Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[4570Man]

There is no way I would pick up big wood like that, that many times. Holy crap, my back hurts watching you! You need to flip your woodsplitter over and bring the woodsplitter to the wood. Looking at what you have for tractors and splitters, it would be really easy to do. I have a homemade woodsplitter, but once I got my log loader I realized I had been splitting wood backwards for 43 years. I flipped so it was upside down, and can now swing my woodsplitter out to my round, pinch it, but not split it, waiting until it is over my dump trailer. In that way I never have to pick the wood up again until I lug the wood into the house. I don't even stack it in the woodshed, just push it in with the tractor. I am going to firewood chunking now, but it is the same premise; let the equipment do the work instead of me. I am TOO OLD to be lifting wood, constantly in danger of blowing out my back, just to turn it into ash. LOL

That might work on a knuckle boom loader with a swivel at the end, but would be incredibly unproductive on a tractor. I've got a log lift which pretty much eliminates lifting.

 

[KenB2920]

I like the hearing protection. When I was his age we had never heard of it, which is one reason my hearing is lacking today.

Yeah. It has music in that set. He really enjoys it. He would do it without the protection but naturally I make him. Thus far in life I still have great hearing although I didn’t always protect myself. Every time I see my FIL I think safety. His eyes and ears are going after years of being around Equipment l. Most of it’s cheap insurance.

 

[Jstpssng]

I think that hearing loss is somewhat hereditary and somewhat abuse. I've had ringing in my ears for as long as I can remember; my brother always said the same thing. Yet a lifetime without taking care around snowsleds, chainsaws, various equipment,too loud music and guns sure hasn't helped. Now though I can barely understand what they are saying on the radio, and talking to somebody in one of those off shore call centers which so many places use is really a challenge.

 

[BrokenTrack]

That might work on a knuckle boom loader with a swivel at the end, but would be incredibly unproductive on a tractor. I've got a log lift which pretty much eliminates lifting.

Yeah I agree.

I have seen a bunch of upside down woodsplitters and have wondered how really productive they are. Like the skid steers, they are pretty quick, but would really tear up the ground with all the turning and maneuvering to get the round into position to pick up. A mini-excavator would be better as it can rotate 360 degrees in one spot, but would still have to nudged the round just right to get a hold of it. A knuckle boom loader has a lot more maneuverability, and once it gets close, then it can rotate the woodsplitter 360 degrees to really grab a round without much fuss.

The log loader was definitely a good investment though, it being a really good platform to work off from:

Log Trailer
Dump Trailer
Post Hole Drill
Feller-Buncher
Upside Down Wood Splitter
Grader Blade

A firewood chunker, rock and root rake, and boom mounted mower will be next I think.

 

[John_Mc]

Stick with the 550 XP, and do NOT "upgrade" to the Husky 562 XP; what a junk saw!

I not-so-affectionately call it my "rattle box" because so many bolts and parts have rattled off the saw. Really under-powered; barely tolerable when it is razor sharp, but the second it even begins to dull, a person would be better off with an axe.

I will admit it was my own fault as even the dealer tried to talk me out of buying it, calling it a "disposable saw." "Buy it for $750, run it for a year, then trade it in at $350 for a new one".

Pretty soon though she will be out in the woods everyday, because like an old Partner Chainsaw my father had, when I finally get mad at it and toss it headlong over a brush pile; that is where it will remain.

Feel free to send that 562XP my way if you don;t want to clutter up your brush pile with that "junk". I know a number of people (including full time loggers) who have them and love them. I've only used one a few times, but I know it has more power than my 357XP. I know a number of folks who find their 70cc saws are sitting idle a whole lot more since they replaced their 60 cc saw with a 562.

They did have some significant problems with software in the early units - compounded by the fact that in the early days, many of the delaers were not familiar with the auto tune saws, and were not flashing the new software releases into the saw before selling them.

 

[PhysAssist]

I like the hearing protection. When I was his age we had never heard of it, which is one reason my hearing is lacking today.

Huh?

What'd you say?

 

[Jstpssng]

Huh?

What'd you say?

Exactly! Or, in my best Michael J Fox voice... "Are you talking to ME?

 

[dragoneggs]

Huh?

What'd you say?

I do see what you are saying.

 

[Gordon Gould]

It's still no problem keeping the firewood clean - still wintery but beautiful weather. A nice young red oak pole was growing crooked trying to get out from under the huge crown of an old red maple and the maple was showing signs of rot. So I cut the maple for firewood while the oak is still young enough that hopefully it has time to straighten out a little as it grows. To get the maple out I cut the butt below the top and winched both ends out from the middle.







gg

 

[Oldpath05]

As for Hammond Tractor-Union: I really do not know. I really don't get down that way often, though I do most of my tractor purchases at Union Farm (like me, you must have known old Rick, probably before he retired...or even owned the place when he was the head mechanic!). I just bought a tractor there a few weeks ago, but have never stepped foot in Hammond Tractor-Union. I do however remember when they were Hammond-Tilton on College Avenue in Waterville! I am not trying to name drop on you, just hoping another old duffer remembers the good ole days!! In any case, I just do not seem to get down your way often (Union direction) but am in Waterville weekly.

