Cutting up logs from a big dirty scrap pile.

[matt.jans]

Hi folks. First time poster. We just bough 1.5 rural acres in MD and inhereted the junk pile below (about 6 feet high and 10-15 feet around). Sticks and logs, bricks and stone, and probably a lot of dirt.

I was excited about the free firewood (and fill dirt and bricks). But my neighbor (grew up a farmer) warned me no to use my chainsaw on anything in this pile because of the dirt that will be in it. I trust him but always like a second opinion.

I know I'm not supposed to let my chain hit the dirt, but if I sort these out with a cant hook or peavey, keep them off-ground when cutting, am I OK? Would you worry about dirt in the bark wearing the chain. Obviously, if it's caked on I'd brush it off. But would you clean it more than that?

My inclination is to first rent a subcompact with grapple and sort logs from sticks from bricks and stones from dirt. And then process each. Open to opinions. Thanks!

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[farmguywithasaw]

I agree with you neighbors. Looks like compost to me probably have a hard time burning it without adding wood piled like that

 

[cranman1951]

I would put into a brush pile to rot down....don't even consider trying to make wood out of that.

 

[Del_]

A total waste of time with a negative financial return.

 

[Woodslasher]

Personally, I'd light it off as a big ol' burn pile and sort out what's left. If you do process it into firewood, chipper chain and a chain grinder are your friends, along with frequently swapping the chain. I've included a link to a nicely-priced grinder below. I just got one of those and it works pretty well for me.
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/tls/d/purcellville-oregon-511ax-bench-chain/7277303921.html

 

[thomasinvancouver]

Personally, I'd light it off as a big ol' burn pile and sort out what's left. If you do process it into firewood, chipper chain and a chain grinder are your friends, along with frequently swapping the chain. I've included a link to a nicely-priced grinder below. I just got one of those and it works pretty well for me.
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/tls/d/purcellville-oregon-511ax-bench-chain/7277303921.html

If you must, sort it out, then pressure wash any wood that’s big enough to burn.

 

[sean donato]

Hard pass on that one, unless theres some real good hidden wood buried deep within

 

[farmguywithasaw]

Hard pass on that one, unless theres some real good hidden wood buried deep within

Or a pot of gold lol

 

[PV Hiker]

Spread it out and compost. Loader / backhoe and dump truck haul it away. Looks like you have trees that can be thinned to supply with clean wood to make into firewood.

Years worth of dirt embedded in those trees. Hard on chainsaws and chains.

 

[bwalker]

There isnt enough wood there to even bother with and what's there appears rotted.

 

[sb47]

Bon fire time.

 

[holeycow]

That teeny, weeny pile should be burnt, piled, and burnt again.

 

[czyhorse]

How bad do you need the firewood? Garbage / born fire fodder is in the eye of the beholder. If you need the firewood it may be worth having to resharpen your chains. I am a bit surprised by the hard and fast trash it answers. Firewood is a little harder to come by for some then others. That being said I was invited in late summer to an all you can eat cut and haul in an overgrown field where a tree service had once dumped what it couldn’t grind up. My wife and I were quite happy for it as I had been down all summer due to my hip surgery. We had half the truck loaded when my wife asked if those white things on the logs were termites. I had never seen them before but sure enough..... i unloaded my truck toot sweet, warned the people who had invited us apologized and left. Worried for a few days about wether any were hiding in my truck bed and followed me home. So you might want to check for pests such as termites or carpenter ants before deciding.

 

[sb47]

How bad do you need the firewood? Garbage / born fire fodder is in the eye of the beholder. If you need the firewood it may be worth having to resharpen your chains. I am a bit surprised by the hard and fast trash it answers. Firewood is a little harder to come by for some then others. That being said I was invited in late summer to an all you can eat cut and haul in an overgrown field where a tree service had once dumped what it couldn’t grind up. My wife and I were quite happy for it as I had been down all summer due to my hip surgery. We had half the truck loaded when my wife asked if those white things on the logs were termites. I had never seen them before but sure enough..... i unloaded my truck toot sweet, warned the people who had invited us apologized and left. Worried for a few days about wether any were hiding in my truck bed and followed me home. So you might want to check for pests such as termites or carpenter ants before deciding.

Look behind the pile, It doesn't look like there is a shortage of usable firewood on the property.
Yes I guaranty there are lots of critters in that wood pile.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

if you are really short on wood then you get your winch and pull out the stuff you want and cut. That is the way I do it. The brush if it can be burnt then burn. I would be in jail with in an hour of lighting that pile but this is California. Thanks

 

[Woodslasher]

if you are really short on wood then you get your winch and pull out the stuff you want and cut. That is the way I do it. The brush if it can be burnt then burn. I would be in jail with in an hour of lighting that pile but this is California. Thanks

It’s all in how you hide the pile and how deep in the boonies you are....

 

[5backacres]

IMO A huge waste of time and energy not to mention saw chain. If you can't thin your stand or scrounge from neighbors and need firewood there's always pallets, dry, usually free, already split but you'll still take your chances hitting nails or rock on the bottom boards. skil saw works best, some I have come across are actually hardwood oak, etc. could be treated wood in the pile... last thing you want to burn inside or outside

 

[Tin-knocker]

How bad do you need the firewood? Garbage / born fire fodder is in the eye of the beholder. If you need the firewood it may be worth having to resharpen your chains. I am a bit surprised by the hard and fast trash it answers. Firewood is a little harder to come by for some then others. That being said I was invited in late summer to an all you can eat cut and haul in an overgrown field where a tree service had once dumped what it couldn’t grind up. My wife and I were quite happy for it as I had been down all summer due to my hip surgery. We had half the truck loaded when my wife asked if those white things on the logs were termites. I had never seen them before but sure enough..... i unloaded my truck toot sweet, warned the people who had invited us apologized and left. Worried for a few days about wether any were hiding in my truck bed and followed me home. So you might want to check for pests such as termites or carpenter ants before deciding.

Really? You would crap your pants if you came around my place when the termites start flying around! I would usually pick them out of the wood along with other grubs and give them to my chickens. We also have a ton pill bugs that seem to love living in the wood. Can’t leave the wood stacked for too long or the powder post beetles have a field day! Although they seem to only really love the bay wood. Can’t be scared of bugs and like firewood at the same time! Oh and just in case it’s not obvious I’m just teasing you. I can understand not wanting to bring termites to your house. Not kidding about them flying around my place though it can get nuts. Don’t walk around with you mouth open kind of thing.

 

[stihl86]

That's not wood anymore.

 

[KASH]

Pretty SLIM PICKINGS.
Kash