How many times do you touch each piece of wood?

[artbaldoni]

Let's see...

Working in the field.
1. Load trailer with skid loader. Logs and/or rounds. No touch or minimal touch.
2. Back trailer to splitter. Right next to stack and OWB. Cut to length and noodle on trailer.
3. Roll on trailer to splitter located between trailer and stack. No lifting.
4. Lift round to splitter. Split.
5. Stack right off splitter.
6. Load into OWB.
View attachment 269378

Working at the log yard at home.
1. Skid logs to landing.
2. Buck logs.
3. Lift rounds to splitter with skid loader. Use bucket as table. Split.
4. Load splits directly from splitter to trailer.
5. Back trailer to stack. Unload to stack.
6. Feed the beast.
View attachment 269379

In both cases I have a helper.
I have no idea how many "touches" that equals but it ain't many lifts! Back surgery in 2003 and knee surgery in 2005 have forced me to adopt a "WSNH" attitude. :msp_thumbsup:

 

[howellhandmade]

Guess I'm at about 7 steps too, unless the tree happens to be in my yard. But I burn 4-5 cords a year in indoor stoves, I enjoy the work, and I only have room for 3 years worth stacked in my back yard, so typically I'm at capacity split and stacked long before I'm sick of handling firewood.

 

[sgt7546]

I'm not to concerned on the times I touch the wood, it's the constant bending down that I try to eliminate. Now I back my truck right up to the splitter and split off the truck. I've built a large table on the opposite side of the splitter, when I say large, I mean almost 4x8 foot. As i split, i slide the splits over to the table. Before I start I send kid #1 up in the truck to move rounds towards the tail gate making a space up toward the cab. Once my table is full I toss those splits towards the cab end of the bed. When rounds are all split and truck is full of splits I drive the truck to the stacking area. Here its an all call, me, wife and kid #1 and kid #2. We make an assembly line which makes stacking go quick. My method doesn't really decrease touching the wood, but I love not bending over, well at least my knees do.

 

[bert0168]

I'm not to concerned on the times I touch the wood, it's the constant bending down that I try to eliminate.

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[sgt7546]

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

Haha, well I knew what i meant.

 

[bert0168]

Haha, well I knew what i meant.

Oh, I know that.

I just can't believe nobody has picked up on OP's title and let it slide this long. :hell_boy:

 

[sam-tip]

I am touching the wood twice or sometime once.

But I use allot of equipment to do this. Mostly

1 stack
2 toss into boiler

Use a Bobcat toolcat to load logs into dump trailer. Dump. Then hold up the logs to cut with toolcat. Split with upside down splitter on Bobcat A300. 1. Stack on special pallets for firewood. Move pallet with pallet forks on Bobcat. 2. Then toss into boiler.


Sometimes

1. toss into boiler


When I only touch it once I use a mini track loader to scoop split pieces onto a plastic pallet with fence wire zip tied on top of the pallet. Then move with pallet forks and when ready to burn I dump it next to boiler.

I only deal with logs from 24" to 50" ID.

 

[sgt7546]

I am touching the wood twice or sometime once.

But I use allot of equipment to do this. Mostly

1 stack
2 toss into boiler

Use a Bobcat toolcat to load logs into dump trailer. Dump. Then hold up the logs to cut with toolcat. Split with upside down splitter on Bobcat A300. 1. Stack on special pallets for firewood. Move pallet with pallet forks on Bobcat. 2. Then toss into boiler.


Sometimes

1. toss into boiler


When I only touch it once I use a mini track loader to scoop split pieces onto a plastic pallet with fence wire zip tied on top of the pallet. Then move with pallet forks and when ready to burn I dump it next to boiler.

I only deal with logs from 24" to 50" ID.

Now that is how you do business.

 

[Steve NW WI]

I am touching the wood twice or sometime once.

But I use allot of equipment to do this. Mostly

1 stack
2 toss into boiler

Use a Bobcat toolcat to load logs into dump trailer. Dump. Then hold up the logs to cut with toolcat. Split with upside down splitter on Bobcat A300. 1. Stack on special pallets for firewood. Move pallet with pallet forks on Bobcat. 2. Then toss into boiler.


Sometimes

1. toss into boiler


When I only touch it once I use a mini track loader to scoop split pieces onto a plastic pallet with fence wire zip tied on top of the pallet. Then move with pallet forks and when ready to burn I dump it next to boiler.

