IBC metal totes for storing/transporting firewood

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Anyone use them? How about capacity? Will they hold a rick randomly tossed in?

 

[ericm979]

They're about 1/3 cord of useable volume. The space inside the cage calculates to .37 cord but the cage walls are not exactly flat and the corners are rounded so it's more like .33 cord. They're probably not the best for random piling as the space between the bars would let some pieces fall out unless you split your firewood really big. They'll hold stacks though.

I cut and formed the plastic containers on mine to make rain shields.

 

[jk96]

Anyone use them? How about capacity? Will they hold a rick randomly tossed in?

Work great for me.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Found 7 on CL priced at $40 each without the tank. I don't need the tank. Does that sound like a decent price?

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Found 7 on CL priced at $40 each without the tank. I don't need the tank. Does that sound like a decent price?

My FEL will lift 1500 or so lbs. Will it handle a tote full of wood?

 

[dstig1]

I bought 16 of them and still need to get rid of the tanks... I did this because my wood stove is a Tulikivi (Finnish design) and they left out one key detail - the firebox can only take 12" wood. Impossible to stack, so I split and throw into these bins. Works great. I think I get somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 cord in one bin, based on some crude measurements/estimates.

$40 a bin is very good here, but it varies by the area.

 

[BoylermanCT]

$40 is a good price. I see them between $75 and $100. I found a guy selling them for $35 so I bought 18 so I would store 6 cords. I cut a 2x2 opening in one side so you can reach in to load and unload the wood.

3 full bins is a cord. Oak weighs 4,000lbs a cord, so each bin can weigh 1,350 lbs or so if green wood is stacked. Make sure you have as much weight on the back of the tractor as possible. I use a 650lb rototiller, and could use more if I had it. Without the counter weight I cannot lift the loaded bins.

 

[bcp]

I've seen them with wood, plastic, and galvanized steel bases (like a pallet) that the cage sets on. Plastic may be best if you are setting them on dirt.

Bruce

 

[jk96]

Going on year 3 on mine. Galvanized base with no signs of rusting. Dont think I would want plastic bases. I would have damages several already with my forks if plastic. Plus breakage when frozen to the ground.

 

[dieselcrawler]

I have about a dozen I've gotten from work, with plans to pull the plastic bladder and use the metal frame as firewood holders. Still need pallet forks, and don't burn enough wood yet to get serious about petfecting the system. As mentioned earlier, I plan to use the bladdders to make roof sections for them, and have calculated about 1/4 cord per tote with the way I plan to cut and split my wood, 2 rows @ 16" lenth. My loader capacity is only about 1000 lbs, so I'm ok with that.

Family and friends keep trying to deal me out of my collection of totes... FIL took 2 for grain bins, his buddy wants another, neighbor wanted one and offered $20...

 

[thepumpguysc]

THATS 1 heck of an outfit u got goin there Boyler.!! I LIKE IT. especially the "cut-out" infront..

 

[treefarmerguy]

I bought a dozen about ten years ago. They were slightly damaged but the price was right. They're great for firewood. I fill them and stick them in the pasture in the sun and cover the tops in the winter. The wood shed is near the house and when I have time I bring one down and stack the wood.

 

[DocDryden]

Any suggestions as to what I can do with the plastic totes once I remove them?

 

[Diggin It]

Any suggestions as to what I can do with the plastic totes once I remove them?

I use mine for a water tank for a bunch of fruit trees in the lower part of my property. Found out it won't self support when full of water though, so I had to improvise with some 1/2 conduit.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Any suggestions as to what I can do with the plastic totes once I remove them?

Best use I have seen is a cover for the wood. Cut it in half diagonally corner to corner so you have a roof with a peak. If you keep the plastic tank in the cage, they have a lot of uses. Most commonly we see them used to collect maple sap for making maple syrup.

 

[BoylermanCT]

THATS 1 heck of an outfit u got goin there Boyler.!! I LIKE IT. especially the "cut-out" infront..

I am learning as I get older! I originally built wooden firewood racks on pallets with 2x4 sides and tops. They lasted 2 seasons before falling apart. Moving firewood with a tractor is hard on the pallets and sides. So I bought 1 cage as a test and realized these would last many many years.

Heating with firewood is very inefficient from a handling view point. You cut the tree down, cut the wood into rounds, split them, stack them, move the wood into the house etc. You touch it way too many times. The cages let me move them from the sunny location on the south side of the barn to the winter storage spot next to the garage quickly and easily. I can move the entire winter's supply in an hour. It used to take a day or more using a wheel barrow!

 

[wngsprd]

Great idea. I'm on the hunt for some now, and will stop building frames on old pallets.

I don't have forks on my FEL (yet), but can back a carry all into the opening in the pallet...a little tight, but works...sometimes have to adjust the top link to make the angle iron "forks" slip in all the way.

 

[thepumpguysc]

I just looked at MY{South Carolina} Craigslist.. The "cages" are 35.00..
--some folks sell the whole thing, while others break them apart & sell the cages & the plastic, separate..

 

[Gary Fowler]

There is an industrial plant near me that will give you all the IBC Tote tanks that you want for free. They may have a small amount of clear liquid resin in them that is easily rinsed out with a little diesel or gasoline to dissolve it.

 

[shooterdon]

Great idea. I'm on the hunt for some now, and will stop building frames on old pallets.

I don't have forks on my FEL (yet), but can back a carry all into the opening in the pallet...a little tight, but works...sometimes have to adjust the top link to make the angle iron "forks" slip in all the way.

My loader will not handle the weight of a full one, so I use the carry all on the 3PH. I plan on adding a cheap HF ATV winch to replace the top link so I can adjust the angle of the carry all from the seat of the tractor.