Cutting and cleaning

[Cowboy Billy]

I just spent the last 3 1/2 weeks at the farm cutting and cleaning. In fact I only came home to collect bills and send them out. Wish I had been able to cut before the sap started running but in real life you get it when you can.

Knocking them down. Its nice to have a new toy to play with even though its costing $40 a hr.

Get a bunch down then its time to limb and buck. The nice thing about doing it this way is that the tree usually lifts as you cut it so its not in the dirt. But I need to remember to push a pile of dirt behind it so it doesn't stand right back up.

Now I have a bunch of branches and stumps I need to haul off to the burn pile. Looks like I am cheating again!

Nice thing about the IH dump wagon I rebuilt last year is that I don't have to unload it just dump it and drive off.

And ended up with a nice pile of wood to split.

That pile is over 6' tall. But I also have that much wood in popple that need to be bucked up that I had to knock down around the barn since it was close enough to fall on it in a bad storm. I don't like the way it looks but I would hate the look of a tree through the barn worse.

I also hauled all the stumps from the barn to the gravel pit and pushed them up in a pile next to it. That is less than 1/8 the stumps I hauled. I do have a stump dump I wanted to use but it was under water.

I also hauled close to 1000 yards of gravel out of my pit fixing the county rd building another driveway and filling around the barn. I also have more trees to clear behind the barn for the rear entry. And a bunch of dirt to move that I am going to use to make a hill to put my windgenerators on.

All in all I got a lot done and had a lot of fun but there's a bunch more to do.

Billy

 

[smokinj]

Wow, Billy you dont even need a saw!

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Jay

But the 2145 and 2171 still gave me a work out. I got a little crazy on the rakers on the 2171. I didn't have my depth gauge and took four swipes off each one and I think I ended up between .035 and .040 and it just falls through the wood. But if you don't put the bucking spikes against the tree it will pull you into it. It will even pick up a small log on the ground and through it back at me.

Billy

 

[thewoodlands]

Billy it's always nice to see the big equipment come out, glad that your back cutting and posting some. I hope with time things get easier for you.





Zap

 

[smokinj]

Thanks Jay

But the 2145 and 2171 still gave me a work out. I got a little crazy on the rakers on the 2171. I didn't have my depth gauge and took four swipes off each one and I think I ended up between .035 and .040 and it just falls through the wood. But if you don't put the bucking spikes against the tree it will pull you into it. It will even pick up a small log on the ground and through it back at me.

Billy

I done that many of times..lol In softwood it can really through some chips. Awesome Place!

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Zap

I'm doing ok. I don't have any internet access at the farm and not likely to get any. One of these days I get a laptop with wifi so I can catch up with ya all when I am at the farm.

Ya know it Jay!

I haven't run a homeowners saw in years so I get to the point that I feel my saws are slow. Then do something like that to a strong saw and you feel the power again. But as you know its not something to do lightly. It puts a lot more stress on the chain and hugely increases the chances of kick back and grabbing.

Billy

 

[mecreature]

Now that is a pile of wood.

 

[CTYank]

Thanks Zap

I'm doing ok. I don't have any internet access at the farm and not likely to get any. One of these days I get a laptop with wifi so I can catch up with ya all when I am at the farm.

Ya know it Jay!

I haven't run a homeowners saw in years so I get to the point that I feel my saws are slow. Then do something like that to a strong saw and you feel the power again. But as you know its not something to do lightly. It puts a lot more stress on the chain and hugely increases the chances of kick back and grabbing.

Billy

How's wi-fi gonna help you on the farm with the Internets? Your access point still has to be connected. Unless a neighbor in range (couple hundred yards max) has an unsecured AP. Happy hunting!

 

[loon]

very nice Billy i missed this post? and it can be alot of work for sure with the big toys but fun also ;-) great pictures and beauty place!

loon

 

[woodsmaster]

Thanks Zap

I'm doing ok. I don't have any internet access at the farm and not likely to get any. One of these days I get a laptop with wifi so I can catch up with ya all when I am at the farm.

Ya know it Jay!

I haven't run a homeowners saw in years so I get to the point that I feel my saws are slow. Then do something like that to a strong saw and you feel the power again. But as you know its not something to do lightly. It puts a lot more stress on the chain and hugely increases the chances of kick back and grabbing.

Billy

How's wi-fi gonna help you on the farm with the Internets? Your access point still has to be connected. Unless a neighbor in range (couple hundred yards max) has an unsecured AP. Happy hunting!

My internet is wireless. It runs off a cell phone tower.

 

[woodsmaster]

Nice work billy those big toys are fun but expensive.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

Very nice! I think that toy is worth $40./hr. I figure it would take me a day to do by hand what that does in an hour.

 

[mainstation]

Looks great!! Your'e still ahead at ,what I think is a cheap price of $40./hr. Keep up the good work, that's a tonne or 5 of firewood. + that's the easiest way to deal with the slash.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I remember when you rebuilt that dump trailer, nice job. You are already used to working on big equipment that rental looks like alot of fun. I wish I could burn the stumps and branches here, that is my biggest headache since you can do open burning here.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Gee Billy. Some guys have all the fun..... I'll bet you enjoyed every minute of it too. Congratulations.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Mecreature

Its not bad but I am still behind others on this form. I was slowed down as I was clearing the area and had to take everything. When I cut trees for firewood I like to stay trees in the 18 to 20 inch dia range. It seems I get the most wood for my work.

Hi CTYank

There's a bar about 10 miles away that I goto to eat from time to time. And they have wifi. So I could just go down have a beer and burger and check in.

Thanks Loon

Ya know I love running equ. It sure was nice to get things cleaned up and organized.

Howdy Woodsmaster

I too have a cell card for my home computer that works ok. But it dosen't work at the farm. We did have one that worked there but it was eratic and wasn't worth what we were paying for it. They are expensive to feed too. I burnt over 200 gallons of diesel while I was up last.

Thanks WHS

It sure is worth it. I have been in such a hurry to get this done so I can get that done. I haven't had time to clean up as I go. Or sometimes anywhere to put something that would be out of the way since it was all woods when I started and have piles of topsoil debris scattered out here and there. It sure is nice to be able to get things cleaned up and organized.

Thanks Mainstation

With 120 acres of woods I don't have any problem getting wood other than haveing to take time away form other projects that need to get done. Hopefully by next year I will be caught up enough to take time to really enjoy cutting rather than hurry through it so I can get to something else.

Hi G&WN; I would have a heck of a mess if I couldn't burn. As far as the stumps I have been putting them in a pile and covering them with dirt they don't dry out or burn very well unless you can get all the dirt out of them.

Thanks Dennis

Well other than the mud and black flies. I did get a thremo cell last year but still haven't tried it out.

Billy