Afternoon of cutting wood

David G · Feb 23, 2014

I was surprised, there was about 15-18" of snow we had to drive through to get at the timber, and more than 2' in it. I had the diff lock on most of the time getting through the field.

We had to stack the wood, because could not drive up the hill to where we were cutting.

I have a nice bruise on my temple where a limb hit me, I was cutting on another one and apparently cut the support out.

JD Seller · Feb 23, 2014

I am wondering why your cutting next years fire wood now???? I usually cut mine in warmer weather after the snow/ice was gone. Glad I don't have to cut wood anymore.

If you keep track of all the cost firewood is far from "free".

BAnNC · Feb 23, 2014

That's why they call the bigger limbs hangin' in the tree "Widow Makers"

David G · Feb 23, 2014

I don't want to tear up timber, work it up while ground is frozen.

Formerly PaMike · Feb 23, 2014

Yeah, no kidding. In the market for a new stihl. $700 for a MS362. Then there is the chains, oil,gas. And then there was the limping around for 3 weeks when the log sprung and caught me in the knee. Firewood is a young mans job....

notjustair · Feb 23, 2014

I did the same today but ended up stuck in the mud not snow. Once I had the hay rack loaded the old pickup couldn't get across the bean stubble in four wheel drive. This time of the year is my favorite for cutting wood. A thick sweatshirt and my bibs and I work enough to stay warm. When it is hot out cutting wood makes me crazy as the sawdust just sticks to sweat.

I have a nice goose egg on the back of my head from a widowmaker today. It was a true widowmaker and just about knocked me out when it hit me. Luckily I had my head down cutting so it hit the back and glanced off. I cut and split couple cords. The neighbor and I get together and split the wood in half so that we only have to do half the work. It was still a lot of work but it is good to get the blood pumping.

JF in MI · Feb 23, 2014

I'm about 3 weeks away from starting next winter's wood cutting. I like to have it done before the warm weather so it has the entire summer and fall to season so as not to PO the EPA or neighbors with smoke. I've been using the same saw for almost 40 years now (sans replacement chains, bars,etc) and while it does cost somewhere around $200 in gas and diesel (for hauling and splitting) I can't afford not to. I save about $3k in heating fuel, I take down the rescently dead trees (so I control where they fall) and the place doesn't look like a mess. If I didn't burn the stuff I'd probably be paying someone to haul the stuff off. I don't particularly like the work but my doctor is always yelling at me to get more excersize so I might as well do something constructive. My biggest complaint is that while splitting I'm always getting whacked in the shins, by logs, and I have scars all over both legs. This year I'm going to buy some soccer shin guards to wear while splitting.

dahlin · Feb 23, 2014

It is best to cut fire wood in the fall when the sap is down in the roots of the tree. just my 2 cents worth

Bryan inIowa · Feb 23, 2014

It was a nice day to be outside doing anything ! But for once I did nothing ! Felt kinda god for a change . Saws are all serviced and ready to go . I really enjoy ,,or still due at this point cutting wood .

Adirondack case guy · Feb 23, 2014

JD,
What makes you think they are cutting next years wood? You comentented about me cutting in the summer when it was hot, but I am setting pretty with a plentiful supply all in unded cover and literally only 20' from my boiler, in my shop whitch heats the whole house.
Many people around here have run out of wood and are floundering through the snow to restock their wood piles.
Loren, the Acg.

David G · Feb 23, 2014

I have pretty good headache going.

Russ from MN · Feb 23, 2014

I like to cut ours in the fall, right after deer season, and I cut at least 2 years ahead. The better the firewood, the longer it takes to season. I really avoid cutting wood when it's above 60F. Where I cut some of our best wood the ground should be frozen to avoid rutting, it's called an Ash swail.

GeneMO · Feb 23, 2014

My dad was a child of the depression. They did not feel comfortable unless they had a two year supply of everything.

I helped my dad cut firewood every month of the year. When we felt like it and had time, we cut wood. I have cut trees, and blocked them up in july, august and september, then come back and split it in the fall or spring. We had wood piles everywhere.

Lots of it was in the creek bottoms and inacessable in snow and ice. so we made a point of hauling it to the top of the hill and piling it in stacks. We would fill a farm wagon, take it up and "dump it" with the hoist.

I miss the organized wood cuttings. Now I do it on a very small scale.

