Hello . I work in firewood industry around 2 years in Sweden. After pres/split wood moves with conveyor to steel gaskets (same as you have )1cub.m. Wood allways clean , drying fast coz ari circulates from all sides . Easy to move/flip/count and stack up to 4 floors by tractor . In our nordic climat you have to be very effective with drying , because we have only few dry and warm weeks in a year. WIsh you all the best with your buisness i love and respect all ppl who do honest work!
Wood doesnt dry below the freezing..... And i dry forewood in my garage without wind.... You need HEAT. The higher the heat, the fadte the evaporation. With heat, moisture rises out of the woodshed. But you cabt dry wood at freezing temps, leave it as long as you want, it won't happen
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Yep,borrowed my son-in-law's truck for wood...last block of the last load,a block slid a few inches and bearly touch the very bottom of the rear window. Shattering it in a million pieces!! 🤷
Growing up, our father processed wood from our woodlot for extra family income over the Winter months. Dad downed the trees and cut it. We stacked the split wood into cords to measure in the woods. We threw it in the dump truck. We went with Dad to deliver the load of wood to customers. We frequently had requests to stack it at the delivery site. Some customers just wanted the convenience of having the wood stacked ...and some customers wanted the wood stacked to make sure they were getting a full cord, face cord, etc. for the $$$. So much work!
Customer service will always be the way to get and keep customers. I think its unique how you can keep up with all your inventory and especially how you move so much. Keep chucking!
I totally agree with you about making piles instead of stacking, Chris. I've enjoyed seeing how you've evolved your operation in the past few years. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Thanks chris im startng building my bins,i watched for a year and made sure it dryed and didn't mold,and i love how they look, i hate stacking so im moving towards this
had an old guy that had been burning wood for a few decades tell us the difference in stacking vs piling is nothing in volume. ive stacked a truck bed vs piling and i could not tell a difference. im glad to hear this being reinforced from another reliable source. ill continue to not stack. thanks.
No, it does not have to be stacked, loose wood takes up 25% more volume for the same amount of wood. If you put a full cord into a trailer hundreds of times you will learn that it is always the same amount each time as far as volume (level) in the trailer. That is what I learned the hard way...to much extra work.
I split a half full cord for a neighbour, She wanted it split small for the fireplace. So I split it all small and stacked it to show her it was a full half cord. I threw it into my 8 foot pick up box and I could hardly get the half cord in without it falling off the sides. For myself, I know I can get about 3/4 of a full cord in my truck if I stack it. If its just thrown in, its about 1/3 of a cord. I've proved that by stacking it to measure it after I get it home.
You're full of bs, bro. There's a massive difference. I haven't used my furnace in 12 years. In fact, I don't even know if it works! I process almost 4 cords a year and have been doing so for almost 17 years. I don't know how you stack, but I'll bet my entire property deed. You're dead wrong... There's a massive difference!
@@cw6136 ok, from someone thats hauled dump truck loads of fire wood the difference is so minimal its way not worth the headache and, youd have to puzzle piece it in like a tessellation, so yea you can waste all that time for 10 extra sticks of fire wood per chord. idk what your idea of "massive" is but my time savings is way more "massive" and ill put both of my property deeds on that!
@@InTheWoodyard - - Broke the front window on my box topper thing about three years ago stacking wood into the box of my 8-foot bed Silverado (piece of crap truck - don't ever buy one). I never replaced the window. Oddly enough, it seems to stay dry. By the way, here in lower Michigan a face cord is 18" logs stacked 4'x8' so I can get a whole face cord in the back of my 8-foot truck if I stack it when I pick it up at my source. He charges me $45 for one face cord but I have to go get it. Is that a lot? You didn't say what you charge for firewood delivered. Cheers and thanks for the info. I stack my wood next to the house on pallets and cover with a tarp to keep rain and snow off it. Seems to be OK.
@@q7winq7 If you can go get a face cord for $45, respectfully, you're seller is a sucker! Should be double that, and nobody's making much even at that price. As for a face cord being 4x8x18inches, that doesn't make sense. It's 16 inches. Seems to me that if people in your area do that, somebody screwed up eons ago, nobody caught onto it and people kept copying it, lol. 4x8x16inches is exactly one face cord, one-third of 1 cord. Cheers!
@@mydogdidit - - - - First, my supplier isn't selling firewood as a business, so who cares if he just wanted to get rid of it. Second, I'm sure he didn't give a fig if the wood is 16" or 18." Third, I'm sure he doesn't give a fig how big a face cord is. His sign said "this wood for sale for $45." Respectfully, if you're selling wood for a living, maybe try another career. The best way to fight inflation is not to pay high prices for ANYTHING. @$90 a face cord, heating is cheaper burning propane. God bless suckers for helping control inflation. Cheers.
Here in Maine it was always cords usually several. "Full cord" is used only to stress to the seller that we do indeed want FULL cords this time! And those sellers are often given a nickname, "Short Cord Jones" or whoever. Less often half cords and rarely 1/4 cords are bought and sold. In recent years some people are starting to say face cord/third cord, maybe because that amount fits somewhat into a UBC tote. I'm good at math so I don't care what quantities are used as long as I get full measure. By the way, I've been storing my firewood in pallet bins the last 2-3 years.
A man can appreciate a fine woodstack ge has made all by himself. There is something grand about well stacked neat fuel reserves. Its good to have one or two set up. The rest can be piled 😬
Great video. I do just my home firewood for heating and I hate it, cant imagine doing that much!! I do touch my wood WAY too many times. After watching this, I may just make a bin like yours up by my log pile and just pile it in there to keep it off of the ground until its moved to the woodshed which holds close to 2 seasons of wood so has plenty of time to finish drying before its burned!
I used to not stack, I'd just pile into big cones but straight onto the ground. Seemed to cost me more wood that I figured at the time. Now I split straight into IBC totes. I was stacking into them until I got a big enough number of totes to just let it pile into them. Mostly burning myself. For the sell of wood, I just dump 4 totes ad a full cord into my trailer out of the totes instead of 3 stacked. I know I'm letting more wood go than if it's stacked, but I'd rather process wood then stack wood. I like the cutting and splitting and not so much the stacking. As for me I just bring a couple totes to the house and use straight out of the tote to heat with.
An interesting experiment would be for you to stack a facecord and put the same thrown in loose and mark the area and do moisture checks throughout the season.
I learned how to build my bins out of pallets by watching your channel... I learned how to use zip ties to measure my rounds by watching your channel... and now you tell me not to stack?!?! I learned by watching you, Chris! I learned by watching you!!! 😂 (not sure if you'll get the reference) but, lol either way 😁👍
i used to do a fair amount of gettting, cutting and burning for myself and i would always kind of stack pile my firewood in the shape of a teepee with the wood on end and the whole thing sat on crushed stone. it dried and cured good that way with the heat of the summer and shed the rain good enough and when winter hit i would throw a tarp over it and then had a container pallet in the garage to keep a supply handy. i would go through 4 or 5 chords with a wood stove to supplement the oil fired boiler in the house. i always worked the wood up by hand with my saws, maul, axe and hatchet. i got most of my wood from the power company where i worked and i also bought grapple loads a couple times. i don't burn anymore because i'm retired and too old to keep up with it and my wife doesn't like it too much. the wood would warm you 3 times, once when you cut it, again when you split it and again when you burn it.
I looked at the gloves you used and picked up a pair. Awesome gloves. Keeps my hands warm in cold conditions. Sturdy on the outside and soft on the inside.
We do over 100 full cord a yr an stack it all because it’s faster for us than piling it . Conveyor drops it into a dump trailer an we stack from the dump trailer onto half cord movable pallets so instead of chucking wood into the bin an then chucking it back into the truck at delivery time we just stack it onto our pallets and instead chucking into the truck we just dump the half cord pallet into the trailer an grab another pallet . By my math that’s one less touch an twice as fast . Having a miles of flat ground an fields gives ya plenty of wind an sun up here in Maine it’s hills an trees an wood piled up like that would get very moldy unless it was like you out in open fields . We all do what works best for our situation .
