gwiley
Addicted to ArboristSite
Equipment
I hate the cliche "work smarter not harder", but in firewood harvesting it really shines. Put as much as you can into good equipment and you will benefit from more time and energy to harvest more wood.
Tractor/loader: if there is any way to finagle this, do it. Even a 20 year old skid steer is a HUGE help. My skid steer has multiplied my efficiency more than I can measure.
Heavy truck: Remember, time spent driving to/from a cutting site is lost. The more wood you can carry per trip the less time per cord you spend.
Heavy Trailer: see above
Spare gear: always carry spares for critical gear - time spent going to get a spare is lost. Spare throwline, spare chainsaw, spare wedges, spare bar nuts, spare chains, spare bar.
Check your gear before travelling to a cutting site: the time to discover a bum saw is at your garage, not after a 30 minute drive to a site. Start it up, rev it, does it sound right? What about fuel - do you have as much as you thought you did?
Maintenance: Take the time to perform maintenance BEFORE you need to. Use a rainy day or down time to change filters, grease fittings, check wear on critical parts. Don't forget trailers, hitches, tires.
Tools: carry tools sufficient to do hard things. I always carry a floor jack, a 4 ton come along and a simple set of mechanics tools. If something gets stuck, wedged or broken at the site you don't want to drive back to the garage (maybe you can't).
Every time you handle wood make an effort to put it as close to the final spot as possible. Make a conscious decision to design your wood staging, splitting and storage to minimize touches to each piece.
Keep everything large until the last possible minute. Don't buck a 14' log until you have to - preferably when it is laying right next to the place you will stack the splits. Don't split rounds unless they are right next to where they will be staked to season. If you use a mechanized splitter make sure it is mobile (attached to loader, lawn tractor, etc.).
Make an effort to find a cutting buddy, an extra set of hands can be priceless when you need them.
I hate the cliche "work smarter not harder", but in firewood harvesting it really shines. Put as much as you can into good equipment and you will benefit from more time and energy to harvest more wood.
Tractor/loader: if there is any way to finagle this, do it. Even a 20 year old skid steer is a HUGE help. My skid steer has multiplied my efficiency more than I can measure.
Heavy truck: Remember, time spent driving to/from a cutting site is lost. The more wood you can carry per trip the less time per cord you spend.
Heavy Trailer: see above
Spare gear: always carry spares for critical gear - time spent going to get a spare is lost. Spare throwline, spare chainsaw, spare wedges, spare bar nuts, spare chains, spare bar.
Check your gear before travelling to a cutting site: the time to discover a bum saw is at your garage, not after a 30 minute drive to a site. Start it up, rev it, does it sound right? What about fuel - do you have as much as you thought you did?
Maintenance: Take the time to perform maintenance BEFORE you need to. Use a rainy day or down time to change filters, grease fittings, check wear on critical parts. Don't forget trailers, hitches, tires.
Tools: carry tools sufficient to do hard things. I always carry a floor jack, a 4 ton come along and a simple set of mechanics tools. If something gets stuck, wedged or broken at the site you don't want to drive back to the garage (maybe you can't).
Every time you handle wood make an effort to put it as close to the final spot as possible. Make a conscious decision to design your wood staging, splitting and storage to minimize touches to each piece.
Keep everything large until the last possible minute. Don't buck a 14' log until you have to - preferably when it is laying right next to the place you will stack the splits. Don't split rounds unless they are right next to where they will be staked to season. If you use a mechanized splitter make sure it is mobile (attached to loader, lawn tractor, etc.).
Make an effort to find a cutting buddy, an extra set of hands can be priceless when you need them.