I see on here where a lot of folks utilize their tractors to retrieve firewood with a lot of creativity, and very successfully. I figured this may be a great source of information since I know very little on this subject. Here's the deal...
My father has about 26 acres of wooded mountain ground that we use for hunting and general recreation type stuff. It will be mine someday, hopefully not for many more years, of course. But naturally I treat it as my own, just the same. I also have access to another lot roughly the same size,, owned by my aunt. This was all part of my grandparents family farm at one point. There is always fallen trees all throughout the properties. I have spent the past 20 years clearing whatever falls across truck and atv trails and the like and typically bring some wood home for the fire pit for picnics, parties, and whatever. The rest we let lie where it falls. Since I have had my tractor this chore is much easier, of course, and I'm considering getting into using this firewood to help heat my home also.
We have an oil furnace and will continue to use it for the main level of the house as needed. I am only interested in a wood stove for the basement as a secondary heat source. I have no desire to cut down healthy, live trees. But we have a lot of fallen timber just laying there cluttering up the woods and going to waste. Utilizing it would kill two birds...cleaning up our woods and providing a heat source.
I'm not new to cutting up the logs but I am new to using firewood for a home so I would have a lot to learn and it would be an investment to get started. Of course I need to buy a wood stove and get it properly and safely installed. I also considered a grapple for my tractor to help move logs. Mahindra Max 26xl. This property is about 3-4 miles from my house, but I have a trailer to transport the tractor, or could drive it, and I have a dump trailer to haul wood home with. I actually enjoy the work involved with firewood, but then again, it is completely recreational at this point, lol.
So I need a wood stove, a grapple, a splitter, and an education on firewood. So from you more experienced folks does this sound like something worth getting started with or not worth the money, time, and energy involved?
My father has about 26 acres of wooded mountain ground that we use for hunting and general recreation type stuff. It will be mine someday, hopefully not for many more years, of course. But naturally I treat it as my own, just the same. I also have access to another lot roughly the same size,, owned by my aunt. This was all part of my grandparents family farm at one point. There is always fallen trees all throughout the properties. I have spent the past 20 years clearing whatever falls across truck and atv trails and the like and typically bring some wood home for the fire pit for picnics, parties, and whatever. The rest we let lie where it falls. Since I have had my tractor this chore is much easier, of course, and I'm considering getting into using this firewood to help heat my home also.
We have an oil furnace and will continue to use it for the main level of the house as needed. I am only interested in a wood stove for the basement as a secondary heat source. I have no desire to cut down healthy, live trees. But we have a lot of fallen timber just laying there cluttering up the woods and going to waste. Utilizing it would kill two birds...cleaning up our woods and providing a heat source.
I'm not new to cutting up the logs but I am new to using firewood for a home so I would have a lot to learn and it would be an investment to get started. Of course I need to buy a wood stove and get it properly and safely installed. I also considered a grapple for my tractor to help move logs. Mahindra Max 26xl. This property is about 3-4 miles from my house, but I have a trailer to transport the tractor, or could drive it, and I have a dump trailer to haul wood home with. I actually enjoy the work involved with firewood, but then again, it is completely recreational at this point, lol.
So I need a wood stove, a grapple, a splitter, and an education on firewood. So from you more experienced folks does this sound like something worth getting started with or not worth the money, time, and energy involved?