beenthere
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2001
- Messages
- 18,090
- Location
- Southern Wisconsin, USA
- Tractor
- JD_4x2_Gator, JD_4300, JD_425, JD_455 AWS, added JD_455, JD_110, JD_X485(sold)
Keep trying different things and different ways. I have over the 40 years I've been cutting firewood on my place with less than 1/4 mile distance.
Now, have settled on the system I like best (similar to redgoatea's).
I cut the tree down, and buck it to lengths (90" for me) and haul on the forks back to my wood shed area where the logs are stacked on a slight uphill grade above the splitting area. There it is convenient to take an hour or two to block into 18" lengths, roll down to the splitter, split and stack onto a waiting pallet. Stack the pallets two high in rows for at least two years drying. Move the pallets of dry wood directly into attached garage as needed for burning.
I find this routine minimal impact on amount of equipment needed in the woods (tractor with chainsaw in scabbard and axe/log chains/wedges/water on the ballast box). That equipment is all I need in the woods and fuel/oil can be added when dropping logs off at the wood shed.
For splitting, just need to roll out the splitter, pick up an empty pallet with the forks, split a pallet full, and move that pallet to the drying area.
This is the most efficient I've been over the 40 years, and enjoy doing the work. Don't handle the wood more than three times. To stack, to unstack, to toss in the woodburner.
Now, have settled on the system I like best (similar to redgoatea's).
I cut the tree down, and buck it to lengths (90" for me) and haul on the forks back to my wood shed area where the logs are stacked on a slight uphill grade above the splitting area. There it is convenient to take an hour or two to block into 18" lengths, roll down to the splitter, split and stack onto a waiting pallet. Stack the pallets two high in rows for at least two years drying. Move the pallets of dry wood directly into attached garage as needed for burning.
I find this routine minimal impact on amount of equipment needed in the woods (tractor with chainsaw in scabbard and axe/log chains/wedges/water on the ballast box). That equipment is all I need in the woods and fuel/oil can be added when dropping logs off at the wood shed.
For splitting, just need to roll out the splitter, pick up an empty pallet with the forks, split a pallet full, and move that pallet to the drying area.
This is the most efficient I've been over the 40 years, and enjoy doing the work. Don't handle the wood more than three times. To stack, to unstack, to toss in the woodburner.