That Time of Year...Firewood!

[Bailey Guns]

About 4 years ago we started heating the house completely with wood. It's a lot of work, but it's free heat and I don't have to worry about keeping the thermostat at 68 degrees.

When we bought this house 10 years ago there was an old Stihl 029Super in the barn. It looked to be in pretty good shape though I had no idea how long it had been out there, how it had been maintained, how much use it had seen, etc...

Out of curiosity I pulled the starter rope a half-dozen times and I'll be damned if the thing didn't start. I let it sit for another couple of years.

About the time I got really tired of paying so much for propane I started researching the saw and learning about heating with wood. So now, I'm far from an expert, but I manage to cut/split about 5 cords of wood each summer.

These are the two saws I'm using. The old 029Super and the bigger one I just bought last year, an MS362. I don't know a lot about saws but the Stihls seemed to have very positive reviews and seemed like the pros that use them a lot were evenly split between Stihl and Husqvarna.

Any of you guys cut a lot of wood have a preference? The little 029 I use for the smaller stuff since it's light. The MS362 is the go-to saw for bigger, heavier stuff.

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt337/baileyguns/8b4b980f.jpg

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt337/baileyguns/ae8a6927.jpg

[Sharpienads]

Wow, looks like you've gotten pretty good and handling wood. Years of practice?

[Mtn.man]

I'm a pellet SNOB.

[Bailey Guns]

You probably don't even wave to those of us that rock a wood stove.

[Bailey Guns]

Wow, looks like you've gotten pretty good and handling wood. Years of practice?

When I can think of something witty and clever to say to that Ima let you know.

[hollohas]

I don't know shit about saws but this thread is funny so far...

[Sharpienads]

When I can think of something witty and clever to say to that Ima let you know.

Ok. I'll be here. [Abused]

[hghclsswhitetrsh]

Wow, looks like you've gotten pretty good and handling wood. Years of practice?

Practice due not driving to IKEA, etc... [Beer][ROFL1]

Jk Bailey.

[Sharpienads]

Practice due not driving to IKEA, etc... [Beer][ROFL1]

Jk Bailey.

He's gotta do something while the wife is gone.

[Bailey Guns]

The wife just came home and saw my wood. She's fallen in love with me all over again.

[Weight]

[Great-Kazoo]

I run a 18" farm boss. The stihl and husky's are very nice cutters. if you ever run across a Jonsred for a good deal grab it. You will not be disappointed.

[Bailey Guns]

The FarmBoss is the updated version of the 029 I have. I think it's called the 290 now. Really a neat little saw.

[Great-Kazoo]

The FarmBoss is the updated version of the 029 I have. I think it's called the 290 now. Really a neat little saw.
Yep, love the split case anti vibration set up. I did 3 cords one day w/out missing a beat. Good thing there were kids loading & stacking. Nothing like swinging a saw and having someone else do the hard work.

[Bailey Guns]

Yep, love the split case anti vibration set up. I did 3 cords one day w/out missing a beat. Good thing there were kids loading & stacking. Nothing like swinging a saw and having someone else do the hard work.

No shit. I do all the cutting, blocking and splitting. The wife does help with the stacking and carrying it in the house in the winter. But she does a lot of other stuff around the house so most of the heavy stuff is my job.

The 362 is an entry-level pro saw with the anti-vibe case. That's nice...but it's a heavy saw. So, it's kind of a trade off.

[twitchyfinger]

The wife just came home and saw my wood. She's fallen in love with me all over again.

[Weight]

+10 SCORE!!!

Sthil vs. Husky = AR vs. AK = Ford vs. Chevy

Both have their good point and bad points. I had an 029 Farm boss awhile back and it gave me fits with it's anemic oilier for the bar but that is common on many smaller saws these days. The Husky 372xp w/24" bar is my choice but it is also a tank and takes a Paul Bunyan type to run all day!

"He who cuts is own wood warms himself twice"

[Mtn.man]

I'll wave at ya if you get one of these:



FvAI7-Qa2Io

[Bailey Guns]

Nice...but probably a bitch to carry up the side of a mountain into the woods.

