled pickup and trailer twice, but by the time I unloaded the last time my knee (got a bad knee) was complaining big time and leg cramps were setting in, so I called it good. Damn, what a nice pile of ash. When days get a little warmer I'll start splitting.

 

[Lionsfan]

Perfect conditions to harvesting some of the winter casualties. Dad said back in the day, they used to set these Ironwood aside to make wagon tongues.

 

[H-Ranch]

Had a three-fer right together that I decided to tackle today. Both the sasafras trees were learners caught in a big oak. Dang limbs are scraggly and with the rough bark they catch often and don't want to make it easy. But they are fairly brittle so they eventually break. It's all on the ground now except for the broken stumps. The trail is clear and safe now until I get more fuel and finish the job. And its less than a stones throw from my firewood stacks.

 

[morewood]

Speaking of Murphy's law. I have a short chain for lifting and dragging logs out of the woods with the tractor. We went to hook one up yesterday and when I slid it under the log the slip hook fell off. Lost the cotter pin that holds the other pin to the hook and chain. Found a piece of wire in the truck to improvise. Pulled the chain off the tractor to fix it and the grab hook on the other end fell off. What are the chances of both cotter pins breaking within 10 minutes of each other? Gonna put a couple extra cotter pins in the saw box although I'll never need then in the next 10 years.

Chalk it up to bad luck. While others have said something about cable and it having a higher degree of friction(true), stick with the chain, it's more durable. I've replaced cable on my winch due to friction with obstacles, but never a choker chain.

Shea

 

[morewood]

From the weekend.

Shea

 

[morewood]

Last two. Where we're at is fairly steep, rocky, and in places slick. Why I prefer chain chokers.

Shea

 

[mountainguyed67]

Well I’ve got about 75 saws but my starting lineup is a 439 (not yet been ran), two ported 346’s, a (in the process of being ported) 371, and a ported 394.

I had to look up what brand these model numbers are. As I suspected, it’s a mix. 439 & 394 are Husqvarna, 346 is Echo, and the 371 is Stihl.

 

[mountainguyed67]

The Amish are clear cutting the ash all over the place.

How do the Amish stack the logs?

 

[Lionsfan]

I had to look up what brand these model numbers are. As I suspected, it’s a mix. 439 & 394 are Husqvarna, 346 is Echo, and the 371 is Stihl.

Blasphemy!!

 

[Lionsfan]

How do the Amish stack the logs?

Are there any Amish in California? I would have to think the price of tillable land has kept them out.

 

[mountainguyed67]

Are there any Amish in California?

No, that’s why I don’t know the answer to the question.

 

[svk]

I had to look up what brand these model numbers are. As I suspected, it’s a mix. 439 & 394 are Husqvarna, 346 is Echo, and the 371 is Stihl.

All are Husqvarna

 

[MustangMike]

Thanks for the reminder - I think the post about my highly valuable black walnut sap collection was lost in The Great AS Interweb Debacle v.03.2021. I'm up around 7 gallons of sap now so hoping that's enough to get a good size bottle of syrup. Many say it has a more earthy, nutty flavor than maple and like it as well or better. I don't have any sugar maples, but I have lots of walnut so I'm experimenting after reading about it.View attachment 894591

I'm sorry this post is not technically firewood related even though it is about highly valuable black walnut - I'll try to take it off line if it starts a tap/don't tap war.

I have numerous Black Walnut trees on my "house" property, and on vacant lots close by.

Let me know how this turns out, I may be interested in doing it in the future!

 

[mountainguyed67]

All are Husqvarna

Okay, so we got two manufacturers with the same model numbers. Confusing. I didn’t notice that in my original search, the top results were as I first said.

 

[MustangMike]

My favorite 2 saw combo depends on the job I need to do. For most trees, with lots of limbs that have to be cleared from a yard, the 261/462 combo is my favorite.

That said, my ported 360 also screams, and I have 2 Hybrids and a 460, several 066/660 (OEM + Asian), and a ported 661.

There is also an early model MS880 with a fried top end in my shed that may become mine. Has a 41" 404 B+C and would be nice for milling.

 

[djg james]

My favorite 2 saw combo depends on the job I need to do. For most trees, with lots of limbs that have to be cleared from a yard, the 261/462 combo is my favorite.

That said, my ported 360 also screams, and I have 2 Hybrids and a 460, several 066/660 (OEM + Asian), and a ported 661.

There is also an early model MS880 with a fried top end in my shed that may become mine. Has a 41" 404 B+C and would be nice for milling.

Curious why you like a 0.404 (Is that what you mean?) B&C for milling instead of, for example, a 0.050?

 

[Jere39]

How do the Amish stack the logs?

Here in PA, the Amish are not opposed to engines, they often run engines to cool their milk houses, run the baler/knotter on harvest equipment, saw mills, wood working shops. Their aversion is a connection (via wire for electric or phones, but cell phones are ok), and by some extension I don't understand, rubber tires. So, here, where they run many of the logging operations, they are typically running tracked equipment, dozers, skidders, skid steers, even fellers and the grapple in the picture below. They of course do not drive log trucks, nor the flatbeds used to move their equipment from site to site.