Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[James Miller]

I’ve got that short leg syndrome too, plus needing a hip and a knee replaced I don’t want to be doing any mor climbing than needed. Probably when I go see Nate I’ll get a 32” TsuMura and a full comp chain, if I have to I’ll go to semi skip. Those 7900 are pretty gutsy saws. Thanks.

Let me know what the price is when you talk to him. I looked at a 28 for mine but cant figure out how to get back to his site.

 

[Little Al]

Thought maybe you guy's that scrounge wood, might share some of your scrounging methods with the seemingly growing crowd of newbie wood burners. From what I have been reading, they would be quite appreciative to hear how you score, and where you score. There is a lot of useful and interesting information scattered throughout the firewood forum. I thought it might be nice to share some of your experiences in one thread, for those who are just starting out and maybe those who are struggling a bit. Thanks to anyone who cares to share.

I have no Idea of the way the 'US Wood Scroungers" work but where I am First Div scroungers unless they know of you & how you react to info are VERY loath to tell you anything the reason the more folk in the know the less amount/quality is available to them& whilst most are what I would class as genuine ie obtaining wood for their own use others abuse the system by locating free wood clearing & selling,while I don't blame them in one way it would be nice to share it out but in modern times the ME ME syndrome rises to the surface I must add this doesn't affect me as part of my saw servicing wages are a supply of wood for my own home heating use I guess in our area the acquiring of free/cheap wood is FIY = find it yourself not much help I'm afraid.

 

[dancan]

That seems cheap based on the claims, they are around 85-90 online here.
Have you used them before.
I am watching for a good pair of similar boots myself.
Does that pair have the steel toes or the composite.

They are a steel toe .
I have the same pair that I bought 5 years ago and still going strong plus a pair of the Steplite X that I wear in spring/summer/fall .
Polly the most comfortable boots I own , flexible and I don't have any issues with the weight .
Traction with the Thermolite is excellent in the winter , the soles remain flexible but wear very well .
They have a wide foot pattern so no pinching for me .
If you get a set Bekinas or even the Dunlops (I also own a pair of them) make sure you try them with the socks you wear in the winter . You need them to have airspace around your feet for them to work well , if they give you a nice compfy snug fit with a thin summer sport sock they will be tight around your foot with a winter or wool sock which will restrict blood flow .
If I could have found a stocking dealer that had the Agriltes in stock I would have a set for the summer .
For me they are an awesome boot for bushwhacking or scrounging in the winter with excellent traction , comfort and warmth .
ymmv

 

[Cowboy254]

Dang, looks like I’ll have another short “bar”. I’m getting a complex.

. You too, huh? My 661 has the stock 25in bar. I haven't come across a tree that I haven't been able to get through cutting from both sides. But I do cut some big wood that others have left because it's all too hard for their homeowner saws. Limby only just made it through this one last year from both sides.



I'm wrestling with the long bar concept. If I get, say, a 32 inch bar, in most cases I'll still be cutting from both sides with stuff like this and it will be slower with the longer bar. So to get the big stuff like this in one cut, I'd have to go really big. Currently, I'm thinking that I might actually stay with what I have got. I can cut mebbe 28-29in logs or better with the 25in bar by getting over the top and these really big ones are occasional - and I'm not often under time pressure. Do I really need to fartarse around with longer bars when I'm just a humble scrounger?

 

[JustJeff]

It would be cool to walk up to a 3’ log and just slice it up from one side. Since I’ve been scrounging, I’ve cut 3’ wood once, 28-30 a couple times and the rest has been under that. My big saw (big for me) wears a 20” bar and the small factory dog which works for me. I can cut 25” fairly easily by overbucking from one side. If I come across a deal on a longer bar I might spring for it for the just in case scenario but until then, the 20 will do and I can cut from both sides if I get into the big wood. Besides I was supposed to take a year off and go fishing but instead I have 3 winters worth cut and split. Dang it, overscrounged again!

 

[Jeffkrib]

Look Jeff it’s not so bad the likes of you Dancan and Cowboy who have wood piles you can see from space make me look tame. I’m two years ahead and only burn 2 cord per year and my neighbors think I have issues. All I have to do is point my neighbors to this thread to see I’m not too bad......... only problem is once they see I’m on a wood scrounging forum they’ll know for sure I have issues

 

[woodchip rookie]

Do I really need to fartarse around with longer bars when I'm just a humble scrounger?

