Home Made Log Hauler

[picframer]

Being my B day I had the day off, we had to have something for a job the guys start tomorrow so it was off to buy a cheap mig welder, present to self.

A few weeks ago while leaving a job site I noticed a set of wheel out with someones garbage, I assume they are off an old garden tractor and I thought to myself I should grab those and I did.

I bought a wood chipper last year which came in a steel frame, kept the steel thinking I might use it some day. Had some steel laying around I collected here and there, had a 60" piece of 3/4" rolled steel which fit the holes in the wheels perfectly, drilled the ends for clevis pins and started the project.

Now it is a bit crude, two shades of green as the stores are closed here and that is all I had in green to use, started with some red primer didn't have any yellow for the wheels, I will paint it again this fall, perhaps grind the welds down a bit.

I think she is ready for the woods, I will get the guys to pull it with one of the ATV's as they have better clearance and it will allow the 2720 to run the chipper full time for smaller pieces.

We had a major fire here a few weeks back and to make a long story short the woods are full of down fall from a Hurricane years back, after the fire my phone hasn't stopped for wood clearing and chipping so I hired four guys, two experienced chain saw operators and two to keep the chipper going, they start tomorrow.

Pallet forks would be ideal so we could use a loader on the tractor to haul logs and I plan to order a set however for now this should work great, we will cut everything into 4' pieces and transport back to my house on an 18 foot tandem trailer, when I get 15 cord done I will sell it to the paper mill, going rate is $65.00 a cord, I suspect we have around 200 cord to cut.

I couldn't help but think of Red Green today building this (Canadian Comedian handyman) and his saying "If the women can't find you handsome they may as well find you handy"

Andy

[Steve]

That is fantastic! Happy Birthday too!

Ok so you take your new trailer and go into the woods and chop up some fallen trees into 4 foot sections. Then haul them out with the trailer. When you get them back you can split them up and sell them for fire wood.

I got lost on where the transport back to my house on an 18 foot tandem trailer" fits in?

Do you bring the wood out on the atv trailer to the tandem trailer then to the house?

[Steve W]

A few weeks ago while leaving a job site I noticed a set of wheel out with someones garbage, I assume they are off an old garden tractor and I thought to myself I should grab those and I did. HEY! I wasnt trashing them tires! Now you can pull them back down here to me!!??:D
LOL!!! Looks good to me.

[picframer]

That is fantastic! Happy Birthday too!

Ok so you take your new trailer and go into the woods and chop up some fallen trees into 4 foot sections. Then haul them out with the trailer. When you get them back you can split them up and sell them for fire wood.

I got lost on where the fits in?

Do you bring the wood out on the atv trailer to the tandem trailer then to the house?

Steve. this is all Softwood up to 30" on the butt, we haul 48" pieces out of the woods with the ATV and home made unit, load it on a tandum trailer and haul it back to my house where it would be stacked, when you have 15 cord you call a company that makes paper, they come and scale it, pay you on the spot, load it and haul it away.

We do not use softwood here in wood stoves for a number of reasons, if we do get a bunch of hardwood I would keep it for myself as I burn hardwood in the house and the workshop....free heat.

[Steve]

Very interesting!

Have you ever timed it to see how long it takes to split a chord of wood? Or how long it takes to haul it out of the woods and then split 15 chords?

Is it ultimately worthwhile when the paper mill will pay $65 a chord?

Would neighbors buy a chord of wood too? Would they pay more or less or about the same?

[picframer]

Very interesting!

Have you ever timed it to see how long it takes to split a chord of wood? Or how long it takes to haul it out of the woods and then split 15 chords?

Is it ultimately worthwhile when the paper mill will pay $65 a chord?

Would neighbors buy a chord of wood too? Would they pay more or less or about the same?

I have personally cut, split and stack 6 cord of hardwood in a day, that is really pushing it, 3 is more comfortable and doesn't kill the back.

No one around here will burn softwood in their stove that I know of so a paper mill is the only choice.

The trailer has to come home at the end of the day anyhow so there is no additional cost there, I factored all this into my quote keeping in mind what tree companies charge. They are desperate high as they have little competition, I am simply flying under their radar and will continue to do so, doing the same in every decision until I am big enough for them to take notice.

[Steve]

I think that is fantastic and part of what makes you such a business genius :)

[picframer]

I think that is fantastic and part of what makes you such a business genius :)

Just think outside the box, do things others are not or if they are, do it better, it is a ton of fun and really pays dividends.