I still swing the maul from time to time if I'm doing smaller stuff or by myself. On my cobbled together home built splitter, without someone to run the lever, the maul is faster. And sometimes when the breeze is cool, it just feels good to move.
Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)
- Thread starter mainewoods
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mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
I will still use the axe and maul, but it isn't going to be easy passing up that lever. It fits my hand just right!
mainewoods
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A lot of that wood is American beech and it isn't the easiest splitting wood by any means. I would have hated to tackle it with an axe and maul. Darn close to elm in my book, tough and stringy. I call it maul wood, but it burns fierce and hot. Worth the extra effort.
mainewoods
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've got plenty of it, so I don't feel too bad about using a splitter, just this ONE time!
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Well, wife and I talked about it and I'm gonna cut and split enough for ourselves for this winter. The rest of the logs will be cut and split at 16" to sell, I can always burn it in the owb if I need too. We have people asking us for wood so I might as well sell it and have the money now. With the way the ash trees look to the south of us I figure there is going to be lots available soon enough. I still have access to the bush we were cutting before but it's 18 miles away one way. Not too many people around me are burning wood because it's so much work so I should be able to find enough (free) to keep us going. She doesn't know it but my long term plan is for a bucket truck hehe, that's gonna be a tough sell but it will get me the wood we need right?
Hmmm , bucket truck , sounds like scrounger for hire to me LOL
Bullvi22
Enthusiastic Amateur
Man I would love to have a bucket truck, I would drive around just looking for an excuse to use that bad boy.
Over the last 3 years on the road to recovery I've split 90% of what I burnt by hand but it was mostly a van load which was from 1/6th to 1/3rd of a cord at a time , the struggle to get it , split it and fill the van helped get strength and stamina back , I'm pretty sure I'd not be where I'm at without all the scrounged wood that I've gotten home , if I'd have paid for cut and split wood I'd be a lot poorer in many ways .
Fast forward to now and I've got 50 cord of selling wood to get done after hours , it will get the hydro , Japa and the SS , the scrounged wood for home will still be small loads and split by hand ,,,, unless it's full of knots or something like beech LOL
Fast forward to now and I've got 50 cord of selling wood to get done after hours , it will get the hydro , Japa and the SS , the scrounged wood for home will still be small loads and split by hand ,,,, unless it's full of knots or something like beech LOL
nomad_archer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nope not going back to the maul at least not willingly.
Went to my dealer today and picked up a new weedwacker. I went with the FS90R. Cost difference wasn't a deal breaker but I got to run one and the AV sealed the deal. I also need to be able to run the poly and possibly the steel heads to keep the wood line out of the orchard.
While I was debating the price difference between the pro and homeowner model, I thought about what mustangmike said about pro equipment only hurting once. So I figure this trimmer should last a long long time. Much better than the 2-3 year disposals I have had in the past. This trimmer is a totally different animal than what I had in the past.
Also talked about a cash discount on a ms441. One day I will own that saw.
Went to my dealer today and picked up a new weedwacker. I went with the FS90R. Cost difference wasn't a deal breaker but I got to run one and the AV sealed the deal. I also need to be able to run the poly and possibly the steel heads to keep the wood line out of the orchard.
While I was debating the price difference between the pro and homeowner model, I thought about what mustangmike said about pro equipment only hurting once. So I figure this trimmer should last a long long time. Much better than the 2-3 year disposals I have had in the past. This trimmer is a totally different animal than what I had in the past.
Also talked about a cash discount on a ms441. One day I will own that saw.
Lots of free elm up our way but I'd rather have ash. Unfortunately the ash borer is here and there will be lots.
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Wood Nazi, how far up are you? I was in Sarnia on Friday and the bushes are a mess, tons of dead ash. We have it but mostly just dead branches so far, expect it to get bad quick.
Just south of Owen Sound. I heard they are culling trees around London. I haven't seen much here but I have a friend in the tree business who says it's here and just a matter of time.
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
I can relate to this.
44 is knocking on my door and this will be the first year that I'm not bucking 30" (+/-) lengths out of the log pile on a consistent basis. I did it last week and the next morning I said I'm done with that stuff.
Cut smaller lengths over the weekend and much nicer. Easier too for the end of the day when I'm tired and my lengths start getting squirrelly.
I'm still splitting by hand though.
You're a beast to be splitting all by hand....Kudos BroI can relate to this.
44 is knocking on my door and this will be the first year that I'm not bucking 30" (+/-) lengths out of the log pile on a consistent basis. I did it last week and the next morning I said I'm done with that stuff.
Cut smaller lengths over the weekend and much nicer. Easier too for the end of the day when I'm tired and my lengths start getting squirrelly.
I'm still splitting by hand though.
I wish they'd drop a few hundred Ash trees around me here. Seems like firewood trees are all at a premium near me and it's harder and harder to find a scrounge around here.
I do have my eye on a large downed Red Oak that been toppled for over a year now by a storm. It's on private, unused farm land so I need to get in touch with the owner to see if he wants it or what.
I always was amazed that you split pieces that long. I've done 24 inchers for a friend's boiler and even those are work.I can relate to this.
44 is knocking on my door and this will be the first year that I'm not bucking 30" (+/-) lengths out of the log pile on a consistent basis. I did it last week and the next morning I said I'm done with that stuff.
Cut smaller lengths over the weekend and much nicer. Easier too for the end of the day when I'm tired and my lengths start getting squirrelly.
I'm still splitting by hand though.
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Snagged a couple blow down pig nut hickories, I love cutting off blow downs their so much fun...
Bottom one is 34 inches!
Bottom one is 34 inches!
Hickory always makes your saw work to cut the wood!
Bullvi22
Enthusiastic Amateur
Heck yea, that's what it's all about there Greenthorn!
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The wife picked up a little surprise for me today. This should provide some background noise while splitting and stacking today.
These radios are awesome, I will get about 30 hours of play with the battery. I have the M18 XC 4.0 battery, had it for 2 years with no problems, and it is always cranked up 3/4 volume, the deer and raccoons like it too!
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