Put an IBC tote on each side of your splitter and when they are both full you can move them with your tractor forks and replace them with 2 empty ones. Rinse and repeat, the key to firewood is don’t handle it more than you have to.
But is there a way to align and stack it together for bundles? I ask not in a smart ass fashion, but more in the way that they wrap bundles of recyclable cardboard in factories with wire “ties” in thousand pound bundles. Hay balers do it with twine or wire.
Before moving to Texas, I had a 2400 square foot house in Indiana, entirely heated with wood. I put up a minimum of 4-1/2 cords per year. I could store 2 years worth of wood (one to use, one to dry) in a 20 X 20 dirt floor pole barn with ventilated sides. I kept the wood stacked on heavy duty pallets that I could take in and out with the skid steer. I took a whole pallet at a time to the house, which lasted about 7 to 10 days. Lot of work since I cut, split and stacked all my own wood. Good luck.
I have an FS500. When you want the resplit the 4 by 7 pieces try instead to send it through again with piece 4 inch side against the deck. You can line up about 4 pieces side by side. I like IBC totes and wood pallet stackers. If you have forks, then pallets or IBC totes make a lot of sense
In SC, most state parks don't allow firewood from more than 50 miles away unless it's been heat treated to kill any bugs. They sell permitted wood in the park for a small fortune and some grocery chains in the area sell bundles (in plastic bagging) at a premium that's a little more reasonable than the park itself. I don't know how long a sterilization cycle takes in your kiln (which is obviously going to make more money drying actual lumber), but if you have similar restrictions in your area and you can figure out the logistics, that could be a pretty profitable use for your extra firewood.
That splitter is a great addition to the arsenal Nathan, from the profitability perspective I wouldinvestigate partnering with the BBQ/Smokehouse businesses in your area to be their primary supplier of smoking wood, here in Texas, a lot of the bigger BBQ places like to buy their smoke wood green and season it on site. Best wishes for the Elloit family over the coming holiday season!
I'm living vicariously through you now that I'm bedfast. You're doing what I had wanted to do when I retired ( but on a smaller scale ) , THANK YOU from Johnson City !
I like pallets with side walls on them to store firewood. You can incorporate a tarp to keep the elements away but mostly air drying is preferred especially in your mild climate.
Back years ago when we lived in the country, I had a three side shed to store firewood in. But when I installed a boiler I was able to put three foot chunks of wood but I still stored my three foot log out of the weather. We heated our home for twenty years and when the boiler was operating we heated our water also. We lived in southern Illinois and in my spare time I cleaned fence rolls.
The log splitter was fantastic. Using one is therapeutic. Where you stacked the firewood I assume was just temporary. I would be afraid of damaging the kiln. As far as where I stored the firewood would definitely be a shed of some type. Hey it’s just another project to build an inexpensive storage shed. The two way splitter is fantastic. A fall day, kind of cool outside, drinking a cup of coffee and using your splitter. What more could you want.
I follow a man in France who is restoring a chateau in France. He has a friend come help him on occasion. He has a splitter that cuts logs to the right size, splits, then tosses into a trailer. Never seen anything like it.
Hey Nathan, only a 6 mins into this video and I see a feature I would want added to the log lifter part of the splitter and that is some sort of side stop (like a small edge) on the side of that lifter, especially the side with the ignition switch. I can see a big log being lifted up and sliding off and hitting that ignition switch. Just some food for thought.
Got a combination plus some regular pallets i put together and make some sidings on - also with pallets. Have to store my wood in 3-4 different locations.
You have the perfect setup for a water wood stove. Build a shed and stack wood on one side. You can have the water wood stove on the other side. You can trench the water lines to a heat exchange to keep the house warm all winter. I did this years ago and it keeps the smoke/ashes out of the house. It also gives constant heat. One other thing I did was have 100" of flexible copper tubing in the water tank. I used it to "preheat" the water before going into the domestic water heater. It was a great setup to heat both the house and domestic water with one external wood water heater.
Hey fellow Tennesseean! Good video. Thank you! You've got some really great tools now and it's fun to watch you use them. Stay Blessed brother. Chip / TN
Awesome finally the big reveal we been waiting. So awesome tat two way function what a great design. Looking forward to the 4/5 way knives to see even more efficiency from that push. Awesome 🤠🇺🇸
There is a TH-camr called Donn Dyi that has made a few log processing machines that you could look into. That being said, I agree with just getting IBC totes. They are cheap or free and you already have the equipment to move them.
