Keep in mind that every time you throw a round or split on the ground, you have to pick it up again. That ends up being thousands of pounds you have to pick up. My wood starts as rounds in the truck. It goes truck--> chopping block (with tire)--> wheelbarrow--> stack. Unless I need the truck right away, the wood ain't hitting the ground.
You’re running a little more efficient than I am. Mine goes from either rounds or short logs in my truck, to processing in my backyard, stacked about 25 yards away from the house for X amount of time, then restacked under my deck, then brought inside 2 stove loads at a time (stacked again in my small rack by the hearth)
I'm very inefficient. Woods into ATV trailer (either rounds or halves/quarters depending on size of tree), ATV trailer into "to be split pile", "to be split pile" to Splitter, Splitter back into ATV trailer as I split, ATV trailer to stack..................many years later.............stack to cart, cart to wood rack, wood rack to furnace.
One word here folks. Hydraulics, 12' log bucked to length off the tractor forks, rolled onto the log lift, split and deposited into the loader bucket for stacking or dump trailer for delivery. Yes I really am that lazy, and yes I really do own that many tractors.
JRHAWK9 You missed a couple of steps. After many years it is stack to cart, cart to wood shed, wait 3 more years, wood to wheel barrow, wheel barrow to garage and put in wood box, then it gets taken upstairs to wood box by stove, then it goes into the stove.
I don't remember who posted it but they counted how many times they handled a split from start to finish and I think it was 19 times. Keep in mind my memory ain't to good.
OK, so at least I'm a bit more efficient than somebody. Which is the exact reason why I split the way I do....and the exact reason why I don't like the push through splitters. When I split, I have my ATV trailer off to the left side of me. I take it from the splitter and throw it into the trailer. When the trailers full I go stack it. When I first started splitting I split till I was done and then was left with a huge pile of splits to stack. My back was killing me after having to bend over to pick them up to put them back into the trailer. I did that once and then switched to this method:
I'm falling tree's, bucking them, loading into truck/trailer, unloading them to a staging area. Then splitting and throwing into trailer to get stacked. Then stacking into trailer to throw into well area of my basement and carrying about 20 yards to stacks that get burned. I really don't see a way to become more efficient in my case.
I agree. A push through splitter is a commitment to expand logically. Such as a conveyor. Never understood the idea of splitting wood into a pile on the ground unless you have a tractor to scoop it up later. With that comes mud. In the past I’ve always split right against the back of my Mason dump. And one of these or my dump trailer. No need to load a trailer with rounds. working on a box wedge and non mechanized conveyor. I plan on eliminatinG stacking entirely while still having everything on pallets and raised in the air.
That's what I do. I always try and minimize touches. Well said. Although I typically stack my rounds so that I do free up the truck right away....mostly for a second load typically.
Yes! I see people making big piles on the ground and think "that's about 1500lbs you have to pick up again." Once wood goes in my truck, most of it will never touch the ground again.
I try to minimize handling, but I also try to use this as a work out. I hand split as much as I can and carry the splits 20 feet or so some days just to burn some calories. Then I start running out of time and use equipment to expedite the process.
I counted awhile back and it was seven times before it gets burned.. I have managed 4. When the yard is dry enough and I don't need the trailer right away. Then I can pull up to where the stack will be and split right from the trailer and stack right off the splitter. That's only happened twice