Depends on what you get into. 32 on the 395 only had a couple inches of overlap on this 60" oak.

 

[muddstopper]

I find having to long a bar to create more problems than it solves. A 4ft dia log is only 4ft at the middle measurement. With a 4ft bar, you can only cut straight down, no leaning the saw over center and cutting aimed straight down on the opposite side from where you are standing. A 24in bar, you can start your cut at the top and then lean it over as far as you can reach without fearing the tip of the bar hitting the ground. Doing this allows you to effectively cut the opposite side of your large round and then just cut straight down on the side closest to you. By the time you have cut as far as you can reach on the opposite side of the log, you no loner need to be able to reach all the way thru the log, just to the point that you have already cut, which would be about half way thru your 4 ft log. No cutting with the tip of the bar digging into the round. I seldom cut 4ft rounds and my biggest bar is only 24in long, but I have cut a few and I dont remember ever having to walk around the log to cut from the other side to complete the cut. I do find the long bar more of a hindrance when cutting 36in rounds instead of using my 20in bars, unless the rounds are off the ground. Now when it comes to falling a large tree, then the longer the better, especially if your trying to control the falling direction.

 

[Philbert]

Let me know what the price is when you talk to him. I looked at a 28 for mine but cant figure out how to get back to his site.

https://www.performanceoutdoorequipment.com/ But may be best to contact him directly.

I have no Idea of the way the 'US Wood Scroungers" work but where I am First Div scroungers unless they know of you & how you react to info are VERY loath to tell you anything . . .

There are folks like that here too. The guys here on this thread mostly realize that there is more than they could use, and are not competing directly. I am sure that some have their personal 'honey hole' that they are not sharing with local guys who may clean them out!

I find having to long a bar to create more problems than it solves.

Long ago I got past the 'one saw = one bar' thing. Now I like to think of my saws like socket sets, where you choose the right combinations for the task at hand:
drive ratchet + extension + socket = powerhead + guide bar + chain. lots of combinations!

Philbert

 

[Cody]

I guess I might be the odd man out here, but if you are just bucking 3 to 4 foot wood I would go with the 28” or shorter with a 7900. Though my 82cc saws easily handle a 33” bar running 3/8” full comp chain, I believe I can buck faster with a 25” bar. Especially in the 3 foot range and in situations where the working space is cramped. A steady diet of 4 foot plus is easier handled with a bigger old saw that you basically just sit down and keep the trigger pulled after your first cut. Even there I usually limit myself to a 33” bar though I have 36”, 42” and 50+” bars. A 28” bar will cut 4 foot just as fast as a 32” bar. And will handle better. And likely be less tiring. If you are cutting over 4 1/2 foot wood then go for the 32”. If you were falling 3 to 4 foot trees, I would say to go with the longest bar your 7900 can pull with authority.

Not sure there is much performance difference between skip and full comp chains unless you are running .404 or an 8 pin assuming the performance of a 7900 is not significantly greater than my 82cc saws.

Take my opinions for what they are worth - maybe not much, but I dare say compared to the typical weekend firewooder I cut a lot of wood of this size.

Ron

I'll agree with you on that. If I run into a 4' log I'd rather run the 28" bar than a 36" bar on my 661. About the only time I use my 36" bar for stumping is if I know it'll go through without burying it, except that one tree that was 4-1/2' by 7'. That one sucked...

 

[pdqdl]

Bucking 4' means climbing on it to get a smaller bar to eat enough of the far side to make it through from the one side of the log. Otherwise have to swap sides to finish the cut. I find that gets old pretty quickly. Maybe because I'm vertically challenged and my lil legs don't like climbing up on 4' logs much. 36" isn't difficult or that tiresome to handle when bucking. Felling, sure, but bucking, not in my experience. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree. For giggles, I've run a 42" on the 7900 bucking pine. But had to take it easy because it was full comp chain and stock oiler!

Damn straight! Spoken like a guy that does it regularly.

That being said, it pays to keep in mind that big chainsaws can be very cumbersome to some folks that don't do it for a living. A big bar is both heavy and dangerous for folks that aren't experienced with them. Control of that long critter is difficult and I have no doubt that fear might come into play, also. If a fellow would rather walk around and finish, only using his 28" bar, I have nothing but respect for that choice.

