Thoughts on Old Backs and Splitting

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Splitting wood leaves me too much time to over-analyze some part of my life. The pain in my old back led me to over-analyze my splitting process. The process went like this:

1. Pick up the wood in the truck and throw it into a pile on the ground
2. Pick up the wood, split it and throw it into another pile on the ground
3. Pick up the wood and put it in the wheelbarrow
4. Drive the wheelbarrow to the woodshed and stack the wood

I realized I was picking the wood up way too many times, in addition to bending over to the ground each time. I now place my splitter at the back of the truck and wheelbarrow next to it. The process now goes like this:

1. Roll the wood to the tailgate
2. Lower the rounds to the splitter and split
3. Take splits directly from the splitter to the wheelbarrow, pieces needing to be resplit are put back on the tailgate
4. Drive the wheelbarrow to the woodshed and stack the wood

I have much less pain in my back and I get less tired splitting.
 
I do the same, but hand splitting still requires some bending. Neither of my trucks are daily drivers and the old flatbed has stayed loaded for a month or more so I can split as I unload. Work smart, not hard.
 
This solution does not work when using a Quad. The trailer load is too small and too low to make it beneficial, but I like your thinking. The ulitimate solution I have seen is to throw the split wood into a bin and transport the bin with a forklift(tractor). This way you do not even have to stack the wood and the bin can be move to a drying area, to under a roof, to the burning area and you never have to restack. By the way I haven't got there...
 
Sounds like you have worked out a good plan. Any process that saves the back is a plus. I know what you mean about splitting giving you extra time to think. I fought the battle of Gettysburg while splitting last week.
 
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I realize I've wasted a lot of energy getting started .In addition to a shed, getting a few "wood yards" carved out of the woods where I can split and stack at one location, season, then move into house when needed via sled or cart. making "big/ugly" piles for splitter rental day. No longer killing myself fighting pieces like that.
 
Im not going to bore anyone with my medical history, im pretty sure most of us are in pain. Ive learned to use the equipment I have to the fullest, more machines, less back. I try to get the wood as close as I possibly can to its final resting place then split and stack it there. I spend the time planning where everything will go first before I start.
As stated earlier... work smarter, not harder.
 
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Drop the tree & buck it or if its deadfall,buck it.Once in a while I may have to winch the log a few feet closer for easier cutting,not too often though.
If needed,split it where it lies
Load in dump trailer pulled by JD 110,or pickup if ground is muddy or snow/ice covered.
Pull up next to processing area,either stack between trees or start a new stack close by,since shed has been full for 13 months now.
Once the wood is here & in backyard I use contractors wheelbarrow to haul it the 50 ot so feet to the shop/garage where a couple at a time are stored inside during the heating season.

When processing I try to limit as much handling as possible,so dont often have unsplit rounds dumped or stacked in a separate pile first,unless I'm short on time & I have a bunch like last spring-summer (10+ cords dead that took me until December to finally get split/stacked).My main concern was getting it all hauled in from the woods before the snow started falling.
 
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Fell tree. Cut to firewood length.

Pin oak cut-3.JPG
Haul logs to splitting pile.
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Come Spring, split wood.
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Stack wood. This is normally done in late March or early April.
Wood-2009c.JPG

Now we just let Mother Nature take over to do the drying. Backwoods Savage does not like cutting or handling wood in summer. Next time he cuts wood it will be cold outside.
 
Fell tree, limb & mark 17" lengths.
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Cut logs to the size I can skid out of the woods up the hill to the landing & cut rounds.
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Roll rounds down the bank to the trailer
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Load the trailer, leaving room for ht ATV.
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Offload the trailer at the splitting/stacking,seasoning area area, usually 2 loads of rounds.
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Split & throw into a pile
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Stack in 2 rows on pallets, & let it season until late fall.
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Clean up the mess & stare at the wood stacks a while. :)
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Eventually it will go into the wood shed for 2 years.
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I buck and load full rounds if they are not too big. When I get home I unload one at the time onto the splitting block hit it a time or two and stack it. I don't really know how to handle it any less, but I would be willing to try.
 
Fell tree. Cut to firewood length.

View attachment 70853
Haul logs to splitting pile.
View attachment 70854
Come Spring, split wood.
View attachment 70855
Stack wood. This is normally done in late March or early April.
View attachment 70856

Now we just let Mother Nature take over to do the drying. Backwoods Savage does not like cutting or handling wood in summer. Next time he cuts wood it will be cold outside.
Me either!!!!! Never, Never, Never, cut in the summer.
 
Me either!!!!! Never, Never, Never, cut in the summer.

I must be in the incredibly small minority here (or only one?) who like cutting in the summer! I almost prefer it to the winter, in general I would just rather be hot than cold. No idea why, I guess I'm weird. ;em
 
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I must be in the incredibly small minority here (or only one?) who like cutting in the summer! I almost prefer it to the winter, in general I would just rather be hot than cold. No idea why, I guess I'm weird. ;em
You are not working hard enough if you are cold cutting wood in the winter.;)
 
I generally do similar to what Dennis does. Cut and haul rounds home in winter. Start splitting early spring, but this past winter I hauled so much home I was spitting till summer. Not a bad thing but I also do not like to work on firewood unless it is cool outside. The saying I always liked was "use your head and save your feet".
 
Well, 'm a teacher, so I guess I'll be doing a lot of summer cutting.Just getting into it, also. As long as i get up early, it aint too bad. Good way to lose a few pounds!
 
I cut year-round, but if I had to choose my favorite time of the year it would be late fall to late winter (November til March). Never get too hot, no leaves to worry about on the tree branches (did I mention how much I hate dealing with branches?), and the excersize is nice during those months. I'm a big fan of cutting in the winter. That being said, we did around 30 tree jobs this summer! I'm ready for fall, already! ;)
 
When I have a few spare hours,the weather is decent & feel like it,I cut when I can.10 degrees to 90,rain or shine.Not a fan of deep snow,strong winds,lightning or temps with 100+ heat index however.I stay out of the woods then. Early Spring & Fall are my fav times if I had to choose.
 
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Being younger than 40.... I'm enjoying going out and cutting in the summer. Two hours in the woods sure beats going to the gym!

I've got it pretty good now with gear.

Cut trees, cut big limbs and logs to 10 to 15 foot.
Drag to the tractor with the franzguard
grab them with front loader mount forks
Buck, split, and stack on pallet racks at my wood area.
Haul pallets into the garage to burn.

JP
 
Fortunately, when the weather gets hot out here, the Forest Service makes you knock off cutting at 1:00. If it gets worse, they close the forest to cutting completely. At 5000 ft., it rarely gets over 85 deg. and the humidity is always below 20%. I quit splitting when the sun hits my processing area, about 9 am.
 
I'm not likely to cut much wood in the summer unless a storm takes it down some where I need to move it especially this time of year when its already pushing 80 when the sun comes up. I did the heat stroke thing once, that was enough.
As for regular cutting I try to handle it as little as possible, Cut it, split it, load it on the truck, off load into stacks. When it cools of a little in the fall I'll move some of it into the shed.
 
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