We had our wood lot harvested late last fall. After viewing all the tops on the ground after the logging was complete, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Unfortunately the reality was somewhat different. I've been dinking around with cutting up tops all winter. I'll cut maybe 3-5 pieces out of each top, and then move around and repeat. A lot of the tops are still buried under snow, and sometimes buried in unseen clumps of dirt. Dulled up my chain pretty fast this morning. It took me a couple hours of monkeying around hunting and pecking for tops to get a load this morning. This afternoon, I gave up and cut a 10" ash that had been scarred up by the feller buncher. I was able to get 2 loads CSS in 2 hours - a much more productive use of my time! The big warm up is due here in Wisconsin in a couple days, so I'm trying to get as much wood in as I can while hauling on the frozen ground. Sorry - no pictures!
I am in the exact same position. Its much more productive to work up rounds than the tops. What a mess!
I agree also. I've been cutting on my neighbors ground that was logged last year. I can get way more out of the log yard from the cut off pile than I can the piles of tops. But, it's free and only 75 yards from the house. I don't think we'll be able to C/S/S and burn all the wood that is laying here. One thing that helped me, I did buy a new saw just for cutting these tops. The weight savings of the small pro saw helped me be able to keep moving in the piles of tops without wearing myself out. 3 pounds makes a huge difference
I'm not up to a 3 year supply yet. I'm probably at a year and a half at the moment. Planning to gain ground this year and get up to at least 2 years. Storage space is not the problem, just time to make it all happen. I'm able to cut most everything off my own property, which is a huge advantage.
This is my favorite way to deal with tops. I separate the branches at crotch points and then cut them 80" lengths - that's the length of my wood trailer, and it yields five 16" rounds. Then I bring them back to my wood processing area and cut them in bunches on my sawbuck.
Same here Wisconsin Woody. I've been hauling rounds out all winter. The tops I harvest too, and I leave them longer and cut those up at home as much as possible. Hauling "sticks" is easier than cutting it all up to length in the woods. I don't think I'll get up north snowmobiling this weekend, so Saturday at least will be more cutting and hauling. I'll easily be 2 years ahead by spring, if not ahead by more than that. Are you using a full chisel, or semi?
That's pretty light! I use a combo of a 192 and 261 for small stuff. I actually converted the 261 over to 3/8 pitch as I already have tons of it around.
\ I really like my 192 rear handle too. So light, it is like an extension of your arm. I can use it all day and not be tired at all. My normal lineup is now the 192, 028 WB and the MS660. The best thing we ever did was to take the time and put a driveway through the center of all our woods. The bigger ones have loops. We grubbed out by hand and marked them so basically none of the good stuff was taken out. I decided dragging wood/skidding isn't my cup of tea. Too much dirt and damage. We cut where it lays on wet days, we walk in pulling a cart with saws and supplies or drive in if it froze or dry enough. I don't do snow anymore either as the ice will kill your chains and too easy to slip around. wet gloves around for me either. I guess I'm getting spoiled but if it's on your own land, you are time ahead by waiting till it's fit. Why make it tougher on yourself? I try to manage the inside work, repairs, upgrades, build projects and such for those days. Make hay when the sun shines I guess is what I'm referring to. I did quite a bit of cutting this last Summer because I was cleaning up all the dead ash here at home. Worked in the mornings while it was cool and it went really well. Did other stuff in the heat of the day. I do know what you mean. I remember one Winter is was wet forever, then it snowed and hung around for a month. We had oevr 50 cord ready to be picked up and split and couldn't get it out. Before After Just make the best usage of your time for the conditions given. You'll get there eventually.
We got more snow at home than they did up in the north woods, so, I'll make "hay" today now that I had breakfast.
My biggest want was a light weight. After considering all the small saws and trying a used 250 (not impressed, dripped oil worse than a Harley) I decided the 241, having the best power to weight ratio in the lighter frame, was the way to go. And I wanted a saw that would last. I wanted to stay under 10 pounds for sure. The 241 had the best P/w ratio under ten pounds. Better than any of the home owner and farm/ranch saws.
If you have your wood lot logged again, ask the offer to leave you a pile of logs in a convenient spot as part of the deal. I am not sure how much you had logged, so this may not be possible. They can set you up in no time if the job is reasonably sized.
I cut tops. Usually I'll cut the trunk into skiddable pieces, and cut the stuff off the branches to about 3". If the branches are large enough I'll skid them also, if they aren't worth the 10 minute drive to the landing, I'll buck them and stack them. I go back later with pickup or side by side and haul them out. I am spoiled by the multitude of trails in my woods though. They allow me to skid 80% of stuff. The other 20% usually are left as fertilizer. If you are only getting 4-5 rounds from a top, either the loggers took the good branches to sell as firewood, or you are being too picky. I try to get everything from the stump down to 3". 4" and under rounds don't get split.