I found on the beach the same polar fleece sweater as you're wearing. I wear it all the time. I also have woodlands I cut and sell fire wood. I agree completely
The reason wood is sold in cords or ricks is so there a standard to go buy. To many sellers sell you a pile or bin of wood and cheat you on the amount you are getting.
If you did some research you would find that what people call different measurements of wood varies a lot around the world and region. Bush cords, ranks, face cords, rows, riks, cubic meters are common around the USA Canada and the rest of the world. ....1/3 of a cord is the same as a rik, facecord and rank. A bush cord is the same as a full cord. The vast majority of the world does not use cords at all. You are free to use what you want as long as your customers know what the are getting.
for over 40 years I have been chopping/ splitting wood etc,I would go with my father in-law, RIP. who was a Forrester(part time) and fell a tree (he was given trees ,a perk of the job,,and I spent many a back breaking weekend helping him fell,cutting and then splitting the oak, ash, birch and sometimes a pine (pine I always found was good to get the wood burner started)one thing to this day he taught me is chop/split the wood as soon as possible,same day if you can,and leave it for a year uncovered in these round metal cages..THEN stack it under the covered area(our covered are was basically a big car port)6-8 months later you have a 15 to 20 percent moisture,perfect oven wood
The climate in Wales wasn't very hot or dry at all, but my grandparents (farmers) would fell what needed felling, cut it up and throw it in a big pile by the back door right out in the open, no cover. By the time we burned last years, this years was good to go. Some was ruined by being wet at the bottom of the heap but when it's not money, your own trees, just labour, time and effort is everything.
Lots of theories. Here in the mountains in Australia I don’t stack wood either. Just for my use I cut it in the bush , usually a standing dead tree with now bark left on it. Then I throw it on the ute, dump it on the ground at the wood heap, no cover or shed. Then I split a wheelbarrow load with an axe or block buster and park it up on the porch undercover once it’s split. It’s dry inside until it is split. Our wood is hardwood usually Ironbark or box, it burns really hot , even if it’s wet.
Great channel, thanks for all the hard work creating these videos. I've learnt a lot. As regards bins, it wouldnt work here in the Uk because we have a mild maritime climate. Continuous rain and little sun especially in the winter. Even with stacking on pallets there's often mould growth in the base. I'm envious of those blue sky Wisconson winters. ☹ Cheers Sid
same here in Western Washington state, it is cold and wet for months in the winter, moldy wood is a real problem. Lots of firewood companies around here kiln dry their wood since the drying season is too short otherwise.
absolutely agree! I put my firewood in wire bin made of rebar wire 5 ft tall 5 ft diameter. Dries just fine. I also have goats , so stacks of wood don't stay stacked. Also allow me to use wood that wouldn't stack very well.
Nothing wrong with stacking wood. Ive lived in the mountains of north Georgia for 60 years. Family has for over 150 years. The only folks that dont stack are lazy folk. Keeps would off the ground. Keeps bugs out of it, looks better. Might as well tell folks they shouldnt clean there home, dont make your bed or dont bother putting your tools up. Having a neat and tidy woodyard is like having a neat and tidy work shop. It just makes sense. What other folks do is what they do but as for me and my house, we will stack wood. Just my opinion.
Good for you! but here are the facts...yes it looks nice and neat and it saves space and you know exactly how much you have. BUT... loose wood on pallets off the ground has 25% more space to allow for air flow, requires a lot less work and dries MUCH faster. I have been producing about 200 full cords a year and have been doing so for about 50 years now. All major firewood producers pile (not stack) split wood into cones that are about 30' high and it dries great without touching the wood...ever. One producer I personally know sells 3-5 semi-truck loads a week years round and never stacks wood. He has 60 full time employees so is he wrong and lazy???
If your dealing with that amount of volume and selling, it makes sense. If your burning wood for home and hearth don't have piles in your yard it just looks bad. As far as statistics go where does that number 25 come from?? Who did the study and how many years did it cover?? Were talking opinions here thats all. Ive got mine and you have yours. Thats all. I'd still have a drink with ya and talk fishing and if you need help building a fence or a barn ill be there for ya. Im just not gonna throw wood in piles in my yard. Nor will I tell others to. Title of your video. Just struck me wrong. I apologize if I offended.
If you are only cutting 20 cords a year stacking looks awesome. When you are processing over 100 cords per year to sell, you want it dry fast and it’s an ungodly amount of work for nothing. Been there done that.
My dad has 32 Chords. 24 chords stacked on 2x6 pallets with 6-8 inch gaps between each row outside. The rest is stacked in the woodshed which is more like a barn shed. He burns about a full wheel barrow a day berween October- late March. He also srives loads out to my moms little old lady friends. I think he works harder in retirement.
Hey guys i read lot comments on the wood unstacked, some i agree on some i dont agree on. Wet wood don't burn worth crap in wood burner, Sounds like hissing cockroach, i pulled some my wood out back rack and must got damp with rain and wind blowing through pallets stood up locked together and roof is made of pallets with shingles on top covering it. Front is covered with 2- tarps side by side across with bungee cords for wind flex, i work my wood every day, So i can heat my house it's better than High gas bill
Staking it keeps the weather off, Where I live the grass is green year around, Because it rains a lot. If it is on the ground, it will rot to nothing, in less than a year. So NO! I will stack and be happy.
Lose wood dries faster because it can breathe easier. About 30% more space fro air to flow. ALL the major producers pile in big cones for a reason. Off the ground does help also which is why I put mine on pallets. . If you are in a wet climate tenting wood with only the top covered so the sides can breath would be best.
@@InTheWoodyard I understand, But not in a rain forest. If you take dried would here, and put it outside and unstacked, it will be socking wet in less than a week here. The wood warms will get to it and it will be Earth in no time. This would work in a wood shed. I am always looking for more places that are dry. Only thing I am saying is not all locations are the same. I have logged in Western WA, MT and WV. Even the rain forests are not the same in WV and WA. But I do understand and this will work for most people in North America. Just not all of us.
IBC totes make it a LOT easier to store, move, dispense, measure and deliver. The last time you touch the wood is when you place it neatly into the IBC tote and the rest is done on a flatbed truck or trailer and it's like the old milk delivery route, pick up the empty tote and replenish with a full tote.
Nice setup. We shoot it right into a solar kiln bag, then we can set it out for a year and load it by the handles with a skid, no mud no mess easy on easy off no loading the truck by hand
@@InTheWoodyard the customers pay for the bags and they can be reused. If they return them is $ off for them. I’ve reused the same bags more than 5 times. A lot of them never stack they just deplete the bag and I’ll grab it when I drop the next load.
I saw the light this year. I heat my house with woodstoves. I used to stack it in my wood shed, and then stack it in my garage as needed. I was stacking the same wood 2 or 3 times. Not this year.
If you haven't actually experienced cutting down timber in the fall, skidding, waiting until spring to haul it out, cutting to 16" lengths, splitting and stacking and then hauling it again. You will appreciate "piles". Stacking into cords is for the people at home.
I agree with just throwing in the logs in the truck. Hauling it down from the mtn after cutting and loading is enough work for me. I split it at home. My 8’ bed (that never has to be made btw) with 2’ sides AND plywood rear door above the tailgate, fits plenty for a day
We have a wood ministry at church. An 85 acre campus has lots of trees and some donated wood from others. We split and stack in a large shed. People who need it can take for free to heat their homes. We also have some guys that can deliver if they have no way to pick up.
We get 10 face cords a year for the wood stove (secondary heating source for the house), and I can say after we stack the wood in the wood shed I have a few wheel barrels of waist leftover. I will now start to ask how they load the wood, as the way you do it is perfect from the customer.
Yup, I get a lot of customers from guys who load wood with skid steers and buckets...many wheelbarrows full of dirt, bark, rocks, dirt , branches, debris.....
