# Firewood...The Most Important Piece of Equipment



## Woodcutteranon (Sep 12, 2018)

Most important piece of equipment to work my firewood? No question...My truck.

If my saw breaks, no worries, I have 27 more. If my splitter won't start...meh...I can get by doing something else productive or I can swing a maul. If my trailer burns up a bearing I can get by for a while just tossing into the bed of my truck.

But...gheeze...when my truck breaks down, EVERYTHING comes to a screeching halt. I mean EVERYTHING.

Certainly every tool we have plays a part in our entire operation, and they are all important. But, at least for me, my truck is the MOST important. The only one I have, only one I can afford. Today I burnt up another coil pack and decided to check out a clunking noise from the front end...ugh...ball joint. These are nothing I can defer until a rainy day and they got to be fixed now... which means no cutting, splitting, lugging, and stacking today. 

God bless the trucks!


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## blades (Sep 12, 2018)

When I start having coil issues- all plugs and coils get replaced at same time- yep its a bit pricy but less than being towed mutiple times. I chased coil issues on a v10 for 6 months- drove me nutz until i replaced the whole set. when the 4.6 v8 started acting up replaced the 4 coil packs and plugs never had to touch it again. same on the 5.4 . You do need to change the oil at about 3k intervals timing systems is very sensitive to dirty oil.


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## Beetlejuice (Sep 12, 2018)

Woodcutteranon said:


> Most important piece of equipment to work my firewood? No question...My truck.
> 
> If my saw breaks, no worries, I have 27 more. If my splitter won't start...meh...I can get by doing something else productive or I can swing a maul. If my trailer burns up a bearing I can get by for a while just tossing into the bed of my truck.
> 
> ...


Is that the "truck"? Looks like a luxury coupe with an open air trunk.
.....NOW THAT'S A TRUCK


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## 95custmz (Sep 12, 2018)

This is my wood hauler. But I had to get a back up truck, because the old girl is about to reach 200k.






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## blades (Sep 12, 2018)

had a 6.9 oil burner in my 85 F350 ( same styling as your brown unit) over 300k on that when I sold it drive train good rest of truck orange death.


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## sb47 (Sep 12, 2018)

Bought this new in 1994, Chevy stepside 350 Texas Stage Coach custom conversion. Never had to do anything but general maintenance.
I added some helper springs that are rated for 1000lbs. Making the springs equal to a 1 ton. I know the axle is not rated for that but she doesn't sag under a normal load anymore.
The bed is kinda small but thats what trailers are for.


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## lknchoppers (Sep 12, 2018)

I have had more trucks than shoes in the past few years but this one is holding strong and very reliable. What ever it needs it gets. oil gets changed every 3000 miles as I do quite a bit of hauling with it.


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## Multifaceted (Sep 12, 2018)

Man, if I only had a truck...


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## 92utownxh (Sep 12, 2018)

I'm having truck issues right now. '99 GMC 1500. The frame is rusting away. I need to find something else. I definitely hear you on the importance of a truck!


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## blades (Sep 12, 2018)

92utownxh said:


> I'm having truck issues right now. '99 GMC 1500. The frame is rusting away. I need to find something else. I definitely hear you on the importance of a truck!


Orange Death


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## farmer steve (Sep 12, 2018)

blades said:


> When I start having coil issues- all plugs and coils get replaced at same time- yep its a bit pricy but less than being towed mutiple times. I chased coil issues on a v10 for 6 months- drove me nutz until i replaced the whole set. when the 4.6 v8 started acting up replaced the 4 coil packs and plugs never had to touch it again. same on the 5.4
> . You do need to change the oil at about 3k intervals timing systems is very sensitive to dirty oil.



Truck oil thread !!!


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## blades (Sep 12, 2018)

tis a slippery slope


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## Beetlejuice (Sep 12, 2018)

Man's gotta have a horse...(truck)...


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## 95custmz (Sep 12, 2018)

Beetlejuice said:


> View attachment 674548
> Man's gotta have a horse...(truck)...


Nice headache rack. Keeps that back window nice and safe!


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## LondonNeil (Sep 12, 2018)

Truck? Truck!?


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## sb47 (Sep 12, 2018)

Beetlejuice said:


> View attachment 674548
> Man's gotta have a horse...(truck)...


Nice license plate light.


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## cantoo (Sep 12, 2018)

Mine would be my tractor. I haul from the bush behind my place so don't have to use the truck. My back would never hold up if I didn't have a tractor. It's the only thing that I don't really have back up for other than to use my little Steiners but they won't lift any real weight. I have all kinds of attachments for it to make things easier for me.


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## LoveStihlQuality (Sep 12, 2018)

I stand a piece of plywood up to keep a errant pieces from ventilating the back window.


95custmz said:


> Nice headache rack. Keeps that back window nice and safe!



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## WetBehindtheEar (Sep 12, 2018)

blades said:


> tis a slippery slope


I saw what you did there...  HA!


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## sb47 (Sep 12, 2018)

LoveStihlQuality said:


> I stand a piece of plywood up to keep a errant pieces from ventilating the back window.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk



I open the tool box lid for a shield.


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## crowbuster (Sep 12, 2018)

love the old iron fellas. 89 f350 is my work horse


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## 95custmz (Sep 12, 2018)

crowbuster said:


> love the old iron fellas. 89 f350 is my work horse


Pics?


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## Beetlejuice (Sep 13, 2018)

sb47 said:


> Nice license plate light.


You saw that? I keep forgetting to turn it off.


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## lauren (Sep 13, 2018)

This was my wood hauler until this past Feb. bought a 1 ton dump to replace it


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## alleyyooper (Sep 13, 2018)

Trucks !!!!! *You can't call those cityfied short box woman haulers glorified grocery carts trucks.* Yes they are woman haulers you see mnore women driveing them here than men. Half a face cord of wood and they are over loaded. Plus the liuttle woman would get mad when she smelled sweat, gasoline and oil in her ride.

Way I see it a real truck has 3 pedals, rubber floor mats, 8 foot box and no spark plugs, coils or distributor points. Plus if your going to haul wood you put a rack on it at least cab high so you can stuff 3 face cord or more in it.













For me it is my tractors Yup may take a while to get to some places at 15 to 20 MPH but I will get there. Beable to haul two big wagon loads of wood back home about double what a real pick up can haul for each wagon.

The wagon or trailer is the second most important.








 Al


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## sb47 (Sep 13, 2018)

alleyyooper said:


> Trucks !!!!! *You can't call those cityfied short box woman haulers glorified grocery carts trucks.* Yes they are woman haulers you see mnore women driveing them here than men. Half a face cord of wood and they are over loaded. Plus the liuttle woman would get mad when she smelled sweat, gasoline and oil in her ride.
> 
> Way I see it a real truck has 3 pedals, rubber floor mats, 8 foot box and no spark plugs, coils or distributor points. Plus if your going to haul wood you put a rack on it at least cab high so you can stuff 3 face cord or more in it.
> 
> ...




3 face cord in a pickup truck? No way are you getting 3 face cord in a single load. I gotta call BS on that one.


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## blades (Sep 13, 2018)

lauren said:


> This was my wood hauler until this past Feb. bought a 1 ton dump to replace it


got a little overheated i see


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## blades (Sep 13, 2018)

Almost impossible to get three peddals on the floor in a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup nowdays and that includes 1 ton dumps


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## cumminstinkerer (Sep 13, 2018)

Mine is the skid loader, and grapple bucket, way handier moving logs with it than anything else, Pretty much gotta agree with @alleyyooper except my old wood hauler has spark plugs, 79 3/4 ton dodge power wagon, my good truck dont have spark plugs, and both have three pedals, hate them city toys with two pedals.


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 13, 2018)

sb47 said:


> 3 face cord in a pickup truck? No way are you getting 3 face cord in a single load. I gotta call BS on that one.



