trying something new

[Ford's Lawncare]

I have always cut and split my wood on my own property. I am going to try something new and move my setup to where the wood is. Its only about 18 cord, but my plan is to cut and split the wood with my superplit and throw into my 3/4 ton dump truck, which can easily haul 1/2-3/4 cord each time. The wood is about 7 or 8 miles from my place. Hopefully I can get someone to help me, so I am not doing everything myself. I want to go all out and work long days in a row so I can get it done and be out of there as soon as possible. I know some people do this everytime, so is there anything I can do to make this go as fast as possible, or any thoughts so I don't have to handle the wood 20 times? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[STLfirewood]

Is the wood in tops logs or what. The biggest time saving is going to come from someone feeding the guy splitting and tossing it into the truck. What will people work for around you? I could hire a couple kids and get that done in a week if the wood is easy to get to. Three people would be great for that job. One on the saw one on the splitter and one feeding the splitter guy. Set that splitter right at the back of the truck. It wouldn;t be that hard of a throw. Build a quick and cheap table out of 2x4's and plywood next to the splitter. That will save some pick up time of the ground. Do you have access to a dump trailer? Mine will haul 2 cord thrown in. That with the 1-ton dump I can more 3 cords in one trip.

Scott

 

[Mike Van]

I want to go all out and work long days in a row so I can get it done and be out of there as soon as possible.
Thanks,
Dan

One tip - Don't get any older, 'cause it doesn't get easier! Scott's got the right idea, split right into the back of the truck, don't handle it twice. If thats all that you can carry, then quit, go dump, come back. I added a platform to the front of my splitter last year - boy, should have done it years ago. All those pieces that need to be resplit are right there, no bending over again.

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

To be honest, I haven't even seen the wood yet, so I am not 100% sure this is going to happen, but most likely it will, the only way it won't is if the wood is not as good, as I've been told. I've been told its in a field, so I would think there would be plenty of working room. I've only worked with two people at a time, just myselft and a friend, one cutting, and one splitting. I would think that if I had 3, by the time I made the 30 min. round trip dropoff, there would be a big pile of split wood waiting for me when I got back, which means more time picking it up and throwing into the truck. That table is a good idea, because what we do, is when the guy cutting gets ahead of the guy splitting, the guy cutting just hands the wood to the guy splitting. One thing I forgot to mention is that the reason why I am in such a hurry is that I am in my last year of college, and I will be back home this wendesday night, and I have other work commitments starting on January 2nd. That means my timeframe is from Dec. 20-Jan. 2, and prob. won't work on christmas, and I need some time to make bigger rails on my truck and clean up the foot of snow that is projected to fall today on the foot we already have.

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

Yup, I was already planning on it going straight from splitter to truck, I'm 19 so I figure I have a few more years left before I seriously screw something up in my body, so I might as well get as much as I can out of those years. If I can get my piece of s*** conveyor going, that would be even better, but even if it does run, it dosen't last to long before links or something else breaks on it...more trouble then help when I'm running it.

 

[Frank Boyer]

You could add a trailer so that when the truck is dropping off the split wood doesn't go to a pile. Your truck and trailer loads would save travel time. Or load logs to the truck and trailer and split it later.

 

[beerman6]

I'm 19 so I figure I have a few more years left before I seriously screw something up in my body,

You got a couple anyways...

 

[clearance]

A 3/4 ton with decent tires can haul more than that, its only 8 miles to home, load the snot out of it. I have cut down trees and bucked them into logs/chunks that I can handle, say max 300lbs, you can load a truck pretty quick this way, then I pull them off at home, I hook a chain or choker to another truck and drive off. Then I buck and split right where they land, at the wood pile. I have got many cords this way myself, three guys at this would be real quick, then you are at home bucking and splitting. You can go outside and work, whenever you feel energetic, which should be often, at your age.

 

[STLfirewood]

I like splitting it before it hits the truck. Then you just hit the dum button at home and you don;t touch it until you have to deliver it next year. Why handle it twice if you don't have to? The less you handle the more you make. 3 guys (if the wood is easy to get to) should be able to cut split an haul at least 4 cords a day. You could be in and out in a week.

Scott

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

Yup, I have to agree with STLfirewood, I think splitting it first is the way to go, because that is less handleing. I would like to have 2 other guys helping me, but one thing that pisses me off is that I have trouble finding just one person who is up to this work. Nobody knows what real work is anymore. Probably what will happen is if I tell them to show up at 6:30, they will pull in at 8(if they even get up that early), in which case I will be long gone off to work. If they do help, they would dog it for the day then come up with some stupid excuse why they can't work the day after. This might be a little exacterated but you know what I'm talking about. Chances are, I will end up doing most of this work myself, which might be just as well because I can do it my way and not have to worry about someone cutting thier finger off.

 

[STLfirewood]

I have found it best when paying for help with firewood to pay for production. A good day for you would be to have 12 ranks or 4 cord done each day. That would be a really good day. Cut split and home. I would base their pay off of 3 cords a day. They get a bonus after you get to that amount. If you get under 3 cords then there pay gets cut. Unless you have equipment problems. People work a lot harder when their money depends on it. Don't forget older retired guys,roofers,other trades workers. These guys are usually slow right now and have familys to support and need work. I have a list of guys right now that will work hard for $100 a day. In the summer I have to pay $150-$200 a day.


Scott

 

[pacman]

*Just a thought*

Can you just pile it up on some pallets in the woods ? It needs to season any way right so why not pile it up there then you dont have to haul it any where .
Another thing ! I work alone I dont have wait on any body to show up and help . I love it because very few will do it the way you like it done .

Michael

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

I'd like to, but it's not my property and I don't have forks for my tractor or means to move it for that matter

 

[pacman]

opps

I'd like to, but it's not my property and I don't have forks for my tractor or means to move it for that matter

I didnt mean stack it. I meant throw it on top of the pallets , but since its not your property ( oh well ) . Just trying to help .

Michael

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

no, I appreciate the help, and I do throw it on pallets once its on my property, I just wish I had the right equipment to do this with(bigger truck, trailer). I'll get by though.