My Firewood System

[Paul Thornton]

JPinnell, thanks for the link.

 

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Thanks for the tips.

I have to thin the woods of the locust trees anyway, and I hate to see them go to waste. They make great firewood. I do enjoy the time in the woods (most days), and I also like the heat the stove gives off VS the gas furnace.

I just have to figure a way to get the pole-length logs onto the trailer so I can cut them directly at my splitter/wood storage area and I'd be happy. Crane or winch or some combo of both is what its looking like. Anything to cut back on the multiple handling.... other than building a $250,000 house in the woodlot!

I can't remove any steps.... they're concrete.

Locust is the gold standard for wood burning imo. Ok, so we can't remove your steps unless with a stone chisel which you probably have an aberration of. You just throw a thick sheet of plywood on the stairs and build a "stop" at the bottom. The nice thing about this is the slant of the bulkhead always slides the wood to you if you're not using the bulk head that is in the winter.

 

[MossRoad]

Locust is the gold standard for wood burning imo. Ok, so we can't remove your steps unless with a stone chisel which you probably have an aberration of. You just throw a thick sheet of plywood on the stairs and build a "stop" at the bottom. The nice thing about this is the slant of the bulkhead always slides the wood to you if you're not using the bulk head that is in the winter.

I have a big bike wheel cart that I bring the wood to the outside stairs with. I have on occasion just dumped it into the stairs. I have a vertical 2x4 at the basement door end that stops the wood from hitting the door, so that' not a time consumer. I just dump it in. But when I do that, it takes up at least twice the space VS stacking it neatly in the stairs. So if I dump, I only have about 1.5 weeks of wood in the stairs, VS if I stack, I have 3 weeks of wood in the stairs.

We don't use the outside stairs in winter or summer. Only to move large items into the basement, like appliances or if the kids need to store furniture between moves, stuff like that. All other times we use the inside staircase day-to-day living.

I really like having the external stairs for the wood storage. If we ever build a new house, I'd seriously plan for a wood room with external loading doors. Enough space for 3 months worth of wood would make me quite happy. :thumbsup:

 

[JimR]

I have a big bike wheel cart that I bring the wood to the outside stairs with. I have on occasion just dumped it into the stairs. I have a vertical 2x4 at the basement door end that stops the wood from hitting the door, so that' not a time consumer. I just dump it in. But when I do that, it takes up at least twice the space VS stacking it neatly in the stairs. So if I dump, I only have about 1.5 weeks of wood in the stairs, VS if I stack, I have 3 weeks of wood in the stairs.

We don't use the outside stairs in winter or summer. Only to move large items into the basement, like appliances or if the kids need to store furniture between moves, stuff like that. All other times we use the inside staircase day-to-day living.

I really like having the external stairs for the wood storage. If we ever build a new house, I'd seriously plan for a wood room with external loading doors. Enough space for 3 months worth of wood would make me quite happy. :thumbsup:

One of my co-workers has a double door in his garage that leads to the basement. He brings in pallets that way which saves him a lot of work. I wish I could do that.

 

[jejeosborne]

Dave, I like your system. I have to use forks which puts the weight out front on my tractor more. Here is my system. I live in the woods so I am lucky to be able to split at the downed tree and stack in the racks. I move the racks into my gagage which has a pass through to my fireplace. I built my house around heating with wood. I showed my system a few years ago and I'll provide that link.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119615
Great Wall of Wooda

 

[Creamer]

Here's the list that was ORIGINALLY posted that I followed up with an answer,

Cut the tree down.
Haul the tree out of the woods.
Cut the tree into firewood length rounds.
1. Throw the rounds onto the trailer to drive it home.
2. Throw the rounds off the trailer.
3. Pick up the rounds onto the splitter.
4. Throw the splits aside.
5. Stack the splits.
Wait 2 years................................
6. Throw the splits into the cart.
Take the cart to the house.
Dump the splits into the basement.
7. Stack the splits in the basement.
8. Load the splits into the stove.

1. I do NOT have to "throw the rounds on the trailer" This means you cut on the ground, I skip that step.

2. I do NOT have to "throw the rounds off the trailer"... I split right off the trailer.

4. I do NOT "throw the splits aside", I most times split "right into" the boxes I build or another trailer that self unloads.

6. I do NOT "throw the splits into a cart" or have to take a "cart to the house". I move my splits with my tractor, I don't have to touch them.

7. I do NOT stack the splits in the basement. NO need to, I pick them up and put them right into the stove "as needed".

SO, I don't handle my firewood near as much as you do...and I'd like to cut out even more ways if I could.

SR

Moss you are making this way too hard. I have several "totes" which are 48 x64 base short Ropaks with a cattle panel wrapped around it that is. this gives about 3/4 of a cord in each which is the limit of my 3 pt. i go into the woods and cut trees most of which do not need split as anything under 8" I do not split. i put the trees in my sawbuck and cut a bunch at a time. the buck holds them off the ground to make it easier to stack them in the "tote". When the tote is full I pick it up and haul it to a place where it can sit and let the wood age with a tarp over it to keep the rain out.

When it comes time to use it I use the tractor to pick up the tote and set it outside my walking basement. I then use a hand truck to haul in about 1/8th of a cord at a time and use the wood right off the hand truck. So I cut it to buck lengths on the ground and then put them in the buck and it goes from the buck into the totes and the totes into the fireplace. 3X is enough to handle it.

 

[TomSeller]

I do the same thing but I use these old totes to carry the wood.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=505275"/>

What type/condition wood is in the Tote and do you know the approx weight?

 

[arrow]

I built my house around heating with wood. View attachment 506202View attachment 506205

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/119615-great-wall-wooda.html
Great Wall of Wooda

Smart move.

 

[MossRoad]

Moss you are making this way too hard. I have several "totes" which are 48 x64 base short Ropaks with a cattle panel wrapped around it that is. this gives about 3/4 of a cord in each which is the limit of my 3 pt. i go into the woods and cut trees most of which do not need split as anything under 8" I do not split. i put the trees in my sawbuck and cut a bunch at a time. the buck holds them off the ground to make it easier to stack them in the "tote". When the tote is full I pick it up and haul it to a place where it can sit and let the wood age with a tarp over it to keep the rain out.

When it comes time to use it I use the tractor to pick up the tote and set it outside my walking basement. I then use a hand truck to haul in about 1/8th of a cord at a time and use the wood right off the hand truck. So I cut it to buck lengths on the ground and then put them in the buck and it goes from the buck into the totes and the totes into the fireplace. 3X is enough to handle it.

My woodlot is 9 miles from my house and I don't have a walkout basement.

If I lived on the property where the wood is, believe me, your system would work great for me, as the property is suited for walk-out basement and that's in our plans if we ever build. :thumbsup:

 

[Creamer]

My woodlot is 9 miles from my house and I don't have a walkout basement.

If I lived on the property where the wood is, believe me, your system would work great for me, as the property is suited for walk-out basement and that's in our plans if we ever build. :thumbsup:

Understand. You have to work with what you have and a 9 mile haul changes a lot.