Here's my Ford with a full cord (3 face cords) of oak in it. I delivered it to my sister's house and helped her stack it. We measured it just to be sure. There's a row stacked in the front and one in the back. The rest is tossed. It was like 132 cubic feet if I remember right. Truck is a f250 with a straight six and three pedals. Pretty light when it's empty, and grosses at 8600 so I'm legal in this picture, or very close to it.


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## blades (Sep 13, 2018)

have 2 3/4 ton units each has two peddles, one with plugs one without. there is a 5 ton equipment trailer that rides behind or the 6x10 1ton trailer. it is unfortunate that the ss and smaller tractor, used units, are grossly overpriced.


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## alleyyooper (Sep 13, 2018)

If you put sides on a 3/4 to 1 ton pick up cab high 8 foot box and load a couple rows across the down tail gate you can get a wee bit more than 3 face cord on a REAL TRUCK, not a cityfied gloryfied grocery cart.

Call B/S all you want but those who load a real pick up before know it can be done easy.

Back in the day of those mini Datson, toyota, Mazda/Ford grocery carts,were popular a guy was giving me crap about my fuel hogging Ford. So funny when I asked how much wood he was hauling out of the woods with hos Madza/Ford mini he said about a face cord.
So his 22 MPH grocry cart took 3 trips to haul out what ai was doing in one load with my 12 MPG 3/4 ton was doing in One.

 Al


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## sb47 (Sep 13, 2018)

Ryan'smilling said:


> Here's my Ford with a full cord (3 face cords) of oak in it. I delivered it to my sister's house and helped her stack it. We measured it just to be sure. There's a row stacked in the front and one in the back. The rest is tossed. It was like 132 cubic feet if I remember right. Truck is a f250 with a straight six and three pedals. Pretty light when it's empty, and grosses at 8600 so I'm legal in this picture, or very close to it.
> 
> View attachment 674664



So just exactly what are you calling a face cord?


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## alleyyooper (Sep 13, 2018)

8 feet long x 4 feet highx 16 to 18 inches deep stack. Times that by 3 in a real pick up.

 Al


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## lauren (Sep 13, 2018)

A little overheated is right


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## sb47 (Sep 13, 2018)

alleyyooper said:


> 8 feet long x 4 feet highx 16 to 18 inches deep stack. Times that by 3 in a real pick up.
> 
> Al



8'x4' x 3 = 8'x 12'x16''
So your stack is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and 12 feet tall?


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## sb47 (Sep 13, 2018)

round here a stack 8 feet long by 4 feet tall by 16'' is a half a face cord. And your getting 3 times that in a single load?


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 13, 2018)

sb47 said:


> round here a stack 8 feet long by 4 feet tall by 16'' is a half a face cord. And your getting 3 times that in a single load?



Around here a face cord is 4'x8'x16". Or the face of a 4x4x8 stack assuming it's 3 rows of 16" wood. That's the standard here. Never heard of a face cord being 2/3 of a full cord. Doesn't make much sense to me, but what do I know. 

My truck will haul a full cord of oak. 128 cubic feet.


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## sb47 (Sep 13, 2018)

My stacks are 4'x8'x16'' and that will fill most trucks level with top of bed tightly stacked. No way are you getting 3 times that in a single load, even with 2' side boards, that's only 2 face cord max.


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## sb47 (Sep 13, 2018)

Ryan'smilling said:


> Around here a face cord is 4'x8'x16". Or the face of a 4x4x8 stack assuming it's 3 rows of 16" wood. That's the standard here. Never heard of a face cord being 2/3 of a full cord. Doesn't make much sense to me, but what do I know.
> 
> My truck will haul a full cord of oak. 128 cubic feet.


Dry oak weight per cord is 3528lb according to this chart. Even a 1 ton would be overloaded, by1528lb.
http://forestry.usu.edu/forest-products/wood-heating/


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## sirbuildalot (Sep 13, 2018)

sb47 said:


> My stacks are 4'x8'x16'' and that will fill most trucks level with top of bed tightly stacked. No way are you getting 3 times that in a single load, even with 2' side boards, that's only 2 face cord max.



Don't forget he said an 8' bed. Most full size pickups are 4' minimum between the wheel wells. That means around 6' wide total. If we assume 8 L x 6 W x 1.5 H, that equals 72 cubic feet. Three feet high, (or times 2) would be 144 cubic feet. Minus 3 cu. ft for each wheel well, and you're still at 138 cu. ft. A full cord is 128.

Definitely possible. Most likely your 4' x 8' x 16" stacks are filling up *SHORT BED* pickups. 95% of the new trucks I see are short bed extended cabs.


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## sirbuildalot (Sep 13, 2018)

I'm going to say a trailer is #1. It can be towed by various vehicles. Be it a truck, a car, a van, a tractor, a quad, a side by side, etc.

The tow vehicle may only be able to hold a very small amount of wood, or no wood at all, but even those small vehicles can usually haul/tow a considerable amount of wood. I've used garden tractors to haul up to a half cord (64 Cubic feet) of fresh cut oak at a time. Its the trailer that makes this possible.


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 13, 2018)

sb47 said:


> Dry oak weight per cord is 3528lb according to this chart. Even a 1 ton would be overloaded, by1528lb.
> http://forestry.usu.edu/forest-products/wood-heating/



A one ton isn't called a one ton because you can put 2000# in it. Take the gross weight of the truck, subtract the curb weight and you have your payload capacity. I've had 4000# of feed (weighed at the elevator) in the bed of my truck and been under 8600# which is my legal gross.

And yes, that picture that I posted shows my truck with a full cord (3 4x8x16" face cords) of wood in it.

Edited to add: most new SRW one tons have a payload around 4000#. Duallys are over 5000#.


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 13, 2018)

sb47 said:


> My stacks are 4'x8'x16'' and that will fill most trucks level with top of bed tightly stacked. No way are you getting 3 times that in a single load, even with 2' side boards, that's only 2 face cord max.



So wait, which is it, is a face cord 1/3 of a cord or 2/3 like you said before? You're hard to follow.


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## svk (Sep 13, 2018)

I have hauled almost as much wood behind my Yukon with my utility trailer but truck is preferred. At my cabin I could get by with just a wheelbarrow.


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## 4seasons (Sep 13, 2018)

If a face cord is defined by 8 ft by 4 ft by 16 in, then 3 face cord is equal to one cord.
My 3/4 ton bed measures 65 inches inside on the floor by 8 ft long. It is 18 in deep and has 45 inches between the wheelwells. 
Simple math says 5.4 ft wide by 8 ft long by 1.5 ft deep gives you 65 cubic feet inside the bed minus about 6 cubic feet for the wheelwells. So you can haul a little less than 1/2 a cord inside the bed.
Now with the simple addition of sideboard to give you a 3 ft deep bed, you can double the cubic feet in the bed giving you 130 cubic feet or just over a cord and still be less than cab high. With sideboard, creative stacking, straps, or a custom bed you can easily fit over a cord of wood on a full size truck.
If you look at the weight of a cord of wood it varies greatly depending on wood species and moisture content. Dry poplar can weigh only 2000 lbs while green hickory can weigh 7000 lbs. While I am not suggesting that you ignore your truck's GVWR, I know that 1/2 ton trucks can handle 2000 lbs. I have had 3000 lbs on my shortbed Toyota before. I have a scale ticket from having 4000lbs of gravel on my 3/4 ton, so I know it can handle it. Now 7000 lbs might be stressing a 1 ton, but I have put more than that on one before.

Calling BS on something many of is have done before is an exercise in stupidity.


