Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I spotted a lawn tractor. He just bought a new Husqvarna one because this one wasn't running right. He told me to take it with me... so I did...Been working on it today, stopping when it would rain for a bit. The mower deck was pretty messed up, but that's alright. I want this for hauling firewood around, moving trailers, etc. at the shop. Took all of the mower deck related crap off of it. It's a Sears Crapsman LT-2500 with a 22HP Kohler engine. Changed the oil, oil filter, air filter and spark plug. More than an hour with a power washer getting it clean. Drained the stale gas out of it, squirted a little carb cleaner through the carburator. Runs like a champ. Greased everything that looked like it would be better off with grease. I think this stuff counts as a scrounge. In either case, I got me a firewood tractor... for FREE!

> I got me a firewood tractor... for FREE! I want this for hauling firewood around,

good idea! free always works well! here is my firewood tractor... urban based... I got it for free, also. 12-hp. cast off to the side of the curb one Sunday morning. I knew the tractor's history, it was on my property 10 mins later. 8 hours work and some cleaning... and it fired right up. it is my firewood tow tug!; a prime mover. I also added an On/OFF switch to the new fuel line. runs like a top. I will add back the mower deck, painted yellow along with some other items to be yellow. I repaired a spindle on one blade system restoring centers and location. I will keep the mower deck in ops condition, but will not mow with it again. I did mow one section of my lawn, just for the heck of it.

I also had it go to hard to start, intermittent start and no start, ie cranking. after much reseach, etc... narrowed it down to starter solenoid. my dealer had a new one in stock for $25.00, but I wanted to see if I could fix it since continuity testing showed broken wire inside. drilling out the rivits I found one of the zillion thin winds threaded wires broken. I wondered if I could resolder it. ??? on third try I got it to make a good solid connection. not pretty, but reconnected and continuity restored. but case rivits drilled out. what to do??... so used model airplane engine bolts... an 'sewed 'er right up!'... reinstalled and this time when hit starter cranked solid, firing right up.

here is a pix of my free firewood (tractor) tow tug ... I use in my urban based logging operations... towing in the timber.

my free firewood (tractor) tow tug

 

[hardpan]

My psychologist sister in law came over today. She looked out the window and said "Holy sh@t that's a lot of wood! Your getting a little obsessive compulsive." I'm just glad she didn't see me out there earlier. Make a few cuts, swap saws and cut some more. Compare saws, adjust one. Set saw on a round and take a picture. Move tractor and adjust saws and wood for better picture. Look over my shoulder to see if the neighbor is watching my nutso episode. Cut some more.....
I'm just glad I found you guys who understand my affliction. I am not alone!

Tell her, "It is a hobby, hobbies are healthy, look it up, and oh, then I heat my home with it. Analyze the down side of that." LOL

 

[hardpan]

No wood scrounging today but I sure moved a pile of scrounged wood .
I started moving next winter's wood in the woodshed so I could make some room for this new wet wood I've been dragging home , I also made some more pallet racks so I should be able to stack about 6 cord of scrounged hardwood
Yesterday was a good day , Jerry and I got all the wood moved off of the landing , one load hauled home

That load was mainly dead standing birch , heavy enough that we had to unload some rounds by hand before it would dump LOL

We hauled this load to the pit .

After lunch we went and got the last of it , since there was room on the trailer we figured we'd grab a few roadside dead standing on the way to the pit and make up the load .
There was some stuff in there .

And in there

Our wood dump is starting to pile up

I even came home with some ready to burn dead standing spruce .

From the temps forecast for this week , looks like I'll be running the circular saw and burning this load LOL
BTW , while the van served me well , the dump trailer might just be a tad nicer

Your photos and accompanying story are always outstanding but one thing is constant. Every time I see the tongs and pulp hook are present. May I guess those to be your favorite tools, a never - leave - home - without category? I have both and I think identical to yours except my pulp hook points are not removable. I don't use them much. It is an apparent over site and I shall re-evaluate and do better in the future. Moving that much wood you can't be wrong. LOL

 

[dancan]

Hardpan , they're just hand extensions LOL
After the years them boat anchor IR231's I use any tool that is easy on the wrist .
I can move more and bigger wood faster with the grapple in my left and the pulp hook on the right , the pulp hook is great for unloading rounds or smaller logs off the back of a truck .
I know a guy that won't run his splitter without his , I won't run one without them either .
It's a tool that works for me .

