Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Khntr85]

What Well guys I had this huge red oak piece, and some other logs that were big and I needed to cut up.... I gladly put the 25" bar on the ms461 and headed out.... I tell ya every time I use this saw it makes me happy, it cuts hardwood with the 25" buried, really well...

 

[Hoosk]

My time out at the lady farmer's place has been a bit limited, partly due to rubbish weather, partly due to family commitments. And work I suppose. The fallen peppermint that I had mostly cut up needed splitting. When I was last there I split a few bits and put them out where they were easily visible so I could see where I was to find it as the log was hidden from view by blackberries when driving up . A wombat had dug a thoroughfare under the log previously and I found his home at the end of the log.
And then it got dark. Beer o'clock!

Our local equivalent; raccoons like to use tipped trees (or any other raised wood) for their bathroom, but it is awesome seeing, hearing your stories from "the other side. Not sure why, but wombat poo on a peppermint just made me smile, thanks!

 

[Toy4xchris]

"Honey, I just HAVE to go out and clear up some of that rubbish with my new chainsaw. See you in three weeks

I told her the second she fell in love with the house and said she had to have it that I would be using that wood stove insert and I'd need a new chain saw to work the property and feed the stove lol.

sent from my electronic leash

 

[svk]

So, do you think you need both now that you have used both? When would you use the 241 that you couldn't use the 550? Does it feel that much lighter?

Heh. Need is a relative term.

You can tell the 241 is lighter and slightly smaller running them back to back.

Either of them could do a great job as the "small saw" in a stable and with porting the 550 pulls like a good 60 cc saw so it really could be the perfect one saw plan for someone who doesn't encounter wood over 24".

For walking trail maintenance (my loop is about 2.5 miles) I'll probably use the 241 more as the pound of weight savings is noticeable. And I'll most likely run the new 14" bar on it most of the time.

 

[Marine5068]

Rain and drizzle here all day but at 40/50F or 4/10C a fire is still needed to keep the chill and dampness out .
I did go to the sellin woodpile and scrounged up the shorts and trim .

They don't stack well so I store them in garbage cans .
Drill holes in the bottoms if you don't have lids , don't ask how I know lol

Same temps and dampness here. Had the wood stove going for days now. Since the snowstorm last Thursday.

 

[Hoosk]

Long term endurance test continues on the drive belt as we scrounge up load after load of dead ash before it rots on the ground.

 

[dancan]

Kinda like yesterday today 43/48F or 6/9C with on and off drizzle
Uglies , shorts and stubs in the furnace to keep the chill and dampness out , the draft is closed so a little bit of wood lasts a long time and my winters woodpile is untouched
One of the rules of scrounging is when the fella that lets you cut on his property tells you where there's a leaner and broken tree , you thank him and go get it .

It made for a small load of black spruce and a maple

I've seen a few fresh loads of logs lately and heard chainsaws running today , I wonder if it was for this years wood or next ...

 

[Haywire]

Kinda like yesterday today 43/48F or 6/9C with on and off drizzle
Uglies , shorts and stubs in the furnace to keep the chill and dampness out , the draft is closed so a little bit of wood lasts a long time and my winters woodpile is untouched

Yeah, I've been heating the house for about a month now on daily snag scrounges. Haven't had to raid the wood stacks yet either.

 

[benp]

Kinda like yesterday today 43/48F or 6/9C with on and off drizzle
Uglies , shorts and stubs in the furnace to keep the chill and dampness out , the draft is closed so a little bit of wood lasts a long time and my winters woodpile is untouched
One of the rules of scrounging is when the fella that lets you cut on his property tells you where there's a leaner and broken tree , you thank him and go get it .

It made for a small load of black spruce and a maple

I've seen a few fresh loads of logs lately and heard chainsaws running today , I wonder if it was for this years wood or next ...

LOL - I always wonder that too.....

And if the chain has been sharpened recently due to the way the saw sounds as it is just dogging in the cut.

 

[cantoo]

I spent a couple hours in the bush today dragging tree length to the landing. There was about 5 or 6 logs in this pile when I started. They are combining the corn today so I should be able to start hauling out soon. Hopefully they won't plow it right away like last year. It's over 3 times as far to haul if I have to go around in the bush verses across the field. Good news was that the left side arm held out, the right side not so good. Damn hidden stump this time. Once the corn is off I will be able to pull straight out into the field instead of dragging thru the bush on curvy trails and catching crap.

 

[PSUplowboy]

I spent a couple hours in the bush today dragging tree length to the landing. There was about 5 or 6 logs in this pile when I started. They are combining the corn today so I should be able to start hauling out soon. Hopefully they won't plow it right away like last year. It's over 3 times as far to haul if I have to go around in the bush verses across the field. Good news was that the left side arm held out, the right side not so good. Damn hidden stump this time. Once the corn is off I will be able to pull straight out into the field instead of dragging thru the bush on curvy trails and catching crap.
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I wonder if you could make a sled to drop the front of your logs on and then pull them out by the drawbar.