@rickgovek2715 I agree! Sometimes I watch log splitting videos to relax. I hope someday soon to get a high quality offset smoker so I'll have a reason to buy a log splitter. Since I live in Northern CA., Logs of almond trees are abundant, which is a great hardwood for smoking meat
When I heated with wood in a previous house I built a covered 10' x 20' lean-to. I leaned pallets against the wood stack to protect from rain/snow yet allowed lots of air movement for drying. Learning how to stack took a while, but worked very well for us. One thing to look at is how your local property tax will view a structure. That's where totes would be a plus.
Nice log splitter. Your right about checking what type of market is out there before you start any type of business. I have seen that type of splitter on a channel that shows wood splitting and wood chippers. Like anything it takes time to get the hang of things.
Everyone needs a good 6x8 or an 8x10 wood shed set up so its out of the weather, but also gets a little flow thru air to dry the wood. Good luck, and good job!
I have outside drying and a woodsheds for storage. I am from New Hampshire originally so I believe in woodsheds. Having moved to Florida I still believe in woodsheds to keep dried wood dry and from rotting. We also have bugs so I only bring in enough to reload the firebox and to give the 2am restoking..... the rest of the time require shoes. From what I see about your weather and the wood you keep out in the open....you do not NEED a woodshed to prevent rot or to keep the snow and ice buildup on the wood in the winter from getting inside the house.
For long term storage and drying take a page from Criss in the wood yard with the pallet bins. And there is a market for firewood in Tennessee I would regularly sell 80 to 100 full cords here in Central Florida every year. An elevator would be nice but I never had one and did firewood for over 40 years.
Hi Nathan, I store my firewood on pallets under a lean-to, I let the wood dry for at least a year so it burns nicely. Australian hardwoods are very heavy so I use strong pallets. You can make totes out of pallets, just screw them together to create a box.
Sure is a nice splitter, I just installed a new 16x20 woodshed I poured a pad of concrete to put it on, I am in southern Ohio and don’t like tredging thru the snow to get wet snowed covered firewood pull up my trailer to the shed load it up and park it on my porch . Took me two months of cutting and splitting to fill up my shed using a traditional log splitter. That’s from standing to firewood ready. In the summer the shed really dries it out very good “guess its kinda like a kiln”
Ah.. welcome back to your “ signature” tune at the beginning Nathan , I find it very relaxing . That splitters gonna be a great addition to the farm ✊ 👍🏴
That splitter is pretty slick. I especially like the double-acting feature. Looks like a big time saver, but then you have to collect wood from both sides. Your dump trailer worked well but I can see how a larger capacity setup would be nice.
Thats a nice splitter. Seems like you could weld some steel bars to the top of that push block that go up, over and back down just high enough to clear the top of your wedges so that you can split 2 rounds of wood at a time and those bars would keep pulling the rounds back and forth for ya
I don’t burn firewood anymore, I did for 30 years at our home in Oregon. The idea was be at least one year ahead so that the wood was seasoned. I burnt mostly alder, maple, fir and some hemlock. Our home had a wraparound covered porch that I would stack almost a years worth of wood on. This was great because it would save me from handling each piece one less time. My woodshed would hold six cord but then I would have to bring wheelbarrow loads to the porch meaning handling each piece one more time. Loved the warmth of wood heat but considering the labor and the mess it makes on the porch and in the house I was ready to give it up. Looks like a great wood splitter, hope it works out for you.
I live in northern Maine. I use three pallets, one on the bottom and one screwed to either side with two 1x2 (sawmill scrap) braces across the top. I stack three rows of 16" logs in the "crate". Each crate, slightly overffilled, holds almost 1/3 of a cord. My full crates spend a season sitting out in the sun and wind with only the top covered to keep snow and rain exposure to a minimum. When I need move firewood, I use pallet forks on my TYM T474. In late summer when it's time to set up my woodshed with the upcoming winter's wood, I drive the pallet right up to the woodshed door and with it lifted waist high I unload it with minimal bending. My back appreciates that.
