Two of my firewood buddies, one that lives down the alley and my friend from the local stoveshop, seem to be losing that "spark" to get and harvest wood. The guy down the alley usually has more wood or about the same amount as me on hand, but this year has virtually nothing. I asked him last weekend "aren't you burning this Winter?' and he said "the deal with that guy with 30 acres of wood fell through-I guess I'll have to buy wood :jawdrop:. I hooked him up with someone that will let him cut and haul basically for free. He used to be such a go-getter, so it suprised me that he said that. My buddy at the local stove shop still burns wood but went to using a lot of coal last Winter in his Lange stove. Today we finished clearing the last of free Black Locust that was dropped off at the shop awhile back-I got a good-sized rack filled of it, he gave some away, took some for himself but dumped a lot of the huge gnarly twisted sections off at compost sites. That ain't him...seems like they are losing their spark for scrounging; I know that it's a lot of work, and we've been doing this for awhile and are getting older, but when I reach that point you can start throwin' dirt on me-I'm done. There's not much to beat that feelin' when you're drivin' home with a load of fuelwood in the back of the truck that you just cut up. Oh well....
I think my firewood buddies are loaing their "spark"
- Thread starter PA. Woodsman
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komatsuvarna
Arboristsite MVP
I love scounging up wood. I got bored this evening and scounged up a load in my polaris ranger. Little walnut blow down about 6 inches around. 2 more days of wood.
I think people get lazy...
if you think your buddies lose intrest, you should try getting a highschool kid to help you for $$....nearly impossible...
"its too much work"
Thats why I almost always work alone now, unless I can get the wife to help....
most of my "buddies" wives have them "busy" when I ask them if they wanna cut for a couple hours....
if you think your buddies lose intrest, you should try getting a highschool kid to help you for $$....nearly impossible...
"its too much work"
Thats why I almost always work alone now, unless I can get the wife to help....
most of my "buddies" wives have them "busy" when I ask them if they wanna cut for a couple hours....
bluestem
ArboristSite Operative
Komatsuvarna, do you have the 4 x 4 or the 6 x 6 ranger? We have a couple of the 6 x 6 variety at work, its damn near impossible to get them stuck. I'm looking to get one in the not to distant future.
komatsuvarna
Arboristsite MVP
I have a 07 700 4x4. Its almost impossible to get them stuck in 4wd. All 4 wheels pull when you got it in 4wd, were as alot of the other ones dont. I have a buddy that had a kubota(traded for a new 800 ranger) that when in 4wd would only pull 1 front wheel, that about usless, expecially if 1 front wheel is all thats touching the ground.
banshee67
Poulan Wild Thang
i love cutting wood
check back in 20 years and i might have a different answer though
check back in 20 years and i might have a different answer though
I remember 11 years ago my neighbor coming over when I was splitting wood and he said "why don't you switch to coal? Are you gonna feel like doing this **** when you're 50?". Well, I'll be able to answer him this November, and so far the answer is "hell yeah"!!
:greenchainsaw:PA,
Its been unusually warm round these parts this year. Most folks are thinking about the pool and not the woodstove. Only the real wood junkies "burn" wood year round, if only in thier minds. Most of us on this site are clearly effected with some not normal quests for wood. You would think that money grew in that darn woodpile !!!!
Its been unusually warm round these parts this year. Most folks are thinking about the pool and not the woodstove. Only the real wood junkies "burn" wood year round, if only in thier minds. Most of us on this site are clearly effected with some not normal quests for wood. You would think that money grew in that darn woodpile !!!!
tomtrees58
Addicted to ArboristSite
with bugs:jawdrop:
True, but they should've been out there months ago scrounging and harvesting wood so that it's ready for this Fall before it got hot. But yes, swimming, fishing, camping, boating, baseball etc. are their choices right now, but they're gonna be sorry come Fall/Winter. There is time for ALL activities, including harvesting wood, if you juggle things properly. But these guys have shown "signs" of losing interest last year too-the piles got smaller, the one said "he didn't have the time" when he's a single divorced guy with lots of free time, and him switching to "alternating" burning wood with coal was a sign that he was losing interest. I think that it becomes tougher to do as we get older like anything else, but there lies the challenge-just do a little at a time, or only take smaller pieces that are easier to handle. It's like eating an elephant-you can't do it all at once-a little at a time. Heck, I feel it physically too, but have done more wood this season so far than in a long time, and I work full-time and am married and coach youth soccer and have knee and back pain from age, running at soccer and other things-just back off a little when you hurt, rest, take care of your body and you'll make it. I understand why they might be losing interest and that is their choice-it's just kind of sad for me to see it happen to two guys that were so into it before. Perhaps that "spark" will rekindle and they'll be back-I hope so!
Words to live by....
now if we can just get the message out to the rest of the country we might have a chance to actually celebrate this joyous day in the way intended for a few more generations....
Happy 4th to us all
And I thought I was the only one whose neighbors say he is like the ant and they are the grasshopper.
