Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[shooterdon]

Love seeing SB's posts. I would not deal with trees that large. It is not an efficient way for me to produce firewood as I work alone and do not have the skill set to get 'r done safely. That likely applies to a lot of citiots like me who make the move to the "sticks" and start rural living.

I harvested wood for a few years when I moved to rural Michigan 12 years ago. It was "free" for the taking. The last time I "penciled it out" I was saving less than $10/hr IIRC. It was great exercise! I have a better way now.

Those of you who are not experienced take heed. Runing a saw is not nearly as easy as it looks, and it can hurt or kill you quicker than you can imagine. People notice the picture of a tree with poison ivy but miss the real danger. The picture of the bald guy cutting over the wagon is typical of how many guys work...he does not seem to be wearing chaps. Not smart.

A local guy who is very good with a saw nearly died and would have died if he had been working alone...over 100 stitches to sew him back up.

I gave a set of chaps to neighbor who could not afford them. He works alone 95% of the time. He never uses them. He has been cutting wood for 50 years and "doesn't need them"...too much of a PITA.

 

[FriendwithTractor]

I know too many people who came a little too close to a chain to not wear chaps. Sure, they're not cheap, but neither is 100+ stitches in the ER.

Cheap insurance comparatively.

 

[Jstpssng]

I wish I had saved them, or at least taken a picture. Summer 1988 I was working weekends in Bangor for my friend's catering business, and traveling to NH for the week. One Sunday went late and I didn't finish until 9:00, then had to go home, do laundry and sleep. About 5 hours later I jumped onto my 400 Yamaha and headed south. I was so tired I was nodding off, and finally pulled over and slept on the pavement of a parking lot.
I got to work about 2 hours late, grabbed my saw and started cutting. I hadn't burned a tank out when I felt something pulling at my leg; I cut through my chaps, jeans, and pulled the saw off just as it scratched my kneecap. That Partner 5000 never slowed down, and was still going wide open when I shut it down.
I made two more cuts before realizing what had happened... walked up to the foreman with my chaps in one hand and the saw in the other. The chaps were almost in 2 pieces. He said "see you at the motel."
I went to Labonville's, bought new chaps and ended the day.
It wasn't until I picked up the saw and started cutting thr next day that I remembered what had happened; there was a tree between my legs and I had tried to cut it.

There are some days that you need to leave the saw in the shed.

 

[arrow]

We started around 7am and stopped cutting around 3pm.
I was not the same guy at quitting time.
When l started logging at 16 years of age, l was in top physical shape and still begged for 3 pm. At 46 yrs of age and doing it for almost 30 yrs, l was sufficiently broken down that l had to quit the profession. 5 days a week in heat, cold, rain and snow tends to do such.

It is not only the physicality of the job but l think what wears you down just as much is the stress.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Those of you who are not experienced take heed. Runing a saw is not nearly as easy as it looks, and it can hurt or kill you quicker than you can imagine. People notice the picture of a tree with poison ivy but miss the real danger. The picture of the bald guy cutting over the wagon is typical of how many guys work...he does not seem to be wearing chaps. Not smart.

Don, you are preaching to the choir.

I've asked that friend of mine to wear protective gear so many times he gets mad at me now for even mentioning it. He won't even put in ear plugs!

Yes it bothers me, but I'm NOT his baby sitter and I've done my part, in even offering him the use of my gear.

I will say, he's very strong, knows exactly what he is doing and has been running chainsaws for many years, without even one incident. He only heats his house with firewood.

He's the exact opposite of a "citiot", he knows how to take care of himself and his family out in the country.

SR

 

[shooterdon]

Don, you are preaching to the choir.

I've asked that friend of mine to wear protective gear so many times he gets mad at me now for even mentioning it. He won't even put in ear plugs!

Yes it bothers me, but I'm NOT his baby sitter and I've done my part, in even offering him the use of my gear.

I will say, he's very strong, knows exactly what he is doing and has been running chainsaws for many years, without even one incident. He only heats his house with firewood.

He's the exact opposite of a "citiot", he knows how to take care of himself and his family out in the country.

SR

Hope I did not come across badly...did not intend to imply your buddy was a citiot. None of the guys I hang with in "the middle of nowhere Michigan" are citiots and none wear chaps.

I gave chaps to one guy because he was poor and could not afford them. But he does not wear them...wired like your buddy.

It really bothers me. He a great guy and would give you the shirt off his back. He works alone and is 74 YO. Been using a saw for nearly 60 years. One bad mistake and...well...it could end badly. Experience can make people think they are invincible; and old men like me think we are still young, but we tire faster and sometimes push too hard and get in trouble.

 

[arrow]

What slowed me down enough to really contemplate was seeing two guys killed before my eyes.
One was a client who thought he could hitch 3 stems to his Aliss Power Stroke and over he went.
This was after myself and another guy told him not to attempt that hitch.
The other was a young crew member who was cutting down a large dead oak. A 6” diameter, 12 ft long branch broke off from the top of the tree from about 60 ft high and hit his helmeted head. It broke his neck as well as fracturing his skull.
l saw this happen as l was approaching the skidder in for another turn.
There are a few things in my life l wish l could unsee.

 

[wolc123]

Nothing scares me more than cutting dead trees. I recently heard of a friend of a friend (and very experienced woodcutter) who was killed felling a dead ash with a chainsaw.