I swear if woodmizer isn't an official sponsor yet or giving you very big discounts on things.. because I bought my lt15 because of you and now Ive been wanting a splitter for years and now I'm strongly considering it because of you
You asked whether we liked a woodshed (requires stacking) or an IBC tote; my reply, is whatever requires less handling. The fewer times you have to pick up a piece of firewood the more enjoyable the activity and the longer you will live. Here's how I do firewood. First, I use a large flatbed trailer. Second, I use a large tractor with a big grapple on the front and a hydraulic splitter on the back. Then, using the grapple, I bring up my logs and cut the rounds on top the trailer until it's full. Then I turn the tractor around with the splitter facing the trailer and begin splitting. In this manner the logs are at waist level which eliminates bending over and picking up the heavy rounds. Everything is a waist level. I made a hookaroon from an old axe to reach out and stab rounds. Third, as I split the firewood, I load it into the front bucket of my smaller tractor. Then I can either drive the load to the house then dump it up close to the door or pile it up to season somewhere else without much effort. I don't stack it because I don't care how it looks. Again, the fewer times you have to pick up a piece of firewood the better and the longer you will live. Save your back for when it really matters like helping your wife load the dishwasher. How many times do you touch a piece of firewood before it burns?
There was one of theses at the state fair. It had arms on the ram that would drag the log back and you could do 2 at a time. The rep from woodmizer said a guy could do 5 ricks an hour. Thats a lot of wood to stack
This is a really unique log splitter and the double action hydraulics make it very efficient. Very little risk to the operator, but suited for a two person operation, so production could be commercial. IMHO this log splitter should be raised up so that the totes could handle a higher volume of logs. What is the maximum length of the logs that can fit into this log splitter ? I have a large residential fireplace, so I cut my logs to 24 inches long.
With the litle trailer on one side, park the bit tractor bucket under the ramp on the other side to catch the material heading in that direction. You don't have to bend over to pick. it up that way. :)
With the splitter, like you mentioned about a lot of logs being rotted inthe middle or having other issues, you can possibly generate additional income with your cutoffs, as well and insome areas, people even take the pine for campfires and hunting camps.
My dad has just invested in a splitter (not as big as this one) after me, him and my brother have battled away with chainsaws and axes for years! Looking forward to playing with it😅
With a wood shed you have to handle the wood 3 times. Once when it’s split, then into the shed, then into an IBC or trailer to sell it. If you use the IBC from the outset, you cut your workload by100%
Use a couple of IBF totes that are fitted with mesh bag liners that fit over the top edges and have tie strings - much like trash can liner bags. They sell them. When they are full, use the tractor to lift them out of the totes for storage under an open air storage shed.. The idea is to minimize the handling and stacking. Sell the wood by the tote bag full.
I burn all winter here in Minnesota to heat my shop and occasionally a decorative fire in the house. I prefer stacking my wood in a traditional holzhausen. You can store a lot of wood without the need for a wood shed, and it looks awesome when its finished. The completed stacks look like beehives and are actually a decorative feature rather than having yet another structure in your yard or making it look like you are a metal recycling yard with all those IBC totes laying about.
Thanks Nathan, good video as usual, I used to stack our firewood in long lines, a bit like Mike Morgan, just not anywhere near as tidy, which worked well, if I had to do it again a wood shed would be what I would go for, particularly if I didn’t have to deliver, I would also like to see the videos of the build!
I know exactly what you mean about trailers - I had no problem when backing up the Pershing II launcher with the missile on it while I was in the Army, but an eight-foot trailer about the same size as yours gives me all kinds of trouble.
You learn to ‘flop’ the round over the top of the ram when it starts to rise over the knives. Yup, makes a lot of kindling. We spilt a lot of hardwoods that aren’t straight grained. Crotches and knots don’t split well on this box splitter. My boss at the tree service I work for has owned one for two years. We have tweaked our process and it’s pretty productive now. We drop the split wood into empty IBC frames and take the plastic totes and screw them to pallets and use them for catch tubs as well. With three guys we can buck, split and move 2 ricks per hour without killing ourselves. I would love to split a day’s worth of straight grained rounds. This machine would really shine.
Clever design on that splitter, once you get the log on the lifter its easy peasy lemon squeezy. I'm always impressed with the low light capability of those cameras. Great video Nathan thumbs up.