Awesome only thing that I would suggest from experience is a piece of plywood over the back window. As a bodyshop owner and back window breaker they are pricey and a pain to replace😊
As someone who burns the product you sell, I know the wood buried under several layers has no sun or wind to aid in its drying. I believe the concept of seasoned wood is over rated. Firewood needs a period of time to dry out or age its cambium, but it also needs to be in a place to dry out. Away from sun and wind will drastically slow its drying. I have burned wood which was seasoned for 2+ years, and it just dripped a lot of water before it finally started to burn. Firewood needs to be dry to properly burn, and it won't dry if it is covered under several layers exposed to the elements.
Here in NZ the standard measurement is a "thrown cord", namely a loosely thrown volume of cut wood. Often it's sold by the cubic meter but it's still all measured loose thrown/piled.
Yes, I get it . A lot of extra work. I would do the same if I were a supplier. Cut, split and stack my own wood by April, 4-5 bush cord in Eastern Ontario and stack it two rows wide and four feet high on pallets. The advantage of stacking is that in autumn I can cover it in lumber tarps. Interesting video. BTW, you need a dump trailer, haha.
Yup, for you own wood it is fine to stack it especially if you want it neat and and have limited space. We do have 4 dump trailers, you might want to watch a few other videos here, there are 1300 waiting for you!
I've listened all the way through yet, and this is my first time visiting, but speak to the old "crack and twist" which is when the older pallets start to rot out, and when you're on top of them doing the wood toss, it give out or it breaks when you move along in the process, you roll you ankle a bit, so you better have your laces on your good boots tied tight.....That was the suck thing about wood pallets. I was always on the look out for plastic pallets or things like that to swap out for the wood pallets, this way I had something which would last and last and wouldn't give me the ankle games.
I gottcha. I did my thing in Southern NY, and perhaps it wasn't as cold. Yes they can be brittle when the temps drop. But that snap and drop was annoying when on pallets that were getting tired.
No, he does not, I am a big boy now and I fold and put away my clothes in a dresser and I hang my clothes in a closet to just like my mommy taught me about 60 years ago. Like I told you in my other comment I produce hundreds of cords of wood every year... for decades now...and to stack it all would take thousands of hours...I used to stack it all. I have a lot of old videos on my channel (1300) showing and demonstrating how to do it easy and fast but it would be a waste of time and effort for me to do it any more. I grew up just like other professional firewood producers. A friend of mine produces 3-5 semi truck loads every day and he never touches one piece of wood and neither does any of his 60 employees. So.....
@@InTheWoodyard are you actually trying to tell me that you didn't understand my comment was a tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor? As if I thought that you handled your clothing the same way as commercial firewood? You must be a really sharp one. And a great sense of humor!!
I've done the loose stack like you're doing and I have also stacked it. The only downside to the loose pile if there are a lot of rattlesnakes and copperheads in my area, they go after the mice that go into the piles. Not really an issue when it's cold but once it warms up you've got a giant snake Den you've created
I stack my wood above ground 8 feet deep by 12 feet wide by 4 to 5 feet high gives me over 3 cords , I’m good for the next two years, if I just threw it in a pile I wouldn’t know how much I had because there would be many voids in the pile as there always is when we just throw it in a pile!! You deal in a higher volume than I do so I wouldn’t stack it either if I’m just selling it off anyway!!!!
I've been heating with wood for slmost 25 years now. I stack my own, but if I sell any, I never stack in the truck. I've found piled wood is about 2/3 the volume of stacked in the same space, and charge accordingly.
Since time is money, I am curious why you don’t have a truck with a hydraulic lift bed to save the unloading time. Thank you for your videos. I learn so much.
Okay I´m sure you have no trouble falling asleep when it´s bed time 😉 I was going to suggest a dump trailer for unloading at the customers to save a tun of time just there, and to save the pickup from wear n tear , but can now see further down in the comments you´re already on to it, I´d most definitely also be looking into some sort of system back at the yards to make life easier there, throwing all that up and over the fence is hard yakker also, but getting the drying pens higher up off the ground so you can back your tip trailer up to it , and either throwing it straight out into the trailer, or pushing most of it out from the other side with a loader into the trailer might also be an option, and save on the old back, we´re not getting any younger.. work smarter not harder as they say.. I´ve also never stacked wood in the shed, it´s up on pellets and can ventilate from all sides, dries perfectly without getting moldy .
Look into making pallet bins. Forks on a tractor. And a dump truck capable of holding 4 bins. Hand loading and unloading at your volume is incredible exercise. Think about what Im saying. A grapple on a tractor would fill the empty bins. I tried firewood. I could make more working for someone else. Much respect to you.
I like to work ....easier is not always better for me. How much money and exercise does the average guy get watching sports or TV? I enjoy what I do and I get paid to exercise...kinda like a professional athlete...
The way i look at it, every time you touch the wood, you are sorting it. Like when i load utensils in the dishwasher, that is actually a sort. So I sort them as they go in. Its all the same operation. When its time to unload, i dont re-sort back into the drawer. I grab a handful and toss it right into the drawer. So when you loaded your truck, you sorted/stacked. Then when you unloaded, you sorted/stacked again. So you are actually doing the work. The smart thing would be to merge the work and only do it once.
True only if you don't mind "good enough dry". The driest wood burns hotter with less creosote. Another factor is how much moisture comes up through the ground. A car always parked over dirt will rust out underneath faster than one always parked on pavement. I saw a 25 year old car with 6,000 miles on it that just sat in someones dirt driveway, it smelled like new on the interior and you could push your finger through the rusty frame. A larger pile of wood is exposed to more surface area of ground moisture. I'd be curious if you'd see drier wood faster if there was a tarp down first then put your big ole' pile over it
I burn larger pieces in an outdoor boiler here in NW MN. When I collect the wood all the processing is done right there and then into the dump trailer. I dump it on the ground and occasionally stir up the pile with my skid steer. You do have to be careful not to dig the bucket into the ground and then the wood stays pretty clean. If I spent much more time handling wood I would just pay for propane.
HI Chris. Minimize wood handling. Good topic. You have a wood processor that splits the wood onto a conveyor that dumps it into a stack/bin. Just need to manually fed the logs into the processor/splitter. Then the manual effort required to load the wood from the pile into the trailer/truck and unload it at the customer residence. Still labour intensive. Maybe Kenny has the better solution (aside from stacking), have the customer pick up the order. No loading or unloading as customer does the physical work. Understood that not all customers have the facilities to pick-up their own wood. Maybe those tote bins are a better idea. From the conveyor, into the bin, the bin later loaded onto the trailer/truck and dumped at the destination. Virtually no manual handling, I'm guessing. Great videos. A pleasure to watch! 🍁
Really enjoyable video. I'm in North East Scotland, I don't bother stacking wood either. To season it gets thrown on a pallet and left to the elements. Prior to using, it goes undercover in an open type outbuilding we have. Not sure if I saw them in the background of your video but we have similar/same. IBC cages we call them, not sure if terminology is the same? Easy to come by here either free or cheap, great way to store wood after you pull out the plastic container 👍🏻
When you're comparing somebody that orders wood and then stacks it (say 5 cords ave) verses somebody that processes their own wood in which in turn means.. #1 felling trees #2 cutting up trees, #3 loading wood, #4 unloading wood, #5 splitting wood #6 and then either stacking or piling ...it is a huge difference! So anybody that only does just 1 process versus 6 and tries to offer their opinion they're not even in the same ballpark. ✌😎
Here in the pacific northwest it would not work to store your wood outdoors like that, at least for the 4 or 5 month of the winter/rainy season where we see very little sun, high humidity, and heavy rains which can last for a week or sometimes two. Some sellers have barns or big sheds they will store their wood like that, but that wood is a premium for people who are not prepared. Most wood sold at that time is just not gonna be fully seasoned. Most people buy their whole supply of wood in the spring, stack it so it is dry for next winter. We also cannot use most equipment for 2 or 3 months in the summer due to the fire ban lol. If you have firefighting equipment on site than you may be able to continue operations through the summer.
Thanks Chris for sharing the lessons you learn along the way. Very useful information on being more productive even though I’ve been cutting firewood for over 25 years. Especially now that we have a boiler heating 8 buildings, wow more work! We gotta cut 30 cord a year just to keep up!
