My name is Louis and this is my first season heating my house with a wood stove. I live in the Poudre Canyon in Bellvue, CO. I work as a real estate investor and buy and fix up abandoned/foreclosed properties with my father-in-law. Currently I am using a stock ms 180c with a 16" bar and also a ms271 farm boss with a 20" bar. For splitting I use a 25ton Cub Cadet splitter (still breaking in) I am looking for a saw to run a large bar, 28"-32" to get through the larger rounds I have access to. I am in between a ms 661 and a ms 461. I will use a 28" mostly with this saw. Any advice? All of the wood I collect is from a Tree Service Co. About 65mi away, but only a mile away from my current jobsite. They have mostly maples, locust and a lot of cottonwood, almost all in the yard is 3' or over. I have a lot of fire burn ponderosa and lodge pole pine trees surrounding my property, but seeing as they are on 40-60+% grade I do not feel comfortable cutting them yet. I am using a Quadrafire Millennium Stove that I installed this summer. I had some problems installing but am getting good draft currently. For firewood transportation I use my work truck, a 2006 Chevy k1500 single cab, long bed with a cap, extra leaf in the rear. Only a 6cyl and a 5-speed but for the distances I drive daily for work a diesel or full size truck wouldn't be economical. I also have a Yamaha Rhino to pull the splitter and a small poly dump cart. It is set up for trail riding and rock crawling but since I purchased it have yet to go once...I am trying to trade up for a ~25hp small tractor.
Welcome to FHC Colosplit ... Looks like you'll fit in just fine here. Good looking stove setup and looks like the pup is enjoying it too....looks like he has a front row seat.. As far as your saw decision, a MS461 should do a 28" bar just fine.
Welcome You have wood & a stove , dog says you have good heat You're on the right track Cottonwood ain't the best, actually on the lowest side of BTU ratings, but you burn what your got . What you have looks to be pretty dry too. Maple & lodgepole are good wood type in your area (Ponderosa too) (dead standing lodgepole is pretty dry stuff, lots of folks in your area target it for their wood) I have a midsize PU, got a used 7000 lb dual axle trailer off CL, works well for me. Again Welcome
Welcome to the land of crazies.... Watch out for the CAD .. Many great saws in this forums classifieds. Watch out you might end up with a few too many.. Burn what you have just check the moisture and you'll do great
Hey Colosplit , welcome to the hood---Nice, wonderful people here glad to help you with your addiction-looks like you'll fit right in....
Hi Louis, welcome to the club! Looks like you're off to a good start. Are you saving the harder stuff for future years? The locust is really dense stuff and will probably need a year or two to season. Regarding your saw question, a 460 will pull a 28" pretty good, even in hardwoods. A 661 will put a little bigger smile on your face though.
Welcome to the family!!!! Great pics you posted... As far as the saw and what you describe you will be doing, I would think the 461 would more then suit your needs.
You could always save yourself some cash and buy a nice used saw. Check the classified section on here for saws, there is a really nice ported 046 for sale by Chvymn99.... Just a thought.
Howdy! Welcome to a good place to feed your addiction. You may want to post your saw question in "Chainsaws and Power Equipment" Forum. I posted there once when I was wondering if I should get a second saw. That crowd almost talked me into getting another one or two or three or ... I don't read that forum now as I like to focus on my Firewood addiction; you know, as the good book says: "no man can serve two masters". Good luck!
Heck, you look like your all set up for the big boy's club. Really some serious equipment and commitment there! You'll have a lot of fun here. esp. if you continue to post pictures, We love pictures and adventures about cutting wood, family things and as always, include the four footed members of the family. Pet pic's and stories are here "Giz/Emma and everyones pets on the board | Page 149 | Firewood Hoarders Club"
Thanks everyone! I have been attempting to find a moisture meter to help, holding the wood to my face only does so much. I can't find one though, the co-op, jax and murdochs only had hay moisture meters that ran $200+. Half of the locust I have gotten was already pretty crispy and I am attempting to burn some of it because I do not have enough dry wood for this season. Everything I have split and if it is still very wet I am piling up for next year. I am trying hard to get 3-4 dryer cords for this winter, but I'm struggling to get enough good dry wood for this winter that I might have to buy a cord or two, but I have 3 cords (2 locust 1 cottonwood) for next year already. I have already promised my guy at Jax the sale for my next saw for dealing with me tire kicking in there a lot but I am always in the market for new toys! Leaning toward the 661 due to the mtronic and I'll be upset if I get the 461 and want to run a 36". Off topic but on my jobsite we have the largest western white pine in Colorado (told by Asplaungh) and it's coming down tomorrow! I will be sure to get lots of pictures for everyone!
No we have not had the need to do anything yet, we are on the other side of CO14 and about a quarter mile up the gulch. We do have a creek that is a breeding ground for them but our road floods so much they always get washed into the Poudre before they hatch! Here are a few pictures (tried to post a video but it keeps saying error) of the beginning of a flash before we had to scurry up the ridge because we herd a bigger one coming, wish I had a video of the second wave or the 13' floods. Those floods sent two 500gal propane tanks down the gulch and they ruptured! Luckily there wasn't any ignition sources or I don't think any of us would of survived! What looks like a creek bed is our road, washed out 8" of road and my driveway.
