Tractors and wood! Show your pics

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Hats off to you dado for having the patience to build your wood cubicles.
I found pallet loading so contrary to my wiring, I gave up on it entirely.
Your system solves many of the problems I ran into.
You sort of made a little wood shed for each stack of wood.
I instead attempted to bring each pallet load to the wood shed.
It ended up being a fiasco for me and it's too bad because it is a very efficient way to handle firewood.

 

[Thomas]

I'm new to this forum; a TON of knowledge here! Like so many here I do use my tractor to process wood; here is our story.

My JD 2520 (and my wife's help!) is indispensable in doing this job. After felling, I typically skid the trunk and top together (if possible) out of our woods and disassemble in our 'wood yard'... keeping the mess there. We built a new house 5 years ago that is heated with an outdoor wood burner. It uses ~7 cords/year. We try to get everything split and stacked before Easter for the following season. Due to the Emerald Ash Borer we are losing a lot of Ash trees this year but Elm, Oak, Maple, Hickory, Walnut, Iron Wood, Cherry, and Box Elder are also in the woods.

View attachment 718484

When I started processing wood 5 years ago I ordered an Omni-mfg Transformer quick hitch with the optional weight bracket plate, lift hook, and chain slots. Great tool!

View attachment 718488

The Artillian 36" forks stay on the tractor through most of the wood processing. I stack logs through the Fall/Winter and pluck them off in the Spring to buck. I'm getting older and cutting at a height that keeps my back straight is huge! The rounds pile up on each side; I just keep the center lane open for the tractor.

After continually stacking, covering, moving, and re-stacking wood that first year, we set out for change. I set-up a little "production line" to build "pods" to hold and dry wood. A local hardware store has many left over hardwood pallets for sale ($2/ea).

View attachment 718491

The first proto pod was built on a 48"x 48" pallet but the 2520 couldn't lift it when loaded. The final design is based on the more common 40"x 48" pallet. Heavy hardwoods and an aggressive fill sometimes creates a load that is all the 2520 can handle but becomes more reasonable 10 months later when the wood is dry.

View attachment 718500
I built 3 at a time; I think each 'batch' used 9 treated 8' studs. The highest cost item was the corrugated roof sheets. Four pods hold a cord of wood. I built 32 pods and usually have 3 or 4 left full in the Spring when burning season is over.

View attachment 718492

It was not a small investment but has been wonderful to use. When splitting, we place 2 empties behind the splitter and load them once. The wood is not handled again until it is used the next Winter. Love it!

View attachment 718493

The tractor has a front SB mounted through the Winter leaving the 3 point free for a rear blade or rear pallet forks. 2 pods are placed each week and the empties taken away. I do have to snow blow a path to and from the stash some weeks. The first year I had one issue when the loaded pods had froze to the ground; I could not lift several. The next year I fastened 3- 2"x2" runners to the bottom of each and laid treated 2x4's down on the ground before setting. Now the 2x4's have sunken flush and the pods lift off without issue. The system has been working well for us!

Looks like you got it down to science.

 

[hunt4570]

Nice job dadohead.. And Welcome to the forum!! Very nice looking place and set up you have there.

Here in South Carolina I only go through 1 1/2-2 cords a year so I just move my wood to the house one tractor bucket at a time. My storage racks are stationary, I split , then load on the racks to dry, then grab a bucket full as I need it and move to the house

 

[arrow]

Nice job dadohead.. And Welcome to the forum!! Very nice looking place and set up you have there.

Here in South Carolina I only go through 1 1/2-2 cords a year so I just move my wood to the house one tractor bucket at a time. My storage racks are stationary, I split , then load on the racks to dry, then grab a bucket full as I need it and move to the house

View attachment 718546

What's the orange coverings made out of hunt?

 

[hunt4570]

What's the orange coverings made out of hunt?

Its a dam tarp!!

So, these tarps are very heavy duty, made for lining a dam in a small impoundment... Dam Tarp!

These are like 5' x 100' I used to sell them at a place I worked they were about $50, they could not sell them so they put them on clearance for 2 bucks a piece.. By the time I found out there were only 2 left.. bought them both. If they had had 20 left I would have bought them all.

 

[Loaderman22]

I'm new to this forum; a TON of knowledge here! Like so many here I do use my tractor to process wood; here is our story.