I stack 20 full cords of oak every year, I've got 20 ready to bring in and stack and about 30 that I just dropped and will season until next year. I could pile wood, but it's a pain to be sure what you have. I stack mine nice and tight in woodsheds. It stacked tight enough a mouse can get in the cracks but not the cat chasing it. I've always done it this way and always will.
I think you should get yourself a (used) tipper-trailer, so you can still handload and pick, but at delivery you just dump it on a heap. Saves a lot of work, and you will work out how much to throw in, compared to your truckbox, soon enough.
I just got a NEW small dump trailer and I have another big one too. You might want to watch a few of my other videos On the channel...there are over 1300 waiting for you and a new one every morning!
Now that was a Wisconsin backside! lol. I like to be creative , I've done the Holzhausen method and it's just for me personally as I have the time but it is an effective drying method and looks cool. But I do leave it in piles for a few years before I do that, then I have racks inside my porch for ready to burn pieces.
Good talk Chris. I’m with you on the stacking! If I had more space to store our splits they would not be stacked. My arms and shoulders would thank me🤣 see ya again Tomorrow 👍🏻👍🏻GNI
The old trucks the ones with the full 8 foot beds. One of them truck beds stacked nice is a half a cord. One half a cord. And thats stacked nice and neat.
before I forget... my neighbor using the metal parts of big packs. than you have a open steel frame for drying and don not need to load by hand and it stays away from the mud. For me it is not usefull cos I have no access to the 2nd floor of my barn with truck. Otherwise I would use them for storage as well. And they all have a volume of excakt one cubemeter....😁@@InTheWoodyard
One comment on storing (stacked or piled): Don't put your wood in your home (garage) or next to your outside walls. Reason: I learned the hard way that termites like wood. Having it next to or in your home sets you up for having termites in your home. Best to stack or store it away from the house and tarp it, if necessary.
Yup, me too. I have been chucking firewood into a truck now for 55 years and I sell about 200 full cords a year ...for years and I can't seam to brake one...not yet!
great quality wood there .. I sort of stack the front row of wood and throw the rest behind the wall of stacked wood . i have an hydraulic electric splitter .. mostly the logs are too big for my wood burner stove . the cost is around 100 euros a ton delivered . I get through around three tons over the burning winter season .
The less you handle the wood, the more efficient you are processing it. The only time I would be cord stacking wood is if it is going into its final stacking spot where I have to keep it neat. Otherwise a pile has enough airgap to dry just fine without needing organized.
I have one it is a piece of crap. It only works if you send a lot of extra time perfectly placing the wood inside the wheel wells and is a waste of time. I now use one of my dump trailer almost all the time for deliveries WAY FASTER AND EASIER!
Wait a second! You build this channel touching wood…always a new question. Was wondering the same thing about the bins drying. Thanks for a great answer! John
Skidder Kev's yard has several large concrete confinement bins covered by canopies. His is a large scale operation. I suppose the high upfront cost is recovered pretty quickly considering running down pallets and putting them together into bins. There's plusses and cons to both ways or anyway depending on the volume of wood, equipment, costs, efficiency etc. As the saying goes "Whatever works".
Take a look at ... Woodbags als Brennholzverpackung .. it is in German but you get to see a top firewood yard using the bags. To empty them you can push them over and lift the bag with the bottom loops, or get them returned after the customer emptied them piece by piece for daily use... it really is not that complicated, of course you can just continue to work your back.
I did look at them. I would need about 800-1000 of them at $20+ each, how do I unload them at the customers ...I just dump out the trailer now. I talked to 3 sellers who tried them...they all quit, said it was not very efficiant and very costly...so....
Hello . I work in firewood industry around 2 years in Sweden. After pres/split wood moves with conveyor to steel gaskets (same as you have )1cub.m. Wood allways clean , drying fast coz ari circulates from all sides . Easy to move/flip/count and stack up to 4 floors by tractor . In our nordic climat you have to be very effective with drying , because we have only few dry and warm weeks in a year.
WIsh you all the best with your buisness i love and respect all ppl who do honest work!
Thanks so much for watching! Keep cuttin'!
You need WIND to cure your stack. It will cure just fine under 10 ft of snow. Been there done that.
Wood doesnt dry below the freezing..... And i dry forewood in my garage without wind....
You need HEAT. The higher the heat, the fadte the evaporation. With heat, moisture rises out of the woodshed.
But you cabt dry wood at freezing temps, leave it as long as you want, it won't happen
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@@sportbikeguy9875freeze drying is a real thing.
I am really impressed that you can throw the wood in the truck without breaking the rear window.
No broke windows in 55 years and thousands of cords chucked...so far.
Yep,borrowed my son-in-law's truck for wood...last block of the last load,a block slid a few inches and bearly touch the very bottom of the rear window.
Shattering it in a million pieces!! 🤷
@@barryfirth1187 doesn't happen when wood supposedly "barely touches" a rear window
I'm glad I'm not the only person who gives people an old fashion good deal, thank you.
Good to here there are good people out there!
Growing up, our father processed wood from our woodlot for extra family income over the Winter months.
Dad downed the trees and cut it.
We stacked the split wood into cords to measure in the woods.
We threw it in the dump truck.
We went with Dad to deliver the load of wood to customers.
We frequently had requests to stack it at the delivery site.
Some customers just wanted the convenience of having the wood stacked ...and some customers wanted the wood stacked to make sure they were getting a full cord, face cord, etc. for the $$$.
So much work!
Yup, wood is work!
Another lesson on why and how .Always something to learn .You are the wood educator. Thank you for all you do
Thanks for watching!
I'd like to see this as well very curious to know
You are one of the hardest working person that is in the firewood business. Keep up the hard work
Thank you, I will!
Customer service will always be the way to get and keep customers. I think its unique how you can keep up with all your inventory and especially how you move so much. Keep chucking!
Yup, thanks Michael!
I totally agree with you about making piles instead of stacking, Chris. I've enjoyed seeing how you've evolved your operation in the past few years. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Thanks 👍 I have a long way to go!
Thanks chris im startng building my bins,i watched for a year and made sure it dryed and didn't mold,and i love how they look, i hate stacking so im moving towards this
Go for it!
had an old guy that had been burning wood for a few decades tell us the difference in stacking vs piling is nothing in volume. ive stacked a truck bed vs piling and i could not tell a difference. im glad to hear this being reinforced from another reliable source. ill continue to not stack. thanks.
The volume is way different....25% more with no stacking!!! Same amount.
No, it does not have to be stacked, loose wood takes up 25% more volume for the same amount of wood. If you put a full cord into a trailer hundreds of times you will learn that it is always the same amount each time as far as volume (level) in the trailer. That is what I learned the hard way...to much extra work.
I split a half full cord for a neighbour, She wanted it split small for the fireplace. So I split it all small and stacked it to show her it was a full half cord. I threw it into my 8 foot pick up box and I could hardly get the half cord in without it falling off the sides. For myself, I know I can get about 3/4 of a full cord in my truck if I stack it. If its just thrown in, its about 1/3 of a cord. I've proved that by stacking it to measure it after I get it home.
You're full of bs, bro. There's a massive difference. I haven't used my furnace in 12 years. In fact, I don't even know if it works! I process almost 4 cords a year and have been doing so for almost 17 years. I don't know how you stack, but I'll bet my entire property deed. You're dead wrong... There's a massive difference!
@@cw6136 ok, from someone thats hauled dump truck loads of fire wood the difference is so minimal its way not worth the headache and, youd have to puzzle piece it in like a tessellation, so yea you can waste all that time for 10 extra sticks of fire wood per chord. idk what your idea of "massive" is but my time savings is way more "massive" and ill put both of my property deeds on that!
Your “chuck” is on point! Not even a guard on the rear window 👍🏻
Yup. in 55 years of wood chuckin' no broke windows.