I spent yesterday morning working on the ongoing cleanup of some large ash trees that blew down in the March wind/rainstorms. It was pretty warm out there, but I haven't forgotten that winter will be back sure enough. This cleanup is a big job-- the fallen trees are difficult to access and have to be skidded by tractor out of overgrown brush and poison ivy and then the rounds hauled by front end loader to the splitting area-- but after some half days of cutting and hauling and half days of splitting over the last few months it's getting close to done.
I knew I should have taken some pics.
I will next time.I wonder if my neighbors have lost their motivation due to the relatively cheap price of heating oil right now. Does anyone expect it to stay cheap?? If the price of heating oil goes up next winter, they'll get interested again! It will be a little late then, though. A "seasoned" cord is already a little over $200 delivered around here and the price will certainly go up if the price of oil does.
Oh, and a happy Fourth to everyone in the U.S.!
Polaris are the best ATV out there. Great 4wd system. I love mine and will buy another.
I like cutting alone because I can always find a little time to get in a little fly fishing, but if I need help My best buddy is my wife if I rent a log splitter (I will getting a log splitter of our on next year).
Iska3
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'll be 65 yrs old on Oct. and I enjoy nothing more than being in the woods in the early spring and fall. My wife is my best friend and she's right out there with me loading the trailer or working the splitter. In the past we would carry many of our logs some 50 to 100 ft and more than once she'd have the trailer loaded as I cut. It was her who decided that we pick up the 4 wheeler so it would be easier on me. Now we cut and haul twice as much.
Doing up wood for the winter is nothing more than a mind set.. Some ppl pay good money and go to a gym to get the workout that I get for free. Plus! I heat my home for next to nothing all winter.
Doing up wood for the winter is nothing more than a mind set.. Some ppl pay good money and go to a gym to get the workout that I get for free. Plus! I heat my home for next to nothing all winter.
DHIBBS75
ArboristSite Operative
If I ever get in bad enough shape that I cant go to the woods and cut a load of fire wood, the next best place is to go to the sawmill and get a load of tie ends butts, they generally throw them away or will load a 16 ft trailer for $20 or a grain trk for 50, semi 100. My stove is big enough none would have to be split.
If I can help it I will Always burn wood....
One thing that helps is my neighbor burns also so we both go and work together overload the trailer most of the time....:hmm3grin2orange:
If I can help it I will Always burn wood....
One thing that helps is my neighbor burns also so we both go and work together overload the trailer most of the time....:hmm3grin2orange:
+1 John
coyotencuttin
ArboristSite Member
i cut when the opportunity arises. my job has an expansion at one of their convenience store locations. there are tree that need removed and the owner wanted it pushed into a pit to burn. the construction super. said about firewood cutting(they got into dutch with the county because of previous burn) and chipping the rest. i worked from 8 am till past 3 pm by myself saturday.
going back monday for more. suppose to be in the 90's too.
but its free and it has to go.somewhere
i dropped it in my in-laws driveway and just about to hook backup to my buddies dump trailer(thats on my get list #1.dump trailer) their neighbor asked if i sell wood
. too bad he didn't ask my 20 minutes sooner, i't would have been in his driveway. but he might be my first paying customer later.
but its free and it has to go.somewherei dropped it in my in-laws driveway and just about to hook backup to my buddies dump trailer(thats on my get list #1.dump trailer) their neighbor asked if i sell wood
. too bad he didn't ask my 20 minutes sooner, i't would have been in his driveway. but he might be my first paying customer later.
amateur cutter
ArboristSite Operative
I remember 11 years ago my neighbor coming over when I was splitting wood and he said "why don't you switch to coal? Are you gonna feel like doing this **** when you're 50?". Well, I'll be able to answer him this November, and so far the answer is "hell yeah"!! Posted by PA Woodsman
Yep. What He said. Rep for ya. A C
Yep. What He said. Rep for ya. A C
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avalancher
Arboristsite Raconteur
I guess this is one of the reasons I prefer to cut alone.There have been way to many guys that get the fever or get jealous of my free heat in the winter and jump into it with both feet.They go out and buy the biggest saw they can find and all the trimmings,cut for a season or two then give it up.I call them up and mention I found a good spot of wood and the answer is always the same.Too much work.
Then there are the guys who show up and complain about the heat,bugs,brush, and ninety seven other things and I begin to wish they had stayed home.Generally these are the guys that cut less than half of what they need and then call you up in December and want to know if you have any extra for them. "Ill pay you back the next time we go cut."Yeah, right.
I guess it is either in your blood or its not.Aint no making a wood cutter out of some folks. They just aint got the iron in em.
Then there are the guys who show up and complain about the heat,bugs,brush, and ninety seven other things and I begin to wish they had stayed home.Generally these are the guys that cut less than half of what they need and then call you up in December and want to know if you have any extra for them. "Ill pay you back the next time we go cut."Yeah, right.
I guess it is either in your blood or its not.Aint no making a wood cutter out of some folks. They just aint got the iron in em.
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