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## svk (Sep 13, 2018)

4seasons said:


> If a face cord is defined by 8 ft by 4 ft by 16 in, then 3 face cord is equal to one cord.
> My 3/4 ton bed measures 65 inches inside on the floor by 8 ft long. It is 18 in deep and has 45 inches between the wheelwells.
> Simple math says 5.4 ft wide by 8 ft long by 1.5 ft deep gives you 65 cubic feet inside the bed minus about 6 cubic feet for the wheelwells. So you can haul a little less than 1/2 a cord inside the bed.
> Now with the simple addition of sideboard to give you a 3 ft deep bed, you can double the cubic feet in the bed giving you 130 cubic feet or just over a cord and still be less than cab high. With sideboard, creative stacking, straps, or a custom bed you can easily fit over a cord of wood on a full size truck.
> If you look at the weight of a cord of wood it varies greatly depending on wood species and moisture content. Dry poplar can weigh only 2000 lbs while green hickory can weigh 7000 lbs. While I am not suggesting that you ignore your truck's GVWR, I know that 1/2 ton trucks can handle 2000 lbs. I have had 3000 lbs on my shortbed Toyota before. I have a scale ticket from having 4000lbs of gravel on my 3/4 ton, so I know it can handle it. Now 7000 lbs might be stressing a 1 ton, but I have put more than that on one before.



Your estimation is correct. I can fit about a half cord (tossed, heaped) in my long box that has a small side mounted tool box and spare tire in the box. I figured 1/3 cord in my old short box (tossed, heaped) or 1/2 (stacked, heaped). One time we did stack aspen splits carefully in the short box and the middle of the mound was up to the roof. Called it 3/4 cord.


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## sb47 (Sep 13, 2018)

4seasons said:


> If a face cord is defined by 8 ft by 4 ft by 16 in, then 3 face cord is equal to one cord.
> My 3/4 ton bed measures 65 inches inside on the floor by 8 ft long. It is 18 in deep and has 45 inches between the wheelwells.
> Simple math says 5.4 ft wide by 8 ft long by 1.5 ft deep gives you 65 cubic feet inside the bed minus about 6 cubic feet for the wheelwells. So you can haul a little less than 1/2 a cord inside the bed.
> Now with the simple addition of sideboard to give you a 3 ft deep bed, you can double the cubic feet in the bed giving you 130 cubic feet or just over a cord and still be less than cab high. With sideboard, creative stacking, straps, or a custom bed you can easily fit over a cord of wood on a full size truck.
> ...




Speaking of stupidity, Overloading the GVWR also qualify's as an exercise in stupidity.


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## jrider (Sep 13, 2018)

Losing my big saw pretty much shuts me down. I generally get a lot of logs 20" in diameter and up. I only own 3 saws and 2 are smaller saws I use for limbing and wood under 8" or so. I only need my truck come delivery time.


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## lknchoppers (Sep 13, 2018)

A face cord is 1/3 of a cord. I carry a full cord in my long bed F250 Super Duty all the time with side boards and a tailgate extender that matches the side boards. It will also be mounded up in the center. I also pull a cord and a quarter mounded up in my dump trailer all at the same time. I have done this hundreds of times without any issues.

Here are the Specs:

2003 Ford F-250 Super Cab
Pickup truck
Model: 2003 Ford F-250
Curb weight: 5,601 to 6,310 lbs
Dimensions: 231-248″ L x 80″ W x 77-79″ H
Wheelbase: 142 to 158″
Fuel tank capacity: 29 to 38 gal
Towing capacity: 12,500 lbs
Payload: 2,490 to 3,199 lbs

The payload range is due to some F250s did not come with the auxiliary/overload spring.

Below is some good info on the new trucks. The new F250 has a 4200 lb. Payload BTW

https://www.autobytel.com/trucks/car-buying-guides/10-trucks-with-largest-payloads-131339/


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## U&A (Sep 13, 2018)

sb47 said:


> Nice license plate light.



LMFAO.

Best pic iv seen all week 








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## crowbuster (Sep 13, 2018)

95custmz said:


> Pics?



im not much on posting pics. Maybe I'll get the wife to help me. Is ole bob still running plainfield shooting over there ?


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## 95custmz (Sep 14, 2018)

Yeah. Have you been there?


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## 4seasons (Sep 14, 2018)

sb47 said:


> Speaking of stupidity, Overloading the GVWR also qualify's as an exercise in stupidity.


If you look a little closer I said that I am not recommending exceeding GVWR.

Now pulling numbers from Dodge:
1500 GVWR 6400 lbs
--- Payload 4x2 8ft bed 2140 lbs
2500 GVWR 8800 lbs
--- Payload 4x2 8ft bed 3830 lbs
3500 GVWR 10500
--- Payload 4x2 8ft bed 5110 lbs

Now these numbers are different between manufacturer, equipment and years. Further complicated by all three US makers have produced heavy 1/2, light 3/4, super duty, single tire 1ton and dually, and these numbers can vary quite a bit. So only use this as a rough guide line but the facts show:

1 tons can haul 2 1/2 tons
3/4 tons can haul just shy of 2 tons
1/2 tons can haul just over a ton

Now if you are implying that I recommend 3000 lbs on a 1/2 ton or 8000 lbs on a one ton, I didn't say that I had either of those on the road. I have a small farm and put way more than I would haul down the highway on the truck to get it out of the woods or field. I said the truck can handle it because I have done it, not that I recommend it.

I will recommend you get some facts before calling BS on someone and starting an argument with those of us with more knowledge and experience.

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## sb47 (Sep 14, 2018)

4seasons said:


> If you look a little closer I said that I am not recommending exceeding GVWR.
> 
> Now pulling numbers from Dodge:
> 1500 GVWR 6400 lbs
> ...



If you had understood a little better, GVWR is besides the point. By volume you still can't haul 3 face cord on a single truck bed, unless you stack it 6+ feet high.


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 14, 2018)

sb47 said:


> If you had understood a little better, GVWR is besides the point. By volume you still can't haul 3 face cord on a single truck bed, unless you stack it 6+ feet high.



Really!? You still don't believe it?

You need to recheck your math. My truck bed is 8' long. It's 5' wide. If you stacked the wood it would be to be 3.2' talk to constitute a full cord. See, 8x5x3.2=128. Yes, you'd need to add a few pieces to make up for the wheel wells. 

As I showed in my picture before, my truck with side boards to the top of the cab easily carries a full cord. A stack in the front, a stack at the back and the rest tossed in the middle.


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## sb47 (Sep 14, 2018)

Ryan'smilling said:


> Really!? You still don't believe it?
> 
> You need to recheck your math. My truck bed is 8' long. It's 5' wide. If you stacked the wood it would be to be 3.2' talk to constitute a full cord. See, 8x5x3.2=128. Yes, you'd need to add a few pieces to make up for the wheel wells.
> 
> As I showed in my picture before, my truck with side boards to the top of the cab easily carries a full cord. A stack in the front, a stack at the back and the rest tossed in the middle.



The key words are face cord, That could mean anything.


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 14, 2018)

sb47 said:


> The key words are face cord, That could mean anything.




Cool man. You're right. I'm tired of this


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 14, 2018)

Wait a gol darned minute though. If a face cord could mean anything, who are you to say I can't put three of them in my truck?


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## unclemoustache (Sep 14, 2018)

Ah! It's a "my truck is bigger" contest!

Meet my 1-ton, 4-door, 4WD dually, 8 ft. bed (length AND width) dump truck. 




From what I've seen here so far, I win. 

(Yes, the pic shows a parking lot repair. Starter replacement.)


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## U&A (Sep 14, 2018)

Well this thread is tanked,

Lets get it back on track.


My most important piece of equipment for getting wood from the woods to my stove is.......well, its very hard to pick. All of them can be replaced and all of them are equally important. So ill just pic the most expensive one to replace.

Truck.


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## crowbuster (Sep 14, 2018)

Yip. Been several years now. He must have stopped doing the 1500, hadn't seen them there before I stopped going 4-5 yrs ago. Sorry bout derailing the thread. Im dun now. Oh, truck is number 1 for me. tractor number 2


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## rwoods (Sep 14, 2018)

I would have to say my gas can as I can't get much done without it. 

Can't let UNC's nice truck go to his head - my hauler is bigger than his though its bed is only 7' wall to wall inside. It only has two pedals. Also got more kids (not really).  Ron


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## sb47 (Sep 14, 2018)

unclemoustache said:


> Ah! It's a "my truck is bigger" contest!
> 
> Meet my 1-ton, 4-door, 4WD dually, 8 ft. bed (length AND width) dump truck.
> 
> ...



