NH homesteader
Herd Master
Yep my husband has done that too! All the parts make my head spin but that's how his brain works. It's cool.
Wool around eyes
- Thread starter Alexz7272
- Start date
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
41" bar!!!!!I would not touch that either. Hmmm, you sure about that, what I find says 32" max (which is still way more that I would ever touch). Mine is just a little 16" and it is a Stihl homeowner easy start type.
DH's chainsaw is a Stihl 440 magnum commercial and yes im sure he has a 41" bar on it now and has for the past 2 yrs. His saw is not like the new USA made ones it is one made in germany and built for commercial use to be used day in and day out for loggers, when needed. It is a very heavy bodied saw so if your cutting wood all day most people wouldnt use a 440, just happens to be the only one we own.
He also owns a 7' two man bar that fits on the same saw but he doesnt have another 440 for the other side of it. I am very scared to see it running.
Didn't realize the wood hadn't been cut down yet. It won't dry enough to burn well if it is cut now unless it has been standing dead a few years. I've never cut a tree down either, just cut up a couple of trees that had dropped but were held up not too far off the ground in another tree.
Do you have another source of heat for the house?
Another hmmm. If it takes 1 to 1.5 hours to start the tractors, I have to believe there is a mechanical issue. No farmer would depend on something for his/her livelihood that took that much time to start. I realize older things don't run as well as newer ones (me being a good example). Maybe ask about them out on the www.tractorbynet.com or www.tractorforum.comforums?? There have to be some people out there that could help troubleshoot given a good description.
Again no personal knowledge but I would bet that he will lose the use of his hands before 10 years if he doesn't stop doing things that cause/aggravate the CT. Yeah I do know he can't stop working for a living.
We cut dead standing Ash, it is ready to burn as soon as you get it on the ground which is why we cut it. Emerald ash borer killed all the Ash in Michigan, so for the past 5-10yrs everyone has been cutting it for ready to use firewood. Cedar can also be burned right away but we dont use much of that to much creo.
No we have no other way to heat our house. The furnace didnt work when we moved in which is why we use a wood burner.
Yes there are many many things wrong with the tractor but since the tractors are on loan to us for only about a month at a time we are not going to put the several thousand dollars into fixing them, nor could we afford to even if we wanted too. DH is a small and large engine mechanic as well as a welder and master blacksmith...he can fix anything but unless the owners are buying the parts those two tractors are not getting fixed anytime soon. We do not have the resources atm to buy a tractor. As far as farmers depending on something etc....yes most farmers around here do depend on those tractors, it is far more common to see very old tractors limping along then it is to see "modern" tractors being used. Farmers do not want to go that far into debt so they save money for sometimes decades to afford to pay cash for a "new" piece of equipment. We do not have many commercial farmers around locally, in fact there are only 2 i know of and they have the brand new tractors and brand new balers and new new new but they are also in debt well over several million dollars. Old fashioned farmers will never do that because the risk is to high to lose everything.
I bet he does too but he is stubborn, the Dr told him he needed surgery 2yrs ago. So we rushed to find a farm we could afford so we could get things set up before he HAD to have surgery...we are obviously still working on it.
NH homesteader
Herd Master
7' bar? That's terrifying! My husband used to sell Stihl and Echo chainsaws. I won't even run a chainsaw, they freak me out. So all cutting jobs are his by default!
We don't have a tractor either. Makes things more than a little bit difficult sometimes!
We don't have a tractor either. Makes things more than a little bit difficult sometimes!
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
Oh yes...it worse when he has to drop trees that scares me a lot. The only thing worse is when he has to climb birch. Birch rots from the inside out so the tree can appear fine and he can be climbing it and it seems fine but then suddenly snaps, he always charges more to drop birch for people when it has to be climbed vs the charge to drop any other same size tree.
No tractor definitely limits what we can do but we just try to plan accordingly. Plan for things that require a tractor when we have the loaned tractors at the farm.
Bruce
Herd Master
Ah, I had ASSUMED (silly me) that you owned the tractors. Clearly the people that own them don't use them much or they would at least improve the start time. I don't have the money to buy a tractor right now either. Sure would be nice though.
A 2 man chain saw with 2 power heads and a 7' bar??I don't think I even want to see that in operation. Talk about scary!
Damned Emerald Ash Borers
Ash is such a nice wood, splits almost like butter. Glad at least if he is hand splitting it is nice straight grained ash, not rock maple or twisty stringy gnarly elm. You don't even try to split elm up the center. Glad too that the wood is ready to burn soon as it is cut.