@@InTheWoodyard - - Broke the front window on my box topper thing about three years ago stacking wood into the box of my 8-foot bed Silverado (piece of crap truck - don't ever buy one). I never replaced the window. Oddly enough, it seems to stay dry. By the way, here in lower Michigan a face cord is 18" logs stacked 4'x8' so I can get a whole face cord in the back of my 8-foot truck if I stack it when I pick it up at my source. He charges me $45 for one face cord but I have to go get it. Is that a lot? You didn't say what you charge for firewood delivered. Cheers and thanks for the info. I stack my wood next to the house on pallets and cover with a tarp to keep rain and snow off it. Seems to be OK.
@@q7winq7 If you can go get a face cord for $45, respectfully, you're seller is a sucker! Should be double that, and nobody's making much even at that price. As for a face cord being 4x8x18inches, that doesn't make sense. It's 16 inches. Seems to me that if people in your area do that, somebody screwed up eons ago, nobody caught onto it and people kept copying it, lol. 4x8x16inches is exactly one face cord, one-third of 1 cord. Cheers!
@@mydogdidit - - - - First, my supplier isn't selling firewood as a business, so who cares if he just wanted to get rid of it. Second, I'm sure he didn't give a fig if the wood is 16" or 18." Third, I'm sure he doesn't give a fig how big a face cord is. His sign said "this wood for sale for $45." Respectfully, if you're selling wood for a living, maybe try another career. The best way to fight inflation is not to pay high prices for ANYTHING. @$90 a face cord, heating is cheaper burning propane. God bless suckers for helping control inflation. Cheers.
In my experience as long as you tarp the pile it really doesn’t matter stacked or not unless you are selling it
Yup, off the ground in the open is what matters most!
Here in Maine it was always cords usually several. "Full cord" is used only to stress to the seller that we do indeed want FULL cords this time! And those sellers are often given a nickname, "Short Cord Jones" or whoever. Less often half cords and rarely 1/4 cords are bought and sold. In recent years some people are starting to say face cord/third cord, maybe because that amount fits somewhat into a UBC tote. I'm good at math so I don't care what quantities are used as long as I get full measure. By the way, I've been storing my firewood in pallet bins the last 2-3 years.
Yup, all good points David!!
A man can appreciate a fine woodstack ge has made all by himself. There is something grand about well stacked neat fuel reserves. Its good to have one or two set up. The rest can be piled 😬
They do save space and look nice!
Great video. I do just my home firewood for heating and I hate it, cant imagine doing that much!! I do touch my wood WAY too many times. After watching this, I may just make a bin like yours up by my log pile and just pile it in there to keep it off of the ground until its moved to the woodshed which holds close to 2 seasons of wood so has plenty of time to finish drying before its burned!
Yup, it is work but good exercise and a great kind of heat...wood is good!
You sir are a blessing to your community! All I can get within 100 miles of me in southern Missouri is wet dirty garbage wood. :(
Sorry to hear that, maybe you need to make your own now!!
I used to not stack, I'd just pile into big cones but straight onto the ground. Seemed to cost me more wood that I figured at the time. Now I split straight into IBC totes. I was stacking into them until I got a big enough number of totes to just let it pile into them. Mostly burning myself. For the sell of wood, I just dump 4 totes ad a full cord into my trailer out of the totes instead of 3 stacked. I know I'm letting more wood go than if it's stacked, but I'd rather process wood then stack wood. I like the cutting and splitting and not so much the stacking. As for me I just bring a couple totes to the house and use straight out of the tote to heat with.
Yup, it sounds like you have a great system!
An interesting experiment would be for you to stack a facecord and put the same thrown in loose and mark the area and do moisture checks throughout the season.
Yup.
I learned how to build my bins out of pallets by watching your channel... I learned how to use zip ties to measure my rounds by watching your channel... and now you tell me not to stack?!?! I learned by watching you, Chris! I learned by watching you!!! 😂 (not sure if you'll get the reference) but, lol either way 😁👍
That is awesome! But you can try somethings I show but if another way works better...go for it!
i used to do a fair amount of gettting, cutting and burning for myself and i would always kind of stack pile my firewood in the shape of a teepee with the wood on end and the whole thing sat on crushed stone. it dried and cured good that way with the heat of the summer and shed the rain good enough and when winter hit i would throw a tarp over it and then had a container pallet in the garage to keep a supply handy. i would go through 4 or 5 chords with a wood stove to supplement the oil fired boiler in the house. i always worked the wood up by hand with my saws, maul, axe and hatchet. i got most of my wood from the power company where i worked and i also bought grapple loads a couple times. i don't burn anymore because i'm retired and too old to keep up with it and my wife doesn't like it too much. the wood would warm you 3 times, once when you cut it, again when you split it and again when you burn it.
Yup, nothing like wood heat!
I looked at the gloves you used and picked up a pair. Awesome gloves. Keeps my hands warm in cold conditions. Sturdy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Yup, the KINKO pig skin ones are nice!
What kind are they? I always end up w/ holes in the fingertips! TIA
We do over 100 full cord a yr an stack it all because it’s faster for us than piling it . Conveyor drops it into a dump trailer an we stack from the dump trailer onto half cord movable pallets so instead of chucking wood into the bin an then chucking it back into the truck at delivery time we just stack it onto our pallets and instead chucking into the truck we just dump the half cord pallet into the trailer an grab another pallet . By my math that’s one less touch an twice as fast . Having a miles of flat ground an fields gives ya plenty of wind an sun up here in Maine it’s hills an trees an wood piled up like that would get very moldy unless it was like you out in open fields . We all do what works best for our situation .
Sounds like you all have a great system Phil!!
@@InTheWoodyard It works for us
Good Morning Chris and all you wood hounds. My wood yard is buried with 1 1/2’ of snow.
Yup, we have a big steamy dump coming tomorrow!
I found on the beach the same polar fleece sweater as you're wearing. I wear it all the time. I also have woodlands I cut and sell fire wood. I agree completely
Thanks for watching.
The reason wood is sold in cords or ricks is so there a standard to go buy. To many sellers sell you a pile or bin of wood and cheat you on the amount you are getting.
If you did some research you would find that what people call different measurements of wood varies a lot around the world and region. Bush cords, ranks, face cords, rows, riks, cubic meters are common around the USA Canada and the rest of the world. ....1/3 of a cord is the same as a rik, facecord and rank. A bush cord is the same as a full cord. The vast majority of the world does not use cords at all. You are free to use what you want as long as your customers know what the are getting.
I've got one of those hand crank loadhandler pickup truck unloaders for dumping my truck bed out, sure saves a lot of time and back ache.
Yup, i have one too, it is a piece of crap and I can unload faster by hand.
for over 40 years I have been chopping/ splitting wood etc,I would go with my father in-law, RIP. who was a Forrester(part time) and fell a tree (he was given trees ,a perk of the job,,and I spent many a back breaking weekend helping him fell,cutting and then splitting the oak, ash, birch and sometimes a pine (pine I always found was good to get the wood burner started)one thing to this day he taught me is chop/split the wood as soon as possible,same day if you can,and leave it for a year uncovered in these round metal cages..THEN stack it under the covered area(our covered are was basically a big car port)6-8 months later you have a 15 to 20 percent moisture,perfect oven wood
Yup, good system!
The climate in Wales wasn't very hot or dry at all, but my grandparents (farmers) would fell what needed felling, cut it up and throw it in a big pile by the back door right out in the open, no cover. By the time we burned last years, this years was good to go. Some was ruined by being wet at the bottom of the heap but when it's not money, your own trees, just labour, time and effort is everything.
Just put down some pallets first so that it is not o the ground and so that it can breath! And it will dry even better!!
Lots of theories. Here in the mountains in Australia I don’t stack wood either. Just for my use I cut it in the bush , usually a standing dead tree with now bark left on it. Then I throw it on the ute, dump it on the ground at the wood heap, no cover or shed. Then I split a wheelbarrow load with an axe or block buster and park it up on the porch undercover once it’s split. It’s dry inside until it is split. Our wood is hardwood usually Ironbark or box, it burns really hot , even if it’s wet.
