Heading in a new direction..more like a circle.

mike_belben · November 17, 2017, 07:34:39 PM

You know, ive never actually seen one like that. Very clever.

I have huskee vert/horiz for now, its got a pair of posts on the main frame that the wedge retracts from and will unstick itself. Comes in handy once in a while.

Cold? Whats that? Was in a tee shirt today. Maybe thats why firewood isnt selling!

Stephen Alford · January 20, 2018, 09:43:00 AM

The original intent of this thread was to share the the experience of going full time farm tractor logging. The hope was it might provide some insight for someone considering or actually attempting do so. Winter here puts a spotlight on hurdles for sure. I no longer have my backup " woods brother". He had to move off island.We used to check on each other several times during the day. This gave our families relief knowing that if something went wrong there was someone who knew exactly were the other was. Cold kills cell phone so working alone in the winter here can be risky. One thing this means is that a plowed track to the landing is a must. The tractor can function in about 2ft of snow but the bellie pan will cause you to get hung up. I have a great deal of respect for first responders. Could I just drive back with the tractor..sure but that would be a long miserable treck for someone coming to render help. So i wanted to come up with a simple and "cheap way to plow a track into the landing. I admit its a tad ugle ok a lot ugley :D

Plowed track

V blade

Needs some rubber bolted on the top.

This is what she looks like at "RAMMIN SPEED" :D :D

mike_belben · January 20, 2018, 11:38:36 AM

I prefer Ramen Speed. Top ramen, not that middle or bottom stuff. Blehk.

Nice work, beats a shovel!

thecfarm · January 20, 2018, 01:20:00 PM

My building stuff is functional,no reason to be pretty. Most times I am the only one that will see it. I do have one friend that might study it,but most won't even know what it's for.

mike_belben · January 20, 2018, 02:41:31 PM

I was just out welding up a skeleton bucket for the skid steer from 1" bar stock. Wife says whats that.. I told her it was one of those spike perimeter fences that keep cavalry from charging into your fort. And that i was gonna do 200 more of them.

Stephen Alford · January 23, 2018, 07:38:52 AM

Ahhh...welding for wifie...now there is a challenge. Kinda like Cfarms rock swamp ; you go in with a bucket of rocks hopin ya come out with all your gear in tact :D :D.
Firewood sales are down again this year. Trying to do what I can on the marketing which is on me. Getting rid of the old land line and all calls will be forwarded to cell. Phone books have become a bit useless and and I get a lot of unknown name calls . With todays pace the message service seems slow and often folks leave a rather lengthy message . That missed call could make the difference. Impressed with the new cat phone and its thermal imaging.
On the LO front one of his concerns was how his right of way had grown in. So with things slow and the rain/snow winter decided to spend some time on that. The clearing saw is the pup for that. What would have been a big job with a chain saw was just a matter of a couple hours.

They were pleased gonna be there another year. The adjacent LO stopped by and has invited me to work his woodlot.

snowstorm · January 23, 2018, 07:46:13 AM

Tell me more about the cat phone.

Stephen Alford · January 23, 2018, 08:09:23 AM

The boys tell me there pretty tough. I am a pretty lame typist..digits.. just give it a google. Would be quite an asset. Let me know what you think, your opinion would be appreciated. thanks.

snowstorm · January 23, 2018, 09:20:39 AM

I looked them up. My cell carrier wants everyone to use there phones. And I did get a new one last winter. Maybe next time

mike_belben · January 23, 2018, 11:05:05 AM

You have to adapt, old timer.

Not sure how your cel networks are but if verizon works well enough consider a walmart phone and straight talk plan. I dont have anything but a $100 LG fiesta smarthphone and a $35/month straight talk plan. No desktop, website, phonebook or sign ads at all, everything i do on a cheap phone thats always with me. Just craiglist and here its LSN.com Facebook regional marketplace groups is probably the most powerful current free sales networking device but i hate FB. Dont have enough wood to cover CL/LSN demand.