@Nathan, do not know if you remember the setup I told you I use: a pole barn for air drying the split wood as well as allowing the sun on it but keeping it away from the rain. I tried to let my stuff drive for 2 years but with this crazy weather we've been having 6 months in this heat feels like 1 years worth of seasoning on the firewood. I do with the help of others process a lot. Since I cook with a wood fired oven as well as a wood furnace in the basement and Open Hearth fireplace in the living room and a wood fire box in the shop. Those scraps at peel off and fall down around you I've had people off me 10 bucks a 5-gallon bucket stuffed to use as kinlin to start their fires.
Don't back the trailer in. Drive forward with the trailer at 90° to the splitter off load ramp (like a letter T.) Move the splitter to a better location if you need to.
If the splitter will not be stored under cover or inside you would benefit from having flat pavers under the legs feet so that they do not sink into the ground when you receive rain. Also, spraying the legs and their feet with a light coat of WD40 or other light lubricant will do much for their longevity and function. You have a compelling site, a good voice and a face made for radio or a sidekick in a John Wayne western. I do enjoy your work.
IBC totes 1 have 12 that I fill...for my own use...even here in NE GA I Cut the tops from the plastic tubs, cover the wood with those, and store under a "shed" Can move with skid steer or tractor forks anywhere I need
i spent a lot of time as a kid every fall stacking firewood in our yard, and then eventually my dad built a wood shed so it would stay dry all year round. being in NY, we probably went thru a full cord or more at least every winter. and of course, because i was the oldest, i was in charge of keeping the stove going in the basement!
I wonder if you could get 2 or 4 ibc totes on either side and let the wood fall between them so they fill up together. The more totes you can fit the less you'll have to stop and move them.
I love seeing this on your channel. I'm not a fan of the burn pile, as I have always lived fugally. Effectiveness, elegance, quality, with economy being the cornerstone have been great ethics in business.
IBC totes, we burn approx 5 cords a year I split and stack right into the tote and cover. I have 30 totes full at most times and when I need one I grab it with the tractor and place it into the garage. Limit the touches on the fire wood
Nice addition to your homestead. Looks like a high production splitter. Are we in for a tube series on the new pavillion to cover the new splitter and a big stack of firewood?
The machine looks like it could use return arms for the rounds. Personally id build a couple dump bins with hog or cattle pannels and t post and store it out in wide open like Chris in the wood yard. Id find a couple old dump hoppers one on each end that you move with forks and dump in your storage bins.
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Put an IBC tote on each side of your splitter and when they are both full you can move them with your tractor forks and replace them with 2 empty ones. Rinse and repeat, the key to firewood is don’t handle it more than you have to.
Big facts
I agree 100%
You watched Sawing with Sandy didn't you
But is there a way to align and stack it together for bundles? I ask not in a smart ass fashion, but more in the way that they wrap bundles of recyclable cardboard in factories with wire “ties” in thousand pound bundles. Hay balers do it with twine or wire.
Before moving to Texas, I had a 2400 square foot house in Indiana, entirely heated with wood. I put up a minimum of 4-1/2 cords per year. I could store 2 years worth of wood (one to use, one to dry) in a 20 X 20 dirt floor pole barn with ventilated sides. I kept the wood stacked on heavy duty pallets that I could take in and out with the skid steer. I took a whole pallet at a time to the house, which lasted about 7 to 10 days. Lot of work since I cut, split and stacked all my own wood. Good luck.
Putting the firewood directly in IBC totes from the splitter saves a lot of time and work.
Would sure like to hear some more about this splitter since you have had and hopefully used it some more since this video.
I have an FS500. When you want the resplit the 4 by 7 pieces try instead to send it through again with piece 4 inch side against the deck. You can line up about 4 pieces side by side. I like IBC totes and wood pallet stackers. If you have forks, then pallets or IBC totes make a lot of sense
👍👍
I really like that splinter
In SC, most state parks don't allow firewood from more than 50 miles away unless it's been heat treated to kill any bugs. They sell permitted wood in the park for a small fortune and some grocery chains in the area sell bundles (in plastic bagging) at a premium that's a little more reasonable than the park itself. I don't know how long a sterilization cycle takes in your kiln (which is obviously going to make more money drying actual lumber), but if you have similar restrictions in your area and you can figure out the logistics, that could be a pretty profitable use for your extra firewood.
