How has your cutting season been so far?

[redmanlcs]

I will start off by setting the scene. Last year it took me all spring/summer/fall to cut enough wood for the winter using an atv and small pull behind trailer. This year I have upgraded to a small chevy truck (s10 4x4) which has a broken frame, but still hauls wood. Hopefully it will hold until I get it welded up and hopefully it will increase my firewood production.

The first day I cut firewood, I scouted a good sized hickory that was blown over around a year and a half ago, but it was down a very steep powerline right-of-way. I figured that old s-10 should make it up with full load, even tho it has 4 completely bald tires and a broken frame. Surprisingly, it didn't spin a tire although the trail was covered in leaves. My gf all the while thinking I was going to pop a wheelie, as it was squatted pretty good, and with the incline, all i could see out the windshield was blue sky. At this point I was all pumped, these S-10's are awsome!. I got it home no problem. Now during the chore of cutting up this hickory to size, I happened to drop a 20 in (x) 18 inch round right on my foot! I knew I should have worn my steel toed boots as this blown over tree was right at waist height and of course the round didn't land squarely. As I was cutting through, as normal, the end dipped down and fell in a diagonal fashion, and the edge is what got my foot. Cheap leather tennis shoes shouldn't even go into the woods, much less cut firewood wearing them. Surprisingly the pain went away, until after I bucked and stacked my day's haul. Later that night I could barely walk. I was thinking the mistake of not wearing proper shoes had cost me at least a weeks worth of cutting.

I got up the next morning still limping, but walked it off. Later that evening, I decided it was time for day 2 of cutting. I got in my little wood hauler, fired it up, and took off. Yes I wore proper shoes this time.. ....Near where I found the hickory, I spotted a decent sized beech just begging to be cut, so cut it I did. My experience with many beech trees is that after you cut a notch, and start your back cut to get the tree to fall, the chances of the tree splitting up the trunk is very high, so I was very.. um.. alert to my surroundings to say the least. I notched it and started my back cut. As soon as the tree started to fall, I ran to my safe zone and watched as it just leaned over and stopped. I sneaked back down to the tree from my safe zone and cut another inch or so of back cut as the tree started to lean some more. I ran back to the safe zone and watched as the tree leaned over gently ever more, then stopped again. Dang! I thought to myself. I looked and looked and could not see anything holding it, and decided it still needed some back cut. I stuck the tip of my saw into the back cut and gave it another 1/2 inch of cut. This time it fell. Then I realized something. I parked my truck in this trail and cut this huge tree behind the truck! Dead end road. Only way out is where this tree is blocking the road.

I cut the brush out of the top, tossed it aside and starting cutting everything 2inches and greater, being ever so alert as to not get my saw stuck or have anything happen to my saw as this would mean walking back home. Trust me, this would be a bad idea. It would not surprise me to come back to someone vandalizing my truck, if not burn it for fun. (Didn't used to be this way until people started using our property to ride atvs, hunt, and just all around trespass and dump garbage) Anyways......i got a clear path opened up and man did I feel relieved having not been.. "trapped" by my own fallen tree. Again I loaded the s-10 until it was squatted. My hitch dragging on every rock and ditch I came to. Got this load home and I felt very tired. I laid down on the couch and took me a nice little nap. Strangely some kind of banging awoke me. It sounded like wood banging together! I looked outside and my gf was unloading the truck, and stacking what didn't need to be split. What a woman!... I went out and helped her finish up. Tomorrow is another day and it supposed to be a bit warmer. Thinking about cutting again tomorrow.

First day = almost broke my foot

Second day = could have stranded myself and lost a truck.

Have fun, enjoy the time in the woods, and don't forget your safety gear.

Lets hear how your first few days of cutting season went!

 

[Dobish]

that seems like a lot more work than me... i got a load dumped into my yard, spent 5 hours cutting it up with the saw (i had to sharpen the saw a few times, and put some gas in the saw 2 times, and some bar oil), then rolled it down the hill.

Its amazing what you can learn by experience! I bet you don't make either of those mistakes again!

 

[saewoody]

I will start off by setting the scene. Last year it took me all spring/summer/fall to cut enough wood for the winter using an atv and small pull behind trailer. This year I have upgraded to a small chevy truck (s10 4x4) which has a broken frame, but still hauls wood. Hopefully it will hold until I get it welded up and hopefully it will increase my firewood production.

