I guess logging is about being busted sometimes...

[Offthebeatenpath]

I've been hesitant to share this story because I'm a newbie logger, but if you can't laugh at your own misfortune, you may well live a pretty serious life...

After logging and pulling firewood with my little skid steer and a borrowed Timberjack for the last couple winters, I made the investment in a 1985 440D.  Read a bunch on the forum here, asked some questions, got the machine checked out by a JD mechanic, then pulled the trigger and bought it. My other job had me tied up for awhile so after I drove it off the truck, it sat in my yard. Fired it up every week or so just to let it know I hadn't forgotten about it.  A few weeks ago, I started it and after idyling for a few minutes, it went BANG!, clattered for a millasecond and died in a puff of smoke.

Turns out, the connecting rod bolts broke and sent the rod slamming into the crankshaft.  Not sure of engine block damage yet.  I hadn't even driven into the woods with the machine.

A bit concerned (understatement!) about my abilty to pay for the repair, I decided to dedicate myself to pulling out small diameter firewood with the little skid steer til the skidder was fixed.  Worked one day at it then fell and broke my wrist.  Now, I'm out of work for eight weeks, can't even pick up a saw.  Ought to be healed up just in time for posted roads and mud season...

Who wants to be a logger now?

On the upside, I'm getting pretty darn good at typing with one hand...

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Hey OBP,

I'm glad you are trying to take the higher view on it all.  That says a great deal about your character.  Hope all goes well for you in the story you told.  That wrist will give you fits the rest of your life, at least it has me, in both of them.  One still sounds like walking on egg shells every time I make a fist.  Take this down time to study up on your machine and anything else that is interesting you.  Nice part about computers, it brings the library to you.

Good Luck,

Jay

[mad murdock]

Ouch!  sorry to hear your misfortune, maybe the brighter side is you have gotten all the bad luck over with in one fell swoop, so the rest of the year will go good!  Too bad about the skidder, the "glass half full" part of that I guess is you don't have to wrestle with getting a dead machine out of the deep woods, and hey , it is already next to the shop so it can get fixed!  I hope your wrist heals well, and you are back at 100% soon.  You are on the down hill side now!

[thecfarm]

Some of my luck went your way,sorry.

[cutter88]

sorry to here about ur run of bad luck,,, we all have them times and its good to just sit back shake your head and laugh because getten all streesed out shape or throwing a fit dont really help matters... hope things start getten better for yu!

[cutter88]

ill share some of my bad luck might make u feel better lol... i ran older saws for a long time alwayhs kept them well maintained and had them for about 7 years,,, this past october i went out and bought 2 brand new ms460 stihls... the first week i had them a tree got away well falling and totalled one of them well it was in the shop for about 600 dollars in repairs i backed over the outher new one with my skidder, so there i was back to my old saws lol, needless to saw i wont be buying new saws for a few years

[loggah]

I been ,broke, broken,and busted!! but usually only one at a time!! keep your chin up nothing life threatening there, things will get better1

[Offthebeatenpath]

Thanks for the perspective guys.  I know this is a relatively minor and short lived set back in the grand scheme- been spending most of my time looking forward instead of wallowing in the moment anyway.  I've got plenty of one handed projects to keep me occupied at the house that I would never get to otherwise.  Gonna have some sharp tools by the time spring rolls around...

[Autocar]

Don't throw the towel in yet, everyone of us has had simular problems over the years. The only good thing about them as you get older your look back and laugh about it. But it seems your smiling now so your do ok   ;) .

[saxon0364]

That is some rotten luck no doubt about it.   But don't quit, make a plan and try to follow it.    We all been there and will again.  Just keep doing what you do and the world will turn.   

[JuniperBoss]

That is truly unfortunate. That is just how it is sometimes, but a lot of times it'll all pull together and your wrist will heal twice as strong as it did before and your skidder won't be too bad of a fix.

Hang in there. On the up side you get to spend more time on the forum now that you can't work nearly as much!

[Charles Barnes Sr]

Sorry to hear about your present circumstances but glad to hear a positive attitude. Where in Maine do you call home?

[redprospector]

I hate to hear of your hard times. If you are in the woods long you'll go through some though.
I've fractured my neck, busted ribs, broke bones in my feet, shattered a knee, and lots of sprains and bruises. But not all at once.
Sometimes your the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

Andy

[thenorthman]

Lost count on how many bones I've broken... but the wrist was by far the easiest to get over (its still crooked after 20 some odd years).  I totally feel yer pain on the skidder though, mine has worked only one job and I'm still not sure how I will pay for it, if something big breaks... well it was fun while it lasted, but I'll be eat'n mac and cheese and top ramen until my veins collapse... 

We'll see ya in the woods in a few weeks though...

[sawguy21]

I have been out of logging for 13 years but still miss it. Can't get over the fresh air and the smell of fresh cut wood. Changing the fuel pump on the crawler in a snow storm late at night doesn't seem so bad now. :D

[Offthebeatenpath]

Thanks for the support fellas. 

Charles- I'm in Turner.  A little over an hour from you I guess.

Jed

[loggah]

I bought a couple old 10 ton Holts from  Dan Poland i think his garage was in Turner Center many years ago. Don

[Mooseherder]

I hope you're healing well and back in the woods soon. ;)

[timberjack 450]

You will be just fine. My first year in logging I had 4 months in down time and $10,000 in parts.  That's from a skidder I bought from a friend. Maxed out all my credit cards and took years to get clear of all the mess. My friends told me to file bankruptcy. I couldn't do it. It took time but I loved what I was doing and just kept  diggin till I could see daylight. You will never get rich loggin, but it sure beats working in an office. Good luck, stay safe and have fun   

[lumberjack48]

You still have the skidder and your not dead, heck your in good shape. Its just part of this business, i have no answers why things happen the way they do.

Yesterday,Feb. 8, 24 yrs ago i got my neck broke, left me a quad. The wife had to feed me the first year. I got my right arm and hand back good enough to feed myself and type with one finger. They only gave me 4 to 5 yrs to live, i don't think they had me figured out, I'm a Logger, wheels keep turning, like i used to say , One Monkey Don't stop The Show.

[Offthebeatenpath]

If that doesn't give perspective, nothing will.  You're a tough man Lumberjack48.

[JuniperBoss]

Yes he is. I bet he eats kids for breakfast :D.

Just kidding you've got quite a story lumberjack .

[lumberjack48]

The thing is there always somebody worse off then we are.

The thing with me i was never happy with what i had, always reaching for more.

I should have been a millionaire by the time i was 38. But i spent it on wine, women and song, and waisted the rest. I worked hard and played hard, i loved to dance. We went dancing every weekend, when i look back i wouldn't change a thing.
Like i told them in the hospital, I'm only 41 but I'm high mileage.

[JuniperBoss]

I'm high mileage and look at my age :D. Just kidding. I've got a lot to learn but I'm a pretty active and ambitious guy. Later in my life I hope to be the "jack of all trades". Maybe not master them all but a wide interest and wide variety of skills is always a good thing ;).

[saltydog]

You will make it just dont give up. Ive been broke many times scraping up fuel money putting on used tires used hoses. I have had up to a 6 man crew 3 forwarders and a harvester running.I have been off work almost a year for medical problems.Im down to one forwarder and me.But im still a logger ill be back its just how it goes.I cant imagine doing anything else.

[Ed_K]

 All in a days life  ;) I didn't realize I was high milage till I hit 58  .It'll just add to the sawdust in your veins,got'a get out there an cut a tree  8) .