That splitter is a great addition to the arsenal Nathan, from the profitability perspective I wouldinvestigate partnering with the BBQ/Smokehouse businesses in your area to be their primary supplier of smoking wood, here in Texas, a lot of the bigger BBQ places like to buy their smoke wood green and season it on site. Best wishes for the Elloit family over the coming holiday season!
A woodshed would be a great compliment to the pole barn backside.
I'm living vicariously through you now that I'm bedfast. You're doing what I had wanted to do when I retired ( but on a smaller scale ) , THANK YOU from Johnson City !
You are very good at finding great gadgets. I admire that talent.
I like pallets with side walls on them to store firewood. You can incorporate a tarp to keep the elements away but mostly air drying is preferred especially in your mild climate.
if i might make an suggestion wit the splitter put chocks under the wheels as added security against it moving.
🪵🪵 Good Show! ... Bruce
All right , Great video!
Back years ago when we lived in the country, I had a three side shed to store firewood in. But when I installed a boiler I was able to put three foot chunks of wood but I still stored my three foot log out of the weather. We heated our home for twenty years and when the boiler was operating we heated our water also. We lived in southern Illinois and in my spare time I cleaned fence rolls.
The log splitter was fantastic. Using one is therapeutic.
Where you stacked the firewood I assume was just temporary. I would be afraid of damaging the kiln. As far as where I stored the firewood would definitely be a shed of some type. Hey it’s just another project to build an inexpensive storage shed.
The two way splitter is fantastic.
A fall day, kind of cool outside, drinking a cup of coffee and using your splitter. What more could you want.
I worked for a guy that sold wood Mizer sawmills in the early 90's it's nice to see they have added so many more quality build support equipment.
Great video!
I follow a man in France who is restoring a chateau in France. He has a friend come help him on occasion. He has a splitter that cuts logs to the right size, splits, then tosses into a trailer. Never seen anything like it.
Hey Nathan, only a 6 mins into this video and I see a feature I would want added to the log lifter part of the splitter and that is some sort of side stop (like a small edge) on the side of that lifter, especially the side with the ignition switch. I can see a big log being lifted up and sliding off and hitting that ignition switch. Just some food for thought.
brilliant idea machine, one way is faster than the other because of area inside the hyd. cylinder.
Got a combination plus some regular pallets i put together and make some sidings on - also with pallets. Have to store my wood in 3-4 different locations.
You have the perfect setup for a water wood stove. Build a shed and stack wood on one side. You can have the water wood stove on the other side. You can trench the water lines to a heat exchange to keep the house warm all winter. I did this years ago and it keeps the smoke/ashes out of the house. It also gives constant heat. One other thing I did was have 100" of flexible copper tubing in the water tank. I used it to "preheat" the water before going into the domestic water heater. It was a great setup to heat both the house and domestic water with one external wood water heater.
you might look at northwest sawer , he uses his saw mill and chain saw to make fire wood lots of it fast
Hey fellow Tennesseean! Good video. Thank you! You've got some really great tools now and it's fun to watch you use them. Stay Blessed brother. Chip / TN
Thanks, Chip!
And I chopped firewood by hand for 40 years 😮 this machine is absolutely amazing 😮.
Awesome finally the big reveal we been waiting. So awesome tat two way function what a great design. Looking forward to the 4/5 way knives to see even more efficiency from that push. Awesome 🤠🇺🇸
Right on!
There is a TH-camr called Donn Dyi that has made a few log processing machines that you could look into. That being said, I agree with just getting IBC totes. They are cheap or free and you already have the equipment to move them.
I put down two 2x4 and stack my wood on top of that. Then put a cover over the top, old rubber roofing held down by a few extra pieces of wood.
Cool splitter, haven't seen one like that before with the double action. The view you have in the background is awesome!
Great video, Nathan. I agree that log splitting - no matter how you do it - is therapeutic.
Totally agree!
@rickgovek2715 I agree! Sometimes I watch log splitting videos to relax. I hope someday soon to get a high quality offset smoker so I'll have a reason to buy a log splitter. Since I live in Northern CA., Logs of almond trees are abundant, which is a great hardwood for smoking meat
When I heated with wood in a previous house I built a covered 10' x 20' lean-to. I leaned pallets against the wood stack to protect from rain/snow yet allowed lots of air movement for drying. Learning how to stack took a while, but worked very well for us. One thing to look at is how your local property tax will view a structure. That's where totes would be a plus.
