Carrying Firewood with Compact Tractor

[ALauer]

So, I own a Ford 1520 with a 3pt hitch and a loader. I work by myself on firewood and most projects. The firewood I get is a 2 mile drive through my field by tractor. I have a John Deere Gator but, I need the loader on the tractor to lift trees and move them around and I'm not sure the Gator will make it cross the creek that I need to cross to get to the area that I cut. I have been putting the wood in my bucket on the loader and I can only fit like 20 pieces of wood in the bucket. I need something to put on the 3pt but I'm not sure what to do. I can get a scrap box blade or metal to use. I'm a mechanic and welder so I am more than capable of making something. Just need ideas. No, I can't just pull my trailer back there because I don't know that I can make some of the turns that I need to. Thanks for your help guys!

 

[davesl708]

There are several 3pth carriers designs in the project section that several on here have built. They look like they carry pretty well.

 

[Ford850]

I use a carryall on the back, and fill the bucket too. It balances out pretty well that way. Sometimes I use a small trailer like this, 19 lb. Capacity 4-1/2 in x 48 in Utility Trailer that I built up sides on to haul behind my mowers, BCS, and my tractor. I originally used the trailer on the road, but stripped off the lights long ago so I could use it around the property without worrying about breaking the lights. I even replaced the tongue last year, with a longer length of 2" i.d. tube all the way to the back. Now I can add a hitch on the rear and tow another trailer or the splitter behind it.

 

[ALauer]

I was thinking about possibly doing a pallet fork style carry-all, making a steel pallet with high steel sides that I could then just use to drop and off the wood at the pile and stacking later. I could at a later time make a second pallet just like the original so I could drop the first pallet off and then grab another and do more without doing as much stacking. Right now, I take the bucket and just drop the wood in a big pile by the stack and usually don't get to stacking it for like a month. Not the most efficient.

 

[dickfoster]

I was thinking about possibly doing a pallet fork style carry-all, making a steel pallet with high steel sides that I could then just use to drop and off the wood at the pile and stacking later. I could at a later time make a second pallet just like the original so I could drop the first pallet off and then grab another and do more without doing as much stacking. Right now, I take the bucket and just drop the wood in a big pile by the stack and usually don't get to stacking it for like a month. Not the most efficient.

I'd maybe reconsider building the thing out of steel due to the added weight if not the cost. You could likely build several out of wood for what one would cost made out of steel and it would be lighter allowing you to carry more payload. Maybe two, three or more wooden pallet type of affairs with high sides. Load em up, then just drop them in your wood shed, then just pick them up when it's time to haul it to the house. I don't know about you but I get tired of loading and restacking the stuff.

 

[PJSprog]

The King Kutter and County Line Carry All are both reasonable, and is what I am considering as a base for my 3-pt tool rack project. Not sure where you are in Calloway County, but it appears Orscheln carries KK and TSC carries CL.

 

[ALauer]

I'd maybe reconsider building the thing out of steel due to the added weight if not the cost. You could likely build several out of wood for what one would cost made out of steel and it would be lighter allowing you to carry more payload. Maybe two, three or more wooden pallet type of affairs with high sides. Load em up, then just drop them in your wood shed, then just pick them up when it's time to haul it to the house.

I agree the weight may be significant. Seeing as in the winter months it will get tons of weight put on it weekly, I would be willing to sacrifice weight for support. I have no interest replacing these a few times a year. I possibly could just reinforce the wood with metal. How does that sound?

 

[bcp]

Carryall for firewood.

Bruce

 

[Deere Dude]

I made a rack with 1/8 x 1-1/4 steel angle iron 6' wide by 4' high by a couple feet deep. I put wheels on it so I could push it around after filling.

I put the forks under it and drive to the wood pile with split wood and load it up and away I go.

It is only a quarter mile so something like this may not work because of the visibility problem and going through a woods. The next thing for me would be a carryall big enough to carry 1/2 a full cord.

 

[4570Man]

Why not pull a trailer and drop it before the going gets tough. Then load the trailer moving wood a lot less than 2 miles and pull it back. Or build a bracket to tow the Gator and you'd have them both in the woods and use the gator to haul it out.