Can't I disagree without getting the third degree? Let it go.


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## unclemoustache (Sep 15, 2018)

rwoods said:


> I would have to say my gas can as I can't get much done without it.
> 
> Can't let UNC's nice truck go to his head - my hauler is bigger than his though its bed is only 7' wall to wall inside. It only has two pedals. Also got more kids (not really).  Ron
> 
> View attachment 674951



Ok, you win!

But only 2 pedals? I take it the tranny is not original.


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## rwoods (Sep 15, 2018)

It is a M35A3 which is basically a 1997 rebuild from select M35A2s but updated for the generation that doesn't know how to drive a manual - out went the multi-fuel engine and 5 speed for a CAT diesel and an Allison 4 speed auto. Air assist steering and air ride driver's seat. Tire inflate/deflate system. Big singles with run flats. Winch went from pto driven to hydraulic (IMO the best upgrade made). I understand they were built for National Guards when military spending was going down. Found to be under-powered and overloaded when armored during the first Gulf conflict. Cutting season is about to start here but I would trade it for some strong well-behaved kids. Ron


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## shamusturbo (Sep 18, 2018)

Hands down: Skidsteer! It can do it all. I had a CAT 287B rubber track loader that was just short of a bulldozer. I owned it for 8 years and this past winter, it gave me grief. I had to replace the main ECU for the 3rd time. Well, CAT did and they murdered me on price and wouldn't help me out on price on the second replacement. It was getting close to needed major undercarriage work so I sold it the same day I posted it. I ended up renting a Kubota SS65 for a month, liked the speed and comfort and was willing to give up quite a bit of capacity and ending up buying it. 0% financing was nice and factory heat, AC, radio, and quick attach are flipping awesome. Ohh, two speed it pretty nice too in some situations.....


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## shamusturbo (Sep 18, 2018)




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## shamusturbo (Sep 18, 2018)

Old skidsteer.....


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## Sandhill Crane (Sep 18, 2018)

Shamusturbo:
You like the rubber tire over tracks? I know a guy that has a tracked Cat for work and he too says maintenance is high.
I deliver with a 12' flatbed using pallets and I unload by hand. A guy spoiled me this week unloading the pallets with a rubber tire skid steer. Was nice, but really tore up his gravel driveway doing it. So I was thinking a tracked machine would be better on driveways and yards, but another person said not really. All my pallets are staged on gravel. He thought a tracked machine would tear it up. I guess I need a bigger truck to haul the piggyback forklift. A skid steer however would be more multi-purpose, especially in the winter.


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## homemade (Sep 18, 2018)

If your smart about it, you can greatly reduce the damage caused by wheels on a skid steer. Trying to make wider 3 or 4 point turns instead of spot turns helps a heap. Although tracks distribute the weight better and won’t rut as bad when driving in a straight line. And tracks I feel have better front end stability because the front idler is a touch farther forward then a traditional tire is.


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## unclemoustache (Sep 18, 2018)

rwoods said:


> It is a M35A3 which is basically a 1997 rebuild from select M35A2s but updated for the generation that doesn't know how to drive a manual - out went the multi-fuel engine and 5 speed for a CAT diesel and an Allison 4 speed auto. Air assist steering and air ride driver's seat. Tire inflate/deflate system. Big singles with run flats. Winch went from pto driven to hydraulic (IMO the best upgrade made). I understand they were built for National Guards when military spending was going down. Found to be under-powered and overloaded when armored during the first Gulf conflict. Cutting season is about to start here but I would trade it for some strong well-behaved kids. Ron




Wow- lots of changes from the old Deuces. Air assist steering is an improvement, though!


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## rancher2 (Sep 18, 2018)

I wouldn't want to be with out my skid steer for firewood making. We I bought my current one in 2011 new I was going to get tracks until they told me it would be another $10,000 for tracks on the same size machine. If you watch how you turn with tires you min the damage of the ground.


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## svk (Sep 19, 2018)

My back, arms, and legs are my most important tools. 

Until I finally removed all of the geriatric trees from my wood lot at home, we only burned wood on our property for the first 40 years the family owned the property. Almost all of which was carried or wheel barrowed into the yard. 

At my cabin I could carry in wood or use a wheelbarrow to get enough wood down to the pile for the rest of my life 

But I sure like my truck too


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## Erik B (Sep 19, 2018)

The obvious thing that is most important to me is the wood stove. Without that, what would be the purpose of having saws, spliters, trucks, trailers and all of the other equipment needed to process firewood. This applies to those who burn wood for heating their home.


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## cantoo (Sep 19, 2018)

Erik B, which came first the chicken or the egg?


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## homemade (Sep 19, 2018)

My most important piece of equipment is my wood cutting partner. We’ve been cutting for 10 years together and he’s got the equipment. Loader tractor, dump trailer, dump truck, cutting spots and so on. I have the saws. But with out him, I’m a guy with a saw and a truck looking for wood.


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## shamusturbo (Sep 19, 2018)

homemade said:


> If your smart about it, you can greatly reduce the damage caused by wheels on a skid steer. Trying to make wider 3 or 4 point turns instead of spot turns helps a heap. Although tracks distribute the weight better and won’t rut as bad when driving in a straight line. And tracks I feel have better front end stability because the front idler is a touch farther forward then a traditional tire is.



Homemade hit the nail on the head. The "learning curve" on any piece of equipment is key. My very good friend is a union operator and he can run my skidsteers much better than I can. I am 29 years old and probably have a minimum of 100 hours a year in a skidsteer since I was 12 or so. It's painful to let someone with little or no experience try to be productive with one. 

Sandhill Crane -
I LOVE the power and stability of the tracks. The machine does very well when its wet and can power through anything. Keeping the tracks clean was a chore and long term maintenance is expensive, to say the least. But, yes, it did much less damage, especially in tight quarters. Usually just peeled the surface up, grass, gravel or other. The tires definitely dig, especially when the surface is loose gravel or dirt. People in general look at me strange when I back up 30' to make a 90 degree turn. The tires are definitely better in snow and ice but are horrible off-road when it is wet. It is also much faster from a loading standpoint. The machine is quite a bit lighter but can change direction and accelerate much faster than the track machine. Like was stated above, tracks are another $12-15k for comparable machines. I loved the CAT but they didn't help me when the ECM failed for the second time in less than a year. So I shopped around and Kubota was extremely easy to work with and offered 0% financing which is nice too.


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## lindnova (Sep 20, 2018)

My Little 4x8 trailer is most important to me to get in tight spots in the woods where I get most of my wood. I can always tow with tractor or atv, but only have one small trailer.


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## ohio hunter (Sep 21, 2018)

1989 Dodge diesel



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rarefish383 (Sep 21, 2018)

alleyyooper said:


> 8 feet long x 4 feet highx 16 to 18 inches deep stack. Times that by 3 in a real pick up.
> 
> Al


A friend of mine in high school, back in the 70's, had an F250. He made a head board and a tailgat board 4' high. He stacked 2 rows of 24" wood down the middle of the truck. Looked silly with nothing stacked out to the sides. But, that was exactly 1 cord, 4' high, 4' wide, and 8' long. There was no question, one honest cord.


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## LoveStihlQuality (Sep 21, 2018)

Who fabricated the big wood bucket? Nice


shamusturbo said:


> View attachment 675539
> View attachment 675540



Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk


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## sirbuildalot (Sep 22, 2018)

I don't know who fabricated it, but large buckets are nice for high volume materials that don't weigh a lot such as snow, firewood, mulch, leaves, etc. Many companies offer large capacity "snow buckets".

My avatar pic is a wooden box I use on my front forks. Holds about 43 cubic ft. or 1/3rd of a cord of wood. Very handy.


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## c5rulz (Sep 22, 2018)

If you want to haul a lot, nothing beats a big truck and 18' trailer.


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## Ryan'smilling (Sep 22, 2018)

c5rulz said:


> If you want to haul a lot, nothing beats a big truck and 18' trailer.