I never really liked that wood processor until I seen This clip. Thankyou.
Cool new equipment
Thx for sharing this, had no idea woodmizer made a log splitter
Nice log splitter. Your right about checking what type of market is out there before you start any type of business. I have seen that type of splitter on a channel that shows wood splitting and wood chippers. Like anything it takes time to get the hang of things.
Everyone needs a good 6x8 or an 8x10 wood shed set up so its out of the weather, but also gets a little flow thru air to dry the wood. Good luck, and good job!
I have outside drying and a woodsheds for storage. I am from New Hampshire originally so I believe in woodsheds. Having moved to Florida I still believe in woodsheds to keep dried wood dry and from rotting. We also have bugs so I only bring in enough to reload the firebox and to give the 2am restoking..... the rest of the time require shoes. From what I see about your weather and the wood you keep out in the open....you do not NEED a woodshed to prevent rot or to keep the snow and ice buildup on the wood in the winter from getting inside the house.
For long term storage and drying take a page from Criss in the wood yard with the pallet bins. And there is a market for firewood in Tennessee I would regularly sell 80 to 100 full cords here in Central Florida every year. An elevator would be nice but I never had one and did firewood for over 40 years.
Hi Nathan, I store my firewood on pallets under a lean-to, I let the wood dry for at least a year so it burns nicely. Australian hardwoods are very heavy so I use strong pallets. You can make totes out of pallets, just screw them together to create a box.
Sure is a nice splitter, I just installed a new 16x20 woodshed I poured a pad of concrete to put it on, I am in southern Ohio and don’t like tredging thru the snow to get wet snowed covered firewood pull up my trailer to the shed load it up and park it on my porch . Took me two months of cutting and splitting to fill up my shed using a traditional log splitter. That’s from standing to firewood ready. In the summer the shed really dries it out very good “guess its kinda like a kiln”
Ah.. welcome back to your “ signature” tune at the beginning Nathan , I find it very relaxing .
That splitters gonna be a great addition to the farm ✊
👍🏴
That splitter is pretty slick. I especially like the double-acting feature. Looks like a big time saver, but then you have to collect wood from both sides. Your dump trailer worked well but I can see how a larger capacity setup would be nice.
That logsplitter is a real beauty! Great purchase! I can see it'll surely increase your output.
Thats a nice splitter. Seems like you could weld some steel bars to the top of that push block that go up, over and back down just high enough to clear the top of your wedges so that you can split 2 rounds of wood at a time and those bars would keep pulling the rounds back and forth for ya
I don’t burn firewood anymore, I did for 30 years at our home in Oregon. The idea was be at least one year ahead so that the wood was seasoned. I burnt mostly alder, maple, fir and some hemlock. Our home had a wraparound covered porch that I would stack almost a years worth of wood on. This was great because it would save me from handling each piece one less time. My woodshed would hold six cord but then I would have to bring wheelbarrow loads to the porch meaning handling each piece one more time. Loved the warmth of wood heat but considering the labor and the mess it makes on the porch and in the house I was ready to give it up. Looks like a great wood splitter, hope it works out for you.
I used to burn about five cords of wood a year. I built a shed for the wood and loved it. Out of the weather was probably the biggest advantage.
I think I would stack the wood on the end of the kiln,where rain wouldn't run on
I live in northern Maine. I use three pallets, one on the bottom and one screwed to either side with two 1x2 (sawmill scrap) braces across the top. I stack three rows of 16" logs in the "crate". Each crate, slightly overffilled, holds almost 1/3 of a cord. My full crates spend a season sitting out in the sun and wind with only the top covered to keep snow and rain exposure to a minimum. When I need move firewood, I use pallet forks on my TYM T474.
In late summer when it's time to set up my woodshed with the upcoming winter's wood, I drive the pallet right up to the woodshed door and with it lifted waist high I unload it with minimal bending. My back appreciates that.
I swear if woodmizer isn't an official sponsor yet or giving you very big discounts on things.. because I bought my lt15 because of you and now Ive been wanting a splitter for years and now I'm strongly considering it because of you
You asked whether we liked a woodshed (requires stacking) or an IBC tote; my reply, is whatever requires less handling. The fewer times you have to pick up a piece of firewood the more enjoyable the activity and the longer you will live.
