Score!! I Love Craig's List

[Ralphie Boy]

Sooooo, I answered an ad on Craig’s list for free firewood. After 3 E-mails with no answer I figured I missed it. On the 4th day I get a call from a lady who says she has 11 trees in her back yard she had cut down but not removed! She said she had been too busy to answer right away.
I says “What kind of trees are they?” She says “Ash.” I says “I’m on my way over to see them!”
I get there and her back yard is a tangled mass of white ash trees crisscrossed on top of each other. The largest is about 30” around and the smallest is about 10” around. The limbs have been cut off and left where they fell. A few of the trees have been cut into 8 to 10 foot lengths.
I fires up the MS 441 and commence to cuttin’! The only problems are: I’m just one guy and I don’t even have a truck, just a Subaru Baja! And, she says I can only work between 11am and 3:30pm. And I can’t get the Baja into the back yard because there is only about a 40” walkway between her house and the neighbor’s house. But come hell or high water I’m getting it all!
The picture is after 2 days of cutting and hauling. I’m guessing, at best, it’s about 20% of the wood. I'll post a picture of what's left of the mess in the yard after I finish cutting today.

 

[Crane Stoves]

OMFG you have a Baja! lucky bastard

Ok, now thats out my system to to point... Is their anyway for you to either #1 drag the tree to a location for cutting loading (simple chain or rope tied around either end in a slip knot works fine). or #2 cut up the wood where it sits, throw it on a canvas tarp (ive even used an old carpet before) and drag that with the logs on it out into an area for loading? when i say drag im saying drag with a vehicle. GL bro... you got some nice looking wood their!

 

[coaly]

Hand cart through the narrow opening; or now don't laugh................ I had a load of precut wood to remove from a trailer park years ago, and duct taped a hand cart to the handle of a self propelled lawn mower. Take the blade off if the ground is rough, and you have a cart you don't have to push.

 

[ScotO]

Nice score! Ash is a great wood that will someday not be around anymore. Every woodpile deserves a nice ash!!

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Yep Doug, and it's yellow!

Both are good ideas, but neither will work in this case. I have to down the walkway then turn right to get to most of the wood. Just no way to pull and make a 90 deegree turn without damaging the side of her house. Maybe some sort of dolly would work, but, the ground is VERY soft so it would have to have wide tires. I think it's going to have to be done the hard way, one round at a time.

 

[jeff_t]

Hand cart through the narrow opening; or now don't laugh................ I had a load of precut wood to remove from a trailer park years ago, and duct taped a hand cart to the handle of a self propelled lawn mower. Take the blade off if the ground is rough, and you have a cart you don't have to push.

This is inviting a comment referencing a stereotype, but I shall refrain.

Good luck with the wood. Carrying all of it will suck. I don't mess with it if I can't drive up to it. How about one of those wagons they have at greenhouses? Like a kid's wagon, but way heavier and with pneumatic tires. They have them at TSC.

 

[muncybob]

If you find an easier way than 1 round at a time or not, it will be worth it. We loves the ash!
My latest CL score also took some time to develop but once I made contact with the owner I scored a year's worth of good firewood. Unlike your situation I was able to drive right up to it and some of it was already bucked to length. I keep an eye on CL daily, you never know what "free" wood you'll find out there! Just think of the better shape you'll be in when all that work is done

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Jeff, I think you have the answer! And I think I know where I can borrow one! Thanks for the idea!

 

[jeff_t]

Been thinking about getting one. Be nice to have this time of year, instead of firing up the atv and hooking up the trailer for a little wood. My wheelbarrow always has a soft tire, and is a PITA anyway. Plus my wife would use it around the yard. Might have talked myself into it.

 

[Gasifier]

Congrats Ralph. Nice score, nice work. Ash is great wood to burn anytime of the year.

 

[Flatbedford]

The trick is to get far enough ahead that you can walk away from scrounges like this. For now, I think you need a wheelbarrow.

 

[jackatc1]

Wheelbarrow x 2

I use a wheelbarrow when moveing splits from pile to stack's.
Even a few feet save's time, and back.

 

[Woody Stover]

The trick is to get far enough ahead that you can walk away from scrounges like this. For now, I think you need a wheelbarrow.

Yeah, the wheelbarrow should make that tight turn. Those rounds look kind of long though...might have to load 'em long ways. Still beats carrying them out one at a time. A lot of times I will use the 'barrow instead of the quad...it's just easier and quicker (depending on what I'm doing.) It's a lot easier hauling a wheelbarrow to a score site than a cart...

 

[WoodPorn]

Find an old snowblower and build one of these

 

[bogydave]

I moved many cords of wood with a wheelbarrow over the years. I still use it in tight places.
Great score.
It should add up pretty quick.
Have fun

 

[katwillny]

You lucky DAWG. thats a great score you got right there. Baja is on my short list of vehicles for my next purchase.

 

[ScotO]

Find an old snowblower and build one of theseView attachment 66085

who needs a DR Power Wagon when you got a Redneck Power Wagon. I love it!

 

[Crane Stoves]

OMFG that dude with rebuild on the snowblower at first i was like wtf is that o.0 ....then after reading i was like that guys DA MAN! mahahahahaha made my day!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ralph that is a good find even if it is a bit of work getting it out. You might be surprised to find those can be carried out in 4' sections without that much work. Stand the log up straight and bend the knees. As you start to lift the log, swing it onto the shoulder. It will seem lighter carrying it that way. We've carried many through muddy spots. The wagon and/or wheelbarrow also will work for you. However you decide, good luck.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

great score! You don't see many of those out my way ever...and time to invest in a pickup if your gonna be a scrounger on CL

 

[toonces]

awesome! i dragged my feet on a similar situation and it went poof before i could even get a fraction of the wood. and i ended up with probably almost two full cord of good oak so i can only imagine what i'd have gotten... go get it!

 

[BrianK]

Find an old snowblower and build one of theseView attachment 66085

That is awesome. I have an old snowblower that would serve that role perfectly and I have an area I need to scrounge wood where that would really come in handy. I'd like to see more photos of that one or ones like it. Got any links?

 

[MasterMech]

The only thing I worry about with the snowblower idea is the drive systems are usually just a friction disc setup. Not the most robust system invented. Brakes?

 

[Redlegs]

Good Score! If you cant get the wheelborrow or a two wheel dolly to it, you might ask friends and neighbors to borrow a teenager. Local kids here will pitch in a a few bucks, or soda and a burger maybe?

 

[SKIN052]

Ralph that is a good find even if it is a bit of work getting it out. You might be surprised to find those can be carried out in 4' sections without that much work. Stand the log up straight and bend the knees. As you start to lift the log, swing it onto the shoulder. It will seem lighter carrying it that way. We've carried many through muddy spots. The wagon and/or wheelbarrow also will work for you. However you decide, good luck.

I have to agree with you, Birch is hard to come by in my area and when you do find it you have to work to get it. I often cut it in 4' lengths and use a pulp hook to carry. 2 pulp hooks would help you carry 2 rounds at a time at least.

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