 

[dancan]

Cantoo , how are they getting hooked ?
Doesn't the grapple have 1 end of the log up ?

Mighty Mouse Logging LLC

 

[cantoo]

PSUplowboy, I have several attachments for pulling logs but I made this one so that I don't have to get off the tractor to hook up a chain. If I didn't break stuff then I wouldn't bother making it better.
dancan, my problem is I'm asking too much of a 35 hp tractor. The breaks/ bends are from pulling sideways and putting too much stress on the side arms. This time I was pulling a bigger log about 23" dia and about 30' long. the log was sideways to the trail and I had pulled it ahead abit and uncoupled then repositioned the tractor several times to get the log straight with the trail so I could pull it. I had the log straight and only had 1 bend in the trail to go around then straight run to the landing. Didn't see the stump in the brush and when I turned the end caught the stump and wouldn't allow it to whip straight. On a smaller log it would have either bent around the corner or just snapped the end off the log like a barber chair but this big one was too strong. It only takes a half second for crap to happen. Mostly just me being lazy.

 

[PSUplowboy]

PSUplowboy, I have several attachments for pulling logs but I made this one so that I don't have to get off the tractor to hook up a chain. If I didn't break stuff then I wouldn't bother making it better.
dancan, my problem is I'm asking too much of a 35 hp tractor. The breaks/ bends are from pulling sideways and putting too much stress on the side arms. This time I was pulling a bigger log about 23" dia and about 30' long. the log was sideways to the trail and I had pulled it ahead abit and uncoupled then repositioned the tractor several times to get the log straight with the trail so I could pull it. I had the log straight and only had 1 bend in the trail to go around then straight run to the landing. Didn't see the stump in the brush and when I turned the end caught the stump and wouldn't allow it to whip straight. On a smaller log it would have either bent around the corner or just snapped the end off the log like a barber chair but this big one was too strong. It only takes a half second for crap to happen. Mostly just me being lazy.
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Nothing negative meant- just wondering. I'm sure it's nice to not get out of the seat - I gotta climb to get on my tractor. Sometimes I break something before I fix it, but with age I'm learning my time is better spent making something better before it breaks. Your grapple swivels right? Is the end of the log catching your tractor when you turn? Ever think of a 3pt caddy? Looks like you can turn fairly sharp. I cut on a small woodlot sometimes and it's hard to get a wagon everywhere. I've drug trees out but try to avoid that as much as possible as it seems to take longer all together for me. The 3pt grapple interests me, but it's so steep around me that a winch should probably come first.

 

[cantoo]

PSUplowboy, I'm cutting in a fairly tight bush well at least the trails are tight. I don't own the bush and can only remove ash and poplar so I can't make the trails as straight as I would like. The ends of the logs are catching other trees as I make the bends, small logs bend, big ones break stuff. I usually cut the big stuff to 24' long before I drag but been getting lazy. I've got neck, back and knee issues so getting on and off the tractor less is my goal. This winter I will likely make another rear grapple but with a real short pole on it to stop the leverage issue. It's nice having the long pole so I can reach over stumps but it isn't really needed especially as I cut more and more trees and have more room to move around.

 

[PSUplowboy]

PSUplowboy, I'm cutting in a fairly tight bush well at least the trails are tight. I don't own the bush and can only remove ash and poplar so I can't make the trails as straight as I would like. The ends of the logs are catching other trees as I make the bends, small logs bend, big ones break stuff. I usually cut the big stuff to 24' long before I drag but been getting lazy. I've got neck, back and knee issues so getting on and off the tractor less is my goal. This winter I will likely make another rear grapple but with a real short pole on it to stop the leverage issue. It's nice having the long pole so I can reach over stumps but it isn't really needed especially as I cut more and more trees and have more room to move around.

It'd be neat to make one like an extendahoe- extend it to grab and pull it in close to reduce leverage.

 

[benp]

Holy cow. What a weekend.

After tonight hell has frozen over.

Neighbor texted me to come out to the shop.

I walk out to find this.



Absolutely awesome!!!!!!!

Needs a rewind. Rascal is mint. Can't wait to use it!!!

I told the neighbor "you know I'm going to lose street cred right?"

He said yeah.....I thought about that.

Well just use it for splitting the mass cuttings at the pile. [emoji2]

You can still fiskars up the scrounging.

Fair enough

 

[jr27236]

Are you telling us he gave that to you!!!

 

[benp]

I'm his gardener/watchdog.

He's my best friend and my land lord. He also lives 10ft away.

Land lord in this situation to me doesn't fit so I say neighbor.

I take care of the firewood too.

For whatever reason this came home bumping along behind the dually tonight.

I don't ask.

 

[jr27236]

What is that a 22, 25 ton?