Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Jutt]

I have an owb and burn about 8-10 cord a year, mostly pine polpar and cedar with a little elm, hard maple, and cherry during the really cold weather.

This summer I collected more than 10
Cord from my neighbors which was a great score. 2/3 of it is still a pile of logs that needs to be processed.

Today I met a new neighbor who just moved in. He is in the process of removing about 30 nice red pines about 20" in diameter. He's been buckin them into stove length pieces and cannot find anyone to take them off his hands. People around here are of the belief that you cannot burn pine in an indoor wood stove.

I would estimate there is at least an entire seasons worth of firewood there.

The crazy thing is that I live on 60 mostly wooded acres and I can't find the time to get out and take care of my own dead standing trees.

Those are some nice resources you have available with your neighbors and your acreage. I would jump all over your neighbors offer.

We burn around 60-80% pine (mostly lodgepole and ponderosa) depending on what hardwoods I can scrounge down in town. Love pine for ease of starting, shoulder season, and mixing with hardwoods. Will also be burning some standing dead Rocky mountain juniper I scored from a neighbor's property. At any rate, no problems at all with burning pine assuming its properly seasoned like any other firewood.

 

[dancan]

I'm getting there on the mechanization Clint , need a few more pieces to be mobile but it's coming together .

 

[mainewoods]

I haven't caught up on the last 3 months yet, but that log hauler is sweet and the 4 wheeler you are going to ask yourself how did you ever get along without ( if you already haven't).

 

[dancan]

Thanks for the comps on the RonCo hauler Clint , I moved a new to me hoist around at the shop with it , I sure can tell you that 1/2 a ton of steel will push you around lol

 

[MustangMike]

Clint, great to see you are back, we missed you and we worried about you, but your fantastic thread kept going.

Hey, I broke down and got my first ATV yesterday, a Polaris 570 w/engine breaking. Can't wait to get it up to the upstate property, should really help me get things done.

 

[CRThomas]

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.

Some thing that happen saw a big Ash tree down at the College saw a fellow standing there by it stop 4 plus feet at the base 100 feet plus long ask the fellow about it he said I could have it for $450.00 dollars but had to take it all. Next day at the cafe a fellow ask me if I was the fellow looking at the tree at the college I said I was. Did I not have the equipment to move it I said I do but $450.00 is to much for me to clean that mess up He wanted to know where I got that idea at from that fellow who was there he said we are going to pay $850.00 for some body to move it. After all and said they give me some other trees back right up to I ended up with $850.00 about 15 cord of Ash All way look and ask wood is all over the place my friends and family let me know of any down trees they see. I go to the cafe in the summer time after wind storms I clean up if I run up on some thing that I don't want I let them know of people who will I have a bunch of people in the area I live in the burn tires batterys you name it they are not in to firewood till it gets cold This is just some usless info good luck on your hunt.

 

[MountainHigh]

Thanks svk, it is nice to be back amongst the scrounger's again.

Wow - that was some layoff Mainewoods ...

Imaginations were running wild over here, thinking you were:
a) Laid up in a full body cast and sling somewhere, occasionally trying to heroically type here with one finger from your hospital room
b) left the country after winning 50 Million Lotto, now sipping something tall and cool on a remote beach, just you and few g-string girls
c) hiding in an underground bunker deep in the Maine woods, prepping dehydrated food stuffs, waiting for the next shoe to drop


Seriously good to see you are fine and still chasing the wifey around !

 

[mainewoods]

Thanks for the thoughts guys, I didn't intend to be offline that long, but one thing led to another. I had no idea how limited my options were where I live. Even dial-up isn't available. But to make a long story short, the weather was perfect for cutting wood this summer and I took advantage of it. 80's were the highest it got with only hit or miss t-storms and long dry spells in between. It got so I almost didn't miss the internet, after a spell. Sure got a lot done without it though. But man cannot live by firewood alone and you are a great bunch of guys, so let's get scrounging!

 

[mainewoods]

Mike, that polaris is a sweet machine. Once you get it upstate we may not hear from YOU for a while!!

 

[MustangMike]

Thanks Clint, and great to have you back again. I have likely hand winched too many trees to the logging roads over the years, so things should get a little easier, I'll be spoiled with an electric winch & all!!!!

 

[MountainHigh]

Another disease - now after reading up on your Polaris, I want an ATV

 

[koomie]

Spent all day splitting oak.

 

[MustangMike]

Another disease - now after reading up on your Polaris, I want an ATV

I think the Polaris 570 is the best deal out there on a fuel injected 4wd ATV. I also got the optional engine breaking, a must (IMO) for riding on hilly surfaces (and why else would you have one).

Wish I had pics of the wood I cut today with MechanicMatt, but could not start until 5 (when he got out of work) and I cut until dark. There were a total of 5 guys, 3 of them were feeding the splitter. Dropped and cut up a 32" Red Oak, and bucked a 30" Red Oak that MechanicMatt had previously dropped. There were a lot ob big rounds on the ground. The firewood parade goes on!

 

[nomad_archer]

Haven't run a saw since July 26th. If I don't show up on here all of a sudden it's because I've passed due to symptoms of saw withdrawal.

I'm in the same boat. May have been sometime in June.

 

[MechanicMatt]

Thanks for showing up and running that sweet ported 046 of yours, it sure makes quicker work of those big oak trees. Ill be there running the splitter Saturday. Be safe up at the cabin this weekend. Have fun with your new toy and be safe.

 

[MustangMike]

Thanks Matt, was good working with you and the guys again. Would never have been able to finish that up before dark if that saw were not ported, what a difference.

 

[mainewoods]

Ahhh, September. What a great time to be scrounging. Cool temperatures and fewer bugs to deal with. October and November get even better. Absolutely my favorite time of year.

 

[Marshy]

T'is the season isn't it? I scored some big sections of silver maple that I have to make time to go cut up. The largest sections are about 35" in diameter. It's been sitting for two seasons. It was dropped off at this kids house about a mile from mine. He doesn't burn wood but his uncle had it dropped off at his house by a tree removal company for firewood but apparently the uncle has not done anything with it since. I just knocked on his door one day and asked if he wanted to get rid of it. He took my number and said he had to ask his uncle. About two weeks went by and he stopped at my house in passing and said I could have it, told me to stop any time. I've cleaned up some of the smaller stuff, took 3 easy loads so far and haven't touched the main sections yet. The main trunk has some nails in the top layer so there's some risk ruining a chain but there's enough wood there to eat a chain or two if necessary. Will try to get pics when I get back to cutting on this thing. I tried to cut a chunk off the large trunk with my 365 and 20" bar but one side of the log is blocked by another section so I will have to roll it and I might have enough reach to make it through cleanly...

 

[mainewoods]

My elderly neighbor owns about 100 acres and a large part of it is road frontage. She is widowed and has not touched any of it for years. The other day I noticed there was many dead standing and fallen over ash,maple and oak right along side the road way. I asked her if she would like having them cleaned up, and she was tickled pink. She said she had worried for a long time that they were going to fall and hit the power lines. She was very relieved and willing to have that "load" off her mind. I would hate to guess how many cord of bone dry hardwood there are. If I had not taken the time to stop and ask, I would have missed out on some prime firewood. Just goes to show, it pays to ask. I have found on many occasions, asking your neighbors can land you some darn good firewood and some darn good friends.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My helper came over on sat and we scrounged a BIG load of poplar....not the best firewood, but it was easy to get, as I grappled/lifted the tree's over the wagon with my tractor, while my helper chain sawed them into firewood lengths, AND it was FREE!

I believe there will be at least 2 cords on this load,

Looks like my splitter will get some use S N,

SR