Sounds like some great firewood...keep cuttin'!
Chris - Great vid. You just confirmed why I don’t stack wood.
Thanks!
Great channel, thanks for all the hard work creating these videos. I've learnt a lot.
As regards bins, it wouldnt work here in the Uk because we have a mild maritime climate. Continuous rain and little sun especially in the winter. Even with stacking on pallets there's often mould growth in the base.
I'm envious of those blue sky Wisconson winters. ☹
Cheers
Sid
Great point! Thanks Sid!
same here in Western Washington state, it is cold and wet for months in the winter, moldy wood is a real problem. Lots of firewood companies around here kiln dry their wood since the drying season is too short otherwise.
Nice pockets
A glasshouse works well in damp climates to dry wood.....i got one of those cheap kitset 8x14ft ones just to dry firewood....worked great
@@unhippy1 sounds good but for production firewood work this isn't going to be practical.
absolutely agree! I put my firewood in wire bin made of rebar wire 5 ft tall 5 ft diameter. Dries just fine. I also have goats , so stacks of wood don't stay stacked. Also allow me to use wood that wouldn't stack very well.
Sounds like a great system!
Nothing wrong with stacking wood. Ive lived in the mountains of north Georgia for 60 years. Family has for over 150 years. The only folks that dont stack are lazy folk. Keeps would off the ground. Keeps bugs out of it, looks better. Might as well tell folks they shouldnt clean there home, dont make your bed or dont bother putting your tools up. Having a neat and tidy woodyard is like having a neat and tidy work shop. It just makes sense. What other folks do is what they do but as for me and my house, we will stack wood. Just my opinion.
Good for you! but here are the facts...yes it looks nice and neat and it saves space and you know exactly how much you have. BUT... loose wood on pallets off the ground has 25% more space to allow for air flow, requires a lot less work and dries MUCH faster. I have been producing about 200 full cords a year and have been doing so for about 50 years now. All major firewood producers pile (not stack) split wood into cones that are about 30' high and it dries great without touching the wood...ever. One producer I personally know sells 3-5 semi-truck loads a week years round and never stacks wood. He has 60 full time employees so is he wrong and lazy???
If your dealing with that amount of volume and selling, it makes sense. If your burning wood for home and hearth don't have piles in your yard it just looks bad. As far as statistics go where does that number 25 come from?? Who did the study and how many years did it cover?? Were talking opinions here thats all. Ive got mine and you have yours. Thats all. I'd still have a drink with ya and talk fishing and if you need help building a fence or a barn ill be there for ya. Im just not gonna throw wood in piles in my yard. Nor will I tell others to. Title of your video. Just struck me wrong. I apologize if I offended.
@@InTheWoodyardThat guys comment had to chap ur ass for a responce that long from you!!🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you are only cutting 20 cords a year stacking looks awesome. When you are processing over 100 cords per year to sell, you want it dry fast and it’s an ungodly amount of work for nothing. Been there done that.
@@InTheWoodyardjust because you do it wrong for 50 years don't make it right 😂😂
My dad has 32 Chords. 24 chords stacked on 2x6 pallets with 6-8 inch gaps between each row outside. The rest is stacked in the woodshed which is more like a barn shed. He burns about a full wheel barrow a day berween October- late March. He also srives loads out to my moms little old lady friends. I think he works harder in retirement.
Yup, firewood is work!
Hey guys i read lot comments on the wood unstacked, some i agree on some i dont agree on. Wet wood don't burn worth crap in wood burner, Sounds like hissing cockroach, i pulled some my wood out back rack and must got damp with rain and wind blowing through pallets stood up locked together and roof is made of pallets with shingles on top covering it. Front is covered with 2- tarps side by side across with bungee cords for wind flex, i work my wood every day, So i can heat my house it's better than High gas bill
Your wood needs to breath to dry.take off the side coverings and maybe the top too?
You excel at tact. Well played Sir, well played.
Thanks for watching!
Staking it keeps the weather off, Where I live the grass is green year around, Because it rains a lot. If it is on the ground, it will rot to nothing, in less than a year. So NO! I will stack and be happy.
Lose wood dries faster because it can breathe easier. About 30% more space fro air to flow. ALL the major producers pile in big cones for a reason. Off the ground does help also which is why I put mine on pallets. . If you are in a wet climate tenting wood with only the top covered so the sides can breath would be best.
@@InTheWoodyard I understand, But not in a rain forest. If you take dried would here, and put it outside and unstacked, it will be socking wet in less than a week here. The wood warms will get to it and it will be Earth in no time. This would work in a wood shed. I am always looking for more places that are dry.
Only thing I am saying is not all locations are the same.
I have logged in Western WA, MT and WV. Even the rain forests are not the same in WV and WA.
But I do understand and this will work for most people in North America. Just not all of us.
IBC totes make it a LOT easier to store, move, dispense, measure and deliver. The last time you touch the wood is when you place it neatly into the IBC tote and the rest is done on a flatbed truck or trailer and it's like the old milk delivery route, pick up the empty tote and replenish with a full tote.
Yes. But I would need 800-1000 of them and at $30 each.....NO. And I would need a flatbed truck and have a way to unload them at the customer.
Yup a bottom, sides and air to breathe all around looks good. In Alaska I heat with spruce, aspen, willow, birch, cottonwood. Heat is life
Yup, burn what you have!
Mix experience with common sense equals In The Wood Yard. As always outstanding wood channel and business. Keep up the outstanding work cheers 👌🏻🔥🇨🇦
Thanks 👍
Nice setup. We shoot it right into a solar kiln bag, then we can set it out for a year and load it by the handles with a skid, no mud no mess easy on easy off no loading the truck by hand
Yup, I looked into bags and at $20+ each and with a need for 700-800 of them... no thanks.
@@InTheWoodyard the customers pay for the bags and they can be reused. If they return them is $ off for them. I’ve reused the same bags more than 5 times. A lot of them never stack they just deplete the bag and I’ll grab it when I drop the next load.
I saw the light this year. I heat my house with woodstoves. I used to stack it in my wood shed, and then stack it in my garage as needed. I was stacking the same wood 2 or 3 times. Not this year.
Yup, too much touching of the wood.
If you haven't actually experienced cutting down timber in the fall, skidding, waiting until spring to haul it out, cutting to 16" lengths, splitting and stacking and then hauling it again. You will appreciate "piles". Stacking into cords is for the people at home.
YES!!!
How is the splitter working now ? Hydraulic problems worked out?
All good for a long time now...you will see a bunch of it soon!
I agree with just throwing in the logs in the truck. Hauling it down from the mtn after cutting and loading is enough work for me. I split it at home. My 8’ bed (that never has to be made btw) with 2’ sides AND plywood rear door above the tailgate, fits plenty for a day
The 2 foot sides + the bed depth actually..
Yup, that sounds like a good day in the mountain!
Nice!
Amen , have done my wood this way for years and have been waiting for somebody on you tube green light it.
You had it right the whole time!
Not stacking it works out…😊
Where are the kitty cats 🐈
Yup! Cats are in the barn ..they stay in most days.
We have a wood ministry at church. An 85 acre campus has lots of trees and some donated wood from others. We split and stack in a large shed. People who need it can take for free to heat their homes. We also have some guys that can deliver if they have no way to pick up.
Very nice.
Time is money.... always... You're either makin it or spending it... choose wisely
Yup, I can make more money but not more time!
We get 10 face cords a year for the wood stove (secondary heating source for the house), and I can say after we stack the wood in the wood shed I have a few wheel barrels of waist leftover. I will now start to ask how they load the wood, as the way you do it is perfect from the customer.
Yup, I get a lot of customers from guys who load wood with skid steers and buckets...many wheelbarrows full of dirt, bark, rocks, dirt , branches, debris.....
Awesome only thing that I would suggest from experience is a piece of plywood over the back window. As a bodyshop owner and back window breaker they are pricey and a pain to replace😊
Ya, I get that a lot ...55 years of chucking wood into a truck ( started at 7 for dad) and I have broke exactly ....zero windows.
