bucking firewood there has to be a better way

[Splinter]

Hi All,

Been lurking for a while lots of good stuff here. Did my first harvest last winter, and had the logger leave a few cords of firewood on the landing. I like making firewood, even splitting by hand, but bucking on the ground I do not enjoy. So who has a better way without spending big bucks? Have a kubota RTV and a tractor with loader. My initial thoughts are to make a deck of some kind and cut off of that.

Thanks!

[Ironwood]

Welcome,

  I use a LOOOOONG bar and hire cheap labor to pick it and put the rounds in metal crates or pallets w/ sides. It is hard finding cheap labor even for this. Be careful of the dangers of the long bar :(

Ironwood

[beenthere]

Corely5 has the perfect system....
Place the log, and keep the chain teeth sharp.

[Splinter]

beenthere,

That sure is nice but doesn't pass the big bucks test.

[zackman1801]

really there are only a few things you can do, you can do what you suggested deck them up with the tractor so they arent touching the ground. you can get one of those things you just saw (full processor). or you can do what i mostly do, cut the tree into firewood where it hits the ground, make small community piles from 3-5 trees, and leave them where they are, come back in a month or 2 and move them with a pick up.

[beenthere]

beenthere,

That sure is nice but doesn't pass the big bucks test.

Welcome to the forum...I didn't know there was a test... :D :D :D

[zopi]

getcha a timber jack...lifts the log off the ground, and use a long bar with a powerful saw..I use an MS660 for bucking, and a little Ms180 for limbing...go through an average tree in a few minutes..

[Splinter]

beenthere,

That sure is nice but doesn't pass the big bucks test.

Welcome to the forum...I didn't know there was a test... :D :D :D

I'm gonna like it here. Let me run that one by the finance minister.

[zackman1801]

I use an MS660 for bucking, and a little Ms180 for limbing...go through an average tree in a few minutes..

WOW you use a very large saw for firewood. My Little (in comparison) 365 will do the same job on firewood in no time at all. that thing can do it all.
I also assume when you say through a tree in a few minutes you mean the whole thing limbed and bucked not a few minutes in one cut.

[Tom]

If you do some research and are careful, obeying all of the safety recomendations, you might benefit from a bowbar on your chainsaw.  It is built for bucking and even works pretty good on the ground.

[Onthesauk]

I bought a timber jack, (a homemade one,) at a garage sale a few years ago.  Works pretty slick, but after while gets to be more trouble then it's worth packing it around, putting the saw down, cutting, moving, ect.  Mostly I've now got a routine of cutting as far as I can without hitting the ground, finding a cut I can make all the way through, roll the log with your foot and then go back and finish the cuts.  But doesn't work on the really big stuff and hard on the knees.  My neighbor has a good sized tractor with forks and simply lifts them up, cuts back and forth on each end at waist height.

[Splinter]

I knew i'd see something new here.
never heard of a bow saw before tonight, might take the drudge out of bucking.
Lots of scary comments about them on the web, but not sure how they can kick back if the spur is used.

[Tom]

Here is a Forum thread with a lot of  forum links on Bowsaws. "link"

[zopi]

Yes it is overkill...I bought the saw for milling, then bought a WM, so unless I have a great big log to
quarter out, it sits there..nuh-uuuuhhh...it's gotta earn its keep, so I bust wood with it..it's heavy, and i can't run it for too awful long..about a tank of fuel at best..but it is like cutting wood with a funny car.

I limbed out and bucked a 16" sweetgum the other day...took a half hour, including the drop.

I did have little girls dragging the light stuff out of the way so I could get around it, though.

[beenthere]

I bought a timber jack, (a homemade one,) at a garage sale a few years ago.  Works pretty slick, but after while gets to be more trouble then it's worth packing it around, putting the saw down, cutting, moving, ect.  Mostly I've now got a routine of cutting as far as I can without hitting the ground, finding a cut I can make all the way through, roll the log with your foot and then go back and finish the cuts.  But doesn't work on the really big stuff and hard on the knees.  My neighbor has a good sized tractor with forks and simply lifts them up, cuts back and forth on each end at waist height.

I do as you do...

Tried the forks but there again, the time it takes to get one lifted, then move back and forth from end to end to keep the log balanced, I find that leaving the log on the ground...is much quicker.
Now, if one had a top finger to hold down the log on the forks..then might have a good better system. Also, one reason I like the 20" bar (on Stihl MS361) is it is less bending over for me (5'9").
Now, just needing to get out there and tackle the piled-up logs that have been waiting 2 months for me.

Now Splinter...we do like pics... ;D ;D ;D

[RSteiner]

A few poles or some limb wood on the ground under the stem of the tree usually hold it high enough to buck it up without hitting the ground.  On bigger stuff I saw half way through then roll the stem and finish the cuts. 

However, the method I like the best is when I pull several pieces into a pile with the winch.  The top pieces are easy to buck then I lift the bottom pieces on top of the cut pieces and nothing gets bucked on the ground.

Randy

[John Mc]

Here's a link to the Speedy Firewood Jig: http://www.snakemtrattler.com/Woodjig.htm There are models to mount on a tractor loader or on the 3 point hitch. I like the looks of the loader mount myself (scroll down the page a bit for photos).

The slots to allow cutting to length while the tractor is holding the logs at a comfortable height is a great idea. The idea of holding a load of wood over a truck or trailer, and cutting to length and dropping right into bed seems convenient.

John Mc

[zackman1801]

wow the guy in those pictures scares me cutting with shorts and sneakers on.
usually what i have done in the past is have the wood decked up in a triangular shape like any log deck and start cutting it that way. you just have to be carefull that you dont get a rolling log on your leg or a wood chunk fall off and hit you.

[John Mc]

wow the guy in those pictures scares me cutting with shorts and sneakers on.

Yeah, no eye or hearing protection either. He's not exactly OHSA's poster boy for chainsaw safety, is he?

[leweee]

wow the guy in those pictures scares me cutting with shorts and sneakers on.

Yeah, no eye or hearing protection either. He's not exactly OHSA's poster boy for chainsaw safety, is he?

adds credibility to the product .....don't ya think  :

the name of that website  Cooked it for me. : :D  ;)

[Woodhog]

Just use your loader to brow up the logs as you keep cutting off the pile,  that way most will be off the ground until the pile is almost gone...flip the last few over the last log on the ground then cut that up, if the saw is dulled on the last one your on your way home anyway.

Throw the short pieces in the bucket as you cut along and dump em into your truck or that other thing you mentioned for hauling the firewood out. That will keep them clear of the long wood.
I think you have all the gear you need.. anyway you do it will be the usual sweat shop work...

I used to pick up a grapple full with the pulp loader, hang it over the truck box and cut right into the box, drawback was you got all the sawdust with the load.


Happy grinding ;D

[leweee]

I used to pick up a grapple full with the pulp loader, hang it over the truck box and cut right into the box, drawback was you got all the sawdust with the load.

watch your shins,ankles & feet when you kids at home try this : .....stepping on round rollers can flip you out of the box with a live chainsaw in your hands. :....not a pretty picture.

[beenthere]

Finally tackled the pile of logs, and bucked them up while in the pile.
About 4-5 cords in thus wood pile.



Stacked on 20 pallets for 2 years drying.  About 1/5 cord on each pallet.

[Mooseherder]

Nice Pile BT. ;)
I love your pallet idea.
Do you have a splitter?

[rebocardo]

I love that wood on the pallets with one in the middle, excellent