Scored again!

[turnkey4099]

Been eyeballing a grove of locust for years. Checked it out last year and a few had fallen. Land owner is retired down south somewhere - I wrote letter and as usual no answer. Checked around and got a lead for a last name of the guy farming it. Finally took wild shot at one of them from phone book tonight. Yep, first try got him and permission to cut anything that is down. He says 2 or 3 more fell during the winter.
Even asked that I restrict the access to just one track throught the crop. I was expecting to have to wait till after harvest as usual!

I've only seen it from a couple hundred yards away. they look small but I've been fooled at how much size they take on as one gets up to them. I'll try for a pic tomorrow - I know I already have one but can't find it.

All in all my scrounging isn't doing too well. Getting one or two here and there, no big scores. Of courwse I really don't need any bit scores but would like to keep my hand in behind the saws a few more years.

Harry K

 

[H 2 H]

I have a question about locust trees

I live up in the northwest and my brother has a number of locust trees on his place around his horse barn

How is it for firewood and how long does it take to dry

He wants them off his place and he does have a tractor to get the stumps out

 

[rarefish383]

Locust burns great, and if I split it now, I'd burn this winter. A couple weeks ago I had a lady call because she had 2 trees down on her horse fence, and several standing dead trees in the pasture. She just wanted the fence cleared and the dead trees put on the ground, I gave her a price of $900. She said she would try and sell the wood to recoupe some of the cost. I usually don't pay to haul wood, but I lowered the price to $750, and I could take all the wood I wanted, at my convience. One of the trees on the fence was a big Oak the other was a big American Elm. I made the big mistake of not walking all the way down to the trees, they were bigger than I thought. At the last minute I put the XL924 with a 30 in bar on the truck, good thing, it barely made it through the Oak, and I could only cut up about half of the Elm. Two of the standing dead trees were Black Locust, and at waist high they were both a little bigger than my 30" bar. I brought home a Cord and a half of the Oak, and still have at least 4 more cords of Oak and Locust. I just hope I can get to it before it gets real hot. I quartered the Oak rounds so my nephew could get them on the truck and trailer, and man am I sore right now, Joe.

PS: I decided to bring my mill and plank out the rest of the Elm log, I'll probably have to square it off because I don't think my 36" bar will make it through the middle of the log.

 

[turnkey4099]

I have a question about locust trees

I live up in the northwest and my brother has a number of locust trees on his place around his horse barn

How is it for firewood and how long does it take to dry

He wants them off his place and he does have a tractor to get the stumps out

Black Locust is rated in the top 4 best firewoods on any list. I figure one summer drying will be ready for burning. I have such a backlog in the stacks now that what I cut this year will be burnt 8 or more years down the road. I'm building a supply for when I am no longer able to even crawl to a tree while dragging a saw

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

The score from at least 1/4 mile away. Road in is all dirt and right now only a food would try it.

Taken during a short pause in a heavy snow fall. Fortunately the snow was melting almost as fast as it fell. Now I will be getting antsy to at least walk in to survey what I lucked into.

Harry K

 

[Iska3]

Black Locust is rated in the top 4 best firewoods on any list. I figure one summer drying will be ready for burning. I have such a backlog in the stacks now that what I cut this year will be burnt 8 or more years down the road. I'm building a supply for when I am no longer able to even crawl to a tree while dragging a saw

Harry K

And on the next post you wrote..... "Now I will be getting antsy to at least walk in to survey what I lucked into."

Harry, You are the man!! I'd like to buy your saws when you finally stop cutting but by then they'll be so out dated and parts will be hard to find.

You could plant acorns today and you'll be cutting them for firewood before you are done.

Looks like you'll be busy for a few weeks on that next find. Way to Go!!

 

[turnkey4099]

And on the next post you wrote..... "Now I will be getting antsy to at least walk in to survey what I lucked into."

Harry, You are the man!! I'd like to buy your saws when you finally stop cutting but by then they'll be so out dated and parts will be hard to find.

You could plant acorns today and you'll be cutting them for firewood before you are done.

Looks like you'll be busy for a few weeks on that next find. Way to Go!!

Gonna be interesting to get in there this summer and see how bad the condition of the trees is. Just down the road is a grove that I was "given" by the wife and rescinded by the hubby. That one is totally dead. I think I will be able to talk the farmer into letting me have anything that is dead but standing. Right now, I can only take what is down and that sounds like 5 trees.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Finally ready to start on this site. Wild, wild wind today so I wasn't doing anything. Drove out to scout it. No problem with access _to_ it but just about every log will have to be snaked out.

Grove covers about an acre and is cut up by deep ditches - I could almost walk under logs bridging the ditches without ducking. Entire grove is dead for practical purposes, a few still have some green. I am hoping that he will see the light and let me clear cut next year.

Except for the first picture all the remaining will have to be done from the edges. First pic is a 'finger' running out between two of the ditches. It is also the first area I will work probably beginningon Monday.

Mosst of the work will have to be after harvest as I need room for yanking hte logs out with the F150. All I am authorized to do now is one track in and one track around the edge, no way to pull anything.

