Alright.. Fess up.. Who's NOT ready?

[AIM]

After raining EVERY day for the last 7 days straight there is no getting in the woods this weekend.:msp_mad:
Glad I got my start last weekend but it would have been nice to keep it going. Looks like a nice dry spell coming up though. Should be back in business by midweek.

 

[Buckethead]

I think I am in a similar boat with the rest of you. I have about 5 cord of Red Oak split and stacked for two years. Depending on when I start burning it may be just enough to get me through the winter. I would be far more comfortable if I had another cord or two sitting in reserve...just in case.

This year was just lousy for wood splitting...no time...no help....no motivation...at least I have wood coming out my ears. Last year the PTO pump on my splitter seized...got a new one just haven't had time to put it all together. New schedule at work starts on Sunday...hopefully that will free up some time..and motivation.

 

[Lugnutz]

I'm way behind too. Cut my first load yesterday. I don't use much wood, but one truck load is not near enough. My new job keeps me pretty busy so I took vacation this weekend so I could cut. Day 1, helped friend move LOL no wood cuttin. Day 2 cut wood, found out clutch is slippin on the way home. 3 days left and not sure how hard I want to push the old girl with it slippin. maybe I'll make multiple light loads? I see propane bill in my future..grr.

 

[J1m]

... I was talking to guy about his OWB boiler just yesterday, he told me the worst part was he can't leave home for the weekend in the winter because if the fire goes out the water will freeze and bust crap... WTF! I didn't know that, I thought they used some sort of anti-freeze (maybe some do?). I suppose it's all in what you like... me, personally, I wouldn't like an OWB...

Your guy doesn't have his system set up right, then. I have mine plumbed through my oil furnace with an aquastat. Once the temperature in the system gets below 140*, the aquastat will trip the motor and electricity to the OWB and the oil furnace will kick on inside. The disadvantage is that you're now heating all the water in the OWB with the oil furnace, but in the event of an emergency, I don't have to worry about shutting everything down or conning someone in to coming over to my house to fill the OWB. BTW, I have no anti-freeze in my system whatsoever. No need for it when it's set up this way.

 

[wendell]

I'm not quite ready. I still need about a half cord to complete my 2014/15 stack. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Photog95]

I usually try to get started at the beginning of September. Today will be my first day out. I haven't cut anything that is firewood worthy this year. Only thing I have this year is a couple small loads of green pine that my nephew brought out to me this summer from a tree he had removed from his yard. Life has just gotten in the way this year. The kids are all in sports so it has been running constantly. Now my oldest got her lic. the other day and seems to think she is going to run all the time instead of helping with the wood cutting.

I should be out there right now but it has rained all week and we had a heavy frost last night so I am waiting for the sun to burn off the wet a little so I can get in the woods without upsetting the land owner. I will be happy if I can just get a load or two on the ground today. I can always haul it back in the evenings during the week. Then I need to get my splitter running. I think the carb got all gunked up cause it will run as long as I keep pushing the primer.

 

[moose5180]

I am actually set this year. More than i need for once.
Usually i am down to the last minute and did not cut enough.
I got all i needed in two days, then bought a new saw and had to go try it out, so got another trailer full.
I guess i won't have to cut as much next year.

 

[Chris-PA]

I'm not even close, this is the worst year ever in that regard. I know some parts of the country are very dry, but eastern Pennsylvania is turning into a rain forest. It rained so many weekends this year, I have not been able to get anything done. It was supposed to rain today too, but we've lucked out so far - I'm taking a quick lunch break and resting my back a minute or two, but it's back up to the treeline now to swing the axe through more white oak.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I feel bad for you guys that only burn 3-6 cords...don't get to have near as much fun cutting as those of us who burn 10-12 w/ an OWB. I'm set for the winter everything split and cut just filling the wood shed.
As for stoking in grungy drawers that wood had to get inside somehow...get a chill then? I like the fact of not carrying wood inside the house anymore. I throw wood in when I leave for work in the morning and when I get home from work in the evening. I'm outside either way twice a day. Sure is nice on the weekend when I turn on the other pump and warm the barn up to 60 so I can work in a sweatshirt. Also rather nice that my home insurance doesn't go up b/c I'm burning wood. Never have to tell one of the daughters that they can't take a half hour shower. We are away for weekends in the winter and haven't froze...lowest temp I've come home to is 120. Stoke her good and full on friday night, away till sunday evening...I do drop the temps in the house to 60 while we are gone. Plus have glycol in my system so even if she goes out no freezing.
Both ways of heating sure beat propane/oil/electric. Each to their own on what they prefer...I'll stick w/ my OWB.

