Do you see any way I could improve upon my gathering technique?

[redmanlcs]

As stated: Do you see any way I can improve upon my gathering technique?
1. drive atv to stand of trees 1/2 mile away.
2. cut trees to firewood length rounds.
3. haul rounds out with atv and small trailer 1/2 mile to house.
4. unload rounds, split, and stack.

Variables:.. I know i could use a good 4x4 truck to haul more rounds at a time, but don't have one available, nor can i afford one, so I'm stuck with an atv.

Sometimes i do take my wimpy 2wd pickup and load it with wood that is accessible at foot of mountain.

Last year I only used the truck for 2 loads, the rest with atv and trailer.

I was thinking it might be better to cut the trees, drag them to a loading area, cut up and then load the truck, but I soon found out that as you drag a log, dirt and rocks get imbedded in the bark, and my bar/chain don't like it.

A log splitter would make it easier on my back, but don't have 1 nor can i afford 1... (thought about some kind of home-made invention for splitting rounds, but im still thinking lol)

Do you see anything I could make or do that would improve my efficiency? Gathering wood is hard work, I accept that fact, but I need to find a way to get more at a time..

Am I stuck with using this method? I think so, but if you spot something im all ears!

 

[JimBear]

I try to drag full logs or pruned up trees to a stockpile point then cut up & haul out as time allows. If you can utilize the stockpile plan then you can load the pickup & trailer & haul more home in one trip. Splitting in timber will also allow you to haul more out at a time. Dragging them does tend to collect dirt, rocks & other debris, that’s why I like to drag them when the ground frozen as much as possible, it seems to limit the debris.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

As stated: Do you see any way I can improve upon my gathering technique?
1. drive atv to stand of trees 1/2 mile away.
2. cut trees to firewood length rounds.
3. haul rounds out with atv and small trailer 1/2 mile to house.
4. unload rounds, split, and stack.

Variables:.. I know i could use a good 4x4 truck to haul more rounds at a time, but don't have one available, nor can i afford one, so I'm stuck with an atv.

Sometimes i do take my wimpy 2wd pickup and load it with wood that is accessible at foot of mountain.

Last year I only used the truck for 2 loads, the rest with atv and trailer.

I was thinking it might be better to cut the trees, drag them to a loading area, cut up and then load the truck, but I soon found out that as you drag a log, dirt and rocks get imbedded in the bark, and my bar/chain don't like it.

A log splitter would make it easier on my back, but don't have 1 nor can i afford 1... (thought about some kind of home-made invention for splitting rounds, but im still thinking lol)

Do you see anything I could make or do that would improve my efficiency? Gathering wood is hard work, I accept that fact, but I need to find a way to get more at a time..

Am I stuck with using this method? I think so, but if you spot something im all ears!

I don't have any suggestions that will save you any work, but I know just how you feel. Much of my wood is about 1/3 mile away up a steep, wooded hill. I can't even get a motorized vehicle up and down safely without clearing a bunch of trees and building a switch back.

I try to tell myself that it's good exercise and character building, but after a while it just seems like really time consuming, brutally hard work. But hey, it's mine and it doesn't cost me any dough!

 

[redmanlcs]

I was thinking about trying that come spring... even if I use the atv for the short distance to the staging area.... because i could probably dump 3 or 4 loads at the foot of the mountain by the time I could dump 1 load at the house... my uncle told me to drag the logs... and to save the chain on my saw,, take a hatchet and chop the bark off in a ring every 18 inches.. but that sounds time consuming unless I had a helper.. I cut all year long weather permitting,, but I can only seem to get enough for 1 winter... and it sucks!... wish I had like a 2 ton truck,, i could park in the woods, take a day or two to fill it.. then drive it home and dump... that way i could probably cut a winters worth in about a month or 2....if I were to break a bone, or get sick.. Me and my fam would freeze to death... hate to say it,, i need to come up with a old 4x4 truck.... its a shame to have 120 acres to cut on,, but no way to haul it... ah.. just came to me... maybe i could get someone that has a truck,, but no where to cut.. we could haul me a load, them a load.. till we get stocked.. now thats an idea!