[BushMasterBoy]

I just cut up pallets with Skil saw...easier than going out to the National Forest. Forests probably wouldn't burn so much if you didn't have to get permits to cut dead trees from the Forest Service and pay for the permits too. Sometimes I get trees free from Craigs...screw the .gov anymore.

[Ah Pook]

Got tired of my Craftsman "door stop" and pulled the trigger on a Stihl, this year. It's a 20" 290 Farm Boss.

I usually put up about three cords of split wood and have a pile of cut logs in case it's a real cold winter.

Spent a day last week cutting up some old cottonwood logs (not mine). My guess is about 3 1/2-4 cords worth and all were 18"-30" across. That saw got HOT but didn't stop. Done some mitigation in the neighborhood too. It's been a busy saw.

It's not near as pretty as the pic anymore. [Coffee]

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL686/2648371/24086254/402052382.jpg

[Bailey Guns]

^^Nice! I have a lot of cottonwood I need to cut/split, too. It's a PITA but it was free and it burns as good as pine.

I have several large aspens (standing dead) that I need to get to soon.

[ray1970]

On a related note, I borrowed an old reciprocating saw from a buddy once. It was a wicked beast. Had a nasty looking blade and weighed about 40 pounds. Not sure what kind of two stroke was powering it but it sounded like a dirt bike.

It looked similar to this one.

http://www.mytreelessons.com/photogallery/olde%20saw%20reciprocating%20Nico%20Henkens.jpg

[Ah Pook]

^^Nice! I have a lot of cottonwood I need to cut/split, too. It's a PITA but it was free and it burns as good as pine.

I have several large aspens (standing dead) that I need to get to soon.
If it's old cottonwood, bring the sharpening files. I had to hit the chain twice.


On a related note, I borrowed an old reciprocating saw from a buddy once. It was a wicked beast. Had a nasty looking blade and weighed about 40 pounds. Not sure what kind of two stroke was powering it but it sounded like a dirt bike.

It looked similar to this one.

http://www.mytreelessons.com/photogallery/olde%20saw%20reciprocating%20Nico%20Henkens.jpg
That just looks like it would be a handful. Fun but a handful.

[Bailey Guns]

Dang, ray... That saw is awesome! Looks like it belongs in a low-budget horror movie. Looks like some pretty cool machinery in the background, too.

[Sharpienads]

On a related note, I borrowed an old reciprocating saw from a buddy once. It was a wicked beast. Had a nasty looking blade and weighed about 40 pounds. Not sure what kind of two stroke was powering it but it sounded like a dirt bike.

It looked similar to this one.

http://www.mytreelessons.com/photogallery/olde%20saw%20reciprocating%20Nico%20Henkens.jpg

Geez, that thing looks like a beast!

[ferrum]

Ah hell, you just reminded me to go pull a permit. Nothing like cutting and splitting wood to keep in shape.
I use a Husky. Would like to upgrade to a 24" bar at some point.

[DSB OUTDOORS]

On a related note, I borrowed an old reciprocating saw from a buddy once. It was a wicked beast. Had a nasty looking blade and weighed about 40 pounds. Not sure what kind of two stroke was powering it but it sounded like a dirt bike.

It looked similar to this one.

http://www.mytreelessons.com/photogallery/olde%20saw%20reciprocating%20Nico%20Henkens.jpg
Great Zombie tool there!! I still like my Stihl though!! [Coffee]

[gnihcraes]

MALL chainsaw all the way. Gear driven bar, rotates 360 degrees with the flip of a lever. I'm not sure how much it weighs, but a lot! Sittin here in the garage if you want to play.

http://www.vintagechainsaw.org/wp-content/uploads/mall%2048(1).png

[DSB OUTDOORS]

MALL chainsaw all the way. Gear driven bar, rotates 360 degrees with the flip of a lever. I'm not sure how much it weighs, but a lot! Sittin here in the garage if you want to play.

http://www.vintagechainsaw.org/wp-content/uploads/mall%2048(1).png
Damn!! That looks like an antique boat motor from the side view!! No prop of course! [Tooth]

[divideman]

Been cutting for 20yrs, nothing better than a Stihl. Magnum 880 will give you a run for your money!