If I can’t get them when they are still alive, I’ll wait till they fall on their own, or push them over with an excavator or loader bucket.

 

[goeduck]

Nothing scares me more than cutting dead trees. I recently heard of a friend of a friend (and very experienced woodcutter) who was killed felling a dead ash with a chainsaw.

If I can’t get them when they are still alive, I’ll wait till they fall on their own, or push them over with an excavator or loader bucket.

Good point. When I have my tractor in the woods, I am always worried about bumping the wrong tree and having it come down on me. I try not to bump any tree, but sometimes it happens. I never go in on windy days.

 

[ning]

Good point. When I have my tractor in the woods, I am always worried about bumping the wrong tree and having it come down on me. I try not to bump any tree, but sometimes it happens. I never go in on windy days.

(Making your Tractor bullet proof like a skidder)

 

[dodge man]

When I cut, split wood or stack it I do it for 3 or 4 hours tops, usually less. I’m 61 and still have decent health but it wears me out. That’s the advantage of being retired, it’ll be there tomorrow. One thing I’ve done in retirement is try not to be lazy when it comes to safety.

 

[Rockbadchild]

When I cut, split wood or stack it I do it for 3 or 4 hours tops, usually less. I’m 61 and still have decent health but it wears me out. That’s the advantage of being retired, it’ll be there tomorrow. One thing I’ve done in retirement is try not to be lazy when it comes to safety.

I agree I am young but yet I do the same, a few hours everyday goes further over all then a 8h none stop then can't move for a week... fire wood is a very labor intensive and repetitive jobs one can get something as banal as tennis elbow very quickly but yet something as banal as that can take your hands out of commission for a descent amount of time to heal. I like having work stations, I will set myself 3 or 4 different task and I alternate between them, even if most of them will be physical it wont be the same movement and muscle involvement so it reduce my chances of injuries.

 

[Hay Dude]

Challenger with HLA single arm log grapple handling a blow-down Ash. Another victim of the Emerald Ash Borer.…
Stihl 261C handled this like a hot knife through butter.

Free from stump

And onto the IH-7500 dump truck.

”Log Heaven waiting room ” where many logs from the area wait for their final processing.

 

[Duds13]

I agree I am young but yet I do the same, a few hours everyday goes further over all then a 8h none stop then can't move for a week... fire wood is a very labor intensive and repetitive jobs one can get something as banal as tennis elbow very quickly but yet something as banal as that can take your hands out of commission for a descent amount of time to heal. I like having work stations, I will set myself 3 or 4 different task and I alternate between them, even if most of them will be physical it wont be the same movement and muscle involvement so it reduce my chances of injuries.

Dealing with an elbow injury right now that I think is a result of doing a lot of firewood in 2023. Splitting by hand, grabbing pieces with my one hand to set back up on the chopping stump. Something as simple as picking up a cup of water by the top of the cup hurts like heck.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Dealing with an elbow injury right now that I think is a result of doing a lot of firewood in 2023. Splitting by hand, grabbing pieces with my one hand to set back up on the chopping stump. Something as simple as picking up a cup of water by the top of the cup hurts like heck.

they linger for ever if not given the right time to heal and even then they might never be the same … hop yours is not the case … take care

 

[Duds13]

they linger for ever if not given the right time to heal and even then they might never be the same … hop yours is not the case … take care

Thanks! I'll ice it and that helps for a bit, then something aggravates it again. Thinking I might need a cortisone shot.

 

[Jstpssng]

My father was one who didn't believe in safety equipment. When he bought his first saw with a chain brake he took thr guts out of it

Dealing with an elbow injury right now that I think is a result of doing a lot of firewood in 2023. Splitting by hand, grabbing pieces with my one hand to set back up on the chopping stump. Something as simple as picking up a cup of water by the top of the cup hurts like heck.

In 1990 I was on a landscape job tamping sod, and kept bouncing the tamper off the asphalt curb. I ended up with tendinitis so bad I couldn't use that arm, but I just worked through it. For years after that I did boundary line maintenance with an axe- as much as a hundred miles, for a couple of years- but that arm got so bad I learned to work one handed. I finally put down the axe about 10 years ago, and for the first time since 1990 my arm doesn't bother me.

 

[ning]

Thanks! I'll ice it and that helps for a bit, then something aggravates it again. Thinking I might need a cortisone shot.

Some people do well with a topical anti inflammatant like Voltaren.
Aspercreme works well for me, but what's the best is a topical ibuprofen gel, though it's not OTC in USA... you can find the occasional shop that'll ship it from England. That stuff is magic.

 

[Duds13]

My father was one who didn't believe in safety equipment. When he bought his first saw with a chain brake he took thr guts out of it
In 1990 I was on a landscape job tamping sod, and kept bouncing the tamper off the asphalt curb. I ended up with tendinitis so bad I couldn't use that arm, but I just worked through it. For years after that I did boundary line maintenance with an axe- as much as a hundred miles, for a couple of years- but that arm got so bad I learned to work one handed. I finally put down the axe about 10 years ago, and for the first time since 1990 my arm doesn't bother me.

yup, I enjoy it though and it's a great workout. But I may just have to use the splitter going forward

 

[Duds13]

Some people do well with a topical anti inflammatant like Voltaren.
Aspercreme works well for me, but what's the best is a topical ibuprofen gel, though it's not OTC in USA... you can find the occasional shop that'll ship it from England. That stuff is magic.

Thanks for the heads up!