The first day I cut firewood, I scouted a good sized hickory that was blown over around a year and a half ago, but it was down a very steep powerline right-of-way. I figured that old s-10 should make it up with full load, even tho it has 4 completely bald tires and a broken frame. Surprisingly, it didn't spin a tire although the trail was covered in leaves. My gf all the while thinking I was going to pop a wheelie, as it was squatted pretty good, and with the incline, all i could see out the windshield was blue sky. At this point I was all pumped, these S-10's are awsome!. I got it home no problem. Now during the chore of cutting up this hickory to size, I happened to drop a 20 in (x) 18 inch round right on my foot! I knew I should have worn my steel toed boots as this blown over tree was right at waist height and of course the round didn't land squarely. As I was cutting through, as normal, the end dipped down and fell in a diagonal fashion, and the edge is what got my foot. Cheap leather tennis shoes shouldn't even go into the woods, much less cut firewood wearing them. Surprisingly the pain went away, until after I bucked and stacked my day's haul. Later that night I could barely walk. I was thinking the mistake of not wearing proper shoes had cost me at least a weeks worth of cutting.

I got up the next morning still limping, but walked it off. Later that evening, I decided it was time for day 2 of cutting. I got in my little wood hauler, fired it up, and took off. Yes I wore proper shoes this time.. ....Near where I found the hickory, I spotted a decent sized beech just begging to be cut, so cut it I did. My experience with many beech trees is that after you cut a notch, and start your back cut to get the tree to fall, the chances of the tree splitting up the trunk is very high, so I was very.. um.. alert to my surroundings to say the least. I notched it and started my back cut. As soon as the tree started to fall, I ran to my safe zone and watched as it just leaned over and stopped. I sneaked back down to the tree from my safe zone and cut another inch or so of back cut as the tree started to lean some more. I ran back to the safe zone and watched as the tree leaned over gently ever more, then stopped again. Dang! I thought to myself. I looked and looked and could not see anything holding it, and decided it still needed some back cut. I stuck the tip of my saw into the back cut and gave it another 1/2 inch of cut. This time it fell. Then I realized something. I parked my truck in this trail and cut this huge tree behind the truck! Dead end road. Only way out is where this tree is blocking the road.

I cut the brush out of the top, tossed it aside and starting cutting everything 2inches and greater, being ever so alert as to not get my saw stuck or have anything happen to my saw as this would mean walking back home. Trust me, this would be a bad idea. It would not surprise me to come back to someone vandalizing my truck, if not burn it for fun. (Didn't used to be this way until people started using our property to ride atvs, hunt, and just all around trespass and dump garbage) Anyways......i got a clear path opened up and man did I feel relieved having not been.. "trapped" by my own fallen tree. Again I loaded the s-10 until it was squatted. My hitch dragging on every rock and ditch I came to. Got this load home and I felt very tired. I laid down on the couch and took me a nice little nap. Strangely some kind of banging awoke me. It sounded like wood banging together! I looked outside and my gf was unloading the truck, and stacking what didn't need to be split. What a woman!... I went out and helped her finish up. Tomorrow is another day and it supposed to be a bit warmer. Thinking about cutting again tomorrow.

First day = almost broke my foot

Second day = could have stranded myself and lost a truck.

Have fun, enjoy the time in the woods, and don't forget your safety gear.

Lets hear how your first few days of cutting season went!

Thanks for sharing. Fun story to read and some food for thought!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lost in the woods]

i'm almost done for the year! I was cutting tops on private property mostly oak and also a good bit of soft maple. just last week I got a call from a friend and was able to gather up 2 loads of dead ash from his field lane. had a little saw trouble in march- had to get new carb for husq. 365 and my husq. 570 just needed a little tune up. the only dumb thing I did this year was I threw a piece of wood into my tail lamp! cracked it so I had to replace that. This is the first full year of splitting with my fiskars. I love that thing! once you go to the fiskars you wonder how and why you ever used anything else! hopefully gonna slay some dead oak on state land this summer to finish up. happy cutting to all!

