Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[John_Mc]

Looking toward the corner after clearing the east side. I later decided to remove a couple of the curvy redbuds on the right.
View attachment 1968038

What are you protecting in that little circular fence?

 

[dodge man]

wood for next winter?

It’s probably wood for two years from now.

 

[Runner]

What are you protecting in that little circular fence?

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I think (hope) it's a hickory tree, but it is so young and spindly, I just can't tell. What I know for sure is that ANY young trees I want to try to preserve around my place MUST be protected by a fence or the deer will destroy it just for fun.

There are also a couple small oaks in that same area that I need to get fenced very soon....

 

[dodge man]

I burned a tank of fuel through the MS261 today. I’ll split some tomorrow.

 

[EdwardL]

In the past I either cut fire wood in the National Forest or got it from people who had trees cut down and did not want to pay to have it hauled off and gave it away. This year I had a log truck load delivered. To move the 24 ft logs to the splitter I built a 200 lb weight that I can attach skidding tongs to using the grab hook on the tongs.

I used an old cast iron coal furnace door, loaded with old window slash weights, and put a piece of chain on the top to attach the skidding tongs to. Its really ugly but it cost about $35 to build and it works fine on a compact Emax 20s.

 

[Gordon Gould]

In the past I either cut fire wood in the National Forest or got it from people who had trees cut down and did not want to pay to have it hauled off and gave it away. This year I had a log truck load delivered. To move the 24 ft logs to the splitter I built a 200 lb weight that I can attach skidding tongs to using the grab hook on the tongs.

I used an old cast iron coal furnace door, loaded with old window slash weights, and put a piece of chain on the top to attach the skidding tongs to. Its really ugly but it cost about $35 to build and it works fine on a compact Emax 20s.

I like your counter weight. I'm thinking that is what it is. Nothing wrong with that - a weigh is a weight. How do you hook it to your top link ?? Or do I have it wrong ?

gg

 

[WinterDeere]

A few asked about my wagon, and how I back it under the patio, a few pages back. I just refilled it yesterday morning, and remembered to grab a photo when backing it in:



Looking into the sun here, so a little hard to see in the shadows. But you can see in the second photo that it's possible to push that drawbar at a 90-degree (even more, dep. on hitch extension), to steer these wagons sideways in reverse. That's not possible with a regular single-axle trailer, the additional steering of the front axle is what makes this possible, if a bit more of a mind-F--k for those just learning it.

My only real challenge in all of this with visibility, not dexterity. The goal is putting it 1" from that window sill along the back wall, so I have maximum room between wagon and knee wall, without bumping that ancient oak window sill. But I can't see the window sill over the back of the wagon, from the driver's seat, and I usually have no spotter available. I have managed to rub paint a few times, but never more than a little paint transfer, no dents or damage.

I lay may firewood satchels open on that knee wall to load them from the wagon, before carrying it in thru that red door, to load the stoves.

 

[shooterdon]

WD, I would still never attempt it.

 

[Duds13]

A few asked about my wagon, and how I back it under the patio, a few pages back. I just refilled it yesterday morning, and remembered to grab a photo when backing it in:

View attachment 1969496 View attachment 1969499

Looking into the sun here, so a little hard to see in the shadows. But you can see in the second photo that it's possible to push that drawbar at a 90-degree (even more, dep. on hitch extension), to steer these wagons sideways in reverse. That's not possible with a regular single-axle trailer, the additional steering of the front axle is what makes this possible, if a bit more of a mind-F--k for those just learning it.

My only real challenge in all of this with visibility, not dexterity. The goal is putting it 1" from that window sill along the back wall, so I have maximum room between wagon and knee wall, without bumping that ancient oak window sill. But I can't see the window sill over the back of the wagon, from the driver's seat, and I usually have no spotter available. I have managed to rub paint a few times, but never more than a little paint transfer, no dents or damage.

I lay may firewood satchels open on that knee wall to load them from the wagon, before carrying it in thru that red door, to load the stoves.

That's pretty dang impressive!

 

[Gordon Gould]

Some pictures from today. I added some to the Spruce/Fir stud wood pile.

Then I went back down to get one more. A white spruce that up rooted in the wind about a month ago. It was hung up and at a 45* angle until Thanksgiving when the wet snow brought it down.

Fun limbing that and it's kind of ugly.

By the time I was done I was out of steam and didn't have the oomph to pull it out of there. I decided it would be better for me to leave it propped up off the ground until after the rain coming tomorrow.

gg

 

[BackRoad]

Looks like you've finally gotten some snow Mr. Gordon.

Moving around in that will wear anybody out while limbing!

 

[goeduck]

Some pictures from today. I added some to the Spruce/Fir stud wood pile.


