I've decided enough is enough!!! Time to get serious and create a system that is efficient, easy, affordable, and doable. Therefore, I present: My 20 "new" 330 gallon IBC totes!!! Each one holds approx 55 cu. ft. of wood. So approx 8.5 full cords all told. The plan is to use the woodshed one year and the totes the next year. My current woodshed holds 6 full cords. My plan/hope is to extend it another 8' which will yield me two more cords, or 8 total. I also bought 4-275 gallon totes for my brother for helping me. His are 275 gallon and hold 43 cu. ft. each. His tractor is smaller and won't lift the bigger crates. All the totes came with empty bladders, so those will be put to good uses as well. I was able to get them all over to the staging area, and 10 of the bladders removed. For anyone curious, i searched high and low and these were the best priced totes I could find. Most in my area of New England are in the $80-$100 range for just the cage. Usually bladders are an additional $15-$20. I paid $25 each for the 330's and $20 each for the 275's, with the bladders. He loaded me up with a forklift. I was in and out in about 45 minutes. The place is about one hour/40 miles one way from my house, so not too bad.
I wish I had a walk-out basement, then I'd use only these every year. Unfortunately, I have a flat lot and a bulkhead.
I keep looking for a couple myself , I think I might have a couple I might be able to grab but the plastic tote had waste oil in them so I would have to dispose of the tote and probably some oil still in the bottom. It might be more than I want to deal with.
So you are going to cut, split and then stack in the shed. The next year you are unloading the wood from the shed into the cages and refilling the shed? If so, I think I would buy another load of cages and stack into them and leave covered. Lot less handling/double handling of the same wood. My legs are to short and my belly to big to reach down in and unload those cages!
LOL , I don't have to worry about that but could see where that might be an issue. I am looking for one just to put my uglies and chunks in and will stack anything else that does not fall into that category.
I agree, more cages eventually is the easiest/best solution. To be more clear to everyone. Right now I split into a trailer and drive over to the woodshed. I stack the wood in the shed. When it comes time to burn I place the wood back into the trailer, and drive over to the bulkhead and throw it in. I then stack it in the basement. 5 touches My new plan with the cages, is to split the wood and put right into the cages. Ill place them with my machine to a sunny spot to season. When ready I'll drive them to the bulkhead and throw the wood into the basement, then stack it in the basement. 3 touches As you can see, using the cages means I'm handling the wood 2 less times. Times that by 8 full cords a year and its the equivalent of moving 16 full cords of wood. I do this myself typically, so its a lot of extra handling for no gain. If I had a walkout basement I'd have 1 touch. I wish my land was sloped to accommodate this, as I'd cut the foundation wall and add a big door, but I can't with a flat lot. Eventually, I hope to move to cages only. For two years worth total I'd need another 17-18 cages. I want to see how they work out first.
Some seem to love these things. We have 4 and use them but I'd never get more of them. The main reason is that it is more difficult getting the wood out. For small folks it is easier than for the larger guys. Even with the ballast, it was almost too much for the tractor. Now I won't fill them quite to the top.
OK , I am jealous of that tractor. I don't have the land for one but if I ever hit lotto I am going to buy a piece of land just so I have an excuse to get me one of those orange toys. Very nice set-up!
I like the doorway you cut in your cages. Think I would leave the top one for support but go at least on one side, one more square wide. Could even make a door from the part removed if needed.
My tractor is rated to lift 2800 lbs full height, so no worries there. As for reaching in, I wont know until I try it. My wife and daughter are a lot smaller than me. I guess the obvious solution is that they help more. The nice thing is, I paid so little for them, that re-selling them for profit is inevitable should I ever decide to.
I thought mine were inexpensive at first, but then trips to the mall, then prom dresses, and just wait until the wedding expenses start to roll in! I hadn’t considered selling, but in hindsight it would have saved a lot of maintenance expenses!
Seriously, that is a great price. We got 4 a few years ago from over in Salem ? MA area for hauling sap and water for the cows, and paid $85 each, I think.
One big difference I see a lot is food grade vs non food grade. Obviously if you want the bladder for a camp shower, watering system for a garden, rainwater collector, maple sap container, etc, that matters. For firewood guys it doesn’t. Mine had non toxic mulch dye in them.
For those wondering why I got so many, this seller gives a discount if you buy more. 1-9 is $50 each, 10-19 is $35 each, 20 plus is $20 each . Add $5 each if 330’s
youre giving your wood a 1-3 year sentence? All kidding aside, ive never used those buy looks like they work great from what ive seen on here. Cant wait to see them filled!
Those are excellent prices. Never seen that much reduction to quantity. Makes you wonder what he actually has in them.
I know heavy duty pallets have a deposit usually, that is subtracted when they return the empty pallets. Its odd that the cage manufacturers don't do the same for these. The tractor trailer delivering them could bring a load of empty's back with him. I'm assuming its not financially worthwhile, mainly dealing with the contaminated bladders. The guy told me these cages are $275 apiece new. This company ends up with hundreds, if not thousands of these a year. By offering them at low prices it gets them out the door, rather than waiting for people to buy them. They take up a lot of room. There was a guy from NY coming to get 25 right after I was there. I already had several people ask if i'd sell them one or two. Maybe ill buy them and resell them for profit. I could easily get $60-75 a cage and $15-$20 a bladder. Most people don't want to buy 20 at a time.