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I was thinking about trying that come spring... even if I use the atv for the short distance to the staging area.... because i could probably dump 3 or 4 loads at the foot of the mountain by the time I could dump 1 load at the house... my uncle told me to drag the logs... and to save the chain on my saw,, take a hatchet and chop the bark off in a ring every 18 inches.. but that sounds time consuming unless I had a helper.. I cut all year long weather permitting,, but I can only seem to get enough for 1 winter... and it sucks!... wish I had like a 2 ton truck,, i could park in the woods, take a day or two to fill it.. then drive it home and dump... that way i could probably cut a winters worth in about a month or 2....if I were to break a bone, or get sick.. Me and my fam would freeze to death... hate to say it,, i need to come up with a old 4x4 truck.... its a shame to have 120 acres to cut on,, but no way to haul it... ah.. just came to me... maybe i could get someone that has a truck,, but no where to cut.. we could haul me a load, them a load.. till we get stocked.. now thats an idea!

That's actually a great idea. I'm sure there's someone around. How will you find them? Craigslist?

 

[peakbagger]

If you are handy with welding, making a skidding arch is nice option http://www.baileysonline.com/Forest...ATV-Skidding-Arches/LogRite-Fetching-Arch.axd

It get most of the wood off the ground except for the butt end and makes hauling a lot safer as the front butt is up off the ground so its far less likely to get caught on something. My brother has a similar rig and its surprising the size of the log he can haul.

I personally like to leave the mess in the woods and usually saw and hand split in the woods. I can only buck rounds with chainsaw for so long before my back is bothering me and I find the switching to splitting gives my back a break.

I am thinking of getting band saw mill and if I do I will either build or buy log arch for an ATV to move the logs out of the woods.

 

[redmanlcs]

That's actually a great idea. I'm sure there's someone around. How will you find them? Craigslist?

In my area, probably 25% burn wood either occasionally or full time...very very rural area.... probably find someone close, just never thought to ask....

 

[Mark N MO]

My method is to cut and split on site, then trailer via tractor the split wood to the shed. Keeps the mess in the woods. Doesn't tear up the ground like skidding does. Hope this helps.

 

[pernox]

What about building a simple dray, or sled if you will. You could roll logs onto it and drag it down with the atv, increasing the volume to as much as the atv can handle for every trip down the mountain.

 

[pernox]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/log-skidding-never-done-it-tips-and-advice.101236/

See backwoods savage's post.

 

[sutphenj]

I don't have any suggestions that will save you any work, but I know just how you feel. Much of my wood is about 1/3 mile away up a steep, wooded hill. I can't even get a motorized vehicle up and down safely without clearing a bunch of trees and building a switch back.

I try to tell myself that it's good exercise and character building, but after a while it just seems like really time consuming, brutally hard work. But hey, it's mine and it doesn't cost me any dough!

Man you are right it is brutally hard work. I can cut right out my backdoor and i keep thinking how easy it is to flip on the geo thermal compared to what I do to get useable firewood into my stove.

 

[Allagash350]

Why don’t you get a bigger trailer? Efficiency is key.
Could rent a pick up from uhaul or Home Depot or find a friend like you said.
My dad used a lawn mower with a old piece of galvanized roofing. I think it was 3x8 or something. Cut two holes in the front and formed it like a toboggan, ran a chain through the holes and onto the mower. He was hauling it from down by the river with a steep grade up the hill.

 

[jwfirebird]

I made my own wood trailer and splitter, I don't have much in either. if you are handy you can find deals. the splitter by far speeds the production the most. I bought most of it for like 50 bucks. I got the engine free it was on a bad water pump they were throwing out, the hydraulic parts on northern tool for anything else
my atv wood cart was the best design I went through a few bought ones before I found this transformer case, they were all too tiny and light. I used old car hubs and camper wheels that were dry rotted but still hold air fine.its 5x6x18" that's a bit of weight for the machine when loaded

 

[redmanlcs]

my atv sadly is rated for only 30kg tongue weight,, i know i have had at least 150lbs on my axles, and do so regularly. (don't know the kg to lbs conversion, but i think 150lbs is heavier by far)... my trailer is one of those cheap garden trailers made for riding mowers,and have already bent the tongue once, but I have upgraded to better wheels and fixed the tongue. I don't really want to increase my trailer capacity as it over runs my brakes even with 1st gear engine braking, basically my tires scoot, and my atv is 4x4, skidding might be an option, as the road is damaged beyond repair anyways, and skidding might actually improve it by filling in all the ruts with fresh scraped up dirt/rocks.....very very steep and rugged terrain where i cut. I have thought about building a splitter, price of the valve, hoses, hydrolic oil, and the cylinder would cost well over $400... not including engine, which actually I might could find for free.. I have a hard time buying the oil and gas I need for my saw...now If i could actually get a job, and had any form of income, the answer would be simple..... 4x4 beater truck... and splitter.... i would only have to cut 2months out of the year vs 6 hard months..thought about selling some surplus to get beater or splitter, but can't get any surplus ahead... lol... oh and thanks for the ideas.. i will keep them in mind.. as cutting season starts soon! been 80 degrees here in wv.. i woke up.. wanted to start cutting, talked myself out of it..wood pile stands at around 2 1/2 cords.... will be close!

