Maggie’s The Woodchuck and Firewood Hoarders Thread
- Thread starter bogeybrown
- Start date
Three days now of lows in the 40’s and highs in the low 50’s and nonstop rain. Prior to this, we went 27 days without rain and the AC running nonstop 
. Iowa. House was down to 63 
, but Miss Lori was chilly 
. Spent some time this afternoon to properly clean the stove, flue, and cap. Knocked the chill off tonight with splitter scraps.
. Iowa. House was down to 63 , but Miss Lori was chilly . Spent some time this afternoon to properly clean the stove, flue, and cap. Knocked the chill off tonight with splitter scraps. 
I think it is an issue with the new Huskies too.
was running a buddies recently and ran into trouble like that.
sure as hell didnt impress me.
Im due a new saw. My brother jacked my old one.
think I am going to look for an older Stihl.
Nothin like a nice fire and a happy Mrs.
If you are horrible like me, you offer to hot em up a different way.
If you are horrible like me, you offer to hot em up a different way.
I’ve not experienced the latter problem. Nor have I heard of it. However, I’m at 850’ MSL. Wonder if it’s an altitude issue/problem. Good question to pose on arboristsite.com
i also run sthil bars, but i may get a lightweight for the 461 w a 32 incher
Well, Im also not sure what routine cleaning/maintenance he does.
I would guess solid as he takes good care of his tools it seems.
seems silly to drop $600 on a saw and not take good care.
I would guess solid as he takes good care of his tools it seems.
seems silly to drop $600 on a saw and not take good care.
Three days now of lows in the 40’s and highs in the low 50’s and nonstop rain. Prior to this, we went 27 days without rain and the AC running nonstop
View attachment 7421063
Is this early for your area or is this normal?
About a month or so early. It’s been quite a weather year here, so, I guess nothing should be a surprise.
I hear it does offer a touch more power, but splitting hairs. I'm old school, have a tachometer, and tune my own saws, so I prefer carbs. The first generation of M-tronic saws had a bunch of problems.
Interesting. Again, I’ve not had this problem, but, there’s a first time for everything. Never say never.I’m at ~900’ and if I run wide open dogging into oak they snuff themselves out 3/4 way through the tank or so. Just crack the cap now and again. That’s Husky 550xp and Stihl 461, and 660. Everything is stock and I do abuse them a bit.
That’s only when I’m bucking huge stacks of logs and don’t give them any chance to breathe.
I could see if you were bucking big stuff where you’re coming out the bottom of a 30 DBA Oak and moving 16” over and letting it eat again, where the tank may not have time to vent. The 70-90cc class saws in that environment are slurping fuel like crazy.
Which begs the question, are the guys running 90cc class saws on an Alaskan Mill experiencing the same problem
? That’s full throttle 24/7I don’t know that it will give you MORE power, but will give you more consistent power in a wider range of conditions (temp, altitude, etc...). It’s poor mans EFI
Dad sent me this video.
"Best video I have seen showing a tall tree removal process including details of top guy work. 2 videos. I enjoy the top guy work. I have spent as long as 6 hrs in a continuous stretch up a tree like this to cut it down. 2nd video shows the ride the top guy gets when a section is dropped." - my dad
I was my dad's ground crew for that.
Awesome to see the tree work.
"Best video I have seen showing a tall tree removal process including details of top guy work. 2 videos. I enjoy the top guy work. I have spent as long as 6 hrs in a continuous stretch up a tree like this to cut it down. 2nd video shows the ride the top guy gets when a section is dropped." - my dad
I was my dad's ground crew for that.
Awesome to see the tree work.
Loving those cardboard saw boxes. I saved up and made some upgraded custom deluxe boxes.
That is a big larch, montana’s version of hardwood. This one is actually the biggest tree I have ever fallen @ 40” across the butt.
Attachments
I need to get better at judging the height of trees. I have been cutting standing dead lodge pole pine. This morning I eyeballed a blow over on the edge of the stand that I am cutting. The tree didn't make it far when it blew over before hanging up in live trees. It couldn't have been more than a 15 degree lean. About eight feet up the tree was a little stub of an old branch. So, I figured I could tie around the tree above the branch, hook onto my truck, and pull the tree back and over. I carry a 100 foot piece of 5/8 static kernmantle rope just for pulling on trees. The rope was neatly coiled in a rope bag, but I had a 25' long 3/8" log chain, and two 30 foot heavy duty tow straps in the bed of the truck. The tree was only 26 inches a foot above ground level, and I am tied on eight feet high. There is no way in hell this tree is anywhere near 90 feet tall.
I hooked everything up and put the truck in four wheel drive low and started backing up taking all of the tension out of the line, then I gassed it just a bit. Just as planned, the tree went to vertical, then started falling in a perfect line, so I tugged a little bit more. As the tree started falling, I remember saying to myself, "Oh fuck, oh fuck..." .
The tree crashed down raining small branches all over my pick up truck. The very top of the tree was about 18 inches from my front bumper. Upon further examination, the bottom of the tree was about 8-10 feet from where it was originally uprooted. Now I know why one shouldn't go yanking on trees with elastic straps/ropes.
I hooked everything up and put the truck in four wheel drive low and started backing up taking all of the tension out of the line, then I gassed it just a bit. Just as planned, the tree went to vertical, then started falling in a perfect line, so I tugged a little bit more. As the tree started falling, I remember saying to myself, "Oh fuck, oh fuck..." .
