my bucking back...

[j7art2]

Literally.

That being said, when I get firewood, I either cut them into 6' lengths or 4' lengths, depending on if I'm getting wood with my quad or my truck. When I get home, I often just toss all the wood into a gigantic pile, then start bucking away cutting it down to length. This is seriously killing my back though.

What would you suggest for making bucking logs to length easier on the back? Saw horses won't work because my saw is too torquey. It'll take the log right off and yank it toward me.

How the buck do you guys buck without hurting your bucking back?

 

[Jags]

Hmmm...For the few seconds it adds to the equation I would simply cut to length in the woods. Less weight to lift into the trailer and less handling all the way around.

ETA - my goto method if time allows.
Buck to length in the woods.
Load trailer.
Unload rounds directly to the splitter
Stack.

 

[j7art2]

I started out doing that, but noticed that if I stacked the logs uncut, I could carry significantly more in the truck. Cut to length and tossed in, I can carry about a face in the truck. Stacked nicely and in 6' lengths, I can get about a face and a half. The place I'm harvesting from is an 18 minute drive from my house, so it adds up! I guess I could stack it in the back of my truck once cut to length, but that seems to be a big time waster.

 

[claydogg84]

I always knock them into rounds to load up. Im sure you're right about being able to fit more in the way you're doing it, but after sawing I find the loading process helps my back loosen up a bit.

 

[Jags]

but that seems to be a big time waster.

It would be interesting to find out if stacking cut to length rounds into the truck takes more or less time than unload logs and then buck to length. I have my suspicions.

 

[j7art2]

It would be interesting to find out if stacking cut to length rounds into the truck takes more or less time than unload logs and then buck to length. I have my suspicions.

I didn't think about taking the time to cut and buck them at home, you make a good point there. I do enjoy the immense strength training that handling full length logs entails though, and I think the wife also is enjoying the results. Ha.

I may try it your way and see if it makes any difference. The one nice thing I do like about full length logs though is that when overloaded in a truck and driving, they have much less chance to roll out. That could be combated with a tarp though I guess.

 

[j7art2]

Figured out what I needed. A firewood jig. Excuse the poor pic, but this is easy to make! Link Removed

 

[Roundgunner]

I like this 6 foot bucking horse. I can put up to 8' lengths with the ends even on the far end, then it is marked to cut 24" lengths. I can put quite a few 2, 3 & 4" limbs in it and even the occasional 5" and cut them right next to the rack so I can just stack and be done.

 

[j7art2]

Not a bad design! That's what I'd like, to be able to do multiples at once.

 

[D8Chumley]

Do you do any stretching prior to this? My body, especially my back never felt better than when I was going to karate 2-3x a week for a few years. 20 minutes of intense stretching prior to class helped out these old bones immensely

 

[j7art2]

Nope. I probably should though. I've always had back problems; my left leg is an inch shorter than my right and isn't corrected. Dirt bike accident as a kid.

 

[maple1]

Have a trailer? Get a sawbuck thing set up on your trailer, load it full where you get your wood at, then cut it to length right on the trailer when you get it home.

That's what I do with my ATV & trailer. And I also have a wonky back. Helps immensely and also speeds up the process.

Doesn't take much to make a sawbuck setup. Just some high wood bunks across the bottom, and some wood uprights down the sides.

 

[j7art2]

I've got tons of pallet wood to build a jig from. Sometimes I use my truck, sometimes a trailer and a quad, so it's hard to say what i'll be using. I don't mind throwing stuff up on a jig. My dad is insistent that I should build an X style. I like the one I linked better, simply because the X's aren't coming at you, allowing me to get closer to the wood when cutting.

 

[maple1]

Mine has no x or triangle shape. Just square, built on a pallet so I can set it anywhere. Even the back of a truck if I wanted.

 

[j7art2]

Could you snap a pic when you get a moment?

 

[maple1]

That's the one I was talking about. Pic a couple years old. Could use more uprights.

I do the same thing with another trailer, has stake pockets so I put some uprights in those & lay down a few big pieces before piling for bunks:

 

[j7art2]

Oh sweet. Very cool. Thanks!

 

[midwestcoast]

Bucking kills my back too. I can hand split, load, stack… without as much trouble as bucking.
I do my bucking in my yard or driveway from scrounges or tree-service drops. I now roll each long off the pile and buck right on the ground, kneeling on one knee 90% of the time. Much easier on my back then bending over with the saw.

 

[j7art2]

I was going to start sitting on a milk crate while bucking before I discovered the firewood jig.

Running a 16lb chainsaw while sitting though sounds at least semi-dangerous though.

 

[maple1]

In that pic above from a couple years ago, I was using an ms250 with 16" bar.

I found an ms360 this summer for a decent price, and put a 20" bar on it. It works real good doing that. I used that same sawbuck setup in the pic this past weekend actually, cutting up a 1-2 cord pile of smallish stuff in the yard that was anywhere from 6' to 16' long. I could cut the whole thing up with no lengths moving out of place before I got them all cut to shorts. With the 250, I was wanting more uprights to hold the lengths in place better until I got them all cut to shorts. This weekend I cut that whole 6'-16' load to 18" in about 5 minutes with the 360 - walked from side to side a couple times cutting halfway down at a time and working from right to left and things stayed put until I was done with them, and 2 lengths of the 20" bar gets all the way through. That was about 1/4 cord at a time/trailer load. Huge time & back saver, and if you park the trailer right beside where you're going to pile you save more time. I hate moving wood shorts by hand, so the more of it I can avoid the better. Anything too big to get on the trailer I usually cut to length right where the tree landed, tow the splitter right to that, toss in the second trailer with sideboards on it right off the splitter, then stack from the trailer to pallets. That's the last time I touch it until I put it in the fire. Takes me about 5 trailer loads for a cord doing it that way.

You could put this sawbuck thing in the back of a truck too - long as you're careful and don't get your saw into the bed when you're cutting. But it would be kinda cramped & awkward & you wouldn't get as much on the truck - trailer would work way better.

 

[rustynut]

not sure if i've missed it or not?
but a motorcycle back brace (about $30) works wonders for those bucking days.
At least tripples my go time and leaves me in good shape the next day
rn

 

[Bret Chase]

I like this 6 foot bucking horse. I can put up to 8' lengths with the ends even on the far end, then it is marked to cut 24" lengths. I can put quite a few 2, 3 & 4" limbs in it and even the occasional 5" and cut them right next to the rack so I can just stack and be done.

I made one VERY similar to that.. but 4' long. I eventually wore it out.. and modified the design to one that is more square... so that if a tooth catches... there's less chance of a small round launching towards you/

 

[Firewood Bandit]

I cut these yesterday. They are pretty heavy the way they are, 4-6' long and I wouldn't be able to lift them.

(broken image removed)

(broken image removed)

 

[Roundgunner]

This is how I used my horse today.


Right out of the Kubota into the horse then onto the rack.

 

[D8Chumley]

Now all I need is a Kubota