 

[jwfirebird]

thats the trailer i started with fell apart pretty quick.

you can get a mule or rhino pretty cheap too once you have some money. i sold my old prairie 360 for more than i paid for the rhino, and they are so much better at wood. it will pull a huge trailer full and be able to stop it if you need to. alot like a small tractor with a bed that will balance the load better if you are going down a hill

 

[redmanlcs]

yea, thought about that.. i think an old 4x4 truck would be much cheaper, and also cheaper to repair.... and i can find pretty good tires laying around pretty easy.... trailer I use did fall apart quickly, I brought it back from the dead, with a new plywood floor, some metal screws, and a few pieces of angle iron, and a couple 2x4's... when the wood rots, ill just replace it all over again... using lawnmower wheels instead of those cheap little wheel barrow wheels that came on it originally.... better than what I was doing, (hauling rounds out on the racks)... many times I thought I would rip my seat. that small hunk of junk is way better... told a friend that wants my 2wd 3/4 ton truck that i would trade for just about any 4x4 ... even if its been rolled off a cliff,, long as it runs good and 4x4 works.. think a 4x4 truck would double or triple my production.... that would be a huge increase.....

 

[Tar12]

Every time I read a post from you mountain boys I thank my lucky stars for this flat ground! I run a Arctic Cat 400 4x4 and a Ohio dump trailer with sides to load a 14K tandem dump with 4ft sides when going into "rough" terrain here...I can fill it with well over a cord with 2 guys in a couple hours...I get either the truck or truck and trailer as close as I can and will fill the atv trailer and loop out to the truck unload and repeat..A lot of times I just lock one of the 4x4 Dodges in and get as close as I can...especially when by myself.For years all I ran was 1 4x4 truck...I would just cut a path in...then I added a $300 Milemarker 12K winch to my truck and nothing was safe if I wanted it! My buddy has a late model 4x4 toyota as his firewood truck...it is very capable!

 

[jwfirebird]

you could never get a truck near my wood any more.i used to off road trucks and jeeps, until i got into quads, the parts for the yamaha are about three times less. especially dodge parts. the rhino never breaks because its built like a brick poop house, once you get the common issues taken care of. i think i got a hundred bucks into it from the 5years of useing for wood and mowing 30 miles of club trials with 700lb dr mower, new fuel lines and one axle.you cant even buy one axle for a truck for that. let alone bearings and u joints and crap u would break if you were hauling wood in a half ton

 

[Tar12]

you could never get a truck near my wood any more.i used to off road trucks and jeeps, until i got into quads, the parts for the yamaha are about three times less. especially dodge parts. the rhino never breaks because its built like a brick poop house, once you get the common issues taken care of. i think i got a hundred bucks into it from the 5years of useing for wood and mowing 30 miles of club trials with 700lb dr mower, new fuel lines and one axle.you cant even buy one axle for a truck for that. let alone bearings and u joints and crap u would break if you were hauling wood in a half ton

I am very well aware of the terrain some of you guys have to deal with! Just relating how I get it done here in the flatlands...My terrain is very tame compared to the mountainous terrain many of you deal with....frankly.... I wouldn't burn if I had to deal with that! My 2500 Dodges? Have not broke a axel yet in 35 years of hauling wood..not going to either....rusted brake lines on a 96 model? yes..routine maintenance? yes..love them! I also love that 4 wheeler! It is best to have many tools in your arsenal!

 

[redmanlcs]

when I was a child, I helped my uncle cut and load his wood,, he hauled wood out of the same area that I'm cutting in... he used an old 77, 78, 70-something chevy pickup, short base 4x4..... came down the hill with rear bumper about 6in from the ground.... nope he never broke anything in the 6 years he lived here in this area.... for me, i can get parts for a truck lots cheaper than any atv parts,, just sayin...the access road where i cut is an old gas well access road that was abandoned.... years of rain have turned it into a steep rutted rocky mess....i cut not too far in, maybe 500 yards in or so... right near where our family's houses are, houses are just out of sight... but if I had a 4x4 truck,, i could go deeper where all the good trees are...spotted a shagbark, about 18-22 inch diameter that needs to burn.. lots of 12in oak, and maple.... countless popular, but who is gonna waste time with that when i got a yard full off boxelder....in a perfect world, I would have a "zip line" type contraption,, where I cut, split, and hook onto a chain, then let my "zip line" carry it all the way to the house while the wife unhooks the wood and stacks... now that would be awesome!....if I were to go deeper where the premium wood is, with my atv and trailer,, that would amount to....--let me figure--- id say it would take me around 2 hours to deliver 10 rounds, 12 inch diameter....thats about 20 pieces of stove wood,,, 1 days burning for me.... so it would take me 2 hours to cut, load, haul and split enough wood for 1 day..... but that is workining non stop.... which nobody can do....don't sound too bad on paper,,, but there is lots of travel time considering I could load a truck full in 4 hours by myself.... truck load would net me about 2 weeks to 2 1/2 weeks of wood... so... 2hours for 1 days burning..... or 4 hours for 2 weeks burning..... well add in another 3 hours for splitting... still thats 7 hours work for 14-18 days of burning.... dang i need a truck....lol