The tree crashed down raining small branches all over my pick up truck. The very top of the tree was about 18 inches from my front bumper. Upon further examination, the bottom of the tree was about 8-10 feet from where it was originally uprooted. Now I know why one shouldn't go yanking on trees with elastic straps/ropes.
Grab a stick (or make one) the length of your arm. Hold your arm out straight with said stick in your fist vertical. Back up eyeballing the top of the stick until it meets the top of the tree. That is where the tree will land (+/- a couple of feet). You basically just completed the third side of a right triangle. Geometry doesn’t lie. You will be typically long using this method because we don’t fell from the stump base, and fudge factor on the long side is a good thing.
Spent the better part of the day at Lori’s folks. Phase 2 of storm clean up. Clearing hung up limbs from salvageable trees. American Linden (Basswood). Nice shade trees but useless firewood. Extremely low BTU rating. Spent the majority of the day on a ladder with my 192 top handle. Pulled out 3 loads of limbs/brush from just this one tree. The video pic is a screenshot as I’m not quite sure how to load them. Be safe fellas.
Caught up and sick of piecemeal storm cleanup. Finally, back to the timber. Productive 5 hours there. Couple of pics from the day. Shagbark Hickory and Oak.
Added to the stash late yesterday and today. Hauled home and stacked. Don’t have room to process so I’ll leave them in the round for a year or so. Hickory, Oak, and Cherry here.
Damn, that's pretty Tom. I'm so late on the wood this year. I'll paint the school room I'm working on today and I should be back on the pile for a couple days
Just found this thread.
Cutting firewood is more fun than shooting sometimes lol.
Was going to go out this week, woods are closed for fires now.
Lots of people getting evacuated around here.
Loading the truck with preperations in case we evac, I was like I wonder how many other people load a 660 first, before food and water lol.
Anyway here's a pic from a few weeks ago . View attachment 7420448
That old growth fir is like gold around here
Thats some large firewood !!
That's something I'd like to learn to do myself. I guess I need to just buy the sharpener and jump right in.
I’d love to give you advice, however, it would be wrong
i just run a file, it isnt really necessary to use the guide. i do 1 side then spin saw and do the other side.
i wish i could explain how to sharpen the chain but i dont know the verbiage.
and after a few sharpens, drop those rakers
Stuck it in some wood here at home this afternoon. Made good chips, didn’t chatter, and cut straight. I’ll keep practicing.
DAYUMMMM that is nice. What I wouldn't give to have some of that selection for my smoker!!!!!!
Commenting on the large size of the chips, nice file job on the chain.I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not
Worth note mentioning, I buy the 12 packs of files in a box from Oregon chain, for less than 2 bucks a piece.
I hope to be on a saw later today, I'm so behind w the wood pile
I'm a little bummed, I like to bring my firewood home from our cabin in the hills (1 hour away) in the fall when it cools off. I have around 20 cords cut, stacked, seasoned and under cover. I normally go threw 3-4 cord a year so I have about 5 years worth. Looks like a forest fire is going to take my cabin and wood supply, I'll know in a week or so.
I wish you the best, Wildfire is the biggest fear I have where I'm at.
I have two burning near me, pictured is the one across the border from me in Wyoming. It flared up yesterday, and is nearly 100K acres in size.
Last edited:
I wish you guys the best. Hope you and your property stays safe.
Wind is howling here today, so decided to split as I typically do that in the barn. Hickory, Oak, and Apple limb wood that is cut to 10” to go in the stove the short way. Should smell nice.
Just shy of finishing a second course. Hickory always has some cool grain/irregular color patterns.
How do like the size of this pumpkin? Wood was so dense my 440 actually stuttered a couple times. Lot's of BTU's here. One of the few times I wish I had my 660 with me. I've been eyeballing this tree for a year now, wind blew it over earlier this Summer, so I guess it was time to turn it into firewood. Lodgepoles are typically not this big around here. The biggest one I've run across was 36" at the base. The stump is still there 16-years later. When they were excavating the hole for my foundation, the trackhoe couldn't even budge it, so it stayed in place.
Last edited:
Grew up with a grandmother and spinster sisters that cooked with a wood stove in NW Minnesota. I had to cut and stack all their cooking wood at 6". Ensured having coffee with sugar lumps whenever I came over...
All split up shortly after getting back to the house. The rounds were heavy, I estimate them weighing between 125 and 150-lbs. 20" round where I started cutting So, 20" x 17.5" rounds. 12-feet down the tree, they were measuring 16" round.
Little further west, as in only 10 miles from dipping my toes in the pacific. But dang thanks for the offer! I actually have a son and son in law that need to know what end of the splitting maul to use.
Well, be safe sir.
Hope your place and stuff is saved too.
we will add you to our nightly prayers.
Hope your place and stuff is saved too.
we will add you to our nightly prayers.
Recommendations for a light splitting ax.
16-18 inch long all less than 12 inch diameter mostly oak.
My latest smoker won't draw well and needs smaller sticks.
I'm old and back is shot .
Some types will probably be better than others for that I suppose.
The 4lb ish spliter ax's are looking good as I can't swing the huge splitting maul 12lb + maybe near 20 lb my son handed me wort a damn.
And yes the old stick burner will be rebuilt as soon as I can.
16-18 inch long all less than 12 inch diameter mostly oak.
My latest smoker won't draw well and needs smaller sticks.
I'm old and back is shot .
Some types will probably be better than others for that I suppose.
The 4lb ish spliter ax's are looking good as I can't swing the huge splitting maul 12lb + maybe near 20 lb my son handed me wort a damn.
And yes the old stick burner will be rebuilt as soon as I can.
Last edited:
