Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Cowboy254]

Was up on the roof putting a chimney for my garage heater in. Decided an aerial shot of the scrounging operation was in order.

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That's a lovely pic but I can't help thinking that there is too much grass and not enough scroungehenges.

Well no firewood cutting today, too tired after cutting trees for a logger yesterdayView attachment 854667View attachment 854668View attachment 854670amazing how much faster green tree are to cut, thought man this saw is really cutting good today, lol. Easier to make big chips too View attachment 854671Sure was enjoyable, much better than dealing with traffic. Kind of discouraging how tired I was though, he offered me a full time job but the way I feel today I’m not so sure, has been 20 years sense I’ve done that full time though, lol.

I remember the late @KiwiBro asked a few years ago whether anyone would go scrounging full time if the money (for selling it) was good enough. I felt that I probably wouldn't as it would make what is currently fun, not so fun and my body would probably fall apart. But if all you have to do is drop them... How much was he offering?

Few pics of my little pile. Not sure how many wheel barrows it is. Pile is about 20' tall, I crank the elevator up as I go. . Another couple hours tomorrow should finish the last of the logs I have at home. The last picture is the size of the pile before I started splitting yesterday afternoon. Processor is working decent.

That is a massive pile of wood. I'm not sure what comes after 'scrounging' but whatever that is, you're many times beyond it.

 

[chipper1]

I figure rough estimate
6-7' snow buckets equal 1 4x4x8 cord
1-7' snow bucket equals 6 wheel barrow loads.
6x6x7=252 wheelbarrow loads in 7 cord roughly.

I get a cord for eight overloaded 5' bucket loads on the big tractor, not sure on the new one, the bucket is 4' on that one which is getting closer to my wheelbarrow lol.
Since I bring most of my wood in with a wheelbarrow I should make a tally sheet near the door/woodstove to track how many wheelbarrow loads as I've never tracked that before. I could fill the wheelbarrow and then use that to fill the bucket for my American to Japanese conversion .

despite being on mains gas i enjoy the wood, feel good to save money and yes gas s clean but its still an nonrenewable, so i like to feel i'm helping save the planet. i'm probably about the only person in london doing it, but i'm purely wood heat, gas is there for the wife if i'm out. i burn 8 to 8.5m3. so almost 2.5 cord. mum burns another 2.5-3m3, so i put up about 3 1/3rd cord a year. wood pile is in good state this year. lockdown gave me more time to css and i made a couple of new tree guy contacts, so 3/4 of the stuff has been delivered. i've 7 cord css total and at the end of the month my neighbour is taking down two 16-18" diameter oaks an I get the wood, will take me up another cord at least. I'm still hoping to get a little more put up but I'm happy with that, its the most I've had and is already a cord passed where i got to at the start of burning last year.

That was a nice time to get ahead, but I don't want to do it the way it was done again , and thats the threat these days. Speaking of that I wonder how kiwi is doing, that chic running the country there is totally under the control of the globalist .

View attachment 854592View attachment 854593View attachment 854594View attachment 854595View attachment 854596View attachment 854598
Time to go back for more - this trailer load was just shy of a cord all c/s/s.

That's about what we called it, right around a cord, told you you should have put more on

Breaking in new kicks. Long over due. Burnt the old ones last winter.
View attachment 854599

Hope you don't run out of wood this winter, those look comfy.

Naw. Would make sense for work boots though. I just wanted water proof and safety toes. The Irish Setter are Red Wings out sourced Cambodian made label.

Contact your local Red Wings dealer, last I knew they still had American made boots available in the loggers that were 20 or 30 more than the others. I liked that there was an option, especially for a guy like me who is fond of keeping manufacturing local.

I NEVER leave fuel in a saw, and it drains the oil itself! I use mineral or synth oil though so it doesn't harden.

I never leave fuel in mine either, except when I do lol. Running ethanol free fuel I've never worried about it. The bummer with the ethanol fuel is water absorption, and if you run them dry they get deposits built up in the fuel system from the ethanol/fuel evaporating and the ethanol causes the diaphragm (in the carb)to stiffen up which leads to "driveability" issues .
Anyone running ethanol fuel should buy a bottle of prefix ethanol free and when they finish running their saw dump the ethanol and put a bit of
e-free in and run the saw until you can smell it, then store it, at least that's what I would do knowing what I know now.

 

[MustangMike]

I've been running pump gas (not ethanol free) in my saws for years w/o any problems, and I have enough of them that some don't see action for long periods of time.

However, I mix my fuel as soon as I buy it, and the stabilizers in my 2 cycle oil must be getting it done (AMSOIL Saber at 40:1).

 

[chipper1]

I've been running pump gas (not ethanol free) in my saws for years w/o any problems, and I have enough of them that some don't see action for long periods of time.

However, I mix my fuel as soon as I buy it, and the stabilizers in my 2 cycle oil must be getting it done (AMSOIL Saber at 40:1).

I used to do that until we got an ethanol free pump about 5 min from the house . I figure for an extra 100 or so a yr it's worth it not to worry about cleaning or rebuilding saw carbs. If I was doing saw carbs I'd buy an ultrasonic cleaner as the ports are so hard to get clean.
I've cleaned hundreds of carbs(not on saws), and they look terrible when they have sat with ethanol fuel in them and when they have been run out of fuel. Running them out of fuel pretty much guarantees that everything in the bowl will evaporate leaving deposits and then it restricts the main jet or emulsion tube causing them to only run well with the choke on a little.
The best way I've found if using ethanol fuel is to run them once a month or every other and to leave them full of fuel. The one that is a problem for me is my pressure washer since you shouldn't run it without water hooked to the pump. I need to clean a carb for it today, it's been needing it for a couple yrs lol. If I rememberer I'll get some pictures, sure it will look real nice . Also this yr if I remember I'll take my own advice and run it dry and then just put some of my 2-stroke mix in it.

 

[svk]

I just mix with the highest octane we have around. Pump the first couple of gallons into the truck to make sure I’m actually getting high test from the pump and not the 87 that was in the hose. No problems here.

 

[Logger nate]

I remember the late @KiwiBro asked a few years ago whether anyone would go scrounging full time if the money (for selling it) was good enough. I felt that I probably wouldn't as it would make what is currently fun, not so fun and my body would probably fall apart. But if all you have to do is drop them... How much was he offering?

Yeah I think I agree with you. I really enjoy cutting firewood but wouldn’t be as much fun if I had to do it every day for a living and lifting, moving big rounds around everyday would do me in.
It’s mostly just falling them, he wants a log or 2 bucked off the bigger ones (about 3/4 of the trees), so quite a bit of hiking up and down hills. Not a lot of high impact heavy work though. Worst thing is probably bending over with the saw to keep stumps low, have some arthritis in back back, hurts but maybe it will help?Pay is very good, have to pay for your own equipment (saws etc) and there’s 3-4 month lay off every spring, and dealing with snow and below 0 temps, but there’s no one trying to run into you at 65 mph while your driving a fuel truck

 

[Deleted member 150358]

I ordered a HyWay premium Big bore kit a few days back. Got an email today.

So it looks like an opportunity to compare the plating quality.

 

[Lionsfan]

Yeah I think I agree with you. I really enjoy cutting firewood but wouldn’t be as much fun if I had to do it every day for a living and lifting, moving big rounds around everyday would do me in.
It’s mostly just falling them, he wants a log or 2 bucked off the bigger ones (about 3/4 of the trees), so quite a bit of hiking up and down hills. Not a lot of high impact heavy work though. Worst thing is probably bending over with the saw to keep stumps low, have some arthritis in back back, hurts but maybe it will help?Pay is very good, have to pay for your own equipment (saws etc) and there’s 3-4 month lay off every spring, and dealing with snow and below 0 temps, but there’s no one trying to run into you at 65 mph while your driving a fuel truck

I here you. My happy place has always been taking a break sitting on a beech stump listening to the birds sing and the leaves rustle while drinking a hot steamy cup of coffee, but the reality is it's a hard F'N life for an over-the -hill guy with crippled up joints and a family to support. I drive truck for a living too and although it pays very well for zero physical effort, it often feels as though I could/should be doing something more meaningful.

 

[LondonNeil]

I used to do that until we got an ethanol free pump about 5 min from the house . I figure for an extra 100 or so a yr it's worth it not to worry about cleaning or rebuilding saw carbs. If I was doing saw carbs I'd buy an ultrasonic cleaner as the ports are so hard to get clean.
I've cleaned hundreds of carbs(not on saws), and they look terrible when they have sat with ethanol fuel in them and when they have been run out of fuel. Running them out of fuel pretty much guarantees that everything in the bowl will evaporate leaving deposits and then it restricts the main jet or emulsion tube causing them to only run well with the choke on a little.
The best way I've found if using ethanol fuel is to run them once a month or every other and to leave them full of fuel. The one that is a problem for me is my pressure washer since you shouldn't run it without water hooked to the pump. I need to clean a carb for it today, it's been needing it for a couple yrs lol. If I rememberer I'll get some pictures, sure it will look real nice . Also this yr if I remember I'll take my own advice and run it dry and then just put some of my 2-stroke mix in it.

run it dry. when it stops pull the chord again twice, repeat until it doesnt restart, put it on choke and pull the chord twice....
thats my regimen these days, although it always used to be just run til empty. i've been lucky and avoided problems, but do always buy premium fuel which was usually e free. its not now, its e5 by law. premium fuel still has the best detergents though.
if i lived near an airfield id see if they would sell me the lead free aviation fuel. i dont though.

 

[chipper1]

run it dry. when it stops pull the chord again twice, repeat until it doesnt restart, put it on choke and pull the chord twice....
thats my regimen these days, although it always used to be just run til empty. i've been lucky and avoided problems, but do always buy premium fuel which was usually e free. its not now, its e5 by law. premium fuel still has the best detergents though.
if i lived near an airfield id see if they would sell me the lead free aviation fuel. i dont though.