 

[jwfirebird]

they don't make trucks like that any more and old tough ones are either horded away or rotted up. at least that's the story here, all you have is expensive to maintain or expensive to buy newer trucks
obviously if you had one you found cheap would be good but

all I would ever buy is a chev, because they are cheap to repair and reliable, but I wouldn't work it, the springs on everything after 2000 or so are soft and will break. I was a fleet mechanic for a while, have seen what is pretty common on all three. ford an dodges suspensions are better but they have other issues that make them worse. electrical stuff and just broke all the time.

really the reason I got the rhino, it was cheap because it was neglected and it turned out way better than the other stuff I have seen or heard about

 

[redmanlcs]

yea, im not too stuck on 1 certain brand, but older chevys are a breeze to work on... had a guy today offered to trade me a rolled 2006 f250 4x4 auto... my reply?.. nope its auto and too new.......85 and older please! i want a carb, an easy to afford mech fuel pump that you don't have to remove tank to change.... and I have zero luck with auto trannys... plus they seem to go out at the worst time....

 

[redmanlcs]

and I hate variable speed trans they put in the side by sides..... yamaha makes one with normal trans and clutch might be ok.......

 

[Pat32rf]

A lot of your loading will be easier with a pickaroon instead of bending and reaching....

 

[jwfirebird]

the manual one is just racing one im not sure it even has a bed. the auto is unavoidable unfortunately in any utility. the teryx is the best one, i had two kawi's, the 650 and 1 360 i bought new, i beat the heck out of the 650 for like 13 years and over 4k before it died wasent the clutch was the engine was warn out from keeping up with the sports quads in the group, and mud pit competitions. only thing i did to the clutch was the spiders wore out i spaced them out so it was quiet. i ride in mud up to the racks all the time. yamahas is a pain in the mud but if you dont ride that deep its not a problem, its filled with grease that solidifies. but if you use it for wood, not an issue, i just clean it once every couple years. it never goes through belts, even hauling way more than you are supposed to. my kawi did though but it had no grease, i sold it once it died i wanted another one like that but grizzly type ride, thats what the outlander is, ton of power, some kind of clutch, but my kawi rode like a sport quad, the max eps ride soft but handles good too

i used to be about manual everything and carb, but anything good isnt going to be now. i had a 89 350 1500 chev with a std cab and a 8ft bed. it was 5spd and had the f44 suspension. the tbi 350 is as reliable as they come really and you dont have the carb problems. i just went through it, took the bed off, replaced all the lines, pump, shocks. i used it pretty hard, i had over a ton of scrap and a ton of wire in it a few times, pulled a camper and 3 quads on a big trailer a million times and it never broke down.i got my camper in maryland and drove back through all the hills in PA, was 95 degrees only had to stop for gas. the camper was 6500 and the bed weight was probably 1500 with the coolers wood and that. i drove it for 8 years but i ended up selling it because i had a kid and std cab and kids dont really go together that well. finding one of those is like a pink unicorn really now though no good trucks even come in manual now. i bought a vortec 350 yukon with the 4l60 and same heavy camper and put wood and toys and crap in the back never had the trans out had it about the same time and had about 200k on it when i sold it and bought the avalanche. the only shortcoming either one has is the suspension, the are both the same suspension and its too soft to haul a heavy trailer. i put air lift air bags in the coils and got kyb shocks and that settles it right down. the camper i have now is 33ft and just as heavy. no problems hauling it though, the 5.3 has a ton more power than any of the 350s i had for passing on a hill with a trailer type stuff. i think the people that have the issues with the 4l60 and the ten bolts are the people that have to race every start. ive never had problem with any of them, but i take it easy especially on snow, people complain about the locker blowing too but thats the same thing it blows up because you are horsing it.