I only deal with logs from 24" to 50" ID.

You, my friend, need a top load boiler so you can eliminate 1.:msp_biggrin:


Sometimes I think I handle mine too much, like most of you half a dozen times or so, but really I enjoy most of it. Don't worry, I've already been told I'm nuts. I'm OK with that.

 

[zogger]

oh man, a bunch, similar to you. I stack rounds before splitting, not just dump them (the big ones anyway).

I really dont mind the handling that much, thats my workout.

I dont mind any of it, like it all. Cutting, loading, unloading, stacking, unstacking, splitting, restacking splits, then into wheelbarrow and into the house, stacked there behind stove, then into stove. Sometimes I rotate the stuff stacked behind the stove so both ends get that last day of drying. We keep 2 to 3 days inside all the time.

About the only way to not handle it much would be like wood chips, do most everything with machinery, but man, expensive way to heat your house!

If you sell all saw logs and only keep small rounds from the branches and tops, and season for a few years so they really do get dry, you could eliminate some steps. Cut, load into trailer or dump trailer or truck, right into the seasoning stack. Whatever might work for your heater, one inch to whatever, ten inches or even twelve. Just completely eliminate splitting. You can milk a ton from big trees in that size. Anything too large left over, that isnt the saw log, that you have to touch, but still needs splitting, sell it right from the woods green, as is, just dump it at the customers.

Short of getting all the big gear, a harvester, knuckleboom loader, processor, etc, its hard to eliminate steps. the just not splitting is the easiest if all you have is a chainsaw and truck/trailer. If you are cutting loggers left over tops, there ya go, dont need any big loader or big truck to deal with the saw logs. Then you handle wood the least amount of times, and nothing is ever heavy. Its taking the big stuff that adds a lot to the handling the pieces multiple times deal. Also increases the work and expense of the gear needed.

 

[Mac88]

Oh, I know that.

I just can't believe nobody has picked up on OP's title and let it slide this long. :hell_boy:

As long as it's yer own wood you're touching, it's ok.

 

[darkbyrd]

I've held off posting in this thread, but let me tell you how not to do it.

0. Chain log/top, drag uphill with tractor.
1. Load round on trailer
2. offload round
3. throw round toward splitter
3b. Throw it closer.
(Alternatively, roll round to clear area, sledge + wedge into 3-4 pieces, carry to splitter)
4. Lift to splitter
(4b,c,d. Lift again to split again)
5. Throw splits away from splitter into pile
6. Throw splits away from pile to make room for pallet
7. Stack splits, repeat 6 as necessary.
8. Restack splits a week later after stack falls.
9. Restack splits after goat knocks down stack
10. Load dry splits into tractor grapple, dump at house. (Or, wheelbarrow)
11. Stack dry splits on pallets by door (1-2 wk supply), cover when raining
12. Carry wood inside.
13. Put wood in stove.

 

[redprospector]

If I am lucky...zero! Goes like this:


Call firewood guy.
Pay nephews to stack it.
Sit on sofa and bark at Wife...."I'm getting cold here...why don't you go out in the cold and get me, I mean us, some more wood and keep that dang stove stoked...will ya!"

:hmm3grin2orange:

Life is good!



PS-I sure am glad she doesn't read these!:msp_scared:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oOCC1EKXRBc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My theme song.

Andy

 

[stihl023/5]

I am at 4 to 5 times.:msp_sad:

 

[leo58]

Cut 8' or 10' log lengths. Load with forks onto trailer. Unload with forks unto stripped down truck chassis. Cut into 2' lengths near log lift on splitter. From the splitter stack onto trailer. Stack in building for drying.View attachment 269437View attachment 269438View attachment 269439View attachment 269440View attachment 269441

 

[stihl023/5]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oOCC1EKXRBc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My theme song.

Andy

If I did that I would get less than I do now.:msp_w00t:

 

[redprospector]

If I did that I would get less than I do now.:msp_w00t:

You braggin' or complainin'?

Andy

 

[stihl023/5]

You braggin' or complainin'?

Andy

Both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!opcorn:

 

[redprospector]

Just think...If you had one of these, and a top load boiler you could eliminate all the steps.

Andy

 

[Mac88]

Just think...If you had one of these, and a top load boiler you could eliminate all the steps.

Andy

But I don't and probably never will. I rather enjoy watching the fire burning in my wood stove, even if it IS located in the kitchen. ;o)