Trees are nice size for me now, nothing over about 18", not a lot of brush left on them, all dead and dry. Gonna be a lot of work but that is what I am after, the excercise.

Harry K

 

[ShaneLogs]

Nice looking score! Make sure you where your hardhat though! You don't want to be taken out by one of those stringy narly looking Black Locust tops. Widow Makers can kill!

 

[turnkey4099]

Nice day out there today. Worked up almost all of that downer in Pic #2 Turned otu it is only 1/2 of a two stemmer, I'll get the other half next trip. Butt end is running 24" up about 10'. all nice stuff, not a lot of knots/crotches, mostly buckskin. Bad part i the weeds are thick and viney, small leave and little bitty blue or purple flowers (I'm color blind). Yanking pieces of brush out of that stuff is a struggle. I also found out that trying to back up uphill on thost weeds makes greased snot look rough. Quite a time turning around without smashing down 4 acres of grain.

Came home with a short load but enought the PU knew it was on there.

This should keep me occupied awhile but there isn't a lot I can get until after harvest.

I'll move future posts, if any, at this site to a new thread "Steve's place"

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Update on that OP. Over a 2 year period I clear cut the entire grove. invlolved a whole lot of snaking logs. Progress was reported on the thread I referenced in the OP.


I'm working on removing a 1/2 mile long row of old Willows for a farmer. Selling 6-8 cord/yr and burning a couiple myself. I'm not after the wood but need something to do and keep the old bod sorta working. Anyhow that row of Willows isn't going to last long at the rate I am going so been scouting. Saw a couple other big willow down from a windstorm last year. No sign of cleanup, house seemed to be vacant. Caught a guy working on extracting a big truck dthat had been parked there like forever. Family owned but noone lives there now (great looking house!). Gave guy my name and number. Son "Tim" called said he couldn't afford to hire anyone. I told him the work would be gratis and if he wants the wood I wouild cut it to his specification. Not only did he say to go ahead (I'm meeting him there tomorrow) but he added that he would like the grove around his house also cleaned up. YES!! I have been eyeballing that one since 1978 wondering about getting cutting rights. Looks like about 8 acres, lots of trees, I haven't been by there in several years, there were down ones then and we have had several severe windstorms since. I don't know what the species is but it is all hardwood with a scattering 'needles'.

I gots me cutting time for several more years. Gonna have to find some more customers to sell wood to.

 

[dancan]

Good thread to be brought back !
Harry , I think you need a tractor with a winch Lol

 

[turnkey4099]

My God! Now that is a mess: I thought it was 2 trees down, not much brush, quick clean up and outa there. Stopped by on my way to the other site to scout it. Nope, 3 threes down and it will take an hour or two just clearing deadfall before I can even get to the first one. Won't have to work in his crop as I can pull what is across the creek over to the pasture side.

I'll suggest that I remove all the trees, they are way overdue as you can see.

Went by the other site on wa y home. Lots of trees but I didn't see much of anything that needs cleaning up.

 

[absrio]

I have a question about locust trees

I live up in the northwest and my brother has a number of locust trees on his place around his horse barn

How is it for firewood and how long does it take to dry

He wants them off his place and he does have a tractor to get the stumps out

locust is great stuff. black locust is the next best thing to hedge. seasons quick, splits easy. honey locust is great except for the big thorns that seem to be magnetically attracted to the rubber in tires, and the flesh in humans, and laughs all the way thru your leather gloves into your skin... its smoke smells sweet when burning.

 

[turnkey4099]

Got a good look at Tim's (the big tree lot in the distant pic above). Tim took me for a cruise of it but I ddint' have the camera with me. Today I went back to begin work. Wow! Looks like about 30 acres, dtrees down over about half of it, must be at least 30. More that are standing dead.

He made a big mistake but starting to bulldoze the down ones into one pile. That never works due to the amount of dirt included. County will not allow burning big piles like that anyhow.

Started with bucking these logs. I think they are red fir as hard as they are cutting (might be my chains - resharped when I got home). One on right all 1/2 bucked up. started in the middle of it and worked towaard butt. At start it was right at 24", around 30 at butt. Built a good sized brush pile from the limb stubs and anohter spruce tree that doesn't show in photo.

The toy:

It is mine to play with in that lot. I haven't been on a crawler since 1954 and dthat one was very old (and big) with no hydraulics. DThis one is driven by little handles in the cab. The brush blade is on a joystick up/down - tilt - angle. I don't think I will be using the blade but will skid logs to a central area for processing. As long as I keep the brush piles down to a reasonable size I can burn them in place. I am not a fan of dozing things into piles like that when they can't be burned.

Be going back tomorrow and then spend my work periods rotating between Tim's, Von's and the Willow grove

 

[unclemoustache]

Dang, you are just having way too much fun out there!

 

[turnkey4099]

Dang, you are just having way too much fun out there!

Well...I was until I crawled on that thang. Took a bit before I got all the paddles, joysticks, etc. sorted out. Took me a 1/4 acre just to turn it around the first try. I now consider myself to be an apprentice green dozer op.

Harry K