[Irving]

Just moved out of our apartment with fire place, to a house where the fire place was converted to gas. Kind of sad, but when I get my own house, I'd run a stove. I still had some firewood, and the new neighbor gave me a few more logs yesterday. I think we're just going to buy a Chiminea or a firepit for the back yard.

[mcsurveyer1361]

[ROFL1]
Wow, looks like you've gotten pretty good and handling wood. Years of practice?[ROFL2]
sorry but this just makes me laugh [Coffee]

[sniper7]

I only saw logs at night.

[GilpinGuy]

Yeah man, Stihl is the way to go. I've been cutting wood since I can remember as a kid. I do split all of our wood by hand - it's my version of a workout. My buds think I'm crazy but I actually do enjoy it. Maybe because the pine is so freaking easy to split compared to the maple, oak, etc., that we had to split back east. I laugh at pine. [ROFL2]

[Bailey Guns]

I split it by hand, too. I use my hands to put the log on the splitter and then use my hands again to push the lever forward. Sometimes I have to use my hands to remove a split piece off the splitter.

Hard work...

[hatidua]

Any of you guys cut a lot of wood have a preference? The little 029 I use for the smaller stuff since it's light. The MS362 is the go-to saw for bigger, heavier stuff.

MS260 with 16" bar as I can run it longer than I can a larger saw without getting fatigued.

[Larry Ashcraft]

I use an ancient Homelite 330 I bought at a pawn shop over 20 years ago, and a Echo for a backup saw. I'd like to have a Stihl, but I have to wear these out first! I also use an old Sears splitter that I bought at an auction. I've replaced the engine twice, last time with a Honda.

We use about three cords a year in our Vermont Castings catalytic stove in our old farmhouse. I'd use twice that much if someone was around during the day.

We have 35 acres of river bottom, and the drought of 2002-03 killed so many cottonwoods, I doubt if I ever have to look for firewood again. I do use some elm, ash and fruitwood in the coldest part of the winter.

[encorehunter]

I have both Sthils and Huskies. Both are great saws. I've been cutting wood since the mid 80s to heat the house. I normally put away three chords for the winter, and burn about two. Last year my girlfriend moved in with me and she burned the three chords, and then two more, and then another, and then ran up the gas bill. I think this year I may put up around 10 chords.

[MED]

This is a bad reminder that I need to get busy [Bang]

I haven't started yet[Bang][Bang]

Shit[Bang][Bang][Bang]

[BooHoo]

[jerrymrc]

I'm a pellet SNOB.

Me too. My gas/electric bill stays the same during the winter. We go through a pallet per year. Speaking of.....

[TRnCO]

I like hard wood......run with it as you may,.......and the Stihl Farmhand gets it done for me. I'm lucky enough to get all my wood from the family farm in KS. I prefer Ash, but also bring some hackberry, osage, oak, and an occasional elm which I hate because I too split everything by hand.
Some of you guys really go through the wood. I only burn if I think the furnace might kick on through the night, so I usually don't burn much more than 1 cord.
Love the earth stove too. My wife also loves the heat source.

Someone mentioned that wood actually heats ya up twice. I think it's more like about 4 times. Cut it, load it, unload it, split it, burn it. that's actually 5 times.

[spencerhenry]

i process about 150 FULL cords a year, it is business.
i fell a few thousand trees a year, some get turned into firewood, some go into the burn pile, and some get sold as logs.
i run ONLY stihl saws, 026pro, 036 pro, ms361,044, and 066. 1 16" bar, 3- 20" bars, 2-25" bars, 1-32" bar, 1-36" bar, and 1 42" bar.

with my machines, i literally never touch the wood unless i am asked to stack it.

[Irving]

I have both Sthils and Huskies. Both are great saws. I've been cutting wood since the mid 80s to heat the house. I normally put away three chords for the winter, and burn about two. Last year my girlfriend moved in with me and she burned the three chords, and then two more, and then another, and then ran up the gas bill. I think this year I may put up around 10 chords.

Are you dating an Iguana?

