I was having a nice day; nearing noon when I came out of the woods and "Pop". I turned back, saw the left rear tire was a little squishy, released the twitch thinking maybe more weight was on one side, but nope...still squishy. Then NOT SQUISHY AT ALL! It lost a lot of air in a hurry! Some days you win, and some days you lose!
Here is the wood I was pulling out. These were the tops from those big Sugar Maple Logs I cut last week, and since I did not have to fell the trees, wood was really flowing out of the woods. The leaves had fell off them on their decent, so it was just back up, limb, hook up and go! I also used my bulldozer to swamp out a logging road so the skidder was flying back and forth because I could go in high gear. The wood is useless for firewood I know, but they make for great pulpwood, and was really adding up. There is 18 cord here and pulled out in 2 days time. That is pretty good for this old sick, retired ole duffer. (I normally do 4 cord per day and am done)
I don't understand? Useless for commercial sale or what? It's sugar maple tops, for which I would trade most everything I normally cut. Is the value of this as pulp higher than firewood?
They are too big for firewood. Firewood pays $20 more per cord (tree length) then pulpwood because size, species, and quality is much more stringent.
Well I guess you have a whole bunch of good firewood then if it's not saleable. But I would think it could be marketed somehow, maybe as a u-cut here deal so the guy cuts and hauls his own, seen a few of those pop up in Delaware recently.
Those would have to be HUGE to be useless as firewood, but I'm not a firewood processor or seller. It's all about perspective.
Shame it is in Maine and not near me. If you dumped 20 cords of that in my yard you would be very appreciated.
yeah 48 inch log is lots of splits.... cut then to 16 and then noodle then in quarters and split away!
Maybe, but few people want to hassle with that just to get firewood. They want clean wood (no mud), trees 12-16 inches in diameter on the butt end, tops 4 inches, maple, yellow birch, beech, a little ash but not a lot, no white birch, basswood, or popil. I have had a few outdoor wood boiler guys that said, "something meaty would be alright", but only 1 or 2. I had one guy ask for Sugar Maple only, 8" to 10" in diameter only, 10 cords. I told him he could not afford it. I can see why he would want that, but getting it is another matter all together!
I got about 15 cord worth 5 years ago because it was to big for processor.. so all of it was 24 inches or bigger. yup had mud, took a lot of sweat.. lost a chain or too hitting old taps but I was warm!
That looks like easy work compared to what I been working lately LOL. Half straight & cleaner that what I'm skidding. Bummer on the tire.