Another place to get e-free is at marina's, at least stateside. The boat guys will tell how bad ethanol fuel absorbs moisture .
Can't you buy premixed ethanol free fuel there.

 

[LondonNeil]

i could. aspen alkalyte, or stihl motomix. its 5 times the price of pump fuel and ive not had trouble, so i go as far as premium octane, stablizer, and always run the saws dry. it seems to work fine. my brother has been using a ms180 for at last 15 years, on standard pump, stihl red, and no stabiliser, with no trouble. i keep telling him fuel nowhas ethanol so he uses some stabiliser i gave him but thats it.

 

[turnkey4099]

I've been running pump gas (not ethanol free) in my saws for years w/o any problems, and I have enough of them that some don't see action for long periods of time.

However, I mix my fuel as soon as I buy it, and the stabilizers in my 2 cycle oil must be getting it done (AMSOIL Saber at 40:1).

Same here. Sometimes it is a year or more before running them

 

[turnkey4099]

Yeah I think I agree with you. I really enjoy cutting firewood but wouldn’t be as much fun if I had to do it every day for a living and lifting, moving big rounds around everyday would do me in.
It’s mostly just falling them, he wants a log or 2 bucked off the bigger ones (about 3/4 of the trees), so quite a bit of hiking up and down hills. Not a lot of high impact heavy work though. Worst thing is probably bending over with the saw to keep stumps low, have some arthritis in back back, hurts but maybe it will help?Pay is very good, have to pay for your own equipment (saws etc) and there’s 3-4 month lay off every spring, and dealing with snow and below 0 temps, but there’s no one trying to run into you at 65 mph while your driving a fuel truck

I had arthritis in L4/L5. They did open spine surgery (cut a hunk out of one of them) cleaned out the crap and sent me on my way. I asked what the restrictions were since I would be running arouind with an open hole in one vertibra. "nothing" was the reply. Haven't had a lick of trouble since. Reovery period was only 10 days.

 

[Logger nate]

I here you. My happy place has always been taking a break sitting on a beech stump listening to the birds sing and the leaves rustle while drinking a hot steamy cup of coffee, but the reality is it's a hard F'N life for an over-the -hill guy with crippled up joints and a family to support. I drive truck for a living too and although it pays very well for zero physical effort, it often feels as though I could/should be doing something more meaningful.

Yes sir! There’s a place about 1/2 mile up the road from where I cut wood I can park on a side road in the shade, usually a nice breeze blowing, birds chirping, very rarely a car goes by. Sit there and drink coffee, maybe eat a Mt house or other snack, take a nap some times, no cell service, love it!!
Parking spot is just to left of this picture

 

[svk]

Happy spot: The area that appears mowed is actually the top of a rock ridge. I love to sit under the pines and relax here. It’s about a half mile from the road at a junction along my hiking trail.

Lighting isn’t the best in the photo but hopefully you get the picture.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

I try to never run my saws out of fuel. E-free, oil with stabilizer, never have a problem. Empty tank at end of cutting for any long period of time.

 

[Logger nate]

Happy spot: The area that appears mowed is actually the top of a rock ridge. I love to sit under the pines and relax here. It’s about a half mile from the road at a junction along my hiking trail.

Lighting isn’t the best in the photo but hopefully you get the picture.
View attachment 855083

That’s a nice spot, might have to start a new thread

 

[svk]

That’s a nice spot, might have to start a new thread

There is a photo thread in the firewood forum somewhere. I’ll see if I can dig it up.

 

[U&A]

I used to do that until we got an ethanol free pump about 5 min from the house . I figure for an extra 100 or so a yr it's worth it not to worry about cleaning or rebuilding saw carbs. If I was doing saw carbs I'd buy an ultrasonic cleaner as the ports are so hard to get clean.
I've cleaned hundreds of carbs(not on saws), and they look terrible when they have sat with ethanol fuel in them and when they have been run out of fuel. Running them out of fuel pretty much guarantees that everything in the bowl will evaporate leaving deposits and then it restricts the main jet or emulsion tube causing them to only run well with the choke on a little.
The best way I've found if using ethanol fuel is to run them once a month or every other and to leave them full of fuel. The one that is a problem for me is my pressure washer since you shouldn't run it without water hooked to the pump. I need to clean a carb for it today, it's been needing it for a couple yrs lol. If I rememberer I'll get some pictures, sure it will look real nice . Also this yr if I remember I'll take my own advice and run it dry and then just put some of my 2-stroke mix in it.

Have to be careful with an ultrasonic cleaner and aluminum or any alloy similar to it. It can start Messing with the metal itself. It kinda etches it if you leave it in to long.

But i DO ise it for carbs. Just real quick runs in it.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[svk]

Cleaned up some dead and damaged birch today and split some goofy twisted red maple I had scrounged recently.

I only need a couple more cords and I can be done for the winter.