Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[KiwiBro]

Given the global flight to US dollars and precious metals going on at the mo our NZD has tanked against the USD. Kinda sucks for me trying to get stuff from USA, but awfully good for anyone with US Dollars looking to buy from NZ. NZ$55k currently converts to US$31,250. Still that's a heap of money especially in these troubling times. I wonder how many collectors here will get laid off and as the finances get tight have to sell off their cars in a buyers market. Might be some bargains just around the corner for cashed up buyers.

There was a Massey Ferguson collector here who sold up his collection a few weeks back. It was allegedly one of the best in the world and there were people from all over the globe at the auction. Some of the prices seemed impressive to me but given our weak NZ$ they might have been bargains for foreign buyers.

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Given the global flight to US dollars and precious metals going on at the mo our NZD has tanked against the USD. Kinda sucks for me trying to get stuff from USA, but awfully good for anyone with US Dollars looking to buy from NZ. NZ$55k currently converts to US$31,250. Still that's a heap of money especially in these troubling times. I wonder how many collectors here will get laid off and as the finances get tight have to sell off their cars in a buyers market. Might be some bargains just around the corner for cashed up buyers.

There was a Massey Ferguson collector here who sold up his collection a few weeks back. It was allegedly one of the best in the world and there were people from all over the globe at the auction. Some of the prices seemed impressive to me but given our weak NZ$ they might have been bargains for foreign buyers.

Been to a few tractor collection auctions like that. One dad had his heart set on a John Deere GP Wide Tread. Figured he'd go up to 16k locally they had been a couple under 7.5 rough. This was an older resto still very nice and running stopped at 30k needless to say it was a long depressed ride home to MN knowing the tractor was on its way to IA.

 

[KiwiBro]

Best looking truck on the market right now if you ask me. I particularly like the plain jane work trucks with steel rims and painted step bumpers. I just wish they'd go back to calling a Dodge a Dodge.

Have been tentatively looking around at what's available here, given my old faithful will probably retire before I do and need replacing. The ute/pick-ups these days are foreign to me. Too electronic, too little tray space, too fark'n expensive. I just want a reliable workhorse. I don't want cruise control, a stereo, heated seats, double cab, power windows and mirrors, a tray that has the capacity of a teaspoon or is shunted so far back passed the rear axle to accomodate a double cab that I'd be high-beaming oncoming traffic if I put more than a few hundred kgs of weight in it and could possibly bend something if I put too big of a load in there or too far back. It is quite astounding to me how far off the reservation ute designers have gone these days. If they still made the same exact basic model I have now, I'd buy it new in a heartbeat, but it seems like it's just not profitable for them to go back to a KISS, almost bullet-proof design. seems like everyone is infatuated with bling these days, even in a 4x4 ute, which used to be the last bastion of rugged sensibility left in the car world. I must be getting old.

Might start looking around for replacement engines etc and keep my one going for as long as possible.

 

[rarefish383]

Thats getting up closer to my L3800 Kubota which is the largest of the compact utility tractors. It's a nice size, but with the loader its something you want a tandem trailer for vs a single axle. I like the size, but would still like a smaller one too, they are like saws, one just isn't enough lol.

I guess that's what my wife was getting at when she asked, "Why do you need 4 tractors?". Because 2 are lawn tractors and the Massey 135 doesn't have a loader.

 

[rarefish383]

Thats getting up closer to my L3800 Kubota which is the largest of the compact utility tractors. It's a nice size, but with the loader its something you want a tandem trailer for vs a single axle. I like the size, but would still like a smaller one too, they are like saws, one just isn't enough lol.

I posted this a couple times, but here it is again. I gave my friend $2000 for it with a bush hog and grader box.

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Have been tentatively looking around at what's available here, given my old faithful will probably retire before I do and need replacing. The ute/pick-ups these days are foreign to me. Too electronic, too little tray space, too fark'n expensive. I just want a reliable workhorse. I don't want cruise control, a stereo, heated seats, double cab, power windows and mirrors, a tray that has the capacity of a teaspoon or is shunted so far back passed the rear axle to accomodate a double cab that I'd be high-beaming oncoming traffic if I put more than a few hundred kgs of weight in it and could possibly bend something if I put too big of a load in there or too far back. It is quite astounding to me how far off the reservation ute designers have gone these days. If they still made the same exact basic model I have now, I'd buy it new in a heartbeat, but it seems like it's just not profitable for them to go back to a KISS, almost bullet-proof design. seems like everyone is infatuated with bling these days, even in a 4x4 ute, which used to be the last bastion of rugged sensibility left in the car world. I must be getting old.

Might start looking around for replacement engines etc and keep my one going for as long as possible.

If fuel stays this low I might even consider a KISS M35a1 bobbed instead of a pickup.

 

[Philbert]

Recessions and divorces often produce bargains for other people.

Philbert

 

[SS396driver]

Holly Crap … we are getting real snow! Hardly any in the winter, but now that it is Spring … and they said it would turn to rain at 1:00 … well that rain is real white and sticking!