Let's see, x27, logrite pickaroon, nice old school cant hook, a couple of nice souped up saws and a big load of red oak. I like your style my friend!


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## Big_Al (Sep 22, 2018)

rarefish383 said:


> A friend of mine in high school, back in the 70's, had an F250. He made a head board and a tailgat board 4' high. He stacked 2 rows of 24" wood down the middle of the truck. Looked silly with nothing stacked out to the sides. But, that was exactly 1 cord, 4' high, 4' wide, and 8' long. There was no question, one honest cord.



Except they are almost 6 ft wide to insides of bed, 50-52 inches between wheel wells. Mine is 70 inches between racks.


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## babybart (Sep 23, 2018)

c5rulz said:


> If you want to haul a lot, nothing beats a big truck and 18' trailer.




What is the 2x6 with a 2x4 attached to it for?


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## rarefish383 (Sep 23, 2018)

Big_Al said:


> Except they are almost 6 ft wide to insides of bed, 50-52 inches between wheel wells. Mine is 70 inches between racks.


That was kind of my point. Back then every one cut firewood at 24". It didn't matter how wide the truck was. If you stacked two four foot high rows down the middle of an 8' bed you automatically had 1 full cord, no argument from customers. If you stack wood sideways, like most normal people do, you'll wind up with a customer that argues. They will say "someone told them a pickup can't hold a cord". With two four foot high rows you throw the tape on it and debate over.


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## Big_Al (Sep 23, 2018)

That's different, I've never had anyone want anything but 16" wood & I load it parallel to the bed.


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## c5rulz (Sep 23, 2018)

babybart said:


> What is the 2x6 with a 2x4 attached to it for?




When the truck bed is empty, the saw's bars are in the slots so they don't roll around like bowling balls.


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## c5rulz (Sep 23, 2018)

Ryan'smilling said:


> Let's see, x27, logrite pickaroon, nice old school cant hook, a couple of nice souped up saws and a big load of red oak. I like your style my friend!




The 562XP isn't worked on, however that can't be said for the totally restored and ported 288XP. I normally don't cut such a small amount but it was super hot out that day and I just wanted some rounds to try out the new/used splitter.

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/picked-up-a-new-used-splitter.323672/


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## rarefish383 (Sep 23, 2018)

Big_Al said:


> That's different, I've never had anyone want anything but 16" wood & I load it parallel to the bed.


That's because you are normal, Todd was a little different, but very honest.


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## Whitbread (Sep 23, 2018)

I just finished building a boom pole on Friday night for my recently acquired NH 1620 and after 2 days of use, it's my absolute favorite and most valuable firewood tool. There's no way in hell I'd be dealing with 22" long x 28+" oak rounds otherwise.

A log lift is great, but it doesn't solve the problem of getting rounds to the splitter. With the boom pole and sharpened northern tool tongs, I can cut a round off the log, pick it up, drive over, and set it right on the splitter. No fuss, no wrestling, no rolling.


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## lknchoppers (Sep 26, 2018)

I may have to recant my original answer, it seems that the piece of equipment that is breaks, immediately becomes the most import piece of equipment. if my saw, skid steer, trailer, truck or splitter breaks, it really slows down my ability to move product. The saw is the cheapest & easiest thing to replace, but still not a good thing.


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## Sandhill Crane (Sep 29, 2018)

It could easily be...the piece of equipment I don't have yet.


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## Marine5068 (Sep 30, 2018)

Woodcutteranon said:


> Most important piece of equipment to work my firewood? No question...My truck.
> 
> If my saw breaks, no worries, I have 27 more. If my splitter won't start...meh...I can get by doing something else productive or I can swing a maul. If my trailer burns up a bearing I can get by for a while just tossing into the bed of my truck.
> 
> ...


Or trailer...I use a trailer to haul....


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## cheeves (Oct 2, 2018)

c5rulz said:


> If you want to haul a lot, nothing beats a big truck and 18' trailer.


Really nice job on that stake bed!!


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## cheeves (Oct 2, 2018)

Marine5068 said:


> Or trailer...I use a trailer to haul....


You got it Brother!! Why we got 2 rt now.......and the Dodge is back of my friends garage. Still has a good sticker till the end of this month. But this Communist State is making it tough to Survive!


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## quantico (Jan 8, 2020)

My f350 superduty has a 5 speed and a v 10. 2 suspensions up from a standard one ton truck. I bought it to pull large boats and trailers with cars on them.. and trailers with tractors. I bought 12 ten foot long huge very old railroad ties.. wow those were no fun to unload. I remember the ties being ten feet long.. could not close my 8 foot 9 inch bed tailgate.


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## Multifaceted (Jan 8, 2020)

Multifaceted said:


> Man, if I only had a truck...



Hey, I know have a truck - my dream truck! 

Been looking for an OBS F-350 with the 7.3 for a while now, finally came across an awesome specimen. 97' w/ 224K miles. Heck, my 2012 Mazda sedan has almost that many miles


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## rarefish383 (Jan 8, 2020)

Pretty truck. Where's the back seat?


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## Multifaceted (Jan 8, 2020)

rarefish383 said:


> Pretty truck. Where's the back seat?



Thanks, it's no Mopar, but it'll do 

No back seat, wanted a single cab with full size bed. My only grip about it is that it's an automatic... all of the manual trannies I looked at were in questionable condition, rusted out frames and rockers. At least the wife can drive it now at least...


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## rancher2 (Jan 8, 2020)

Enjoy the truck. One of the best trucks I ever had was a 2000 F-350 single wheel single cab 4x4 with the 7.3 diesel and a six speed manual. Sold it in 2005 because we wanted a dually and four door. Wish I wouldn't ever sold that 2000. That 2005 was never half the truck. They put three 6.0 motors in that 2005 I sold it in 2011 before the warranty ran out.


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## Multifaceted (Jan 8, 2020)

rancher2 said:


> Enjoy the truck. One of the best trucks I ever had was a 2000 F-350 single wheel single cab 4x4 with the 7.3 diesel and a six speed manual. Sold it in 2005 because we wanted a dually and four door. Wish I wouldn't ever sold that 2000. That 2005 was never half the truck. They put three 6.0 motors in that 2005 I sold it in 2011 before the warranty ran out.



I found a comparable 2001 7.3 with a 6 speed manual that *looked* great, but had some frame rust and was heavily modified as a "Bro-Truck". It was a close second, but I'm glad I went with this one. Love the old square body style that is close to stock. Mine supposedly has a Banks Power aftermarket turbo kit installed, looks newer than the the test of the engine, typical Garret unit but unsure as I'm still new to these engines.


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## ETpilot (Jan 9, 2020)

My best truck is my current truck. A 1996 Dodge Ram Extended Cab Turbo Diesel. Purchased new September 1995. My first diesel so I had a lot to learn. After the warranty, I started doing my own maintenance. Over the years just normal wear items to repair or replace. My current problem is a leaking heater core. Time consuming repair as you have to roll back the dash to access the HVAC box. Waiting for warmer weather before I tackle that job. I’m now at 364,000 plus miles. But the really amazing thing is: I’m still on the first factory clutch. Still pulls like new and no slipping. Not sure what is going on. Afraid to know. Lol.


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## blades (Jan 10, 2020)

it's funny that now everyone is so endeared to the 7.3 , but when it first arrived , my goodness the gnashing of teeth and bad mouthing of same. Course 2/3 of that were the electronics. Still the injector wiring being in the head gaskets still gives me the heby jeebies- that gasket set is pricey and more so to replace them. My square body had the 6.9 everything else on that unit died the red death including the frame but the drive train was still good. Only thing that still worked on the dash was the speedometer even the mileage counter gave up.


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## Multifaceted (Jan 10, 2020)

blades said:


> it's funny that now everyone is so endeared to the 7.3 , but when it first arrived , my goodness the gnashing of teeth and bad mouthing of same. Course 2/3 of that were the electronics. Still the injector wiring being in the head gaskets still gives me the heby jeebies- that gasket set is pricey and more so to replace them. My square body had the 6.9 everything else on that unit died the red death including the frame but the drive train was still good. Only thing that still worked on the dash was the speedometer even the mileage counter gave up.



