I am sold! After years of hearing you guys talk about palletizing wood and filling totes, I am realizing just how handy it is! Someone gave me a couple of plastic totes. I don’t know what they were used for, maybe seed or plastic pellets. Anyway, we tossed one fill of splits and set it on the deck with the bobcat so we wouldn’t have to go quite as far with the cart, and it is awesome. It might take a few minutes to toss it full, but rolling the cart out the door, filling it on the deck, and rolling it back in is soooo much easier. I don’t think it would work for long term storage, because I could see whole colonies of mice living in them, but one or two are great. How do you deal with keeping splits on pallets?
I would make 3 sides to go on the pallet you have, then stack splits on it. If needed, could put a roof on it to keep it dry too.
When you say "plastic tote" are you talking about a tote or a pallet? You mention "fill" so it seems you are talking about a tote. The totes I am familiar with and that firewood hoarders use are commonly called "IBC totes." They have a metal frame, aluminum or other lightweight metal, and a plastic bladder vessel inside. For firewood, the bladder/vessel is lifted out. You can cut that bladder in half to make a roof/cover. Or, maybe you are talking about a heavy duty commercial plastic tote thingy on wheels. Those are awesome but not for long-term storage, as they don't have 'ventilation' because the sides are solid.
I'm wondering if the OP is talking about the plastic feed/seed boxes. I've never seen one around here but those would be neat to have for firewood.
As T.Jeff Veal said, just add three sides with some stabilizing pieces. I use tarps to top cover. I built several pallet bins a number of years ago and they're still being used (although I have since added a large ratchet strap around the middle for added stability).
That's the "Dinner bell" for the Termites around here! I had wood pallets for my wood for about 20 years. Termites ate the damm things within a year, I was fortunate to have a friend worked for a major Soda company and anytime a plastic pallet was damaged, cracked or had a small manufacturing rejection, he would get them for me. If it isn't plastic, block or metal down, those little BasT@rds will eat it.
Crib the ends, then stack in the middle. Here's what I use the tote for my "uglies", just cut out a small area to reach in. Some put doors on them and even keep the plastic, just drill holes in them.
This is my, "Storage" area for fresh cut splits. They live here for 2 years. If stacked correctly I get about 8+ cord on there. There is another row of pallets go in. they were taken up to get a piece of machinery in the yard. When that was wood pallets, about every 2 years I had to take them up after moving them to the burn shed and put new pallets down. We tried weed barrier down, Thompsons water seal, moth flakes and Borax. Those little BasT@rds figured out a way to eat the pallets. So far, there isn't a Termite that I know that can eat plastic! ... My wood shed has the last of my wood that's over 5 years old. Hopefully we'll burn it up this winter.
WeldrDave do you stack all your wood crisscross like that last pic? I am sure it seasons faster. Just takes up more space. I wish I could find black plastic pallets. I think I have one plastic and it is blue and I have an aversion to blue pallets. Just don't look 'earthy' lol.
Yes, My wife does the stacking, My sH!t falls down when I stack! I'll do all the cutting, splitting and moving, "SHE" does the stacking! It's kinda a beautiful relationship! "I wish I could find black plastic pallets"....... I was very lucky to find someone who worked in the beverage business. We became friends at my gun club and I did some favors for him, he came by and saw the issues with wood pallets and over a few Beers, along came some "Broken, cracked, deformed" Pallets!
After the wife and I having a discussion in the yard about "Stacking the new/fresh wood again" I now think it's safe to say out stacking days are done! I'm gonna get a Dozen IBC totes from this guy and set them on the pallets I have. It'll allow air to get under and around them and the only stacking we'll do is when we move it to the wood shed after it's seasoned! I was never able to obtain these IBC totes easily so I'm JUMPING at the chance to get what I can fit in my yard. I can't go wrong for $50.00 a piece. I've already texted the guy and told him I can fit 8 of them on my Kubota trailer. I'm gonna head up next Saturday.
Went to IBC tote Heaven today! Scored some Goodies!! 4 "Benjamin's" Not a bad haul and all of them were produced/made Aug, 2025 so they're all relatively new! The last two I got from him were made the same time..
X2, I've had 6 of the 330-gallon in the back of my 8' F250. Great grab Dave and I know you will put them to good use.
I wish he had the bigger ones, but I had to settle for these, 275 gallon, (which I'm happy to get). I live about 95 miles from Phila, many of the folks selling these are close to there and most go for $100.00+. These were $50.00, and new. They had coffee blend syrup in them so need to be washed out.
