The Third Warming of Firewood

[mccash40]

I was able to get at the firewood today after a soaker yesterday here in the Adirondacks. I'm on the 3rd warming cycle, stacking. The first is cutting, the 2nd is splitting, the 3rd is stacking. Then comes loading into the house and finally burning. Keeps me warm all year long. I still have some cutting left, but I'm 4 cords to the good, so it's relaxing time till fall. Thought you might enjoy a pic of my BX at work.

 

[AStanton]

I love burning firewood. For me the most fun part is cleaning my flue pipe. It takes me to a higher power.

 

[DarkBlack]

Interesting man-lift. Do you own it?

 

[Gordon Gould]

You have some very good looking woods there mccash40. Nice picture of your work.

 

[mccash40]

Thanks, Gordon. I try to hold off as long as possible before I harvest a tree. Some of the birch and maple in the foreground were given to me by a tree service. I barter taxidermy for whatever, but wood is my favorite trade. Topsoil and Red dirt come in a close second. I recently traded a black squirrel mount for garden space this spring. I definitely made out on that one.

 

[AStanton]

Interesting man-lift. Do you own it?

I rent it. Used, the lifts go for over $30K.

 

[CHDinCT]

I rent it. Used, the lifts go for over $30K.

What's the day rate? My local True Value rents the same lift. Curious what the rate is on it.

 

[AStanton]

What's the day rate? My local True Value rents the same lift. Curious what the rate is on it.

Up in my neck of the woods, they rent for about $170 for 4 hours. They require a $20 deposit for a harness. I guess the harness keeps you from falling out. I never use it--I hate confinement.

 

[AStanton]

Here's a pic of my B3030 towing the lift into position for this year's cleaning.
I shouldn't mention this, but I rent this lift from Massachusetts. They recently passed a law that will require anyone in the state who wants to rent a lift or any construction equipment, like a tractor, to have a "hoist permit." You have to go online or to a local college and complete a course for about $300. The insanity never stops.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I use my FEL to life my chimney cleaning supplies up to the roof.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I use my FEL to lift my chimney cleaning supplies up to the roof.

 

[CHDinCT]

Here's a pic of my B3030 towing the lift into position for this year's cleaning.
I shouldn't mention this, but I rent this lift from Massachusetts. They recently passed a law that will require anyone in the state who wants to rent a lift or any construction equipment, like a tractor, to have a "hoist permit." You have to go online or to a local college and complete a course for about $300. The insanity never stops.

Thanks for the rate info. I guess 4 hours would get done what I'd need it for - cutting out the widow makers on my larger oak trees. I assume the law you're talking about is in MA, even though you rented it there? I rented a commercial 45' lift for a week with a neighbor of mine to paint the house quite a few years ago, so as of then at least, you could rent them here in CT as a homeowner.

 

[AStanton]

Cool shots of your lift in action. That's the deluxe model; they rent for about a grand a day around here. They offer insurance on the lift for any damage you may do to it. If I were cutting widow makers, I would opt for the insurance. Ice cream happens.

 

[oosik]

I use to harvest and burn wood - ponderosa pine. I don't know anything to do with wood that has a cooling effect. Its all hard, heavy & hot work. However, I do love a wood fire... We went from wood to pellets to electric heat. I find wood is too difficult for me now - pellets are to darn expensive around here - electric is easy and very cheap.

 

[AStanton]

I think Geo Thermo is the way of the future. However, for me, nothing beats the tranquility of a fire behind the glass door of a wood stove or fireplace.

 

[hosspuller]

Up in my neck of the woods, they rent for about $170 for 4 hours. They require a $20 deposit for a harness. I guess the harness keeps you from falling out. I never use it--I hate confinement.

I used to think the harness over protective... till I was using a boom lift at work. I was glad for the harness then. If the harness is confining, it's the wrong size. A boom lift will make a person fly like a pea in a spoon. Doesn't have to be fully extended. Any quick movement of the base will be amplified by the boom to send you flying.

 

[NHbotanut]

We built our house in 2010 and heat/cool with Geothermal. Why more new homes are not built with this technology is beyond me. Planning for power outages, my fireplace is our backup heatsource. It works both like a woodstove with a variable speed blower, and a fireplace with open doors and a screen.
Like someone else said, "Nothing warms you like a wood fire!"

 

[vrmnthntr]

They recently passed a law that will require anyone in the state who wants to rent a lift or any construction equipment, like a tractor, to have a "hoist permit." You have to go online or to a local college and complete a course for about $300. The insanity never stops.

That is crazy. On one hand I see it as just another way to get money. On the other, I see it as a safety issue for the inexperienced. But no online course or college class can replace common sense that I've seen in some cases.

Back to the original post. I love burning with wood. We don't burn much, about 2 cords a year. That BX sure fits nicely in those woods. I miss a smaller tractor. When I had my B7800 I could easily fit in my woods. But now with the L I can't.





The dogs love it when its wood burning time.

 

[AStanton]

VRM,
You started a nice thread. And you are right about dogs, they do love fire.

 

[The Fred]

Me old hounddog Jasper; he passed in April, sad day for us. Anywho he loved to be in front of the wood stove.

Wood boiler we call Beulah Balbricker because she takes anything you can throw at her. Poplar, pine, Maple makes no difference to her. I clean the flue from just behind her at the cleanout shown in the photo. Takes about 20 minutes to brush her out.

Fred, cut wood most of the day yesterday.