My JD 2520 (and my wife's help!) is indispensable in doing this job. After felling, I typically skid the trunk and top together (if possible) out of our woods and disassemble in our 'wood yard'... keeping the mess there. We built a new house 5 years ago that is heated with an outdoor wood burner. It uses ~7 cords/year. We try to get everything split and stacked before Easter for the following season. Due to the Emerald Ash Borer we are losing a lot of Ash trees this year but Elm, Oak, Maple, Hickory, Walnut, Iron Wood, Cherry, and Box Elder are also in the woods.


When I started processing wood 5 years ago I ordered an Omni-mfg Transformer quick hitch with the optional weight bracket plate, lift hook, and chain slots. Great tool!


The Artillian 36" forks stay on the tractor through most of the wood processing. I stack logs through the Fall/Winter and pluck them off in the Spring to buck. I'm getting older and cutting at a height that keeps my back straight is huge! The rounds pile up on each side; I just keep the center lane open for the tractor.

After continually stacking, covering, moving, and re-stacking wood that first year, we set out for change. I set-up a little "production line" to build "pods" to hold and dry wood. A local hardware store has many left over hardwood pallets for sale ($2/ea).


The first proto pod was built on a 48"x 48" pallet but the 2520 couldn't lift it when loaded. The final design is based on the more common 40"x 48" pallet. Heavy hardwoods and an aggressive fill sometimes creates a load that is all the 2520 can handle but becomes more reasonable 10 months later when the wood is dry.

I built 3 at a time; I think each 'batch' used 9 treated 8' studs. The highest cost item was the corrugated roof sheets. Four pods hold a cord of wood. I built 32 pods and usually have 3 or 4 left full in the Spring when burning season is over.


It was not a small investment but has been wonderful to use. When splitting, we place 2 empties behind the splitter and load them once. The wood is not handled again until it is used the next Winter. Love it!


The tractor has a front SB mounted through the Winter leaving the 3 point free for a rear blade or rear pallet forks. 2 pods are placed each week and the empties taken away. I do have to snow blow a path to and from the stash some weeks. The first year I had one issue when the loaded pods had froze to the ground; I could not lift several. The next year I fastened 3- 2"x2" runners to the bottom of each and laid treated 2x4's down on the ground before setting. Now the 2x4's have sunken flush and the pods lift off without issue. The system has been working well for us!

Nice job @dadohead looks like your system works great! As you will see here there are tons of ways to skin this firewood cat, and no 2 are identical. I started by using the "throw it in a pile" method my first year, then to stacking it the following year. Then onto old wood crates that patio stones were shipped in, but most of my wood crates have fallen apart by now. They were handy and I could move them easily. The few I have left probably wont make it another year. Now I'm onto IBC totes, they weigh about 1600-1700lbs when full of green hardwood. Luckily my little loader can pick them up, even if its only 2-3 inches above the ground. but overall I prefer your method of less handling. This year I've been bringing the splitter and totes to the tree in the woods, less mess up by the house.

 

[dadohead]

Thanx for the nice words everybody... fun to be here!

I hear you about the durability of using pallet based pods. I've been ready to bring the broken ones into the shop when empty for 'rework' but haven't needed to work on any yet. Broke 2 that first year when they froze down... nothing since. Was careful about the fastener selection on the treated lumber... very corrosive on fasteners. Maybe the roof helps them weather the elements too???

I really like the IBC tote concept and considered it back when. I just don't have enough tractor to load one near capacity.

 

[deezler]

Thanx for the nice words everybody... fun to be here!

I hear you about the durability of using pallet based pods. I've been ready to bring the broken ones into the shop when empty for 'rework' but haven't needed to work on any yet. Broke 2 that first year when they froze down... nothing since. Was careful about the fastener selection on the treated lumber... very corrosive on fasteners. Maybe the roof helps them weather the elements too???

I really like the IBC tote concept and considered it back when. I just don't have enough tractor to load one near capacity.

Haha, I upgraded tractors pretty much just to be able to fill by IBCs up to the top and carry confidently. (800 lbs more loader capacity and SSQA to keep the forks close, far better now). So I guess you could say that IBC's cost me more like $25 grand lol.

 

[arrow]

Its a dam tarp!!

So, these tarps are very heavy duty, made for lining a dam in a small impoundment... Dam Tarp!

These are like 5' x 100' I used to sell them at a place I worked they were about $50, they could not sell them so they put them on clearance for 2 bucks a piece.. By the time I found out there were only 2 left.. bought them both. If they had had 20 left I would have bought them all.

I think I found the dam things: ref=asc_df_B06XSG6W78

 

[hunt4570]

I think I found the dam things: ref=asc_df_B06XSG6W78

That looks exactly like it but mine are 5' wide..