 

[Blazin]

Still not ready....got a whoop ass load of wood pulled out and it has been pourin rain

 

[StephieDoll]

Been lazy here. Should be OK for this year and hoping to do better. Just pulled in 4 or so cords maple plus 4 cords of honeylocust. In addition, working on several oak trees that need to come down at my partner's place (6+ cords). Another 6 or so cords of oak/ locust cut about 3 years ago but no split. Hoping to knock it out this month.
So much to do so hard to come up with excuses to get out of it. *giggle*

 

[wendell]

Been lazy here. Should be OK for this year and hoping to do better. Just pulled in 4 or so cords maple plus 4 cords of honeylocust. In addition, working on several oak trees that need to come down at my partner's place (6+ cords). Another 6 or so cords of oak/ locust cut about 3 years ago but no split. Hoping to knock it out this month.
So much to do so hard to come up with excuses to get out of it. *giggle*

You coming to the Iowa GTG this year? There is somebody from Omaha coming.

 

[MH49]

Behind but optimistic

I burn around 10 cord a year and I am about 1/2 way home. Got another 4 cord pulled out on the ground and once I get that hacked up I will switch to standing dead elm to finish it out. I think I will be ok as long as I can hold off deeper into Oct.

 

[ericjeeper]

I am way behind on wood

this summer was hot and dry. most of my cutting areas are blocked in by crops. Ok but the biggest reason is.. I have been fishing every darned weekend since the ice left. If push comes to shove I will just buy some off of my son. he has about 15 cords cut split and stacked.Must have 5 cords of Locust.

 

[Photog95]

I hit the jackpot on my first day out. I ran across a group of about 20 of these little guys. About 8-10 inches at the base and about 40-50 feet tall. I'm hoping I can find a palce in my basement to keep them dry and save them for late Jan when it is 20 below. I cut down three of them to complete a load and gave up for the day. It has basically been 2 years since I have been able to run a saw and I was pooped.

 

[shelbythedog]

I'm all good for thus year and next. But, there is a guy who's home I pass going to and from work, who burns what I believe is a Woodmaster 4400, he has maybe a cord stacked up. I guess he is the definition of burning green wood, and must be thankful his closest easterly neighbor is 1/4 mile away.

 

[StephieDoll]

You coming to the Iowa GTG this year? There is somebody from Omaha coming.

Hmmm, logging or goofing off...................... That's a hard one.
When is the GTG and where? Guess I need to look for the thread on it. If you have not guessed by now, never even thought about it.

 

[AIM]

I feel bad for you guys that only burn 3-6 cords...don't get to have near as much fun cutting as those of us who burn 10-12 w/ an OWB.
Both ways of heating sure beat propane/oil/electric. Each to their own on what they prefer...I'll stick w/ my OWB.

Like wise bowtech. These OWB beasts are great but the consumption is pretty off the charts.
Thank goodness there are millions of trees just begging to be cut. Now all I need is 8 days in a week.
Actually if I just made a clock the only had 21 hours in a day I could get 8 days in a week.

 

[Whitespider]

I have around 12 cord of oak stacked outside that I felled late last winter, bucked and split this spring. I try not to burn my premium firewood (i.e. oak) until it's really cold outside... like January-February. Probably only burn 2-3 cord of oak a year, so I'm good for 4-6 years on the oak supply (hopefully). Been cutting elm and ash, standing-dead and blow-downs, the last few Saturdays and stacking it in the basement... about two cord so far. Figure another 3-4 cord of that and I'm good-to-go. Should have no problem getting that done by Halloween... worst case by Thanksgiving. Either way, I'll keep cutting until the snow gets deep enough to make the work miserable.

Sometime around late winter I'll fall a couple more of the big oaks for early spring work and I've got a huge Sugar Maple I felled last winter that I still ain't got a round to bucking... should get to that sometime in November. I figure that by late spring I should be around 2-3 years ahead. Not bad considering last Halloween I didn't have a single stick of firewood, and spent every Saturday last winter, in all kinds of weather and deep snow cutting to feed the stove.

 

[Locust Cutter]

I have around 12 cord of oak stacked outside that I felled late last winter, bucked and split this spring. I try not to burn my premium firewood (i.e. oak) until it's really cold outside... like January-February. Probably only burn 2-3 cord of oak a year, so I'm good for 4-6 years on the oak supply (hopefully). Been cutting elm and ash, standing-dead and blow-downs, the last few Saturdays and stacking it in the basement... about two cord so far. Figure another 3-4 cord of that and I'm good-to-go. Should have no problem getting that done by Halloween... worst case by Thanksgiving. Either way, I'll keep cutting until the snow gets deep enough to make the work miserable.

Sometime around late winter I'll fall a couple more of the big oaks for early spring work and I've got a huge Sugar Maple I felled last winter that I still ain't got a round to bucking... should get to that sometime in November. I figure that by late spring I should be around 2-3 years ahead. Not bad considering last Halloween I didn't have a single stick of firewood, and spent every Saturday last winter, in all kinds of weather and deep snow cutting to feed the stove.

I've got about 6 cords in, ready to go for me at this point after selling about 2 cords to recoup the investments in it all. I have about 7 cords of bucked Blackjack Oak blow downs at a friends ranch from this Spring that got left due to heat and beans being planting in the surrounding field blocking off all access, so that will be part of next year's wood. :bang: I was gone all winter when I should have been cutting due to Gov't obligations.... I do have access to about 7-12 cords of down/dry Hedge/Locust/Hackberry/Oak however, in my emergency "savings acct", easily accessible should I need it this season though...