In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

White Oak Today

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by RCBS, Sep 3, 2017.

  1. RCBS

    RCBS

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    The cooler temps have me in hoarding mode. I've had my eye on this one for a couple weeks. Hate to see it come down, but will enjoy the warmth.

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    Decided to skid from the side, rather than straight up the hill by the butt. This let me get a bunch of the bigger branches before dealing with the logs.

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    IMAG1043.jpg

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    Now for the bigger ones, but first...let me just nip that limb off there...

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    Whoops. This is why the top handle rides shotgun. Just had to let the slightest bit of pressure off.

    Now, back to the logs. My little path had been working out pretty good. This log came out without issue.

    IMAG1048.jpg

    Ever think you might have bit off more than your tractor can chew?

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    After some finagling and some swearing and repositioning - success!

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    I drug most all the wood to my nearby fallow food plot. Still some nice rounds in those tops, but I'll get those with the buggy later. Big log was pretty much limit for my little 30 horse. She has the guts, just not enough weight. Was having to brake steer a bit on the hill to the food plot. Measured just shy of 18'. 19" on big end tapering to about 15" on small end. Now it will sit there in a pile taunting me until I get a chance to process it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2017
  2. BigPapi

    BigPapi

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    Good work! Like the play by play photography, too. Looking forward to the stacked pics. :)
     
  3. GrJfer

    GrJfer

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    That will make a nice load of BTU's.
     
  4. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    Excellent work RCBS :thumbs::yes:

    That tractor makes all the difference :salute:
     
  5. The Wood Wolverine

    The Wood Wolverine

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    Great haul and the weather is about perfect for it!
     
  6. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    That is some great firewood! Good job of getting them out. Have you considered building a dray for hauling them out, which would keep the dirt off and you can pull a whole lot more than just skidding. I have a small one I built for the atv but now am thinking I need to build a bigger one for pulling behind the tractor.
     
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  7. RCBS

    RCBS

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    I will do a little extra work for white oak BTUs. I have been back n forth on a log arch or some sort of dray. Most often, I do not encounter logs that my tractor will not handily drag for me. The key to skidding is to get the leading edge up off the ground. My attachment point on tractor isn't always high enough to accomplish that. Have looked at various 3 point attachments for skidding, but I use my blade so much when moving wood around or shoving brush, repairing water bars, etc. I would love to have a skidding winch, but cannot justify the cost currently. Honestly, my little setup has been working for years. It could likely be improved, but it works for now. Worst case on this tree would be having to cut the big log in half and making two skid trips for it.

    I did not haul these all the way down to either of the normal processing areas. I figure I would be dragging over 20 or so waterbars on the trip down, and the big log would knock the crap out of them. An arch would likely negate this, but then I wouldn't have my trusty blade. So I compromised and dropped them at a location nearby to where they fell that is flat and has some room to work. I will tow the splitter in to the wood and haul out splits, rather than loading & unloading bucked rounds, or spending a lot of time & effort skidding whole logs out. Will have to handle the splits one extra time compared to processing at landing using this method though. Rather handle splits than big rounds more than once.
     
  8. RCBS

    RCBS

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    I did go back yesterday and picked up a small load of rounds from the leftover top. The rest will be ant food and fertiliser.
    IMAG1060.jpg
     
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  9. Moparguy

    Moparguy

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    Nice work. I'm torn too between losing such a good tree like that and appreciating what comes out of it. I kind of would rather have the big ones hang around a little longer.

    It looks like you've got quite a bit of hickory on your place. If it's anything like mine, they never die or fall over, so I'm constantly playing the waiting game on those.
     
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  10. RCBS

    RCBS

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    I'd feel worse about it if they were actually producing acorns. I have yet to see a single acorn in my woods. Site is dominated by red and white Oaks. Hickory nuts on the ground, but nary an acorn. I love burning hickory, but hate processing it. Bar pinching and stringy as crap. It sure does make the stove nice and hot though.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2017
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  11. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    A log arch can work great for sure but the advantage of a dray is that you can keep the logs totally out of the dirt rather than dragging part of the log in the dirt. In addition, you can build the dray to the size that is right for you. For example, we have one that fits the atv nicely but with the tractor, it is like a toy back there so we need to build a bigger dray and we probably will.
     
