My Meager Firewood process

[Danaidh]

@WI_Hedgehog asked about my log moving system and firewood process.

Several years ago, before the company split, I purchased Titan's 29" log grapple. About the same time, I was gifted an old beat-up 12' trailer with a single heavy-duty axle of unknown weight capacity. I hook-up the trailer to my 4wd John deere tractor with log grapple attached and chainsaws on board.

I drive into the woods to a pre-selected Pine, Oak, Elm or Hickory to cut. The tree species has been pre-selected for firewood or lumber. The trailer is parked in an area which allows for loading logs with the tractor. The tree is felled and cut up into log lengths that I need for lumber or lengths to be cut up later for firewood. The Trailer is loaded via the log grapple. The weight limit is determined by the squat of the trailer springs and tires.

The trailer is reattached to the tractor and the logs are moved to the sawmill or firewood area. If the logs are for lumber they are stacked in a whack in anticipation of sawing into lumber. If for firewood, the logs are unloaded in an open firewood area. Then I pick up each log with the grapple and saw it into firewood lengths. I have a hydraulic wood splitter which I use to split firewood and then stack it in place or later move with the tractor bucket to a firewood rack.

Slabs from sawing lumber are also used for firewood.

That is my current method for moving and using logs. The Titan log grapple has been invaluable to me as a land manager.

Kind regards,
Dan

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Thanks for starting the conversation, I'm looking forward to the replies. I'm still missing the grapple and a decent trailer hitch setup. Got the top shredder though, and a big box for the chips, so "mostly there."

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

ok.... I'll share. All photos pulled from internet.
I am very happy with my setup and if I could start from scratch I would do it exactly the same.
In my woodlot I use a L3301 open cab HST with a loader up front. No cab as I worry about glass breakage.

I pull trees out of the bush with a Wallenstein FX85 winch. Its more than big enough to handle any trees I have as 20" diameter is max. The tractor handles this winch very well. Going bigger not needed and not sure tractor would really like a bigger one anyways. 165' of cable.

I cut my trees into 20' - 25' lengths and place them on a double axle, 7,000 pound trailer. this lets me haul 5,000 pounds of wood which is about 2/3 of a cord at a time. I use a Everything Attachments root grapple to pick up the 20-25 footers and place on the deck. I use a log weight calculator to load the trailer then use tractor to pull back to my shop.

I pull the 20-25 foot trunks through a Wallenstein WP870 wood processor and with a 80 yo+ helper we make a 1.2 cord pile of wood per hour. By myself I do slightly less than a cord an hour. WP runs on a honda gas motor driving a hydraulic pump, winch infeed is hydraulic and my chainsaw of choice is a Stihl 261 c-m

 

[NCL4701]

I’ve used two systems since getting the L. When I started my father and I both heated about 2000SF of our houses with wood. My father passed a couple years ago so I only need about half what I used to and it’s not a tremendous amount. Not like I'm selling it.

First process. Cut logs 84” (our stove takes 21” pieces) and bring them back to wood yard a few at a time with grapple depending on size. Cut to 21” lengths, split primarily with a typical 20 ton hydraulic splitter (use 8lb maul, wedges, and a 16lb rock hammer for stuff too big for the splitter), and stack in a traditional stack covered with cardboard, then plastic, then tarp about 1/2 way down the sides.

Probably sounds inefficient, but I’m moving it 3/4 a mile or less so a lot of wood can be moved pretty quickly. Depending on where it is in the property, I may have pretty tight windows when it’s dry enough to pull wood, so getting it out of the woods and to the wood yard efficiently is my pinch point. Once it’s at the wood yard I can work it up pretty much whenever. In a day and a half or so I can move enough wood just hauling with the grapple to last me a year, assuming it’s already cut to length and ready to go.

Picked up a Farmi W50R skidding winch last year. Even though I don’t cut large quantities of firewood, I got the winch because our topography is quite challenging in much of the property, it’s just me working alone, and I needed it more for cleanup and maintenance than for firewood production. Anyway, now I cut logs to lengths in multiples of 21” and skid them back to the wood yard for processing. Usually carry a grapple load of 84” stuff at the same time. I do have to be cognizant of the amount of wood we need because I can move a lot of wood to the wood yard really quickly with the winch/grapple combo and end up processing more than I need.

Saw is an old Husqvarna 455 Rancher. Ran a variety of Stihls back in the day when I worked for a tree service. They were good saws. The little Husky isn’t the fastest, but it is the most reliable saw I’ve had the pleasure to use.

System was much different when my father, brother, and I worked on it together with a 9N Ford, trailer, two saws, and all manual splitting. Appropriate equipment setup is more important with a one man system v three man system IME. In a one man operation, I want the wood in big, tractor sized chunks until it’s ready to go right on the stack because every time I move it manually it slows the process and I really don't care to move it manually any more than I have to.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

I have a couple scenarios…

1. At my residence (very steep/hilly property and access by machine is limited):
A. As a much younger man with an ATV or tractor, I cut everything in place and carried up the hill chunk by chunk…man was I shape for hunting deer in the Adirondacks and elk out west….i still laugh at cross fitters paying to do work.

B. Now that reality has set in (age has set in)So long as I can get close to the trunk with ATV or tractor:
1. If possible I try to get the tree into an opening. If not I top and drag trunk minimal amount until I can get the B and grapple to it.

2. If I am able to cut into smaller logs, I’ll haul those up to house/barn with the grapple and then cutting into smaller pieces and split…I’ll use a maul still as much as possible but I have given Up with elm…our elm is pretty stringy and twisted and I go the splitter for it now that reality has set in…then put under the awning.

3. Up North:
I use a combination of the MX, grapple, homemade skidding attachment, and wagon to bring logs back to barn and palletizing area to cut split (all by hand) and the bring under the awning for winter.

In the near future I hope to swap out the homemade skidding attachment for an actual winch…stay tuned, if weather allows and the planets align I will finally be pick up and deliver my spousal units Christmas present…she still gets to unwrap it (from last year…weather has not allowed me to pick it up yet) next weekend…

In terms of gear, I am using 3 stihl saws, and old farm boss, a 461, and a top handle…top handle is the way to go for limbing and working off the ground IMO.
Then There are the labonville chaps, haix boots, and a stihl helmet with the muffs/face screen.