I noticed your signature and commend you for it, as I am a believer myself. I know a lot of people that go to the Palermo Church though there are many churches and I am not sure where you attend. Myself I attend church with your Fire Chief; a great guy for sure!

I dont go to the Hammond JD place in Union that often because they close shop at noon on Saturdays and that's the main reason why I have an Orange tractor, just across the street the Orange tractor people are open til 5pm on Saturday. So 11 years when I was looking for a tractor I was working a lot of OT on Sat til noon and when I got out of work I sign my John Hancock at 2 pm Saturday. Back then the Orange place was also a Blue place, with a little innie minnie miny moe the Orange was giving more bang for the buck, and two weeks ago I was down there and there was no Blue in sight, they said they will order the WorkMaster but dont want to deal anymore with the Compact Blue ones because a lot of repair issues with them.

Church attendance is one of those things hard to maintain, after the kids grew up kinda fell out of habit, wife still goes to all services, she a social butterfly anyways, then seems like she's always have somebody on the Wed prayer meeting list who has come down with that bad C health problem.

 

[Oldpath05]

Thanks OP, I do have other trailers, but this firewood is being cut a year + ahead and I sure don't want to tie up a trailer for more than a year. I like to have 10 cords ready for winter...

What I do, is to leave it uncovered/piled to dry out much of the moisture, then in the dry time of summer of my burn season, it get's put in "half cord boxes" to finish drying.

My wife has a stressful job and she absolutely loves to go out on a nice day and fill these boxes at her own speed and absolutely refuses to let me help her...

Anyway, the splits finish out nicely in the boxes and they are easy to move with my tractor,

Usually a few weeks before we need the boxes, they get covered with a blue tarp that I pretty much get for free and those tarps last two or three years as I keep them out of the sun when not in use.

In the winter, it's easy to sweep the snow off and move the box to the house, to be thrown down through a basement window...

It all works out perfectly and the splits burn hot and creosote free......

SR

Those are great boxes and I think that's the best way to store extra firewood, in fact that's the way I'm gonna start doing some of my extra wood. I dont want to make a wood shed I'd rather stack the extra wood in boxes like yours and blue brown grey green tarp it, then move to the house with tractor when needed. I think my tractor can lift 1/4 cord, so 8 boxes for two extra cord, and that can be done when I get to it instead trying to get 9 cord at once, taking care of 7-8 cord of tree length firewood in one month is becoming just a little to much for me myself and I not counting the two extra.

 

[Oldpath05]

My cable is 8mm, seems so if I get a cable cutter big enough for 3/8 that would do it, anyone use one of these types of wire rope cutters>>> Heavy Duty Wire Rope Cutter 24" New in box SFD 7616531465 | eBay I like to have a good way to cut cable down in the woods, usually when I break my cable I have about 6' of fryed cable to try to whin back up so I can get the sliders back on, got to be carefull when looking at these cutters cause some are only made for alluminum and copper not steel wire rope.

 

[dragoneggs]

Anyone use one of these wire rope cutters>>> Heavy Duty Wire Rope Cutter 24" New in box SFD 7616531465 | eBay I like to have a good way to cut cable down in the woods, usually when I break my cable I have about 6' of fryed cable to try to whin back up so I can get the sliders back on, got to be carefull when looking at these cutters cause some are only made for alluminum and copper not steel wire rope.

I can't vouch for these, but a whole lot cheaper. Hoping someone could endorse them as I have reached for them at HF but never pulled the trigger. I would only need for once a year or less use.

24" Bolt/Cable/Wire Multicutter

 

[rdl]

I don't take nearly as many pictures as before, but this was one of my favs

 

[Sawyer Rob]

ALO loader, ALO grapple, NICE!!

SR

 

[goeduck]

I don't take nearly as many pictures as before, but this was one of my favs

View attachment 545946

That yellow lid almost looks like a mirage, I can not see the support.

 

[dragoneggs]

That yellow lid almost looks like a mirage, I can not see the support.

No kidding... I'm still confused.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I didn't even notice the "floating" grapple...I was busy wondering where you got an all-grey Kubota L5740.

 

[BrokenTrack]

My cable is 8mm, seems so if I get a cable cutter big enough for 3/8 that would do it, anyone use one of these types of wire rope cutters>>> Heavy Duty Wire Rope Cutter 24" New in box SFD 7616531465 | eBay I like to have a good way to cut cable down in the woods, usually when I break my cable I have about 6' of fryed cable to try to whin back up so I can get the sliders back on, got to be carefull when looking at these cutters cause some are only made for alluminum and copper not steel wire rope.

I use a 4-1/2 inch angle grinder with a metal cut off wheel. The friction semi-melts the steel wire keeping it from fraying as bad as bolt cutters, and it is just a matter of putting the portable generator into the tractor bucket with an extension cord.

That might not suit some people I guess, but having a skidder, my days of wailing away on a sledgehammer against a guillotine cable cutter are over, especially with 5/8 high-strength cable!

 

[4570Man]

My cordless grinder is one of the more useful tools that I own. It's no replacement for a corded grinder but it would make quick work of a 5/8 cable.