Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[mainewoods]

Speaking of that ATV ,Mike-------

 

[Wayne68]

Thanks. Toys definately make wood cutting more enjoyable. Havent got an atv yet, but im sure they would be handy in the bush

 

[Axfarmer]

I bought my atv to maintain the trails on my property but it has turned into must have firewood hauler. The wood lot I pull from has rough terrain that's hard to get around with a truck/trailer combo. I've put about 150 miles on it in the wood lot this year.

 

[dancan]

Tools , not toys , tools ......

 

[mainewoods]

My wife used to call them toys. Not any more, she likes being warm and knows the work that goes into it. Sometimes it isn't fun once you get older, but it is definitely worth it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[dancan]

Had the RonCo Log Hauler 1.0 in the middle of the parking lot at the shop today , had 2 people circle it this afternoon , on fella came in , asked for a price to make him one , I told him that stuff is expensive and you can get fancy Chinese ones for about 2k landed .
He wants a price on one made with North American steel

 

[dancan]

Hey Clint , forgot to tell you , I put a low offer on a dodge truck , 4x4 1/2 ton extended cab 99' , they accepted 300$ .

 

[Dalmatian90]

Interstate near me they have been clear cutting the trees back 50' or so on the sides. Feller buncher is going along about a day ahead of the grinder.

Came home that way on Friday about 5pm ... and counted 8 sets of Woodboogas, probably about 12 guys and gals in total, going to town, picking the hardwoods out from among the pines. Vehicles from mini-vans and old S-10s to newer one tons with dump trailers. Warmed the cockles of my heart.

 

[mainewoods]

Heck of a deal Dan, those Rams will haul some serious wood. If anyone deserves mechanization, it's you. You have sure earned it. I had to self medicate just looking at the pics you posted!

 

[dancan]

Clint , it's all therapy and I know I would not have the mobility or the stamina that I have now without the fact of being broke and the need to be warm .
After being sidelined for almost 2 years I can tell you now that an 0h26 was a heavy saw after a very short period of time when I first got back to cutting . Lots of "medicates" were consumed before , during and after taking some or all of them pics of the utv , more so then than now but I still struggle .
I think that if I'd have started with a truck it might have been harder on me because the ability to fill the box would have been overwhelming at the beginning . Even though I could have quit before full , I wouldn't have been happy with myself . With the utv it was a finite and easily attained volume to fill and process . Sharing some of the utv abuse pics with you guys helped keep the wheels on my squirrel cage most of the time LOL
Just remember , you'll never be able to prove that I anything to do with any of the pics
Scrounge on gentleman !

 

[MustangMike]

Speaking of that ATV ,Mike-------

Rode it Sunday up at my property for the first time and loved it. Will haul me and another full sized male adult up the steepest hill with ease. Even hauled a small trailer of Ash firewood a short distance just to try it out. It will make life up there much easier!

 

[mainewoods]

Sure like to see a pic or 2. I'm trying to convince myself I need one. They are compact and very handy to get into tight places. My goal is to haul out tree length to a landing site where it's easier to process. It's surprising what those ATV's will haul. I'm tired of cutting and loading 4' in the woods. Tree length is so much easier on the body. The only time the wood gets handled is when you pick up the round and set it on the splitter, or roll it on if you have a vertical set up.

 

[NSMaple1]

I use an ATV. Put one pic of it up a few months back - no idea how many pages back that would be. Also have a second hand homemade wood trailer not quite as fancy as Dans but about the same setup. Doing a couple little mods to it now to make it more useful.

I will be starting to tackle the monster on Saturday, I hope. Will also try to remember to take some pics of it & the setup.

EDIT: Post 833, page 44.

Holy mutating thread Batman - that was a lot of posts & pages ago.

Can't believe how that first pic looked then vs. what it looks like there now. I should go back there again and take an after pic for comparison...

 

[mainewoods]

Just finished splitting these two rows by hand. Getting tired of that too! Time for more mechanization!!

 

[NSMaple1]

Sure like to see a pic or 2. I'm trying to convince myself I need one. They are compact and very handy to get into tight places. My goal is to haul out tree length to a landing site where it's easier to process. It's surprising what those ATV's will haul. I'm tired of cutting and loading 4' in the woods. Tree length is so much easier on the body. The only time the wood gets handled is when you pick up the round and set it on the splitter, or roll it on if you have a vertical set up.

When I use mine, anything that I can caber up onto a trailer in 8-10' lengths without getting into hernia territory I do that to. Then tow the load to my site and cut it to length right on the trailer like a sawbuck. Huge time saver. Anything bigger I tow the splitter right beside where the tree landed & toss to the trailer right off the splitter, then stack from trailer right to pallets. Don't touch again until putting in the fire. More time saved. Really helps being able to wiggle splitter & trailer right into where the trees fall. Also helps I can hop on the ATV in my dooryard & only drive a few minutes to where the trees are.

 

[MustangMike]

Nice load of wood there Clint, and you got a nice workout also, no need to join the health spa!!!!!

 

[Philbert]

So for you knuckledraggers, er, I mean log draggers, do you find a lot more sand and dirt in your logs when you drag them out and cut them at the landing, versus bucking them to length in the woods?

Harder on the chains?

Philbert

 

[mainewoods]

You do tend get more dirt on the wood skidding out tree length, but it only takes a few minutes with a stiff broom to get rid of most of it. I figure the small amount of time spent cleaning the wood and touching up the chain, more than offset the time and effort spent handling the wood 2 extra times, loading and unloading in the woods. But I am 4 years ahead in firewood, so I am not in a big rush. Another of the advantages from being ahead in your firewood. Of course, being semi- retired doesn't hurt either!

 

[Zeus103363]

went this morning and cut a load of red oak. Doesn't take many of these 24" rounds to fill up my truck bed! I took my splitter with me to make loading easier. Gonna try to go back in the morning. I took my dads saw privileges away, he still likes to be in charge, and I don't mind at all as long as we can still enjoy the day cutting firewood together. He will be 80 this December.

Thanks

 

[DFK]

Zeus:
Is that a logging site??
Looks like a great place to cut some firewood.
Does your Dad still swing a maul??

Got 40 acres being logged off 4 miles from the house.
Going over there Saturday and take a look see.

David