Myself, I would rather have the 36" bar even if I am only bucking up a 28" tree. It's easier for me to finish near the ground if I am not pushing the engine all the way under the log just to get to the other side. Sometimes they jump around a bit after they are cut; I consider it worth the extra effort just to have a 6" head start. I am quite comfortable standing up and nipping branches off near the ground instead of bending over, too. I have two saws with a 36" bar, and a 32" as well. Sadly, my 50" bar wore out, and I haven't been able to justify buying another, yet. Oregon seems to have gotten entirely out of the "big bar" business, and I damn sure ain't gonna pay Husqvarna's price.

Next time I get a tree this big, I'm going to order that 50" bar again. At least a 48". That tiny saw I'm holding is a MS660 with a 36" bar.



I don't think any of you guys would advocate chopping up this tree with a dinky little 28" bar. Sure! Just walk around to the other side of that broken branch to finish the cut.

BTW: I still have many of those logs from that tree across the street on a vacant lot, in case any of you want to come scavenge. It's open season on healthy red oak at PDQ. They are sitting on the ground waiting for you. Today! Right now, in fact. Damn. It might be a bit far to drive. Kansas City, Mo.

 

[pdqdl]

I’ve got that short leg syndrome too, plus needing a hip and a knee replaced I don’t want to be doing any mor climbing than needed. Probably when I go see Nate I’ll get a 32” TsuMura and a full comp chain, if I have to I’ll go to semi skip. Those 7900 are pretty gutsy saws. Thanks.

Try to keep in mind that full comp chain takes twice as long to sharpen! Don't just go for the full comp on the theory that it will cut faster. It should even be a bit cheaper if you are in an area where the dealers stock that kind of chain. Fewer cutters means less manufacturing expense. There is always semi-skip as a compromise between full comp & skip-tooth.

Something about big bars...they attract nails & rocks. As soon as I pull a 36" bar off the shelf, I know I am going to be sharpening it that night. I usually take two of 'em, 'cause you almost never get through a city stump without trashing one chain. It isn't like working in the forest where you get to leave tall stumps and the kids haven't been nailing in tree houses for the last 60 years. (Or farmers putting up fences that the tree grew into, or some damned arborist poured concrete into 30 years ago, or...whatever.)

 

[pdqdl]

. You too, huh? My 661 has the stock 25in bar. I haven't come across a tree that I haven't been able to get through cutting from both sides. But I do cut some big wood that others have left because it's all too hard for their homeowner saws. Limby only just made it through this one last year from both sides.

View attachment 682661

I'm wrestling with the long bar concept. If I get, say, a 32 inch bar, in most cases I'll still be cutting from both sides with stuff like this and it will be slower with the longer bar. So to get the big stuff like this in one cut, I'd have to go really big. Currently, I'm thinking that I might actually stay with what I have got. I can cut mebbe 28-29in logs or better with the 25in bar by getting over the top and these really big ones are occasional - and I'm not often under time pressure. Do I really need to fartarse around with longer bars when I'm just a humble scrounger?

That's a lot of well executed noodling you got there. My compliments. I do the same thing to downsize our logs for the splitter.

Consider this: if you are making 18" firewood, you can make noodling cuts deep enough to cut off two firewood lengths with a 36" bar. With less bar than that, your options are more limited. If you are making 24" firewood, then there won't be much benefit with a bigger bar unless you step up to a monster bar. My 50" bar was really good for making firewood out of big logs.

 

[turnkey4099]

https://www.performanceoutdoorequipment.com/ But may be best to contact him directly.



There are folks like that here too. The guys here on this thread mostly realize that there is more than they could use, and are not competing directly. I am sure that some have their personal 'honey hole' that they are not sharing with local guys who may clean them out!


Long ago I got past the 'one saw = one bar' thing. Now I like to think of my saws like socket sets, where you choose the right combinations for the task at hand:
drive ratchet + extension + socket = powerhead + guide bar + chain. lots of combinations!

Philbert

My main saws are a MS362, MS441 and bars 16/20/25/28/32. Not unusual to change bar sizes during a work session.