Poll for the day: How many of us replayed 1:51 back again 🤔
Ha! So you noticed that!!
As someone who burns the product you sell, I know the wood buried under several layers has no sun or wind to aid in its drying. I believe the concept of seasoned wood is over rated. Firewood needs a period of time to dry out or age its cambium, but it also needs to be in a place to dry out. Away from sun and wind will drastically slow its drying. I have burned wood which was seasoned for 2+ years, and it just dripped a lot of water before it finally started to burn. Firewood needs to be dry to properly burn, and it won't dry if it is covered under several layers exposed to the elements.
Wind and sun...more is better.
Stacking or not stacking is not the issue.
Keep it off the ground and cover it.
It ain’t rocket science.
Yup I agree, but people like to fight about that there way is the best!
Here in NZ the standard measurement is a "thrown cord", namely a loosely thrown volume of cut wood. Often it's sold by the cubic meter but it's still all measured loose thrown/piled.
Nice, thanks for the info!!!
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Good work!!
Yup, maybe so, but I figure God is everywhere, he made it all!
Chinese saying: "Before enlightenment: chopping wood, carrying water. After enlightenment: chopping wood, carrying water."
Good one!
You are in a unique position You have the room to pile wood most do not
Very true!
Yes, I get it . A lot of extra work. I would do the same if I were a supplier. Cut, split and stack my own wood by April, 4-5 bush cord in Eastern Ontario and stack it two rows wide and four feet high on pallets. The advantage of stacking is that in autumn I can cover it in lumber tarps. Interesting video. BTW, you need a dump trailer, haha.
Yup, for you own wood it is fine to stack it especially if you want it neat and and have limited space. We do have 4 dump trailers, you might want to watch a few other videos here, there are 1300 waiting for you!
First one for me, will check them out. Thanks@@InTheWoodyard
when i worked for tree trimmer and ran the wood lot. I charged $100 for stacking any wood delivered. Used a dumpo trailer for it too
Yup, I charge to stack on most deliveries too.
I've listened all the way through yet, and this is my first time visiting, but speak to the old "crack and twist" which is when the older pallets start to rot out, and when you're on top of them doing the wood toss, it give out or it breaks when you move along in the process, you roll you ankle a bit, so you better have your laces on your good boots tied tight.....That was the suck thing about wood pallets. I was always on the look out for plastic pallets or things like that to swap out for the wood pallets, this way I had something which would last and last and wouldn't give me the ankle games.
We tried the plastic ones. They break VERY easy in the cold...no good. Oak pallets are by far the best.
I gottcha. I did my thing in Southern NY, and perhaps it wasn't as cold. Yes they can be brittle when the temps drop. But that snap and drop was annoying when on pallets that were getting tired.
He probably puts his clothes in big piles on the floor instead of using something silly like a dresser.
No, he does not, I am a big boy now and I fold and put away my clothes in a dresser and I hang my clothes in a closet to just like my mommy taught me about 60 years ago. Like I told you in my other comment I produce hundreds of cords of wood every year... for decades now...and to stack it all would take thousands of hours...I used to stack it all. I have a lot of old videos on my channel (1300) showing and demonstrating how to do it easy and fast but it would be a waste of time and effort for me to do it any more. I grew up just like other professional firewood producers. A friend of mine produces 3-5 semi truck loads every day and he never touches one piece of wood and neither does any of his 60 employees. So.....
@@InTheWoodyard are you actually trying to tell me that you didn't understand my comment was a tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor? As if I thought that you handled your clothing the same way as commercial firewood? You must be a really sharp one. And a great sense of humor!!
I've done the loose stack like you're doing and I have also stacked it. The only downside to the loose pile if there are a lot of rattlesnakes and copperheads in my area, they go after the mice that go into the piles. Not really an issue when it's cold but once it warms up you've got a giant snake Den you've created
We have 5-6 months of winter snakes are not an issue at all here!
“Don’t stack firewood”, then proceeds to explain “how to stack firewood”. 🤣🤣🤣🙄🙄🙄
No, I talked about why you do not need to.
I stack my wood above ground 8 feet deep by 12 feet wide by 4 to 5 feet high gives me over 3 cords , I’m good for the next two years, if I just threw it in a pile I wouldn’t know how much I had because there would be many voids in the pile as there always is when we just throw it in a pile!! You deal in a higher volume than I do so I wouldn’t stack it either if I’m just selling it off anyway!!!!
Btw opinions are like noses , everybody has one and they all smell!!!!
I've been heating with wood for slmost 25 years now. I stack my own, but if I sell any, I never stack in the truck. I've found piled wood is about 2/3 the volume of stacked in the same space, and charge accordingly.
Yup, 1/3 more volume is about right for loose wood.
Since time is money, I am curious why you don’t have a truck with a hydraulic lift bed to save the unloading time. Thank you for your videos. I learn so much.
I have 4 dump trailer that we use most of the time.
Okay I´m sure you have no trouble falling asleep when it´s bed time 😉 I was going to suggest a dump trailer for unloading at the customers to save a tun of time just there, and to save the pickup from wear n tear , but can now see further down in the comments you´re already on to it, I´d most definitely also be looking into some sort of system back at the yards to make life easier there, throwing all that up and over the fence is hard yakker also, but getting the drying pens higher up off the ground so you can back your tip trailer up to it , and either throwing it straight out into the trailer, or pushing most of it out from the other side with a loader into the trailer might also be an option, and save on the old back, we´re not getting any younger.. work smarter not harder as they say.. I´ve also never stacked wood in the shed, it´s up on pellets and can ventilate from all sides, dries perfectly without getting moldy .
Yup, we have thought of all of those ideas...some day maybe so. Thanks.
Look into making pallet bins. Forks on a tractor. And a dump truck capable of holding 4 bins. Hand loading and unloading at your volume is incredible exercise. Think about what Im saying. A grapple on a tractor would fill the empty bins. I tried firewood. I could make more working for someone else. Much respect to you.
I like to work ....easier is not always better for me. How much money and exercise does the average guy get watching sports or TV? I enjoy what I do and I get paid to exercise...kinda like a professional athlete...
The way i look at it, every time you touch the wood, you are sorting it.
Like when i load utensils in the dishwasher, that is actually a sort. So I sort them as they go in. Its all the same operation. When its time to unload, i dont re-sort back into the drawer. I grab a handful and toss it right into the drawer.
So when you loaded your truck, you sorted/stacked. Then when you unloaded, you sorted/stacked again.
So you are actually doing the work.
The smart thing would be to merge the work and only do it once.
Yup, I am working TOWARDS a no touch system!
True only if you don't mind "good enough dry". The driest wood burns hotter with less creosote. Another factor is how much moisture comes up through the ground. A car always parked over dirt will rust out underneath faster than one always parked on pavement. I saw a 25 year old car with 6,000 miles on it that just sat in someones dirt driveway, it smelled like new on the interior and you could push your finger through the rusty frame. A larger pile of wood is exposed to more surface area of ground moisture. I'd be curious if you'd see drier wood faster if there was a tarp down first then put your big ole' pile over it
A vapor barrier on the ground is a good idea...I just put the wood on pallets.
I burn larger pieces in an outdoor boiler here in NW MN. When I collect the wood all the processing is done right there and then into the dump trailer. I dump it on the ground and occasionally stir up the pile with my skid steer. You do have to be careful not to dig the bucket into the ground and then the wood stays pretty clean.
If I spent much more time handling wood I would just pay for propane.
yup.
HI Chris. Minimize wood handling. Good topic. You have a wood processor that splits the wood onto a conveyor that dumps it into a stack/bin. Just need to manually fed the logs into the processor/splitter. Then the manual effort required to load the wood from the pile into the trailer/truck and unload it at the customer residence. Still labour intensive. Maybe Kenny has the better solution (aside from stacking), have the customer pick up the order. No loading or unloading as customer does the physical work. Understood that not all customers have the facilities to pick-up their own wood. Maybe those tote bins are a better idea. From the conveyor, into the bin, the bin later loaded onto the trailer/truck and dumped at the destination. Virtually no manual handling, I'm guessing. Great videos. A pleasure to watch! 🍁
Yup, good points BUT Ken gets $80 a face cord and I get $120 delivered so....I deliver.
