Well, since the start of the heating season (wood-wise anyways) I've burned about 1.75 cords (not face cords). At the start of the season, I was estimating maybe 5 cords a year, and of course trying to get to a three-year plan, CSS like an SOB this past summer. Got about 16 cords racked up and looking like I might be about 3 1/2 cords for the year burned when all is said and done. Basically burning 24/7. Instead of a three-year plan, its more like a 4 and change year plan. Just have to finish my last wood rack bay in the spring and I should comfortably have room for about 19 cords CSS'd. What a great feeling of security to see all that wood ready to go. Its probably good that I don't have more room, or I'd really have it packed away!!
I'm also down on what I've used so far this winter vs previous years. It's been a pretty mild winter for us so far. I also think seeing I'm working from home, I'm not keeping the house as warm as I used to. I'm micro-managing things more now that I can light a fire whenever I want during the day and don't feel like I have to continue a fire every morning. Getting ahead is a very good feeling!! It's nice to get out to cut wood because you want to and not feel like you have to.
With that great ported saw i think you should get on the five year plan. Hey what could i say, we're a bunch of enablers here! LOL!
Congrats Joe P on busting your back side to get that far ahead. It is well worth it and once there all that needs to be done is to maintain what you now have.
Congrats - it’s a good feeling! So far this year I might down on wood used too ~ 1.6 cords so far. I burn 7x24.
Getting to the 3 year plan is definitely a great feeling. As long as you have room, keep going. A decent top cover and good hardwoods will last.
The ATV bucket is made by Ground Force and it is worth its weight in GOLD. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not a tractor or skid steer. It works off of two winches. The ATV winch lifts the whole rig and the system itself comes with a 2nd winch that controls the dump. The suspension locks they send don't work very well, they tend to pop out and the dump winch has synthetic rope on it, which I replaced with steel rope. Other than that, it works great. I roll rounds in the bucket, lift them up to the splitter, roll them out and my back is much more happy. I can lift the rounds right up to the tailgate of the truck and roll them right out. I can get into places with it that I couldn't easily with a tractor. Not a great picture, but you get the drift. I have the plow on now. I can easily lift more weight with the bucket than I have weight on the ATV. More than once I had to sit on the passenger seat (2-up Can Am) to keep the back wheels on the deck. That is about as much weight as I want to run on it anyways to keep wear/tear down on the bearings. I also have pallet forks for it. Again, its not a tractor, but for $1600 bucks, I've done a LOT of work with it. The bucket can be used for digging, but it requires a little bit of finesse. HIGHLY recommend it the system overall. There is another company that makes a hydraulic one, Wild hare manufacturing. Its considerably more expensive and more complex. I went with this one because of cost and ease to take on and off.
Thanks for your report. You have forks, as well. Can you give some info on that, too? Do you use it with logs or not? I wonder if you could lift a tote full of splits with it or is that too heavy?
Depends on the tote I would imagine. I don't know how much I've loaded in the bucket but I bet its been north of 350lbs. Like I said, I've had the rear wheels off the deck a couple of times. I think there are a couple of youtube videos out there that show a guy stacking logs with the forks. I used the forks to take my unassembled log splitter pallet off the trailer. That was probably a little more than I should have. I needed to lift up one end of the pallet and drag it off the trailer. but it worked. This system is surprisingly capable for what it is. Now, if they made a grapple for this system, I would be all over that like a Hobo on a ham sammich. Screwloose - Wisconsin Dells area
I think if you drive slow and don't get crazy with the weight it's not too bad. I know my original 2004 Can AM had a front load rating of 200lbs an and the new machines are, as, if not more capable than the older machines. Obviously a tractor or skid steer is more suited for this, but if a person can't swing that kind of equipment, this system is a good alternative. Especially compared to seeing a chiropractor...
Exactly what I was thinking too...I have changed enough ATV wheel bearings and suspension components to tell you definitively those parts won't take crazy weight for long. Sure looks like a handy tool though...and like most anything else, should hold up fine if used with some "common" sense... (which I see Joe just posted pretty much the same thing )