 

[chipper1]

Got a couple more early week loads in. Picked up from a tree service I talked to a while back, gotta network, so I have to do "leswork" lol. It's all cherry, black walnut, one piece of maple, and one piece of red oak. Got the second load about half way bucked and a third split.
I had to pull the first load off real quick with the skidder so I could go get the second.
So I have a bunch of logs all over the ground at the house right now. At least they are all within 50 ft of my wood pile.
First load.
Second load.

 

[hardpan]

Hardpan , they're just hand extensions LOL
After the years them boat anchor IR231's I use any tool that is easy on the wrist .
I can move more and bigger wood faster with the grapple in my left and the pulp hook on the right , the pulp hook is great for unloading rounds or smaller logs off the back of a truck .
I know a guy that won't run his splitter without his , I won't run one without them either .
It's a tool that works for me .

Ah hah. One in each hand, never tried that combination. Always looking for a better way. Thanks.

 

[JustJeff]

Got a couple more early week loads in. Picked up from a tree service I talked to a while back, gotta network, so I have to do "leswork" lol. It's all cherry, black walnut, one piece of maple, and one piece of red oak. Got the second load about half way bucked and a third split.
I had to pull the first load off real quick with the skidder so I could go get the second.
So I have a bunch of logs all over the ground at the house right now. At least they are all within 50 ft of my wood pile.
First load.View attachment 500378
Second load.
View attachment 500379

Nice haul! About all that trailer wants.

 

[chipper1]

Nice haul! About all that trailer wants.

It would have taken more, but I'm trying to not trash it to bad. It's a piece of crap it looks pretty, it's light weight, making me money, and that's where its good qualities end. If I load it higher the logs can roll to the side and when using the winch to pull them off things happen fast. I can see any of the uprights getting ripped off pretty fast so I just load it a few logs short. It also doesn't have many securement points so I dont like to load it to high, not wanting to attract to much negative attention.

When I was out bucking/splitting the second load up last night(got a third split and half bucked up) I had my boy pick up all the bark from my splitting spot. He picked up enough to fill the wheelbarrow and was happy to burn carpenter ants until it started to rain.
He also managed to burn the hair off my hand when "helping" burn up about 100 in a soft piece of walnut I had broken open on the splitter.
He had fun, I didn't have ants on me, and the bark got picked up, and I only lost a few unneeded hairs lol.
The bark is burning as we speak.
What do you guys use to clean the glass on your stove. I use a wet rag when the glass is only slightly hot, then clean off the streaks with fine steel wool. Works great and I only have one fine scratch which i would guess was from sand not my technique.

 

[Philbert]

Woke up to chainsaws across the street this morning. No room for any more scrounge wood, so I will just watch them work. Two of the guys seems to have it together; the third . . . .

Philbert

(EDIT: OK, maybe I scrounged just about 4 mid sized pieces for cookies when testing saws . . . and to keep my CAD card . . . )

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

It would have taken more, but I'm trying to not trash it to bad. It's a piece of crap it looks pretty, it's light weight, making me money, and that's where its good qualities end. If I load it higher the logs can roll to the side and when using the winch to pull them off things happen fast. I can see any of the uprights getting ripped off pretty fast so I just load it a few logs short. It also doesn't have many securement points so I dont like to load it to high, not wanting to attract to much negative attention.

When I was out bucking/splitting the second load up last night(got a third split and half bucked up) I had my boy pick up all the bark from my splitting spot. He picked up enough to fill the wheelbarrow and was happy to burn carpenter ants until it started to rain.
He also managed to burn the hair off my hand when "helping" burn up about 100 in a soft piece of walnut I had broken open on the splitter.
He had fun, I didn't have ants on me, and the bark got picked up, and I only lost a few unneeded hairs lol.
The bark is burning as we speak.
View attachment 500485 What do you guys use to clean the glass on your stove. I use a wet rag when the glass is only slightly hot, then clean off the streaks with fine steel wool. Works great and I only have one fine scratch which i would guess was from sand not my technique. View attachment 500486

toasty!!

 

[chipper1]

Woke up to chainsaws across the street this morning. No room for any more scrounge wood, so I will just watch them work. Two of the guys seems to have it together; the third . . . .