Gene

Northvale - PA · Feb 23, 2014

I like cutting in Oct, Nov & Dec. No snow, cool and the ground is usually still firm. I have been cutting thru the winter, but the snow hides rocks. I cut about 2/3 cord just cleaning up limbs from the ice storm 3 weeks ago. I need to get down to Dad's place, he says several trees went down. Going to be plenty of firewood in SE PA this year.

Brad Buchanan · Feb 23, 2014

I got knocked completely out from one of those years ago. Woke up with the saw still idling in the cut.

Never felled trees again without a hardhat.

Brad

JD Seller · Feb 23, 2014

Adirondack case guy: I think I saw where He stated he was cutting next years wood.

I liked to cut on frozen ground too but not fighting snow and ice. When I was burning wood I usually cut in the fall after harvest but before we had much snow and then in the spring before planting started. Light jacket weather. LOL

In the woods around me you would have 2-3 foot of snow in them right now. Unless you drag the logs up to a cleared area your going to be fighting the snow to get around here.

The only wood I cut now is just to clean up the pastures, fence rows and any dead falls. I just block most of it up. My younger brother usually comes and gets most of it. Any thing that will make a log I sell. Even the "junk" wood will make tie lumber now.

Had a fellow buy some cotton wood here last year. I have no clue what he could use it for.

As for cutting in the summer. I can't take the heat anymore. Got heat stroke about 10 years ago and just wilt in the heat anymore. I will take zero over 90 any day now.

Prawn Farmer · Feb 23, 2014

It is definitely greasy out there right now. Thawed top 8" or so and still frozen below.
For several years now I've worn all of the safety gear - hard hat/face shield, chainsaw boots, chaps and cell phone in pocket as I work solo.
Arborsite has a forum dedicated to chainsaw safety/injuries if you have a strong stomach.

David G · Feb 23, 2014

I wear a hard hat for work most of the time, gonna start using it for cutting wood. I am in more danger doing that.

Billy NY · Feb 23, 2014

I would second the hat, especially with the concern from objects above, anything heavy it won't matter LOL!

I'm set to go, pulled 5 cord out early last fall, soon as the snow melts a little more, probably take me 2 days, and that would about heat the house for a winter. Really need to look into high efficiency wood fired heat, I could stock pile many years ahead, with whats on hand. So I will have to bang out those 2 stacks and go get a whole bunch more thats been down 1 year, will be done before other important spring activities. Just good to see the clock will change soon, and days are plenty longer now, best time of year coming up !

Mike (WA) · Feb 24, 2014

That brings back a memory- my dad and his aluminum hard hat. He got used to wearing it at work, and it just became "his hat" around the farm. Only switched to a Stetson when he went to town. Only ball cap I ever saw him wear was a winter one, with ear flaps, when it was cold.

Bret4207 · Feb 24, 2014

Kids and I went out and cut up a pickup load of dead elm yesterday. We're about to start cutting next years in earnest and would have already been doing it if I wasn't so far behind on everything else. Daughter lost her babaysitter so every weekday I;m tied up from 12:30-1:30 or so running and getting the babysitter, getting her to our house, making sure the kid gets off the bu an all is well. That's a major chunk of time out of my day. Makes it hard to keep up with things.

Best winter firewood getter is either a small crawler like my JD40C or, better, a horse. Gotta a young mare to get started, but again it's a time thing. Either way, we'd lose this place if it wasn't for being able to burn wood.

GVSII · Feb 24, 2014

Bret, that JD40C is a nice little unit.While you were up in the Malone area did you know the logger in the Ellenburgh area who had that same crawler?He was useing it up in the Owls Head area adjacent to some of my land.I took a walk over that way during the winter and found that it had been vandalized.He did get it repaired and running again but that was the last time I saw it.

Bret4207 · Feb 24, 2014

(quoted from post at 09:37:22 02/24/14)
Bret, that JD40C is a nice little unit.While you were up in the Malone area did you know the logger in the Ellenburgh area who had that same crawler?He was useing it up in the Owls Head area adjacent to some of my land.I took a walk over that way during the winter and found that it had been vandalized.He did get it repaired and running again but that was the last time I saw it.

'Fraid not. I haven't seen anyone using a small crawler on a paying jobs in a long time. I see more horses than small crawlers up here, but I figure thats cuz small crawlers like the 40, 420, TD6, etc. are pretty rare these days. I think if a guy wanted to he could do okay with a solid little 40 hauling wood. It's not real fast but it fits where a team will and will pull almost as much a a good team.

40C's a fairly common up this way. Seems like I see a different one every side road I travel.

Afternoon of cutting wood

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads