Firewood Season 2023

[OkieGirl]

An excavator is what the gardener wants. I like the idea of the thumb for picking up logs and such.

The rake attachments do a good job of picking up limbs or piles of brush without picking up dirt and leaves with them. The thumb is almost a necessity if it's a machine used for land management. I'd love to have it to hold big limbs and smaller diameter trees (12" - 18") while cutting them and save our backs. I've seen an attachment that actually will split the bigger rounds (can be used to quarter them before putting them on the splitter so not wrestling as much weight). I'm not sure I could justify that expense. Excavators aren't the best choice for maintaining driveways or lanes, tractors still win out on that.

I do think The Gardener is spot on, it helps close the gap on what we'd like to accomplish and what we are physically able to move with our bare hands. LOL, I've discovered some large rocks in the woods that I'd love to bring up by the cabin...so far I haven't figured out a way to make that happen with the tools currently at my disposal.

 

[KJQ6945]

They make accessories for tractors as well.

 

[KJQ6945]

The one on the right is my son’s. He brokered a deal to sell the one on the left, that had the grapple bucket, and the backhoe. The guy buying the tractor didn’t want the grapple or the backhoe, so the son picked them up cheap.

I just wish he had told me about the deal, I’d have bought the whole package.

 

[Leadeye]

Would a Bobcat (with multiple attachments) be a useful all-in-one machine for woods living ?

The guys we hired to do the "rural renewal" on our last property purchase brought in one of those Bobcat excavators with the thumb like OG is talking about. It was all I could do to keep the gardener from driving it away.

Lots of things that require extra work like moving rocks could be accomplished much more quickly and accurately with one of those machines.

She really liked the dozer that the contractors used when building the house.

 

[Hkindiana]

How many acres did you have logged, and do you know the total number of trees harvested?

 

[indyjohn]

How many acres did you have logged, and do you know the total number of trees harvested?

We have 30 acres that we made available to harvest. The logger was contracted to pull out +/- 200 trees. Mostly Tulip poplar (which surprised me), beech, sassafras, sugar maple, red maple, hickory, ash, black/red/white oak.

 

[cmann250]

We have 30 acres that we made available to harvest. The logger was contracted to pull out +/- 200 trees. Mostly Tulip poplar (which surprised me), beech, sassafras, sugar maple, red maple, hickory, ash, black/red/white oak.

Do you not have or did you not harvest walnut?

 

[indyjohn]

Do you not have or did you not harvest walnut?

We have a decent presence of walnut. That is one of the species the Forester is working to improve; along with oak varieties. He only marked a total of 8 oak trees. We have lots more, as well as lots more poplar.

 

[Cavman]

Envious of all those good tops your gonna have for firewood

 

[indyjohn]

Envious of all those good tops your gonna have for firewood

Just got off the phone with the Forester. He agreed, there's a lot of potential for quality firewood for a few seasons.

 

[wcd]

Just got off the phone with the Forester. He agreed, there's a lot of potential for quality firewood for a few seasons.

I noticed back in the beginning of this post there was what appeared to be a moisture meter? If so was there a sweet spot for moisture content like corn where 14% or less is optimal for burning.

 

[indyjohn]

I noticed back in the beginning of this post there was what appeared to be a moisture meter? If so was there a sweet spot for moisture content like corn where 14% or less is optimal for burning.

I think you'll get a pretty broad opinion on this one. I have learned that firewood can get TOO dry, 14% is too dry for most firewood for instance. From what I've learned over 3 seasons of cutting, splitting, and selling the stuff, we now are shooting for 22 down to 18% by the meter. YMMV.

 

[wcd]

I think you'll get a pretty broad opinion on this one. I have learned that firewood can get TOO dry, 14% is too dry for most firewood for instance. From what I've learned over 3 seasons of cutting, splitting, and selling the stuff, we now are shooting for 22 down to 18% by the meter. YMMV.

