Skid Steer firewood baskets?

[svon89]

I didn't want to hijack the other thread, but did see a nice basket in another thread. What are you guys using to palletize your firewood? I finally have a skid steer and have been trying to come up with a nice way to stack the wood on pallets then strap it. The baskets are really nice, but I just can not afford that option right now.
Thanks

 

[gink595]

One of my FIL's friend has a bunch of the collaspsable type plastic crates I've been thinking about buying for firewood.

 

[jasult]

This is the plastic collapsible pallet boxes I use

 

[svon89]

Where would a good place be to look for the plastic baskets? If I could find some for a reasonable price I would start off with a few, then go from there. I have seen metal baskets for sale around here, but they go for $100 or better.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[jasult]

Here is example of buying used. http://reusabletranspack.com/templates/Used-Bulk-Containers.html

You should also look in Craigs list. I use SEARCHTEMPTEST to look in wide area in Craigs List
http://www.searchtempest.com/

Another site with used http://catalog.tedthorsen.com/Used_Bulk_Containers/Used_Bulk_Bins_and_Containers.htm

 

[gwiley]

The basket that I built can be put together using scrap lumber and deck screws (I used mostly 3" and 2 1/2"). The "hinge" for the front side was made using a few spare bolts I had laying around and I use a 20' tow chain to lash it to the forks on the skid steer. The rear side isn't there at all - I rely on the forks attachment plate to stop the logs - the bottom line is that you can build this for very little money even if you need to purchase some lumber.

Even though it is made of 2x4s and deck screws it is very sturdy. I had a front tire on the SS give way the other day with the basket lifted about 8' in the air and the machine tipped forward with a full load in the basket we hit hard but nothing was broken.

One nice thing about building it from wood is that you can repair it easily and you can size it perfectly.

 

[jasult]

nothing wrong with that setup.

Could you also use wood pallets to construct a box ??

 

[gwiley]

I can see using pallets for the bottom and sides. You would need to be a little creative to make durable joints since the quality of the wood in pallets is low. It would be worth a try since they are usually available for free. The most important design points I would mention are:

- don't make it too large, firewood is heavy, you would be surprised at how quickly you hit 2000 lbs. and on a skid steer that translates to rear wheels in the air
- make it as tough as you can so that it will tolerate tossing rounds in (I would worry a little about the pallet boards surviving the impact of a large round).
- the hinged front is a huge productivity enhancement - take the time to hinge it.

 

[svon89]

Thanks for all of the ideas and links. I think that for right now I might lean toward the wooden boxes. Later on I will pick up some of the plastic boxes. When I get to PA it would be worth a stop to get some ( I am too cheap to pay shipping).

I learned a long time ago keep the load low in order to avoid surprises with the light rear tires.

Right now I have to fix a drive chain. The previous owner used a master link made in china, so no I am redoing it properly. I didn't realize how difficult it was to find stuff not made in china.

Once I get something built I will post a few pictures. I do like the idea of a hinged side to unload. I plan to store the wood in the bins, and bring it up to the house as I need it. The hinged side would make it easy to get the stuff on the bottom.

Thanks

 

[MNBobcat]

This is the plastic collapsible pallet boxes I use

That's really sweet. I built my shed last fall with the intent of getting crates set up this summer that I can move to the shed when I need more wood.

What would you consider to be a reasonable/good price to pay for a bulk container?

 

[jasult]

I have seen them used from 15 dollars up to 120. dollars.
I picked up 32 for FREE from a small pallet guy that was closing up shop.

 

[tjbier]

I just got some pics to show ya'll what I did. I got a bunch of pallets from by bro's work and put em together to make my own skids, way I figure they hold 1/2 chord each(they are 4' x 44" and 4' tall). This way I stack it once and not have to be pretty about it, set it aside for 1-2yrs and pick it back up and dump the wood out in a trailer or whatever. The less I have to handle the wood the better!

 

[jasult]

that il work for ya