The fact that it still runs incredibly well (probably due to being properly maintained) is testament. I fresh out of high school when this old girl rolled off of the assembly line, back then I wasn't paying much attention to consumer level diesel engine offerings in full sized pickups or electronic wiring. Just from the time-earned reliability, and the fact that a few of my friends and acquaintances have and still do own them is what lead me into considering purchasing one.


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## sb47 (Jan 11, 2020)

My most important piece of equipment is my body, All the tools in the world are useless if your body is not working.


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## Sandhill Crane (Jan 11, 2020)

To add to sb47, I would say a sharp chain and a pair of chaps.


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## Multifaceted (Jan 11, 2020)

sb47 said:


> My most important piece of equipment is my body, All the tools in the world are useless if your body is not working.



Agreed. This is why it's important to stretch before a long day of cutting, chopping, splitting, and humping heavy logs. Don't know about you, but as I get older, lack of stretching can be the difference of just being tired from hard work or having several days of back and shoulder pain.


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## babybart (Jan 11, 2020)

Multifaceted said:


> Agreed. This is why it's important to stretch before a long day of cutting, chopping, splitting, and humping heavy logs. Don't know about you, but as I get older, lack of stretching can be the difference of just being tired from hard work or having several days of back and shoulder pain.



How true. I would watch the Misses do yoga, for obvious reasons, then she talked me into trying it. The stretch is amazing and the level of soreness is decreased after a day at the wood pile, especially on my lower back.


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## SamT1 (Jan 11, 2020)

I keep at least 2 of everything, I have limited time for my wood business so I can’t afford a hiccup. 

I have 3 pickups and that’s a pain in the butt having to keep an axe, fuel and oil for saw, service box in each of them. The service box is a 30 cal ammo can in with:
Saw tool, spare rim sproket, clip for rim sproket, air filter, tape measure, 1 new chain, few sharp used chains, bottle of Stihl ultra oil. 
Just one of me though, seems to be the weak link. In a couple years my boys will be good help though so I’ll have all bases covered.


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## Multifaceted (Jan 12, 2020)

Two is one, and one is none!


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## AmateurSawer (Jan 17, 2020)

Ryan'smilling said:


> A one ton isn't called a one ton because you can put 2000# in it. Take the gross weight of the truck, subtract the curb weight and you have your payload capacity. I've had 4000# of feed (weighed at the elevator) in the bed of my truck and been under 8600# which is my legal gross.
> 
> And yes, that picture that I posted shows my truck with a full cord (3 4x8x16" face cords) of wood in it.
> 
> Edited to add: most new SRW one tons have a payload around 4000#. Duallys are over 5000#.



"Back when I was young". we had a 1973 Ford F350 with duals and a 12' bed.I hauled 7200 lbs of blend fertilizer several times on it and 5 1100 to 1200 lb cows a lot of times.Was it overloaded?Maybe. Would it do it with being careful? Yes.


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## MechanicMatt (Jan 17, 2020)

sb47 said:


> My most important piece of equipment is my body, All the tools in the world are useless if your body is not working.



Amen to that Bro! I’ve hauled wood with my quad and trailer, riding mower and trailer and truck. Have more saws then I can run in a week. X27, x25 wedges and 10lb or my hydraulic. Ear muffs and glasses and my helmet with muffs and face shield. Cut with and without chaps. Several pairs of boots and a pair of gloves for every day of the week. BUT... there is only one me! If I get hurt, the whole firewood process stalls. You hit the nail on the head pal, by far the most important part of the whole system is my body! Hurt my knee or back and I gotta tap out


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## motorhead99999 (Jan 17, 2020)

Sandhill Crane said:


> Shamusturbo:
> You like the rubber tire over tracks? I know a guy that has a tracked Cat for work and he too says maintenance is high.
> I deliver with a 12' flatbed using pallets and I unload by hand. A guy spoiled me this week unloading the pallets with a rubber tire skid steer. Was nice, but really tore up his gravel driveway doing it. So I was thinking a tracked machine would be better on driveways and yards, but another person said not really. All my pallets are staged on gravel. He thought a tracked machine would tear it up. I guess I need a bigger truck to haul the piggyback forklift. A skid steer however would be more multi-purpose, especially in the winter.


Believe it or not the tracked skid steers are completely helpless on snow that’s been drove over a couple times. We went back to tire skid steer and I just throw a set of cut down loader chains on it in the winter


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## Sandhill Crane (Jan 17, 2020)

I found the same with industrial tires, basically skid steer tires, on the piggyback forklift.
My wants change month to month. 
Lately it has been for a used compact wheel loader. Something compact, that will lift 1,500 pounds, and not tear up the ground. Something like the older Kubota R420's or R520's. 
I talked to a guy with a 520 this week. Not for sale yet. There are a few around.
The compact tele handlers are pricy little buggers, but have side tilt. Very helpful with forks.
A used 50 hp tractor with power take off is on the list too, as a more multi functional machine, but a bit too big.


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## sb47 (Jan 17, 2020)

motorhead99999 said:


> Believe it or not the tracked skid steers are completely helpless on snow that’s been drove over a couple times. We went back to tire skid steer and I just throw a set of cut down loader chains on it in the winter



Sorry I didn't read the whole thread but Just curious but are you using rubber or steel track? And why are tracks less effective, any particular reason tires work better? Since we don't have snow or ice down here, I'm just curious. thanks


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## motorhead99999 (Jan 18, 2020)

sb47 said:


> Sorry I didn't read the whole thread but Just curious but are you using rubber or steel track? And why are tracks less effective, any particular reason tires work better? Since we don't have snow or ice down here, I'm just curious. thanks


Rubber tracks. If they get on any packed snow skid steer will not move. Steel tracks would probably work better or maybe if you put bolts through the rubber tracks to grab the packed stuff they would be ok


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## rancher2 (Jan 18, 2020)

motorhead99999 said:


> Believe it or not the tracked skid steers are completely helpless on snow that’s been drove over a couple times. We went back to tire skid steer and I just throw a set of cut down loader chains on it in the winter



I did the same thing out on the farm. Went back to a tired skid loader last time. Lot of things I like about the tracked ones but when mud snow and ice comes it sure nice to threw a set of chains on the wheeled ones and go. One year with the tracked one we had a ice storm and I was stuck in my own drive way had to get the tractor out to pull it to the shed.


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## motorhead99999 (Jan 18, 2020)

rancher2 said:


> I did the same thing out on the farm. Went back to a tired skid loader last time. Lot of things I like about the tracked ones but when mud snow and ice comes it sure nice to threw a set of chains on the wheeled ones and go. One year with the tracked one we had a ice storm and I was stuck in my own drive way had to get the tractor out to pull it to the shed.


But yet you can tell someone they suck in certain conditions and they look at you like you have ten heads because everyone thinks tracks are the solution to everything. Everything has its pros and cons


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## sb47 (Jan 18, 2020)

motorhead99999 said:


> But yet you can tell someone they suck in certain conditions and they look at you like you have ten heads because everyone thinks tracks are the solution to everything. Everything has its pros and cons





The reason I asked the question is we had a skid steer that had wheels and we used steel tracks that we could put on and take off depending on how wet it was. The steel tracks worked great in the mud but tore up the ground real bad. Loading the skid steer on the low boy was tricky with steel tracks and if they were muddy or wet. It would slid sideways if you were not perfectly level and even when it was level you really had to be careful or it would slid sideways off the lowboy.
We even welded angle iron and expanded sheet metal on the ramp of the lowboy to get better traction because it would not climb the ramp with wet tracks and we couldn't even get it loaded on the trailer. But they worked great in the mud. 
We were using an Optimal tree spade and even if we did get stuck because of high center we could use the Optimal to push your way out. We had a bucket and we could use that a little bit to push our way out but it's range of movement was limited compared to the Optimal tree spade. If it was really wet we would end up pushing the dirt instead of pushing the loader and then we were stuck.
Seems to me steel tracks would work better in snow or ice but we never get that down here.