Thanks I was wondering. Seems to make sense too dry seems like it could burn too fast.

I know burning corn is different but if it is higher than 14% it does not burn evenly.

 

[Leadeye]

Found a group of trees on the ground, I see this sometimes when one falls and brings more down with it like dominoes. Three sugar maples this time so the gardener and I are out sawing them up.

After heart surgery I've been slow to do much, but I'm taking it in small steps. The gardener tends to think I'm made of glass these days, but she is feeling more comfortable with each trip out to work.

 

[JTKelly]

Found a group of trees on the ground, I see this sometimes when one falls and brings more down with it like dominoes. Three sugar maples this time so the gardener and I are out sawing them up.

After heart surgery I've been slow to do much, but I'm taking it in small steps. The gardener tends to think I'm made of glass these days, but she is feeling more comfortable with each trip out to work.

Outstanding! Good to hear!

 

[indyjohn]

After heart surgery I've been slow to do much, but I'm taking it in small steps. The gardener tends to think I'm made of glass these days, but she is feeling more comfortable with each trip out to work.

You and I are made of stock that doesn't give up, no matter the circumstances. I'd rather die in the woods working than rot away in a chair inside. Reminds me of a song written by a 60s artist that I uses to love, until he went lib.

 

[Bugzilla]

Always a year ahead, so getting a late start on next year’s firewood. A few months ago put a new bar and chain on the saw, cleaned it up, so it would be ready this fall. Had a guy take down two large oaks by the house this summer that the wilt got to and he also cut it up and chipped all the brush, so I haven’t really needed the saw (well worth the extra cost). Today start splitting those, and split some cut stacks in the woods. Took the saw to cut up some downed wood that was small enough it would not need splitting. Go to cut the first piece and what the heck?! Put the blade on backwards!

 

[d.kaufman]

Always a year ahead, so getting a late start on next year’s firewood. A few months ago put a new bar and chain on the saw, cleaned it up, so it would be ready this fall. Had a guy take down two large oaks by the house this summer that the wilt got to and he also cut it up and chipped all the brush, so I haven’t really needed the saw (well worth the extra cost). Today start splitting those, and split some cut stacks in the woods. Took the saw to cut up some downed wood that was small enough it would not need splitting. Go to cut the first piece and what the heck?! Put the blade on backwards!

Just put the chainsaw in reverse....duh

 

[indyjohn]

Go to cut the first piece and what the heck?! Put the blade on backwards!

Did that just last weekend. It happens to the best of us.

 

[indyjohn]

Well, the loggers are gone. As of last Sunday, all the poles they were taking were gone as was the knuckle boom. The skidder and dozer were still there though. Late this afternoon the OG and I ran out and spread about 25 pounds of grass seed in the landing area. My local Feed & Seed store sells a blend they call "Landscaper's Mix" (35% Fastball 3GL Perennial Ryegrass, 30% Stellar 4GL Perennial Ryegrass, 25% Boreal Creeping Red Fescue, 10% Kentucky Bluegrass). The entirety of the landing area is 3 tenths of an acre and we were pleasantly surprised how little of it they tore up, less than half all told. We absolutely believe the lack of rain made a big difference in what condition they left it and the trails throughout the property. They didn't work when it was raining and we are thankful for that. Per the contract, they back dragged all the lanes, cut waters bars where needed, and tracked out the landing area, so it will recover pretty quickly.

The statement "there are lots of firewood opportunities" doesn't really depict the circumstances. I've been going around and marking tops for the species of wood while there are still leaves attached. My plan is to go after the high desired hardwoods first - oaks, walnuts, hickories. Then I will get the maples and poplars, which there are a lot more of. There are a reasonable number of hardwood poles they left behind for various reasons such as they discovered the tree was hollow after cutting it down or the tree fractured in half when it hit the ground. Still, good firewood for sure.

This will keep us busy for quite some time.