Anyone stack wood in totes?

[rancher2]

You guys are recommending a 3000# machine with a 1000# or a 1300# lift capacity to lift 2000# totes of green wood. Seriously?

To pick up a 1/3 cord (depending on tote), I don't see a 3000# skidsteer with a 1300 lb lift doing the trick. If loaded with green wood, as he said originally, we're talking potentially as much as 2000# per tote. Then also consider he has to load them on the trailer once seasoned. Lighter by then I’m sure, but still a 1500# potential load. I think he is going to want a much larger machine, or less full/lighter totes. My kioti tractor weighs about 7000 lbs with the loader and fluid filled tires. It has a 2800 lb lift capacity to full height, and I have a 1/3rd cord box. I don’t think a half the size skid steer is going to lift the totes. Keep in mind the lift capacity is calculated for a bucket, not 3.5’ out on a pallet. I don’t want to see the OP get hurt, ruin his machine, damage a customers property, or have buyers remorse. I’d save up and get a bigger skid steer with good enough hydraulics to run a grapple when not loading totes.

+1 On this. Lift capacity on a skid loader and a loader on a tractor is a whole different ball game loading weight in a bucket vs running a set of forks and lifting full pallets, totes. We ran into this years ago when we went to seed totes for planting out on the farm. We had to move up to a much larger skid steer to handle the totes.

 

[captjack]

The totes are a great idea. I welded up some boxes that hold 1/2 cord stacked. I have 4 of them so in the winter I load them and stick them in the run in shed. One goes to the wood boiler and then I rotate - empty one get reloaded from pile and back in shed. I have tractor that can lift them when green so its not an issue. If I had a source for the totes I would split and just season the wood in them for sure.

 

[4seasons]

Not trying to nit pick at all here, but I think those dual tandem goosenecks are closer to 8k empty. I think a standard deckover gooseneck with 4 tires is in the 6k range.

You are probably right as I was using 5000 lbs as a low number from an aluminum tri-axle I looked at once. It was advertised as being more fuel efficient because it weighs so little, but I didn't like the price, and I questioned its lifespan as the welds didn't look great.

 

[4seasons]

You guys are recommending a 3000# machine with a 1000# or a 1300# lift capacity to lift 2000# totes of green wood. Seriously?

To pick up a 1/3 cord (depending on tote), I don't see a 3000# skidsteer with a 1300 lb lift doing the trick. If loaded with green wood, as he said originally, we're talking potentially as much as 2000# per tote. Then also consider he has to load them on the trailer once seasoned. Lighter by then I’m sure, but still a 1500# potential load. I think he is going to want a much larger machine, or less full/lighter totes. My kioti tractor weighs about 7000 lbs with the loader and fluid filled tires. It has a 2800 lb lift capacity to full height, and I have a 1/3rd cord box. I don’t think a half the size skid steer is going to lift the totes. Keep in mind the lift capacity is calculated for a bucket, not 3.5’ out on a pallet. I don’t want to see the OP get hurt, ruin his machine, damage a customers property, or have buyers remorse. I’d save up and get a bigger skid steer with good enough hydraulics to run a grapple when not loading totes.

I wasn't recommending using my 3000 lbs skid steer to pick up 2000 lbs totes. Just saying I have picked up 2000 lbs with it before and was very careful maneuvering it. You bring up a good point about the weight being out on forks instead of up tight against the tractor.
However a skid steer is generally rated to pick up more weight for the same weight machine than a tractor. It has to do with the design putting most the weight in the rear of a skid steer where tractors have more weight up front and the loader is much farther away from the front tires on a tractor.

 

[SamT1]

You are probably right as I was using 5000 lbs as a low number from an aluminum tri-axle I looked at once. It was advertised as being more fuel efficient because it weighs so little, but I didn't like the price, and I questioned its lifespan as the welds didn't look great.

Yea aluminum is out for something your gonna work. It won’t flex, just cracks out after time.

 

[morningwood]

I posted about using totes for firewood over at another site. Any questions, let me know.

*sigh*
It looks like childish folks who run this site won't let me post the URL. Thanks bit.ly