View attachment 1976523


Then I went back down to get one more. A white spruce that up rooted in the wind about a month ago. It was hung up and at a 45* angle until Thanksgiving when the wet snow brought it down.


View attachment 1976602


Fun limbing that and it's kind of ugly.


View attachment 1976603


By the time I was done I was out of steam and didn't have the oomph to pull it out of there. I decided it would be better for me to leave it propped up off the ground until after the rain coming tomorrow.


View attachment 1976604


gg

Looks like a tree I'd be after out here. Except without snow. Lots of good wood in there.

 

[shooterdon]

No pictures but brought 5 face cords of wood in bulk bags into the garage today. Should be set for a few weeks.

 

[dodge man]

A wood drying question. In my mind you have two kinds of moisture, from when the tree was a living organism and when it gets external moisture, like rain. If you season wood for a year or two that gets the moisture out of it from when it was alive.

When the wood gets rained on, does that mostly stay on the outside and dry off quickly or get inside the wood and take weeks to dry out?

 

[WinterDeere]

A wood drying question. In my mind you have two kinds of moisture, from when the tree was a living organism and when it gets external moisture, like rain. If you season wood for a year or two that gets the moisture out of it from when it was alive.

When the wood gets rained on, does that mostly stay on the outside and dry off quickly or get inside the wood and take weeks to dry out?

Think of it this way: Water moves very slowly through the cellular structure of the wood. This is why it takes split wood so long to dry sufficiently to be of good use in a modern wood stove.

So, when wood gets rained on, of course the outside gets wet. The water begins to move into the wood, but cannot get very far into the structure, before the rain event ends and things begin to dry out. And because only the outer fraction of an inch is absorbing most of that incident water, it quickly dries.

A single rain event does affect your wood, but on a days-long, not weeks-long time scale.

 

[Rockbadchild]

A wood drying question. In my mind you have two kinds of moisture, from when the tree was a living organism and when it gets external moisture, like rain. If you season wood for a year or two that gets the moisture out of it from when it was alive.

When the wood gets rained on, does that mostly stay on the outside and dry off quickly or get inside the wood and take weeks to dry out?

I agree with WinterDeere... just to expand on it, yes it wood dose absorb moisture you notice that on wood Axe handle as a example, when dry the wood fiber retract and the handle will get loose and when moisture is present the wood will expand and get tight, so wood dose absorb moisture. When you stack your wood in the elements you should have the bark up (toward the sky) to minimize this, because the bark is a better sealant and will minimize water absorption.

 

[dodge man]

I have old metal roofing over my stacks but I’m sure it still gets wet.

 

[EdwardL]

I like your counter weight. I'm thinking that is what it is. Nothing wrong with that - a weigh is a weight. How do you hook it to your top link ?? Or do I have it wrong ?

gg

I don't hook it to the top link. Just use the lift arms and the skidding tongs to get the front end of a log off the ground, and drag a log about 100 feet from where it was unloaded to where I have the splitter. -- the weight is to simply to counter balance the bucket when it filled with split wood. And when I use the bucket to life a 20 in round onto the splitter. Could turn it vertical, but I think its easier to lift them up onto the rail. Less bending, and juggling into position that way. -- I go through about 8 cords a year, and keep my oil use to about 100 gal, a year. In Vermont.

The weight is around 200 pounds and just about right for what I do.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I don't hook it to the top link. Just use the lift arms and the skidding tongs to get the front end of a log off the ground, and drag a log about 100 feet from where it was unloaded to where I have the splitter. -- the weight is to simply to counter balance the bucket when it filled with split wood. And when I use the bucket to life a 20 in round onto the splitter. Could turn it vertical, but I think its easier to lift them up onto the rail. Less bending, and juggling into position that way. -- I go through about 8 cords a year, and keep my oil use to about 100 gal, a year. In Vermont.

The weight is around 200 pounds and just about right for what I do.

OK thanks. Good explanation and a good way to do what you do. When I see something different I am always curious how it is used. There is something to be learned everywhere.

Where in VT. I'm in Waterford near St. J.

gg

 

[WinterDeere]

When you stack your wood in the elements you should have the bark up (toward the sky) to minimize this, because the bark is a better sealant and will minimize water absorption.

Oh no you di'nt! That old "bark up vs bark down" debate on various woodburner forums, makes every "Deere vs. Kubota" thread on this forum look tame and agreeable.

Bark up is indeed a good way to shed incident rain, but also slows the drying of the wood in good weather, so which is best is going to depend on your conditions. I tend to stack bark down, because my stacks are under a roof. But since I'm drying my wood for 3-4 years before use, it honestly wouldn't matter much either way, in my case.