Here's how I do firewood. First, I use a large flatbed trailer. Second, I use a large tractor with a big grapple on the front and a hydraulic splitter on the back. Then, using the grapple, I bring up my logs and cut the rounds on top the trailer until it's full. Then I turn the tractor around with the splitter facing the trailer and begin splitting. In this manner the logs are at waist level which eliminates bending over and picking up the heavy rounds. Everything is a waist level. I made a hookaroon from an old axe to reach out and stab rounds. Third, as I split the firewood, I load it into the front bucket of my smaller tractor. Then I can either drive the load to the house then dump it up close to the door or pile it up to season somewhere else without much effort. I don't stack it because I don't care how it looks. Again, the fewer times you have to pick up a piece of firewood the better and the longer you will live. Save your back for when it really matters like helping your wife load the dishwasher. How many times do you touch a piece of firewood before it burns?
There was one of theses at the state fair. It had arms on the ram that would drag the log back and you could do 2 at a time. The rep from woodmizer said a guy could do 5 ricks an hour. Thats a lot of wood to stack
I agree it definitely needs 2 arms wouldn't have to handle the wood once it was loaded
I love this because the scraps (flakes and splinters) it makes are excellent tinder for starting a fire.
Maybe an option would be to get two firewood/rock buckets and place them under the out feed tables. Then move them to a seasoning pile when full
G’day from Down Under. Wood sheds / shelters are the way to go. All kept dry and ready to go whenever you need it.
This is a really unique log splitter and the double action hydraulics make it very efficient.
Very little risk to the operator, but suited for a two person operation, so production could be commercial.
IMHO this log splitter should be raised up so that the totes could handle a higher volume of logs.
What is the maximum length of the logs that can fit into this log splitter ?
I have a large residential fireplace, so I cut my logs to 24 inches long.
With the litle trailer on one side, park the bit tractor bucket under the ramp on the other side to catch the material heading in that direction. You don't have to bend over to pick. it up that way. :)
With the splitter, like you mentioned about a lot of logs being rotted inthe middle or having other issues, you can possibly generate additional income with your cutoffs, as well and insome areas, people even take the pine for campfires and hunting camps.
Getting it done.
My dad has just invested in a splitter (not as big as this one) after me, him and my brother have battled away with chainsaws and axes for years! Looking forward to playing with it😅
The Wood-Mizer line of wood splitters were originaly built be Tempest.
With a wood shed you have to handle the wood 3 times. Once when it’s split, then into the shed, then into an IBC or trailer to sell it. If you use the IBC from the outset, you cut your workload by100%
Use a couple of IBF totes that are fitted with mesh bag liners that fit over the top edges and have tie strings - much like trash can liner bags. They sell them. When they are full, use the tractor to lift them out of the totes for storage under an open air storage shed.. The idea is to minimize the handling and stacking. Sell the wood by the tote bag full.
I burn all winter here in Minnesota to heat my shop and occasionally a decorative fire in the house. I prefer stacking my wood in a traditional holzhausen. You can store a lot of wood without the need for a wood shed, and it looks awesome when its finished. The completed stacks look like beehives and are actually a decorative feature rather than having yet another structure in your yard or making it look like you are a metal recycling yard with all those IBC totes laying about.
Great episode! The new splitter is a beast! The advice is spot on! Classic OTW!
Appreciate it!
Quick suggestion, put your biggest bucket on skidsteer and put it on the other end and let it drop in there, then take it where you want it
Thanks Nathan, good video as usual, I used to stack our firewood in long lines, a bit like Mike Morgan, just not anywhere near as tidy, which worked well, if I had to do it again a wood shed would be what I would go for, particularly if I didn’t have to deliver, I would also like to see the videos of the build!
Great video as always, love that you ‘keep it real’.
I saw another youruber a while back that was in the firewood business and he used IBC totes to handle firewood storage / drying.
Awesome machine, congrats
Wood shed
I know exactly what you mean about trailers - I had no problem when backing up the Pershing II launcher with the missile on it while I was in the Army, but an eight-foot trailer about the same size as yours gives me all kinds of trouble.
Definitely you can see the need for some new knives. Double handling quite a bit of that. Overall, looks like it does a pretty good job.