[Larry Ashcraft]

I like hard wood
Me too, but you use what you have.


chords
The thread is about firewood, not music.[Tooth]

[scratchy]

I heat with wood 60%, I'm also lazy. I get oak delivered :)

[Ah Pook]

I have both Sthils and Huskies. Both are great saws. I've been cutting wood since the mid 80s to heat the house. I normally put away three chords for the winter, and burn about two. Last year my girlfriend moved in with me and she burned the three chords, and then two more, and then another, and then ran up the gas bill. I think this year I may put up around 10 chords.
How about just buying her a sweater? [Dunno]

[Bailey Guns]

Son of a...why didn't any of you guys mention how easy this could be.

So I've always had a problem of bucking up the logs I bring to the house. I don't really have a good way of holding them in place, on the ground, while I cut them to length.

It's too hard on my back to constantly bend over so I wind up doing most of the cutting from my knees...which really sucks.

Today I came up with the idea of clamping them in the log splitter between the wedge and the backplate. Works like a champ and I can cut it while standing upright. As a matter of fact, it goes so quickly that I wind up doing way more work than I should, the wife sees how "easy" it is, now she wants to know why I can't do more.

Somebody on here has to have done this before and was just keeping it a secret. Or, I'm just a dumbass. Either theory is plausible.

[Larry Ashcraft]

You need a sawbuck (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&Ntt=sawbuck). There's also a bunch of wood handling equipment here (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_logging+logging-accessories+logging-hand-tools). A cant hook, pickaroon and a timberjack come in really handy too.

Also, there's tons of logging information available on ArboristSite http://www.arboristsite.com/ (http://www.arboristsite.com/)

On a related note, I have a new to me saw coming in on Tuesday. A used Stihl 440 Magnum. A 70cc saw should be a lot of fun. :D

[Bailey Guns]

Yeah...a sawbuck. That's the word I was looking for but couldn't think of it.

With the splitter, I put the end of a log perpendicular to the splitter bed and clamp it with the wedge and backplate. It holds logs bigger than I can easily lift really solid. Then I just cut to length. The pieces that need to be split are right next to the splitter. It actually works great.

And I do have one of those combo timberjack/canthook tools. It comes in handy for lifting cut trees off the ground high enough to cut to a manageable length so I can move them or load them into the truck.

A 440 Magnum? Nice! I can't imagine using a 440 all day long. Way more saw than what this rookie needs.

[spittoon]

stihl saws[ROFL2][ROFL2] my husky is better than your stihl 6 cords a year. the husky 257 and the 359 saw's rule the wood pile.

[Bailey Guns]

Husky's don't rule my wood!

[birddog]

I'll take a Stihl all week long.

I used some of my smaller logs to build a stand for the same purpose. I split by hand so your option won't work for me but maybe in the future.

[spittoon]

As long as you are happy but with stihl saws i would start cuttin[ROFL1] now

[Ah Pook]

Broke down and picked up a cant hook and pickaroon this summer. The cant hook came with a timber jack but I haven't used the jack at all. The pickaroon is now a staple at the wood pile.

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24135371/403567092.jpg

[spittoon]

Broke down and picked up a cant hook and pickaroon this summer. The cant hook came with a timber jack but I haven't used the jack at all. The pickaroon is now a staple at the wood pile.

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24135371/403567092.jpg
nice but a gas power wood splitter works better for me

[Bailey Guns]

As long as you are happy but with stihl saws i would start cuttin[ROFL1] now

My 029 Super was obviously well used and I found it in the barn when we bought this house in 02. It's still (Stihl?) working today so I'm not worried about it's longevity.

Cool stuff, Pook!

[Larry Ashcraft]

With the splitter, I put the end of a log perpendicular to the splitter bed and clamp it with the wedge and backplate. It holds logs bigger than I can easily lift really solid. Then I just cut to length. The pieces that need to be split are right next to the splitter. It actually works great.
OK, I figured out what you're doing. Nice! I'll remember that trick!


stihl saws[ROFL2][ROFL2] my husky is better than your stihl 6 cords a year. the husky 257 and the 359 saw's rule the wood pile.

Ford vs. Chevy, AK vs. AR15, Stihl vs. Husky.

Yawn. Junior high was a long time ago...

[Ah Pook]

nice but a gas power wood splitter works better for me
The pickaroon is for moving and picking up logs to put into the gas powered wood splitter. [Coffee]