Roadtrip

Stephen Alford · January 22, 2012, 01:48:37 PM

Hey folks, well its off to a new site. Hate to move but after 6 months have to start a new job. On the plus side I have been invited back. Just wanted to share a couple pics. Roadtrip !

Had to fireup the "ol Doll"

Hit the open road.

Had a nice breeze off the water.

One final check for flashing lights, "alls good"

Autocar · January 22, 2012, 02:13:05 PM

Wheres the trees ;D looks darn cold also , be careful !

mad murdock · January 22, 2012, 03:22:18 PM

How far is your move? Looks like you are getting a little winter this year, not a lot of snow though from the pics.

Stephen Alford · January 22, 2012, 04:07:49 PM

Hey Autocar, I ask myself the same question every day. :D :D Been a good winter ,cold days for folks to burn wood and not so bad days for me to cut wood.

Hot coffee goes a long way.

But cookin up a detroit can be exhausting. ;D

Well murdock most moves are pretty handy so does not pay to have a float, usually just over to a neighbors. You mentioned in another post that maybe some day you might be doing some "custom logging". What does that involve in you area ?

Mooseherder · January 22, 2012, 04:26:29 PM

Looks like you know how to pack a truck and move.
The coffee pot jig is something I've never seen.
Very nice road trip.

madmari · January 22, 2012, 04:55:46 PM

Nice, clean job. Not even a branch to pick up. Low stumps. 8)
Your Cuisinart coffee station looks just like ours!
Stay warm!

Autocar · January 22, 2012, 05:19:22 PM

Stephen if you would of been on the ball you would have told me You Should Of Seen It When I Started Here, Trees As Far As The Eye Could See :D :D Canada is a great land had many road trips up in your area and will never forget all of my adventures,have a great week Bill.

mad murdock · January 22, 2012, 05:19:55 PM

[quote author=Stephen Alford link=topic=55668.msg805437#msg805437 date=1327266469

Well murdock most moves are pretty handy so does not pay to have a float, usually just over to a neighbors. You mentioned in another post that maybe some day you might be doing some "custom logging". What does that involve in you area ?
[/quote]
I had in mind what I have been doing for my neighbor, find small jobs on skidder workable terrain, would be mostly small woodlands people who hire out their logging. May be just a pipe dream, I do have my own "40" of mostly coastal doug fir that I satisfy the "itch" for now. If my day job ever went south I could make wages with the old garrett.

Stephen Alford · January 22, 2012, 10:28:00 PM

You guys crack me up. :D :D. These pics are taken from the perch loading a grab and one of the landing.

Stephen Alford · January 23, 2012, 08:10:58 AM

Thanks Mr. Murdock, just curious. ???

Ohio_Bill · January 23, 2012, 03:39:32 PM

When I move my old skidder from one place to another I would not describe it as driving , more like herding . :D

thecfarm · January 24, 2012, 08:41:31 AM

Stephen,like that trailer,loader. Questions, I see you haul out tree length with the skidder than buck them up to fit on to the trailer behind the tractor. Is this to get to a yard because the truck can't get to you?

Stephen Alford · January 24, 2012, 09:23:21 PM

Hey cfarm, I find the tractor/skidder combination works for me. The trailer is not for use in the woods as such. The plan is for the trailer/loader on the landing and the log truck at the woodyard where I process the firewood. I like to sort/load at both ends. I do a stump to stove operation with the wood I harvest. With the mills I dealt with gone the ten wheeler has become to expensive to keep on the road. I do all my hauling with the F450 and have never been stopped or had any fine what so ever. I can move the trailer with the F450 and may try using the trailer behind the skidder at some point. I have to cross farm fields in all seasons and the tractor/trailer allows me to do that. Getting across the farm field with windchills or mud can be a deal breaker. Hope that helps.

thecfarm · January 25, 2012, 08:10:02 AM

Helps a bunch. Just like to understand how others are doing wood with the equipment their have.

Stephen Alford · February 07, 2012, 07:57:56 AM

Hey cfarm, the farm may look like yours but I sure hope your harwoods have better form. On the plus side they are processor resistant for the most part. :D
Standing

Felled

Topped. Landowners do not want their wood wasted . Safest way is once they have been hauled out of the understory. I do this handy the truck "just in case". With larger twitch using a skidder as opposed to a twitch with the tractor you need to be even more vigilant. The rascals will roll.

mad murdock · February 07, 2012, 04:22:20 PM

Looks like a birch tree. Sure is a gangly thing!

Maine372 · February 07, 2012, 07:32:02 PM

yellow birch, atleast it wasnt beech!

Stephen Alford · February 08, 2012, 07:29:54 AM

They are a thing of beauty to be sure. I always step the safety focus up a notch when working with them. This one is used for dragging the road to set the frost.

Nice woodlot to be working in a bit of everything.

thecfarm · February 08, 2012, 07:57:39 AM

My yellow birch tops look just like that. I get 2-3 16 footers out of the few I have cut. I cutting firewood and trying to thin out some of the junk wood. I'm in a bunch of yellow birch now,all the yellow birch is small,biggest would be 6 inches. Tall stuff because it had to grow tall to get to the sun. Real think stuff,some of the tops are drying on it. Mother Nature just doing the thinning for me. It's a wet spot,but even this summer I could get in it without fear of getting stuck. Seems to be alot of fir,half dead, dieing or dead.. Good fodder for the OWB. The fir mostly does not do good at my place. Deer are glad to see me in there.

Stephen Alford · March 08, 2012, 07:55:30 AM

Well it has not been to bad a winter for all. There is a new woodlot owners association being formed. That is a positive sign.
The cold weather brought its share of tire trouble. Had to gear up an air compressor on the 450.

On a plus side the cold brought a need for heat.

Biggest problem is crossing an open field due to the drifting snow. First flock of returning geese flew in overhead yesterday, and that makes me smile. ;D

mad murdock · March 08, 2012, 08:17:51 AM

got to complement you Stephen, on your tidy landing and overall nice looking jobsites in your pics 8) 8) you sure do set the bar high

very nice. Thanks for sharing... smiley_clapping

DeerMeadowFarm · March 08, 2012, 09:18:31 AM

Quote from: Stephen Alford on January 22, 2012, 01:48:37 PM
One final check for flashing lights, "alls good"

I do that everytime I take my tractor on the road.... ;)

Stephen Alford · March 10, 2012, 11:04:21 PM

Well thank-you Mr. Murdock mighty kind of you. I must admit that I can get a mess going as quick as anybody . In almost all cases my next client will show up where I am working. There is no doubt in my mind that the decision to hire me is based on how things look on site and ones reputation. Generally speaking I yard full tree then windrow the slash prior to piling the wood on the landing.

Ya DeerMeadowFarm, the get away plan is a sharp right and head for the woods. They might take the "ol Doll" but she won't go easy. :D

The hard part is just talking yourself out of the truck some days. :D :D