 

[kennyp2339]

I'm clearing / cleaning up a new spot to do my splitting, once that's done i'll start bringing in logs, I did re-stock the woodshed yesterday, sitting on 2 years of seasoned wood in the shed. I just need to get my year "3" wood.

 

[Tar12]

Just wrapping up my 3 year wood supply....all oak...I am going to start on on year 4 and possibly year 5 yet this year...it is a wonderful feeling to be this far ahead! Had a friend call and ask if I was interested in 260 Ash and Oak tops? I found out I drive right by this place on my way home from work...it is a cow pasture.....drive right up to the tops...I am all over it! lol

 

[Dobish]

i just walked out back to cut the grass in the back field, and the neighbor walks over and says "hey, i took down this elm tree, and i'm going to help you carry it over to your pile. I even cut it up for you, you just need to split it".

 

[Tar12]

i just walked out back to cut the grass in the back field, and the neighbor walks over and says "hey, i took down this elm tree, and i'm going to help you carry it over to your pile. I even cut it up for you, you just need to split it".

And? lol

 

[Dobish]

And? lol

i can't tell me wife, or i get in trouble...

 

[JRHAWK9]

I got done splitting /stacking my winters haul a couple weeks ago. Ended up with 7.5 cord. Sure didn't seem like I was out cutting all that much this winter, but somehow I ended up with 7.5 cord. Full cord.

I also use an ATV and ATV trailer. This combo has hauled out 40+ full cord since fall of 2014 when I bought the ATV. I'm a good 10+ years ahead, as I am right around that 55 cord area at the moment.....lol

 

[Eureka]

Those trailers are awesome I can’t seem to overload mine and it changed my whole process for the better. I split and toss into the trailer then dump at my stack which has helped me a lot because I try to split in one area.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Here's how many times I handle my firewood. I use it as my exercise regimen! LOL Woods to trailer, trailer to pile, pile to log splitter, log splitter back to trailer, trailer to stack, stack to cart, cart to log rack and then log rack to furnace.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Those trailers are awesome I can’t seem to overload mine and it changed my whole process for the better. I split and toss into the trailer then dump at my stack which has helped me a lot because I try to split in one area.

View attachment 226536 View attachment 226537

yeah, it's crazy what they will hold and the abuse they will take. I haul all of my wood out of the woods with it.

 

[Eureka]

yeah, it's crazy what they will hold and the abuse they will take. I haul all of my wood out of the woods with it.

It also doesn’t hurt to have the right machine to pull it with Can-Am rocks I have the new 570 and it is impressive for an entry level machine.

If anyone is wondering, those are Polar 1500 HD trailers. JRHAWK9 has the tandem walking axle option and we both have the optional side rail extender. Featherweight and very strong I highly recommend them for moving firewood or anything else. I also put a 2” ball coupler on mine. Northern Tool had the best price for me.

 

[Ashful]

My cutting season was back when the ground was frozen hard.

With my new rig, I can fell, skid, load, and haul home roughly one cord per hour, even more if I’m grabbing stuff that’s already on the ground. So, cutting season was much shorter this year. [emoji14]

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I got done splitting /stacking my winters haul a couple weeks ago. Ended up with 7.5 cord. Sure didn't seem like I was out cutting all that much this winter, but somehow I ended up with 7.5 cord. Full cord.

I also use an ATV and ATV trailer. This combo has hauled out 40+ full cord since fall of 2014 when I bought the ATV. I'm a good 10+ years ahead, as I am right around that 55 cord area at the moment.....lol

View attachment 226534

How do you like the tandem axle? Some reviews I read complained about axles bending with heavy loads and soft ground.

 

[JRHAWK9]

How do you like the tandem axle? Some reviews I read complained about axles bending with heavy loads and soft ground.

I have had zero issues and been loading it heavy for four years now. Although, I use it mainly in winter because I don't want to rut things up. I have used it a few times towards spring dragging it through some soft stuff and never had any issues.

It's not technically a tandem axle. It's still a single axle but with a walking arm. The walking arm really helps smooth things out over rough terrain and makes pulling easier as well over rough terrain. .

 

[redmanlcs]

Funny tho... I use an atv and trailer, but in the background I can see your property seems pretty level... my place is very rough and could not imagine getting 10+ cords with it...