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...