LS Tractor is a firewood machine

[4570Man]

I've seen many pictures of your operation, and I find it very interesting and efficient. But I've also seen pictures of your helper standing on a wagon operating a chainsaw with little safety gear. Seems like a recipe for disaster. Lose your footing and not only drive a chain through your shin, fall off a wagon and break some bones. I know everything in life has it's risks and I know I take risks that I shouldn't, so kinda the pot calling the kettle here, but there's got to be a safer way and still maintain efficiency.

We already know that SR way is best and we’re all wrong but it’s definitely a more dangerous way of doing things. That’s like arguing that it’s just as safe to walk down a flight of stairs covered in ice in regular shoes vs a clean dry set. When I cut on the ground I always cut on unobstructed ground and then push the cut rounds up tighter with the tractor. SR usually ignores when I ask how to get the rounds off the center of the wagon without repeatedly climbing on the wagon. I suppose you could drag a few with a pickaroon, but that’s fairly limited in the size of what you could drag. When I split the cut pile on the ground I just park the splitter with lift on the downhill side and when I’ve been splitting a while and the gap grows greater I push the pile closer with the tractor. It doesn’t get much easier than rolling a round down hill and hitting a lever to lift it.

 

[MossRoad]

Standing on that wagon is no different than standing on the ground, it's stable and the wagon does not move one bit while cutting...

You are right about one thing though, IF YOU think it's too unsafe for YOU, then YOU shouldn't do it!

Some folks shouldn't even have a chainsaw in their hands!

SR

Yeah, until the unexpected shift in a log or round knocks you off balance. On the ground I fall on my butt and on a wagon I tip over the edge and land on my neck. That's the only difference. Again, I do stupid stuff, too, like decorating a 40' Christmas tree with a 14' ladder and a 23' painter's pole, off balance, on a ladder. I wouldn't suggest anyone else do it. There's gotta be a better way.

 

[4570Man]

Yeah, until the unexpected shift in a log or round knocks you off balance. On the ground I fall on my butt and on a wagon I tip over the edge and land on my neck. That's the only difference. Again, I do stupid stuff, too, like decorating a 40' Christmas tree with a 14' ladder and a 23' painter's pole, off balance, on a ladder. I wouldn't suggest anyone else do it. There's gotta be a better way.

The ground has enough area to move out and not be standing in a log pile. Standing in a log pile isn’t great but the rounds dropping on the log pile then rolling unpredictability is by far the biggest danger. The stability of the wagon was the least of problems. Even if you do feel safe doing it why make an dangerous operation more dangerous? You’re obviously not broke. What’s the objection to a log lift? It’s probably $500 to buy and not very much to fab yourself.

 

[MossRoad]

The ground has enough area to move out and not be standing in a log pile. Standing in a log pile isn’t great but the rounds dropping on the log pile then rolling unpredictability is by far the biggest danger. The stability of the wagon was the least of problems.

Well, I understand him holding the log with the grapple while the other guy cuts it right onto the wagon. So the log isn't gonna shift. But once the rounds start piling up, or a round drops funny, and you go to move and your ankle hits something, etc.... then stuff can happen.

Maybe you can train yourself like the crab fishermen do to not pick their feet up when they throw the rope so it can't go under their feet? I don't know. I just wouldn't want to be standing on a platform cutting wood.

It does eliminate a step in handling the wood, and that's something I'm all for. I hate wasted movement and firewood processing for small potato ops like me and my little 6 cords for personal use shows lots of wasted movement. He's doing production. I get production. Been doing that all my life. But I've seen some horrendous injuries in the quest for production, and I hate to see that.

 

[4570Man]

Well, I understand him holding the log with the grapple while the other guy cuts it right onto the wagon. So the log isn't gonna shift. But once the rounds start piling up, or a round drops funny, and you go to move and your ankle hits something, etc.... then stuff can happen.

Maybe you can train yourself like the crab fishermen do to not pick their feet up when they throw the rope so it can't go under their feet? I don't know. I just wouldn't want to be standing on a platform cutting wood.

It does eliminate a step in handling the wood, and that's something I'm all for. I hate wasted movement and firewood processing for small potato ops like me and my little 6 cords for personal use shows lots of wasted movement. He's doing production. I get production. Been doing that all my life. But I've seen some horrendous injuries in the quest for production, and I hate to see that.

It’s not that log, it’s the one that you’re cutting off and it dropping. And it requires 2 people or a lot of climbing on the wagon. I’d like to hear an explanation that doesn’t involve throwing insults at someone else’s chainsaws ability how that’s even remotely as safe as sawing in the ground. But I doubt we’ll hear anymore on the issue from him because that’s his usual mode of operation.

 

[Diggin It]

Not sure why so many threads have to go down the rabbit hole. We all have our own methods. I use my LS tractor to move the splitter to where it's needed and leave it stationary, either vertical or horizontal as desired. Then I use my LS tractor with bucket to move logs into place to be worked. Then I use my LS tractor with bucket to move the split pieces to where they need to be stacked. Then I use my LS tractor to move the splitter into storage.

Ya'know, cuz this IS an LS thread.

 

[4570Man]

I thought it was a firewood thread... There’s only about 2 pages relevant material to discuss in most threads. After that the options are to go down the rabbit hole or dry up and die. If you don’t like it hit the unsubscribe button and move along. In this case it hasn’t even went down the rabbit hole yet.

 

[CMV]

What's wrong with how he's handling the chainsaw? Just asking since that looks like exactly what I do for pieces that aren't all that thick.

I like that log holder. I just keep moving a cut piece or 2 around to hold the log up while I section it, but that little lever clamp looks a lot better.