Okay, I have a suggestion (for what it is worth, maybe nothing). Since it IS ash, get a couple of splitting wedges (I bet you already have them) and a hand sledge (which you also probably have) and split the smaller diameter blocks. You won't need to raise it overhead and risk dislocating your shoulders. Once the wedge is holding in place, you can 2 hand the sledge. When I have split ash, it typically popped apart by the time the sledge/wedge was halfway down the piece, often sooner. Not like birch, especially white birch. That "elastic" bark will hold the halves together and they trap the wedge. I've had to use a hatchet to split the bark along the split in the wood to get the pieces separated.
Every little bit helps, right?
A 2 man chain saw with 2 power heads and a 7' bar??
I don't think I even want to see that in operation. Talk about scary!Damned Emerald Ash Borers
Ash is such a nice wood, splits almost like butter. Glad at least if he is hand splitting it is nice straight grained ash, not rock maple or twisty stringy gnarly elm. You don't even try to split elm up the center. Glad too that the wood is ready to burn soon as it is cut. Okay, I have a suggestion (for what it is worth, maybe nothing). Since it IS ash, get a couple of splitting wedges (I bet you already have them) and a hand sledge (which you also probably have) and split the smaller diameter blocks. You won't need to raise it overhead and risk dislocating your shoulders. Once the wedge is holding in place, you can 2 hand the sledge. When I have split ash, it typically popped apart by the time the sledge/wedge was halfway down the piece, often sooner. Not like birch, especially white birch. That "elastic" bark will hold the halves together and they trap the wedge. I've had to use a hatchet to split the bark along the split in the wood to get the pieces separated.
Every little bit helps, right?
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
Ah, I had ASSUMED (silly me) that you owned the tractors. Clearly the people that own them don't use them much or they would at least improve the start time. I don't have the money to buy a tractor right now either. Sure would be nice though.
A 2 man chain saw with 2 power heads and a 7' bar??
Damned Emerald Ash Borers
Okay, I have a suggestion (for what it is worth, maybe nothing). Since it IS ash, get a couple of splitting wedges (I bet you already have them) and a hand sledge (which you also probably have) and split the smaller diameter blocks. You won't need to raise it overhead and risk dislocating your shoulders. Once the wedge is holding in place, you can 2 hand the sledge. When I have split ash, it typically popped apart by the time the sledge/wedge was halfway down the piece, often sooner. Not like birch, especially white birch. That "elastic" bark will hold the halves together and they trap the wedge. I've had to use a hatchet to split the bark along the split in the wood to get the pieces separated.
Every little bit helps, right?
Ironically the massey is the only tractor the guy owns....he uses it for field work so as long as he isnt doing crops or hay we get to use it and luckily he only lives 2 miles from us. The ford owner has several different tractors but none are in jump on and ride condition just none so bad as the ford...which is why we get to use it
. The length we get to use them varies though, sometimes it is a few days and sometimes they leave the tractor there for a few months.I misunderstood i guess....the two man bar can have the power unit attached to either side...the other side has a type of handle for the other fellow to hold. If this link works here is a video on one....with a shortish 2-man bar. https://goo.gl/images/xQ1zXY
I never thought to use a wedge. I can split ash as long as it is a shorter cut block about 10" or so with no knots or anything weird in it. I have to hold the maul so funny in front of me to do it that by the time i get a block done im about ready to die from my back. He has me use a death table which helps but scares me lol. I can clean the entire barn by myself but i can only split one block of wood...it frustrating
i will have to try the wedge and see it thats better. DH does keep a small supply of 10" or smaller Ash blocks for me in case i need more firewood and he isnt home. He also will cut slices out of harder woods so i can split them if i need too. Yes he could just split those all but he is trying to help me learn how i can split wood and how big of pieces i can do depending on wood type. This thread is getting way off from the face wool topic
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NH homesteader
Herd Master
Lol I was just going to ask, so how is the sheep anyway?
Bruce
Herd Master
Good question @NH homesteader ! I was thinking the same thing @misfitmorgan as I post (after post after post). Sorry for taking it so off topic
(but I will add 1 last thing. *I* do NOT want to be the guy holding the non power end of that 2 man saw!)
(but I will add 1 last thing. *I* do NOT want to be the guy holding the non power end of that 2 man saw!)
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
Ditto on everything!