 

[rarefish383]

You might want to consider getting one of these:

View attachment 682606

That rope will last a lot longer if you put it on a pulley instead of a shackle. That looks like the rope is too expensive to tear up just pulling a log out of the woods. Not only for reducing friction, you can double your force for those really big logs.ye

I have several; one even has a permanently attached chain for anchoring to trees. They were real cheap, too, but that vendor doesn't have them any more. (Northern Tool)

You might want to consider getting one of these:

View attachment 682606

That rope will last a lot longer if you put it on a pulley instead of a shackle. That looks like the rope is too expensive to tear up just pulling a log out of the woods. Not only for reducing friction, you can double your force for those really big logs.

I have several; one even has a permanently attached chain for anchoring to trees. They were real cheap, too, but that vendor doesn't have them any more. (Northern Tool)

Yep,I have two. The one hanging 15 feet in the air was a snatch block. The other snatch block was home so I used a big clevice. That's still smoother than running it around a tree. That's about a $200 rope. I had a 600 ft roll, but over the years I tend to give it to AS members in 50-100 foot pieces. We used to use the bull lines for one year then retired them from service rigging. After that they were tow ropes or I took them for skidding. Since I retired I basically use them for skidding. I've never found cheap snatch blocks that I trust. The two I have cost more than the rope. I have two friends that own crane services, so if I need a new one I get it from them.

 

[JustJeff]

Damn straight! Spoken like a guy that does it regularly.

That being said, it pays to keep in mind that big chainsaws can be very cumbersome to some folks that don't do it for a living. A big bar is both heavy and dangerous for folks that aren't experienced with them. Control of that long critter is difficult and I have no doubt that fear might come into play, also. If a fellow would rather walk around and finish, only using his 28" bar, I have nothing but respect for that choice.

Myself, I would rather have the 36" bar even if I am only bucking up a 28" tree. It's easier for me to finish near the ground if I am not pushing the engine all the way under the log just to get to the other side. Sometimes they jump around a bit after they are cut; I consider it worth the extra effort just to have a 6" head start. I am quite comfortable standing up and nipping branches off near the ground instead of bending over, too. I have two saws with a 36" bar, and a 32" as well. Sadly, my 50" bar wore out, and I haven't been able to justify buying another, yet. Oregon seems to have gotten entirely out of the "big bar" business, and I damn sure ain't gonna pay Husqvarna's price.

Next time I get a tree this big, I'm going to order that 50" bar again. At least a 48". That tiny saw I'm holding is a MS660 with a 36" bar.

View attachment 682721

I don't think any of you guys would advocate chopping up this tree with a dinky little 28" bar. Sure! Just walk around to the other side of that broken branch to finish the cut.

BTW: I still have many of those logs from that tree across the street on a vacant lot, in case any of you want to come scavenge. It's open season on healthy red oak at PDQ. They are sitting on the ground waiting for you. Today! Right now, in fact. Damn. It might be a bit far to drive. Kansas City, Mo.

I wouldn’t advocate touching that mess at all until the professionals put it safely on the ground. Then I’m all over it.

 

[rarefish383]

I have no Idea of the way the 'US Wood Scroungers" work but where I am First Div scroungers unless they know of you & how you react to info are VERY loath to tell you anything the reason the more folk in the know the less amount/quality is available to them& whilst most are what I would class as genuine ie obtaining wood for their own use others abuse the system by locating free wood clearing & selling,while I don't blame them in one way it would be nice to share it out but in modern times the ME ME syndrome rises to the surface I must add this doesn't affect me as part of my saw servicing wages are a supply of wood for my own home heating use I guess in our area the acquiring of free/cheap wood is FIY = find it yourself not much help I'm afraid.

Wow, that post goes back to day one of this thread.

I live in the Mid Atlantic area, MD, to be specific. The only scrounging info you need here is contact commercial tree services and be home when they tell you to be. They might be a little late, but they are giving you free hard wood. Most of our forests are hardwood, so most of the free wood is too. Now, if your late, you are tying up a truck, driver, and maybe other workers going to the next job. You're also tying up the crew on the next job waiting for the empty truck. No, a six pack of beer does not make up for tying up several hundred dollars per man hour.

I have three honey holes of all standing dead Oak. It's all private property, so I can't share. Not that I would, beyond a couple close friends, like Multifaceted, forget it. Most of the guys HERE, I'd share with, but none live close by.

Once a new member that lived kind of close offered to help me on weekends for free. If I do side work I pay my ground help $200 a day cash. All they have to do is keep the brush clear of me. I WATCH out for them. I give the ALL CLEAR, and I give the STAY BACK. I called him three times and he was always "sorry". He screwed me up three times. I needed help and he baled. So I don't offer anymore.