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## motorhead99999 (Jan 18, 2020)

sb47 said:


> The reason I asked the question is we had a skid steer that had wheels and we used steel tracks that we could put on and take off depending on how wet it was. The steel tracks worked great in the mud but tore up the ground real bad. Loading the skid steer on the low boy was tricky with steel tracks and if they were muddy or wet. It would slid sideways if you were not perfectly level and even when it was level you really had to be careful or it would slid sideways off the lowboy.
> We even welded angle iron and expanded sheet metal on the ramp of the lowboy to get better traction because it would not climb the ramp with wet tracks and we couldn't even get it loaded on the trailer. But they worked great in the mud.
> We were using an Optimal tree spade and even if we did get stuck because of high center we could use the Optimal to push your way out. We had a bucket and we could use that a little bit to push our way out but it's range of movement was limited compared to the Optimal tree spade. If it was really wet we would end up pushing the dirt instead of pushing the loader and then we were stuck.
> Seems to me steel tracks would work better in snow or ice but we never get that down here.


Yes the rubber tracks work good in the mud. The ones that come on the cat skid steers that have straight bars across them seem to work the best. The ones that look like mini exscavator tracks are ok but not as good.


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## gdrew888 (Jan 19, 2020)

I wasn't in the firewood business like some of you guys, this is just a load for personal use. I'll let the pictures do the talking, suffice to say that load was soaking wet mill ends that were free to me. I have a friend who made plywood for a living, back in the early 80's.


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## Ryan'smilling (Jan 19, 2020)

gdrew888 said:


> I wasn't in the firewood business like some of you guys, this is just a load for personal use. I'll let the pictures do the talking, suffice to say that load was soaking wet mill ends that were free to me. I have a friend who made plywood for a living, back in the early 80's.



Awesome.


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## babybart (Jan 19, 2020)

I want the hauling rig!


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## SS396driver (Jan 21, 2020)

gdrew888 said:


> I wasn't in the firewood business like some of you guys, this is just a load for personal use. I'll let the pictures do the talking, suffice to say that load was soaking wet mill ends that were free to me. I have a friend who made plywood for a living, back in the early 80's.


Love the rig. Wouldn't make it up my driveway loaded like that


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## woodchuckcanuck (Jan 26, 2020)

3 full cord delivery, '07 Silverado 3500HD Duramax with dump bed, and a 14x7 galv dump trailer. About the most efficient setup I can afford at this time. Anything bigger and we're getting into mid sized dump trucks.


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## Jethro 2t sniffer (Jan 26, 2020)

Corrolla wagon. Had less than an inch of ground clearance lol.


Suzuki sidekick is the usual wood hauler now. Yes I know I need a truck. I get not quite a cord in the trailer and 6 or 8 saws in the back. Poor little 1600cc still does 70mph happily like that


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## Rjpoog1989 (Jan 26, 2020)

It depends on where the wood is. If it’s on my property, my John Deere is irreplaceable. If it’s somewhere else, I’ve gotta have my dump trailer. I’ve tried hauling wood in my truck bed, did it for 3 years actually, but my truck is one of them grocery getters so it’s not ideal.


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## tnflatbed (Jan 31, 2020)

woodchuckcanuck said:


> View attachment 792131




That is a super nice looking dump trailer!, What brand is it?


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## woodchuckcanuck (Jan 31, 2020)

tnflatbed said:


> That is a super nice looking dump trailer!, What brand is it?



K-Trail makes it. I got the last one made with 3 foot sides. There may be some old stock still on dealer lots. The mesh sides are an option. Now they make them with 2 foot sides, or maybe its 30 inches. Can't remember.


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## Ted Jenkins (Jan 31, 2020)

woodchuckcanuck said:


> 3 full cord delivery, '07 Silverado 3500HD Duramax with dump bed, and a 14x7 galv dump trailer. About the most efficient setup I can afford at this time. Anything bigger and we're getting into mid sized dump trucks.
> View attachment 792131



Your set up looks awesome to me. My first truck was a C600 when I did not even have a license to drive. That was almost 40 years ago. I think my legal limit is 40,000 LBS. Our highway patrol stated its not how big the truck is or how much it can handle or the Gross Combination. but how fast can you stop. The trailer has six 12'' brakes and still struggles down a long hill. Yes we have hills. I would likely never use a dump trailer because they are so heavy. Those that do not have hills seem to breeze along. Thanks


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## sb47 (Jan 31, 2020)

Ted Jenkins said:


> Your set up looks awesome to me. My first truck was a C600 when I did not even have a license to drive. That was almost 40 years ago. I think my legal limit is 40,000 LBS. Our highway patrol stated its not how big the truck is or how much it can handle or the Gross Combination. but how fast can you stop. The trailer has six 12'' brakes and still struggles down a long hill. Yes we have hills. I would likely never use a dump trailer because they are so heavy. Those that do not have hills seem to breeze along. Thanks



Some trailers have breaks some don't. Most only have breaks on one axle if its a tandem axle trailer. Most single axle trailers don't have breaks at all. My tandem axle trailer only came with breaks on the front axle. I added new drum hubs and breaks on the rear axle so mine has breaks on both axles. I was a trucker for 30 years and most new trucks have plenty of power to get even a heavy load moving at highway speeds unless your pulling grades. And you are correct, it's not that your truck can pull the weight, but how well it can stop it. We have all topped a hill and seen nothing but break lights as far as you can see. Many roads don't have emergency lanes or have K rails blocking you from moving over into an emergency lane so you have no where to go if you can't stop. Pulling is one thing, stopping is another and far more important. Also most trailers that do have breaks are not self adjusting, so you need to manually adjust them periodically.
Also you must have a *GOOD* quality break controller and learn how to use it properly. A 50 dollar break controller is not going to work as well as a 350 dollar controller.
The cheap break controllers work off your break light circuit and suck when your in stop and go traffic.
The better ones have speed sensors and a mercury switch and G force sensors and adjustments for how hard you engage and how fast they engage. Most cheap controllers only have zero through 10 in increments of 1/10.
Mine has 1/10 but has increments of 10 on each number setting. So I can set it at 1.1 or 1.2 or 1.3 and so on all the way up to 10. And it has an emergency lever or panic lever that will instantly go from zero to full lock with a simple lever. Once you come to a stop, if you have a cheap controller as long as the break light is lit, like if you holding your foot on the break at a stop light, the trailer breaks are fully engaged. Mine has a sensor so once your stopped it backs the break power down to a minimal amount.
Say I have it set at 5.5 and when I hit the breaks it goes to 5.5 till you start slowing down then it slowly starts backing the breaking power according to your relative speed. Once I'm stopped at a light it drops the breaking power sent to the trailer breaks down to 1.5 while your sitting still, even though you have your foot on the break and your truck break lights are on.
The cheap one's you have to take your foot off the break and let the break light go off before the trailer breaks will release.And that can be very annoying in stop and go traffic.
The good break controllers are worth every penny because they give you much more control and more adjustments to fit your breaking needs. You can dial it in to do exactly what you want and need over your trailer breaks. I can adjust mine to stop hard by the G force the mercury sensor picks up and it will go to that setting. But it also has a delay from instant breaking to 1 second or 2 seconds up to 3 seconds after you hit the breaks.
The good ones work much better then the cheap ones do. Mine even has LED light that tell you if your breaks are connected and are working, right on the controller module. If one or more of those indicator LEDs stops working or starts flashing, I know a light is out or there is a problem. Lastly, make sure you have a secondary detected ground wire from the trailer to the frame of your tow vehicle. Most ground through the ball hitch and if you don't have a good ground, it's not going to work properly or at all.
If you have break or light issues, always check the ground first. Thats is where most issues come from, not having a good ground.
Also change your incandescent lights to all LED's. Most light bulb failures come from the light filaments getting broken on bumpy roads. LED's last longer and don't break the filaments and work much better.
If you can afford them, get self adjusting trailer breaks. It's a pain in the ass to crawl under a low trailer and try to adjust the breaks.Especially if it's wet or muddy. Don't forget to check your break away switch and battery and make sure they are in working order.