70° last Friday 55 yesterday today. Real time photo

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Rained a little this am. Cleared off about 11am. I went out after it warmed up sharpened a couple 72dl and 1-105dl chains. Changed the drive sprocket on my 97 2065 for an 8pin just for giggles. Its only a 20" bar so I think it should be fine. Not sure when I'll get to run it have stuff going on for a while.

 

[SS396driver]

By now I'm usually very low on wood in the basement . Getting wood off the stacks outside . This is what's left . About a 1/4 of what I put in last fall. So I'm at about 3/4 of my normal 4 to 5 cords

 

[SS396driver]

Supposed to be 55 and sunny tomorrow so I didnt even put the plow on all my vehicles are 4x4

 

[Haywire]

Mud season's here about a month early. My road gets a bit squishy this time of year.

 

[SS396driver]

Mud season is here about a month early. My road gets a bit squishy this time of year.

View attachment 810162

Your road looks better than some I traversed in Montana when I did my motorcycle road trip. Buddy slowed down to much got off the bike and it stayed straight up without the jiffystand

 

[SS396driver]

Our ground never froze up this is January 12th, and a few days later after a few tons of gravel . About 20 , had to I had the opportunity to get a lot of wood . Usually this area is not like this till late March. Had to hold off on the wood the acherage was to muddy to get it ,hopefully it will dry out so the scrounging will return

 

[Haywire]

Your road looks better than some I traversed in Montana when I did my motorcycle road trip. Buddy slowed down to much got off the bike and it stayed straight up without the jiffystand

Yeah, it's still frozen about 5" under that mess. It'll get even more fun once we get some more thaw/rain.

 

[tnflatbed]

Have been tentatively looking around at what's available here, given my old faithful will probably retire before I do and need replacing. The ute/pick-ups these days are foreign to me. Too electronic, too little tray space, too fark'n expensive. I just want a reliable workhorse. I don't want cruise control, a stereo, heated seats, double cab, power windows and mirrors, a tray that has the capacity of a teaspoon or is shunted so far back passed the rear axle to accomodate a double cab that I'd be high-beaming oncoming traffic if I put more than a few hundred kgs of weight in it and could possibly bend something if I put too big of a load in there or too far back. It is quite astounding to me how far off the reservation ute designers have gone these days. If they still made the same exact basic model I have now, I'd buy it new in a heartbeat, but it seems like it's just not profitable for them to go back to a KISS, almost bullet-proof design. seems like everyone is infatuated with bling these days, even in a 4x4 ute, which used to be the last bastion of rugged sensibility left in the car world. I must be getting old.

Might start looking around for replacement engines etc and keep my one going for as long as possible

Do you have any opinions on the new Daily 4x4?, on paper it seems like the ute that I would want if we were allowed to have them

 

[KiwiBro]

Do you have any opinions on the new Daily 4x4?, on paper it seems like the ute that I would want if we were allowed to have them

Never even heard of it but thanks for posting. Looks interesting. But it's something like NZ$100k. Unless someone finds a vaccine for Chinese flu in NZ-endemic firewood, I think it's safe to assume there's no way I can justify that sort of $

 

[LondonNeil]

It makes me wonder .......we are staring down the barrel of unemployment going from 5.1% to12% here in Aus.
The US will likely be worse. What would it take for politicians to make a decision like that? Surely they wouldn’t fall for fake news. The only answer is a fate which is far worse.
This is the paper which is said to have changed Donald trumps mind. I truely hope it is fake news as the best case scenario is not very nice.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/im...-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf

Don't think that paper is fake, I saw it a week ago and Imperial college, London is one of the best Universities in the country....its in the group of 3 to 5 that are almost, but not quite Oxbridge level (and as a light blue, I wouldn't say that unless it were true)
Neil
MEng, MA, BA Cantab

we have gone up another level of lock down..or is that down a level...its tighter control anyway. Its now illegal to go out except for food,essential work and exercise, no gatherings of more than 2 and will be enforced by police. all shops other than food/essentials closed. Had to be done as people weren't ALL getting it. the weekend was glorious spring weather....and following 6 months of virtually constant heavy rain people went out....STUPID people went out in great numbers to parks sand beaches and such. The human race really does need saving from itself.

With about 4m3 of wood to work through my exercise is splitting and cutting, but it won't last to the end of this ....and scrounging this year won't happen until this thing is over. next year will be a 'back to square one, scrounging for the winter ahead' still, this is why getting ahead was so important, I'd be burning gas this next winter if i hadn't got ahead.

 

[Deleted member 150358]

this is why getting ahead was so important, I'd be burning gas this next winter if i hadn't got ahead.

Be leaning hard on standing dead and windfalls myself. That and boxelder. I have 3 or 4 bur oaks on the yard that might have to make up the difference.

 

[Ryan A]

Anyone else see an uptick for firewood requests with what’s going on globally? I only burn around my firepit with a beer once in a while and sell wood on the side for extra cash.

Here in the suburbs, wood burning is a luxury, not a nessecity. Had quite a few requests for wood that I could not supply. Kicking myself in the butt for turning down quite a few poplar scrounges. Perfect for fire pits and seemingly what everyone around these parts are asking for.....