The first advice is all you need. Call the local tree guy. If you tell him no more after a couple loads, that means no more ever. If you bale on him, he doesn't need you. Then there is always CL.

 

[pdqdl]

I wouldn’t advocate touching that mess at all until the professionals put it safely on the ground. Then I’m all over it.

Well then! Call me next time you have a problem branch. At this point in my life, I think I can claim to be professional.

Apart from the huge weight, I didn't think it was too tough. I just trimmed off all the branches that were not carrying any weight until it was a free standing tripod. Then I clipped the two "feet" off of the tripod a little bit at a time until it came down all the way. It probably helped to have a 6000lb bobcat with a grapple attachment to tear it off the tree at the end. It was damned heavy when it came down, though.

A several of my guys got excited a couple of times when the big branch shifted as I cut the supporting branches down to size, but it always did what I expected. As far as behemoth broken branches go, it was very well behaved. I will admit that I didn't think any of my employees were experienced enough to bring it down.

I think that cutting down decayed trees with dead branches overhead is very nerve-wracking, and I have a lot more fear of spring-poles and any other situation where the wood is going to leap at you or split unpredictably. Gravity & trees? That is pretty predictable.

 

[pdqdl]

Yep,I have two. The one hanging 15 feet in the air was a snatch block. The other snatch block was home so I used a big clevice. That's still smoother than running it around a tree. That's about a $200 rope. I had a 600 ft roll, but over the years I tend to give it to AS members in 50-100 foot pieces. We used to use the bull lines for one year then retired them from service rigging. After that they were tow ropes or I took them for skidding. Since I retired I basically use them for skidding. I've never found cheap snatch blocks that I trust. The two I have cost more than the rope. I have two friends that own crane services, so if I need a new one I get it from them.

My cheap blocks from Northern are very sturdy, and sized just right for 1/2" rope. They even have greasable axles & pivots. 4 ton rating, as I recall. This is way more than I can put on them with a rope, so that is plenty of extra strength.

I have to differ with you on the advisability of using the clevis. There is a whole lot more friction if you went over a branch or around the tree with a rope, and if you drove real fast you might really smoke the rope. I find that running a heavy rope over a small diameter pin causes the rope to break at far less than it's rated strength. I got to fix a stone wall once because I didn't use a pulley & friction device with a modestly heavy chunk of wood coming down. The small 3/4" diameter of my rescue-8 cut through the 7/8" rope like it was butter.

You weren't doing anything very critical with your clevis, so I would probably do the same as you, given the same circumstances.

 

[KiwiBro]

Damn straight! Spoken like a guy that does it regularly.

Sadly, not for quite some time. I haven't run a chainsaw in about three months, other than to fire mine up and pretend I'm cutting something with them. Weather and work pulled me out of the trees and into the concrete jungle, doing a renovation of a two-unit property in Auckland by myself. Been a long haul but the end is in sight. Urbanites think bush people are a bit cray cray, but, frankly, I have discovered more fruitloops in town than I ever deserved. I must have been a real bastard in a former life to attract so many nutters or malicious plonkas that do nothing to help and only hinder progress. At least with trees they are more predictable than people. I'd take that one in your pick long before I'd work amongst Kiwi urbanites if I had the choice.

In a month or so I'll be back into some good sized trees, trying to work out how to harvest them with my piddly gear and then mill 'em. On some of them though, 42" is terribly undersized, but then the next longer bar I have is 72" and that's quite a jump for me Especially when I'm this out of shape. That said, if I could find a 42" lightweight bar that would hold up OK, I'd buy it for when I'm felling reasonable sized trees on steep hillsides, which the next tree work will be like. But they are rare.

If only I could find a way of making reasonable money doing tree work/firewood/milling, I wouldn't have to deal with so many people expecting construction miracles on shoestring budgets with insane deadlines. On the flip side though, I have learned to not take agro people personally like I used to. It's very easy for an otherwise good person to have a bad day in the concrete jungle and take it out on someone who really doesn't deserve the grief. Sometimes, you never really know what's going on in the oft-too complicated lives of an urban dweller, so I try not to judge anymore, just roll with the punches. So, that's a good lesson to finally learn.