Really enjoyable video.
I'm in North East Scotland, I don't bother stacking wood either.
To season it gets thrown on a pallet and left to the elements.
Prior to using, it goes undercover in an open type outbuilding we have.
Not sure if I saw them in the background of your video but we have similar/same.
IBC cages we call them, not sure if terminology is the same?
Easy to come by here either free or cheap, great way to store wood after you pull out the plastic container 👍🏻
Thanks...yup, IBC totes here too.
When you're comparing somebody that orders wood and then stacks it (say 5 cords ave) verses somebody that processes their own wood in which in turn means..
#1 felling trees
#2 cutting up trees,
#3 loading wood,
#4 unloading wood,
#5 splitting wood
#6 and then either stacking or piling ...it is a huge difference!
So anybody that only does just 1 process versus 6 and tries to offer their opinion they're not even in the same ballpark.
✌😎
yup.
Here in the pacific northwest it would not work to store your wood outdoors like that, at least for the 4 or 5 month of the winter/rainy season where we see very little sun, high humidity, and heavy rains which can last for a week or sometimes two. Some sellers have barns or big sheds they will store their wood like that, but that wood is a premium for people who are not prepared. Most wood sold at that time is just not gonna be fully seasoned. Most people buy their whole supply of wood in the spring, stack it so it is dry for next winter. We also cannot use most equipment for 2 or 3 months in the summer due to the fire ban lol. If you have firefighting equipment on site than you may be able to continue operations through the summer.
Yup, you are in a unique area for sure!
Its kinda funny seeing your truck go up and down as you empty and fill it. Kinda like its breathing a sigh of relief and groaning with the pressure. 😂
Yup, springs in action!
Thanks Chris for sharing the lessons you learn along the way. Very useful information on being more productive even though I’ve been cutting firewood for over 25 years. Especially now that we have a boiler heating 8 buildings, wow more work! We gotta cut 30 cord a year just to keep up!
Great to hear! THAT is a lot of firewood...keep cuttin'!
A 3' x 5' piece of plywood helps to prevent a broken rear window when tossing chunks in the box.
Yup, me to, I used it maybe 3 times and in 55 years of chucking thousands of cords of wood into a truck bed I have broke exactly ....zero windows.
I stack 20 full cords of oak every year, I've got 20 ready to bring in and stack and about 30 that I just dropped and will season until next year. I could pile wood, but it's a pain to be sure what you have. I stack mine nice and tight in woodsheds. It stacked tight enough a mouse can get in the cracks but not the cat chasing it. I've always done it this way and always will.
Have fun stacking, I will just make MORE.
I love the way your pickup sinks lower as you are filling it up with logs . maybe 1 ton .
Yup, she squats!
I think you should get yourself a (used) tipper-trailer, so you can still handload and pick, but at delivery you just dump it on a heap.
Saves a lot of work, and you will work out how much to throw in, compared to your truckbox, soon enough.
I just got a NEW small dump trailer and I have another big one too. You might want to watch a few of my other videos On the channel...there are over 1300 waiting for you and a new one every morning!
U do have some wood stacked in ur video, but i do understand what ur trying to say. And each do it the way they enjoy.
Thanks for the video 👍🙏
It saves me a lot of time an effort not stacking it ...200 full cords a year, I used to stack it all....no more.
I grew up in a time where this was all done by hand. We always piled firewood in piles and then stack it after it was seasoned and dried.
If it was already dry in a pile...why stack it?? Space, neatness, measurement??
@@InTheWoodyard for space
Now that was a Wisconsin backside! lol. I like to be creative , I've done the Holzhausen method and it's just for me personally as I have the time but it is an effective drying method and looks cool. But I do leave it in piles for a few years before I do that, then I have racks inside my porch for ready to burn pieces.
Yup, stacking is pretty!
Good talk Chris. I’m with you on the stacking! If I had more space to store our splits they would not be stacked. My arms and shoulders would thank me🤣 see ya again Tomorrow 👍🏻👍🏻GNI
Hello again Sir Toddeth.. long time no talk!
The old trucks the ones with the full 8 foot beds. One of them truck beds stacked nice is a half a cord. One half a cord. And thats stacked nice and neat.
Yup, but the sides are much shorter than the trucks now also.
for my fire wood I do not stag since about 15 years and it is perfect. Fast drying and much less work effort. 😁
That is awesome!
before I forget... my neighbor using the metal parts of big packs. than you have a open steel frame for drying and don not need to load by hand and it stays away from the mud. For me it is not usefull cos I have no access to the 2nd floor of my barn with truck. Otherwise I would use them for storage as well. And they all have a volume of excakt one cubemeter....😁@@InTheWoodyard
One comment on storing (stacked or piled): Don't put your wood in your home (garage) or next to your outside walls. Reason: I learned the hard way that termites like wood. Having it next to or in your home sets you up for having termites in your home. Best to stack or store it away from the house and tarp it, if necessary.
Maybe so, we do not have termites here, 5 months of zero temps might be why!!!
It's carpenter ants here, they get in on one log and you're done for.
You also have to worry about rodents or any other critters that might decide to live in the wood pile. You don't want them sneaking into your home.
Was waiting for a peice of wood to go through the back window.
Yup, me too. I have been chucking firewood into a truck now for 55 years and I sell about 200 full cords a year ...for years and I can't seam to brake one...not yet!
Wood will never break toughened glass
@@mickdeane1542It’ll shatter a rear window, c’mon now…
great quality wood there .. I sort of stack the front row of wood and throw the rest behind the wall of stacked wood . i have an hydraulic electric splitter .. mostly the logs are too big for my wood burner stove . the cost is around 100 euros a ton delivered . I get through around three tons over the burning winter season .
Nice, wood heat is the best!
The less you handle the wood, the more efficient you are processing it. The only time I would be cord stacking wood is if it is going into its final stacking spot where I have to keep it neat. Otherwise a pile has enough airgap to dry just fine without needing organized.
Yup!!!
I will always stack my wood. But, then again, I'm an OCD person.
It does look nice!
you should get the rolling tarp gadget for firewood for that pickup truck, you will be able to unload whole bed in seconds.
I have one it is a piece of crap. It only works if you send a lot of extra time perfectly placing the wood inside the wheel wells and is a waste of time. I now use one of my dump trailer almost all the time for deliveries WAY FASTER AND EASIER!
Wait a second! You build this channel touching wood…always a new question. Was wondering the same thing about the bins drying. Thanks for a great answer! John
Yup, less wood touching!
Reusable big bags for wood is the time saver.
Nope, I know of 3 guys who used them and quit. Dumping is faster and how do you unload at the customer??
Depends on where you live. In the far northeast if you dont stack it , it wont dry. It rains here 3 days out of every week
So do you cover the top??
Skidder Kev's yard has several large concrete confinement bins covered by canopies. His is a large scale operation. I suppose the high upfront cost is recovered pretty quickly considering running down pallets and putting them together into bins. There's plusses and cons to both ways or anyway depending on the volume of wood, equipment, costs, efficiency etc. As the saying goes "Whatever works".
Yup, Kevs place is a big time operation for sure and it works well for him!
A trailer with tipping action and a skeet loader would eliminate the handing when the wood is dry. But at a cost of course.
I now have a small dump trailer, you can see it tomorrow.
Bonus Uncle Benjamin's landing in your lap is always a welcome surprise.
yup!
Take a look at ... Woodbags als Brennholzverpackung .. it is in German but you get to see a top firewood yard using the bags. To empty them you can push them over and lift the bag with the bottom loops, or get them returned after the customer emptied them piece by piece for daily use... it really is not that complicated, of course you can just continue to work your back.
I did look at them. I would need about 800-1000 of them at $20+ each, how do I unload them at the customers ...I just dump out the trailer now. I talked to 3 sellers who tried them...they all quit, said it was not very efficiant and very costly...so....