You learn to ‘flop’ the round over the top of the ram when it starts to rise over the knives. Yup, makes a lot of kindling. We spilt a lot of hardwoods that aren’t straight grained. Crotches and knots don’t split well on this box splitter. My boss at the tree service I work for has owned one for two years. We have tweaked our process and it’s pretty productive now. We drop the split wood into empty IBC frames and take the plastic totes and screw them to pallets and use them for catch tubs as well. With three guys we can buck, split and move 2 ricks per hour without killing ourselves. I would love to split a day’s worth of straight grained rounds. This machine would really shine.
Clever design on that splitter, once you get the log on the lifter its easy peasy lemon squeezy. I'm always impressed with the low light capability of those cameras. Great video Nathan thumbs up.
@Nathan, do not know if you remember the setup I told you I use: a pole barn for air drying the split wood as well as allowing the sun on it but keeping it away from the rain. I tried to let my stuff drive for 2 years but with this crazy weather we've been having 6 months in this heat feels like 1 years worth of seasoning on the firewood. I do with the help of others process a lot. Since I cook with a wood fired oven as well as a wood furnace in the basement and Open Hearth fireplace in the living room and a wood fire box in the shop. Those scraps at peel off and fall down around you I've had people off me 10 bucks a 5-gallon bucket stuffed to use as kinlin to start their fires.
Theres nothing better than a wood shed
That is one hell of wood splitter
Don't back the trailer in. Drive forward with the trailer at 90° to the splitter off load ramp (like a letter T.) Move the splitter to a better location if you need to.
that is nifty. I use an old carport to store the split wood .
If the splitter will not be stored under cover or inside you would benefit from having flat pavers under the legs feet so that they do not sink into the ground when you receive rain. Also, spraying the legs and their feet with a light coat of WD40 or other light lubricant will do much for their longevity and function. You have a compelling site, a good voice and a face made for radio or a sidekick in a John Wayne western. I do enjoy your work.
A temp solution on catching the split wood might be the Kato or one of your tractors with a bucket on the other side from the trailer.
That log splitter is a back and labor saver.
IBC totes
1 have 12 that I fill...for my own use...even here in NE GA
I Cut the tops from the plastic tubs, cover the wood with those, and store under a "shed"
Can move with skid steer or tractor forks anywhere I need
i spent a lot of time as a kid every fall stacking firewood in our yard, and then eventually my dad built a wood shed so it would stay dry all year round. being in NY, we probably went thru a full cord or more at least every winter. and of course, because i was the oldest, i was in charge of keeping the stove going in the basement!
In cold Nova Scotia, that firewood would be considered small, but thats perfect size for your needs! Nice splitter!
Thanks 👍
I wonder if you could get 2 or 4 ibc totes on either side and let the wood fall between them so they fill up together. The more totes you can fit the less you'll have to stop and move them.
I love seeing this on your channel. I'm not a fan of the burn pile, as I have always lived fugally. Effectiveness, elegance, quality, with economy being the cornerstone have been great ethics in business.
I would use IBC totes on both sides of your log splitter to collect the split wood. You can then use your skid steer to move the filled IBC totes.
A very smart wood splitter, I must say
IBC totes, we burn approx 5 cords a year I split and stack right into the tote and cover. I have 30 totes full at most times and when I need one I grab it with the tractor and place it into the garage. Limit the touches on the fire wood
Nice splitter..
this year I’m using ibc totes… one or two advantages is your dryer to dry whole totes and ability to be portable..
great video 👍👍
Wood shed for sure! But anything that keeps the wood dry!
Pete, over at Just a Few Acres, cross-stacks the ends of his log pile and loose-stacks everything in the middle.
I like running my splitter. I use mine for burning wood in our firepit outside. I also split a lot of wood for my smokers.
Right on
Maybe put a lean too on to the side of your timber frame or just beside it or a feet away with blocks or some way to keep the wood up off the ground.
In some kind of tote you could always use them as fillers in the kiln to fill space with shorter bunks and dry your firewood at the same time
Nice addition to your homestead. Looks like a high production splitter. Are we in for a tube series on the new pavillion to cover the new splitter and a big stack of firewood?
Possibly!
Just because it ain't shiny and new don't mean it don't work well, it just means that is time tested and proven its worth.
The machine looks like it could use return arms for the rounds. Personally id build a couple dump bins with hog or cattle pannels and t post and store it out in wide open like Chris in the wood yard. Id find a couple old dump hoppers one on each end that you move with forks and dump in your storage bins.