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  12. RCBS

    RCBS

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    Yep, I am sometimes sawing a little dirt for sure. Problem with dray for me is ground contact, specifically water bars again. Possibly would mitigate damage a little being on 2-3 skids? What I have done in the past is to put the logs I gather into a staging area over a few weekends, then drag them down all in one day. Then I only need to make repairs to trail drainage once. More often than not nowdays, I take the buggy and splitter to the big & far away stuff. I try to keep time spent on trails maintenance to a minimum. Preservation of drainage helps to keep me driving on the trails rather than doing upkeep.
     
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  13. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Not sure why that would be a problem? If moving the dray with a tractor then it is best to build a dray using logs. If possible, take a small slab off the bottom of the runners and just be sure to slant the front of the runners good and it should do well. We used this method when logging many years ago and never had it fail on us. The drays lasted a long time too before they wore out. Of course if the dray is large then be sure to use a chain binder to bind the load on good.
     
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  14. RCBS

    RCBS

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    What would be really good for me would be a dray with tires on it! ha! With a sloped front, damage would likely be reduced significantly. I have always wondered something about using drays though...how do you get the bigger logs up onto the dray? Cant hook and roll them? I suppose you could butt or chock the dray and then pull logs onto it with tractor?
     
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  15. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Usually a cant hook. You can also make a couple of ramps; usually a 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 will work. Put screws into it so that the ends stick out a bit for bite into the log then just roll. We used to use the old teeth from the big saw and drive them into the 2 bys and this worked great. You need something like this for when it is wet or a bit of snow.

    Of course another easier method of loading a dray consists of using the FEL.

    Skid logs 2015a.JPG Hauling logs.JPG
     
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  16. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    Some really nice pics and BTUs there.:yes:
     
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  17. RCBS

    RCBS

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    Thanks for the pic Backwoods. FEL is a tool for tractor that I do not have. I have a little JD with a FEL and then the big dinosaur JD backhoe, for those reasons, I did not forgo the expenditure on the Kubota thinking...why do I need three loaders? And yet, sometimes, it would be great to have three loaders. :hair:

    Thanks! I forget a lot of time to take some pics when working. I keep a personal woodland journal and like pics to go along with my ramblings. I like sharing them (and seeing others') here on FHC.
     
  18. Boomstick

    Boomstick Banned

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    I've heard they have to be 50+- years old to produce acorns ? Who knows?

    Maybe a ball or receiver can be mounted on the blade frame, and an arch can be used in conjunction? Or use the "buggy" and an arch.
    Log rites arch is nice but limited to smaller logs 26" and only 2000lbs if I remember?
     
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  19. RCBS

    RCBS

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    Plenty of mature oaks around. I do understand that the reds only produce every two years, I think, but I have been scanning the tops of the reds & whites both and am not seeing acorns. Maybe just my eyes getting weak? I hope that is the case, otherwise there will be lots of hungry critters in my woods this winter.

    I have considered modifying the blade with some sort of elevated attachment point for chains above the top pivot adjustment handle. I am no welder or fabber, but I do know a couple that may be able to help out with that. 10 years ago or so, there was a company advertising a "log arch" for 3pt. It was an arch that hooked to 3pt and the logs would be carried under the arch (below top link and between low links). Kindof hard to describe, but seemed like a good idea to me. Essentially the "U" part of a post hole digger, but purpose built for skidding and made of 3" box steel. I have not been able to find them as of late on the interwebs. Looked to be a small mom n pop company...should have bought one. Pretty sure they only wanted $159 for it at the time?
     
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  20. RCBS

    RCBS

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    Took most of the remaining small rounds today and started to buck up the logs. Short on time and fuel, Will have to finish up another day. Lots of nice clear wood. Should make some nice splits.
    IMAG1080.jpg

    Also, merely by chance I went to visit a buddy last night and he was trying to make a skidding attachment from a post digger arch he had with no gearbox or auger. He liked my idea of cutting the boom off short to provide better leverage and keep the weight closer to the rear tires.
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    He was excited and anxious to try it out last night at 1130, but waited until this morning. He sent me this pic.
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    We gotta sort out his chains and attachment points, but I think this will be a great way to skid.
     
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