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## woodchuckcanuck (Feb 1, 2020)

Ted Jenkins said:


> Your set up looks awesome to me. My first truck was a C600 when I did not even have a license to drive. That was almost 40 years ago. I think my legal limit is 40,000 LBS. Our highway patrol stated its not how big the truck is or how much it can handle or the Gross Combination. but how fast can you stop. The trailer has six 12'' brakes and still struggles down a long hill. Yes we have hills. I would likely never use a dump trailer because they are so heavy. Those that do not have hills seem to breeze along. Thanks


Right you are. Its all about stopping. hence the reason not to exceed the GVWR for the truck, or the GCWR if towing something as well.


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## woodchuckcanuck (Feb 1, 2020)

So I got this going on today. Running some firewood through the kiln.


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## Sandhill Crane (Feb 1, 2020)

More photos please.


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## cantoo (Feb 1, 2020)

Sandhill Crane, click on his page under his name. https://woodchuckcanuck.com/ Fair warning though Jim and his wife have some pretty neat stuff, you're going to be there awhile.


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## cat10ken (Feb 1, 2020)

It's spelled BRAKES.


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## Sandhill Crane (Feb 2, 2020)

Wow...


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## VW Splitter (Feb 10, 2020)

gdrew888 said:


> I wasn't in the firewood business like some of you guys, this is just a load for personal use. I'll let the pictures do the talking, suffice to say that load was soaking wet mill ends that were free to me. I have a friend who made plywood for a living, back in the early 80's.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## gdrew888 (Feb 10, 2020)

That picture was taken 35 years ago. That poor VW truck passed away after a hard life of slavery hauling rock and wood and then contracting stage 5 cancer. Some of its organs may or may not have been transplanted...we just don't know, but we are hopeful that she was able to help another VW ease its suffering with some useful parts. RIP old VW truck...we will hold onto our fond memories of you!


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## VW Splitter (Feb 11, 2020)

Hindsight is 20/20. I have let go a few that I would love to have back now. Good memories tho.


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## gdrew888 (Feb 11, 2020)

VW Splitter said:


> Hindsight is 20/20. I have let go a few that I would love to have back now. Good memories tho.



Foresight was not one of my strong points and the hindsight is almost heartbreaking if I dwell on it to much. There are several vehicles I regret letting go including a few other VW's, a 1962 Pontiac Parisian 2 door convertible and a 1964 Datsun Fairlady 2000. I rarely meet anybody who has ever heard of a Fairlady. As far as roadsters go of that era, the 2 litre Datsun was light years ahead of Sunbeam Alpine, MGB, Fiat etc. I had a few other interesting and collectible vehicles back in the 70's but I miss the 1964 Fairlady and 1962 Pontiac the most although the 1967 VW truck was so useful to have around.


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## Ted Jenkins (Feb 11, 2020)

When I was 14 I got my first vehicle a 55 Ford F100 and yes still have after more than 50 years. It was how I got first involved with chainsaw use. Also I am still using my 67 C600 . Thanks goodness it is gas powered otherwise it would have been already melted for a new Honda. I have watched this thread with some interest as to where it will lead. In reality there is no important piece of equipment. If there is any failure there will not be any wood related operation. I have spent at least a hundred hours making out checklists for tool boxes with the right tools, checking to see if every vehicle has the common needed spares, backup chainsaws with spare parts, packing food when a surprise snow storm could leave me stranded for a couple extra weeks, and then there are simple things like extra water and fuel. Some thing so ridiculous like a spark plug fouling with out a spare can void out any production for several days. Yes it seems like a challenge. Thanks


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## tla100 (Feb 16, 2020)

Most important Stihl MS 440. I don't cut in the woods. Skidloader close 2nd...


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## CR888 (Feb 17, 2020)

sb47 said:


> Some trailers have breaks some don't. Most only have breaks on one axle if its a tandem axle trailer. Most single axle trailers don't have breaks at all. My tandem axle trailer only came with breaks on the front axle. I added new drum hubs and breaks on the rear axle so mine has breaks on both axles. I was a trucker for 30 years and most new trucks have plenty of power to get even a heavy load moving at highway speeds unless your pulling grades. And you are correct, it's not that your truck can pull the weight, but how well it can stop it. We have all topped a hill and seen nothing but break lights as far as you can see. Many roads don't have emergency lanes or have K rails blocking you from moving over into an emergency lane so you have no where to go if you can't stop. Pulling is one thing, stopping is another and far more important. Also most trailers that do have breaks are not self adjusting, so you need to manually adjust them periodically.
> Also you must have a *GOOD* quality break controller and learn how to use it properly. A 50 dollar break controller is not going to work as well as a 350 dollar controller.
> The cheap break controllers work off your break light circuit and suck when your in stop and go traffic.
> The better ones have speed sensors and a mercury switch and G force sensors and adjustments for how hard you engage and how fast they engage. Most cheap controllers only have zero through 10 in increments of 1/10.
> ...


What a great post!


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## cantoo (Feb 17, 2020)

Not really firewood equipment but just a lesson to be learned. Make sure you pack your gear correctly. I drove 150 miles to a jobsite to pump water out of the foundation hole so they could pour the concrete footings. Got to site, set up the 2 pumps and hoses. Unloaded my trusty Honda generator and pulled and pulled and it just wouldn't start. Man that thing always started on the 2nd pull no matter what. Checked everything and still no starting. Decided I might as well pull the spark plug and at least see if it had spark. Darn it the spark plug cap was broken right off. At home I had put the gennie into the back of my truck on the plastic bedliner and I guess on the ride up it had slid ahead and bumped my toolbox and broke the cap off. Had to cancel the concrete for a few hours while I could head back to a small engine shop, get a new cap, fix it and pump the water out. Almost as bad as the time I loaded everything into my plastic jobbox that fits on my loader forks, headed to the bush ready for a full day of dropping trees and making saw dust. Had everything thing I needed except for the thing I needed first. 25 chain saws and I left them all sitting at home. That set the tone for a bad day.


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## siouxindian (Feb 17, 2020)

Woodcutteranon said:


> Most important piece of equipment to work my firewood? No question...My truck.
> 
> If my saw breaks, no worries, I have 27 more. If my splitter won't start...meh...I can get by doing something else productive or I can swing a maul. If my trailer burns up a bearing I can get by for a while just tossing into the bed of my truck.
> 
> ...


what oil do you burn in you truck and what ratio.


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## babybart (Feb 18, 2020)

cantoo said:


> Not really firewood equipment but just a lesson to be learned. Make sure you pack your gear correctly. I drove 150 miles to a jobsite to pump water out of the foundation hole so they could pour the concrete footings. Got to site, set up the 2 pumps and hoses. Unloaded my trusty Honda generator and pulled and pulled and it just wouldn't start. Man that thing always started on the 2nd pull no matter what. Checked everything and still no starting. Decided I might as well pull the spark plug and at least see if it had spark. Darn it the spark plug cap was broken right off. At home I had put the gennie into the back of my truck on the plastic bedliner and I guess on the ride up it had slid ahead and bumped my toolbox and broke the cap off. Had to cancel the concrete for a few hours while I could head back to a small engine shop, get a new cap, fix it and pump the water out. Almost as bad as the time I loaded everything into my plastic jobbox that fits on my loader forks, headed to the bush ready for a full day of dropping trees and making saw dust. Had everything thing I needed except for the thing I needed first. 25 chain saws and I left them all sitting at home. That set the tone for a bad day.



My woodshed and splitting area is quite a ways from my house and garage, take what I need in the Wheel Horse and yard cart to the area. No matter how long I stand and think about it, always forget at least one thing and back I come. Always say I'm gonna make a list of what I need, forget that too by the end of the day!


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