Patchy service no matter what carrier but you never miss a text.. They eventually come thru as you move around. Im at 50/50 between calls and texts.. Maybe 3% email.

Stephen Alford · January 23, 2018, 02:05:37 PM

"You have to adapt, old timer."....adapt...you want sumpin ta adapt...I'll gives ya sumpin ta adapt... did I ever tell ya about da time back in bla...bla...bla.. then I...bla bla bla...when I bla... bla bla bla.. thats how I... bla bla bla... cause I...bla bla bla ...on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...and on and on and on :D :D :D

You are absolutely right "adapt" and do it sooner.

lopet · January 23, 2018, 06:50:00 PM

Hope you're not gonna regret cutting your landline.
I don't see why I should adapt to something new, when old is still working. ;D My cell phone cost me 100 bucks a year and it's off most of the time, I only carry it on me when I think I eventually have to make a call. People know, when they wanna get a hold of me they have to call the house and because my wife is there most of the time, she can also deal with the annoying calls. ;)
Not trying to talk anybody out of the newest technology, just think new isn't always better.

This is where we headed.
The local high school now allows cell phones in the class room.

so kids pay even less attention if a teacher is trying to teach.
My neighbor's wife, now a retired high school teacher said that she ever was glad she got out. They can't touch the kids and they can't take their phones away. The board makes the decisions and listens to all the parents who say that they have to get a hold of their kid. In the old days you called the office, obviously that's too inconvenient.

I think Einstein was right.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2929268/Was-Einstein-right-Physicist-said-feared-technology-surpass-human-interaction-photos-time-not-far-off.html

Stephen Alford · January 24, 2018, 07:22:53 AM

I think forward is all you can do. My flip phone is coming up on her tenth birthday. I am not big on change but change we must. It has been a tuff phone , a bit weak at swimming but it has been dependable. The new phone will have a GPS tracker so I could be found if need be. Not that I have to look for me often but more of a compromise with my family. I have been fortunate enough to have a pretty loyal customer base. I am never home much when the weather is fit. New customers appear to be working through a list when they call. By the time I get home at night its to late to return the call and 90% of the time they have found a wood supplier by the time I reach them. Folks are looking to pay through the phone as well. When they pass me their credit card I want to be able to use it . As Mike said adapt ... I have to do it more often. I wait to long and and this increases the height of the jump.

mike_belben · January 24, 2018, 08:23:14 AM

Cash is going away, just like checks and landlines and vcr's. And yeah the longer you wait the bigger the leap. I'll take paypal for firewood.. Theres not much risk when im standing there, they send funds, i get email that funds are recieved then i have them sign their name in my paper receipt book.

My wife has a card reader that plugs into her phones usb port. Swipes credit or debit and doubles how much business she can do.

I dont LIKE technology, but i do like to eat and the world tells me id better play ball if the eating is to continue.

Resonator · January 24, 2018, 09:56:44 AM

quote: "The adjacent LO stopped by and has invited me to work his woodlot." Doing a good job is great advertising for future customers. ;)

thecfarm · January 24, 2018, 02:30:32 PM

I have just a cheapy phone for safety. I only cut firewood,but still something could happen. I had a phone,picked up a rock,phone was in my front pocket,cracked the screen with rock,that phone gone. Than I went to the flippy ones. There,no more smashed screens. ;D Than I started to keep the phone on the tractor. Yea,that does a lot of good if I get hurt, :

Phone back in pocket. So far so good. Yes they make a holder,but don't wear a belt in the woods and a clip one I'm sure I would lose some wheres. These are the trac phone,find them $5 each at time,regular price is $10. Just buy minutes.

Stephen Alford · January 25, 2018, 07:49:35 AM

Have found an app called "find my friend" anybody use this and if so how good is it ? According to emergency response when they trace a call they get "cell tower location". Actual phone location.. step 2 is iffy ???

