Dino bag down!

[JRZ]

I have started using the Dino bags and am having a difficult time keeping them upright. I use a forklift or skidsteer with forks to hang the bag from and place a pallet underneath. When the bag is full I move it into a storage position by picking up the pallet. Although many times this initial move is OK, any subsequent moves or sudden movements with the machine will cause the bag to topple and several of them have toppled after settling in their storage position.
Attaching something around the bags or through the loops and tying this back to the machine has helped, but still having some significant challenges keeping them upright. Any ideas???

 

[Sandhill Crane]

One thought would be plastic banding with the metal wire fasteners, not the metal crimp fasteners. That way you can retighten if necessary.
I'm curious about the Dino bags. How much they hold? How much they cost? Are you using them for sales? Can you reuse them? How do you empty them?

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Welcome to AS by the way.
And another question.
Do you deliver using the skid steer, leaving the Dino bag and pallet with the customers?
Thanks, Crane

 

[JRZ]

Thanks...
Dino bags hld about 1/3rd of a cord tossed, not stacked. They cost about $11 each if you buy 200 at a time, that include shipping of the pallet. I think they can be reused although I don't know yet. and the idea is to dseliver the firewood in these pakages to the customer and they can just remove the wood from the bag as needed. They take up more space than a cord stacked, but the application is much cleaner (the little bits stay in the bag)and no stacking needed.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

How do you deliver, just dump?

 

[JRZ]

Delivery is still a question mark. I could use a forklift or skidsteer to deliver. Don't want to dump as that defeats the purpose of the bag. Thinking about putting a knuckle boom on wood truck to just grab bags out of the back or off a trailer. They can then be wheeled into garages or across any hard surface including gravel with a rough terrain pallet jack and placed where the customer wants them. The bag has to stay on the pallet though first. I thought about the plastic banding and may try that for keeping the bags stationary on the pallet.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I just looked up Dino firewood bags. 36" x 42" x 58" Seems like an odd size, and I can see why they might tip. You could also try two bags on a six foot pallet and baling twine the hoops diagonally. Banding what you have is probably your cheapest bet. Uline sells all that stuff and often has free shipping. I ordered 6' fork extensions from Uline and got them the next day.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

It is not a perfect world. Just keep trying...
I'm delivering four pallets of green wood next week, something I've not done yet, as this system is new to me also. Should be interesting. The plan is to get a dump box by Spring and load with conveyor. Plan 'B' is to get a CDL and larger flatbed truck to carry the forklift, then designing a wrap with velcro for each pallet on the truck.

 

[JRZ]

Thanks for the encouragement!
I'm not giving up...
I did buy some poly strapping from Uline, should be here today.
Going away for a week with the Mrs. but I will be back in business late next week.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Had a leaner and I knocked it over trying to pick it up. Ugh! That is the third one.
Going to try something different, and so far it seems 'more gooder'. Quicker too.

 

[JRZ]

How are you loading those, with a removable cylinder?

 

[Sandhill Crane]

JRZ: Have you tried the banding yet?

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I'll pull up a couple photos.

 

[JRZ]

I haven't yet. I will this weekend and let you now how it goes. I am also going to modify how the bag is being held while loading. The forks on the folklift of skidsteer don't separate the handles of the bag far enough. I will fab something...

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Fill the drum.
Rotate from under conveyor.
Connect tripod, and wrap as you lift the drum.
Check it out on YouTube. Posch PackFix hydro. Hydro is the turntable base, one of three base options. It is from Austria.

 

[JRZ]

Wow - that looks really cool!

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Huh, did you ship that from Europe or is their a US dealer? I saw a video they called "firewood factory" with their processor, tumber and that bagger. Looked interesting.

How about stacking the bags only 1 tall on pallet racking? It's expensive to buy new but it can be cheap at auctions.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

USA importer for Posch equipment is Northeast Implement, Spencer, New York

Very good people to work with. It was all very good. I love it. No more stacking.
It should season well with sun and air flow, although double stacking may cut down on both somewhat. I may single stack next year, depending. Don't know till you try. I think it is way better than a pile for seasoning and handling.

ValleyFirewood: Not sure if your pallet rack question is for me or JRZ. For me, I do not have the space, although it would keep pallets off the ground, from rotting, and also easier to cover if necessary. If the racking was stacked close, as the rows are now, then it would have to be disassembled to access the next row, unless the top side rails were used as connecters and left intact. But then you would need concrete floors as well. All too much work. It might work for some, depending.

 

[JRZ]

Are the netted pallets of wood 1/3 of a cord?

 

[Sandhill Crane]

[email protected] If you have questions about the Posch equipment, including the PackFix and three base variations depending on your needs.