Philbert

(EDIT: OK, maybe I scrounged just about 4 mid sized pieces for cookies when testing saws . . . and to keep my CAD card . . . )

Maybe you should go show that young buck a thing or two, get him headed in the right direction.

Wow Philbert, you may be keeping your CAD card, but your scrounge card will be facing a review. Get your logs together we will be over shortly, we will also be assessing your property for scrounge wood storage, our determination will be finial .

 

[chipper1]

toasty!!

The fire or the ants LOL.
The ants surely don't smell very good.

 

[Philbert]

Wow Philbert, you may be keeping your CAD card, but your scrounge card will be facing a review.

I kept my strength when they dropped a couple of smaller spruce trees. But the large limbs from the hardwood trees called . . . , nay, yelled out my name as they were carried toward the chipper . . . . 'PHILBERT! PHILBERT! P-H-I-L-L-L-BERT!!!'

Philbert

 

[chipper1]

I kept my strength when they dropped a couple of smaller spruce trees. But the large limbs from the hardwood trees called . . . , nay, yelled out my name as they were carried toward the chipper . . . . 'PHILBERT! PHILBERT! P-H-I-L-L-L-BERT!!!'

Philbert

I was facing that same temptation yesterday. The guy I've been getting all the wood from does lot clearing, mainly smaller subdivision lots for a couple different companies. The hardest thing is sitting there watching him stuff the chipper full as he can as quick as he can while I'm there watching in utter terror thinking, "No not that one" as all the one or two split stuff gets ground up.
This pain and suffering goes on everytime I go to get a load. He gets the chipper truck full and down the road so he's not standing there while I'm getting loaded. I understand, but man is it hard to watch. I just keep telling myself I'm lucky to not have to go to the woods and do all the work involved in that and I'm saving all this wood from the same fate LOL.
I think my emotions are much like a tree hugger in this respect .

 

[Philbert]

I think my emotions are much like a tree hugger in this respect.

More like a cord wood hugger!

Philbert

 

[JustJeff]

It would have taken more, but I'm trying to not trash it to bad. It's a piece of crap it looks pretty, it's light weight, making me money, and that's where its good qualities end. If I load it higher the logs can roll to the side and when using the winch to pull them off things happen fast. I can see any of the uprights getting ripped off pretty fast so I just load it a few logs short. It also doesn't have many securement points so I dont like to load it to high, not wanting to attract to much negative attention.

When I was out bucking/splitting the second load up last night(got a third split and half bucked up) I had my boy pick up all the bark from my splitting spot. He picked up enough to fill the wheelbarrow and was happy to burn carpenter ants until it started to rain.
He also managed to burn the hair off my hand when "helping" burn up about 100 in a soft piece of walnut I had broken open on the splitter.
He had fun, I didn't have ants on me, and the bark got picked up, and I only lost a few unneeded hairs lol.
The bark is burning as we speak.
View attachment 500485 What do you guys use to clean the glass on your stove. I use a wet rag when the glass is only slightly hot, then clean off the streaks with fine steel wool. Works great and I only have one fine scratch which i would guess was from sand not my technique. View attachment 500486

I use a couple wet paper towels, dip it in the ash in the stove. Scrub wet ash until it loosens the film on the glass then wipe off with clean damp then dry paper towels. The ash works wonders at cleaning the glass. I use no abrasives or cleaners. Do not clean glass unless it's cool.

 

[wudpirat]

Cleaning the glass-
Glass must be cold to warm, cool enuf not to boil the spray cleaner I spray on it.
Start at the top and wipe with clean cloth, on baked on I have used a razor blade.
Keeping the fire back from the door will help in keeping the glass clean.
Chippers, I hate to see what gets chipped, my chipper is limited to 3 1/2", anything bigger gets burned.
You need two pulp hooks, hook one in each end of the log, now you have a round with handles.
Tools with a splitter, hatchet, hookaroon and a pulp hook. You don't have to move your butt off the seat if you
place half dozen rounds within reach.

How does "Ugly Coyote Logging" sound?
Should I get some Tee shirts printed?

 

[dancan]

Sounds legit to me
I'm gonna have some Mighty Mouse Logging LLC tee shirts made lol

Mighty Mouse Logging LLC

 

[Ryan Groat]

Scrounged up 3 of these roofs today.

10x16
8x16
9x9

Going to be my new wood shed roofs.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Philbert]

Scrounged up 3 of these roofs today.

Tornadoes?

Philbert