Cfarm you raise a valid point ; where to carry cell phone. I wear no weight around my waist. Over the years weight around my waist increases the risk of back muscle spasm . Added an extra cross piece to the back of my suspenders to reduce shoulder slip. On the front carry plug wrench,whistle, jack knife,lighter and phone clipped and tethered. Have not been able to pick a new phone yet...to many choices.

mike_belben · January 25, 2018, 09:11:23 AM

I keep phone in shirt pocket.

Are you looking for smart phone? Just FYI, theres are some great free apps for measuring acreage and finding property lines. Theres an app for everything really.

I like android alot more than apple and have been really pleased with LG phones for the price compared to samsung. Droid works like microsoft windows on your desktop home computer

thecfarm · January 25, 2018, 10:39:43 AM

Depends what the phone is going to be used for. I just use mine to call someone. To text on my phone is a real bother. Have to do through 3 letters to get the one you want. But I only call people. ;D I know the old way. But my phone is just a cheap one. Wife has the good one.
I have evn run over this phone in the snow. Just pure luck I found it in the track of the tractor.
We did away with the land phone. I was the only one using it.
I would not want a better phone,unless someone else was paying for it. :D I'm rough with stuff,don't mean to be,but if I can broke it,I will. :

Or lose it.

Crusarius · January 25, 2018, 10:49:34 AM

Those old phones are still pretty good. The new phones get phased out then there are no longer updates for them. as that happens you start to lose places you have signal. My phone is old enough they stopped updating it and I used to have 3 bars in my living room. Now I am lucky if I have enough to send a text.

Only way to fix it is to spend 600+ on a new one. but I hate the new ones they are twice the size of this one. I just want a phone that works and is small is that to much to ask?

mike_belben · January 25, 2018, 11:25:36 AM

I was caught in the $550 phone trap until i got away from ATT/ verizon contracts. Their phone prices are insane and atleast for ATT, they rig the device to only take a sim that works on their network, with huge monthly bills. When i couldnt get the thing to work anymore i finally just went to walmart.

$115 for better smartphone, $35 a month bill. I wish i knew years before.. Woulda saved thousands.

For any of you who are gonna make the leap, budget for a hardshell case and screen protector. The store will be happy to sell you an otterbox for $90 but you can get a generic for $20 shipped or less on ebay.

dwchaisson · January 25, 2018, 12:19:54 PM

Quote from: Stephen Alford on January 25, 2018, 07:49:35 AM
Have found an app called "find my friend" anybody use this and if so how good is it ? According to emergency response when they trace a call they get "cell tower location". Actual phone location.. step 2 is iffy ???

Cfarm you raise a valid point ; where to carry cell phone. I wear no weight around my waist. Over the years weight around my waist increases the risk of back muscle spasm . Added an extra cross piece to the back of my suspenders to reduce shoulder slip. On the front carry plug wrench,whistle, jack knife,lighter and phone clipped and tethered. Have not been able to pick a new phone yet...to many choices.

love the snowman, might be a good class project for some of my students if you don't mind

Stephen Alford · January 26, 2018, 07:41:48 AM

" Fill yer boots" my friend.

That was a "wifie weld". A wife weld is when you come home and you realize you are in need of a giftie. . So out to the shed you go. Four spikes ,two nuts ,couple slices of pipe, some ragged plate and you are good to go. Without wife and family support , owner/operator is not possible
Looking at a droid..sonim xp7. Anyone have one ? Droids come hard shelled and oil resistant. I think there is a cost to inefficiency. Going to look at phones from now on as a consumable.

mike_belben · January 26, 2018, 08:16:12 AM

. Sounds like yours gets a lot of the same stuff as mine. im running out of places to put the rough sawn spice racks, picture frames and shoe racks.

The worst is when im engraving a date into something with a carbide burr going "oh man.. Was our anniversary on the 27th or 28th?"

Stephen Alford · February 27, 2018, 11:11:27 AM

I guess its time to let this thread slip away. Just wanted to thank everyone who took time to post. One more pic....really... ;D My daughter loading the truck. A little vid of PEI as well.