MIkeWard
Silver Member
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).
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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.
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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.
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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!
Not a fan of stacking. Once I got my tractor things changed.
I can't afford the metal totes ( $100.00 here) so I make mine out of wood pallets 42 x42. Almost all red oak. 3 pallets make a cord.
I try to stack them 2 high. I can't lift a full one ( freshly split and green weighs 1630lbs) to the top so I lift one 2/3 full and then top off.
After a couple of years year a full on is lifted just fine (1176lbs dry) A lot of water weight gone.
Then I top cover and one cover does 2 skids of wood (in the back row).
I tell my neighbor that I'm making a wood fence.
I have a few more skids to fill and stack then I'm done for now.
These pallet racks last for 6-8 years. The sacrificial skid on the bottom just 3 years.
If the bottom skid is frozen to ground leave it and lift upper skid