officially firewood season has started for me

[baymule]

I don't want the fire pit, I want a fire place! although I do have to admit that it is fun to bonfire and everybody sit around the fire.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's a great pic!

 

[Beekissed]

Bee I understand about using the splitter I'm trying to resist because I hate the noise of the engine and smell of the gas and Hydraulic oil however I think in a few years age is going to win that battle and ill break down and use a splitter but until that time I'm skidding the logs with horses or my 1941 9n Ford , cutting rounds with my chain saw and splitting with my favorite maul. The past 8 years wood has provide 75-80% of my heat. I guess I use 3 - 4 cords a year all harvested from my woods mostly dead fall and never live trees. I guess I'm strange but I really do enjoy the whole process .
View attachment 8294 Llue skidding logs a few years ago

I LOVE it that you are skidding with your horse! Such a quiet way to get logs out of the woods and so little impact on the land. I've always wanted to do that and once had the perfect horse for the job, but we never implemented him.

I don't care for the noise of the splitter either, though this one is kind of quiet for a splitter, I must say. I still wear ear muffs, though, while operating it...gotta protect the hearing.

I think it's wonderful that you are using your maul...if everyone had continued to do so, I don't think we would have aged quite so quickly around here. I used to LOVE to chop wood, especially for the wood cook stove...to me that was very relaxing and it felt good to watch that pile grow.

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm considering buying a chainsaw for it.

My daughter has a battery one. I am amazed at the power it has! Won't cut huge logs as the blade isn't long enough but, we have cut some from both sides and really works well. She paid about 150 for it...2 batteries. I'm impressed with it. Great for the limbs and smaller trees. She also has a splitter. Working doesn't leave a lot of time for all that work and she can split a whole tree in an afternoon, stacked and all.

I'm skidding the logs with horses

I LOVE that! No trees for skidding here but have some minis who were trained to pull. Mostly carts but, would pull anything. You just have a size issue But, I've loaded a cart with hay and other stuff, they did well to get it to where I needed. They are old now, we don't do that anymore as I use the tractor.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@cabinguy - Enjoyed seeing you use that old Ford for heavy work (along with horse power!). We haul our logs out with a 1954 Ford tractor and it's been a huge help. My husband has a a splitting maul and axe he picked up at Home Depot that have served us well actually. I've grown up a fan of processing firewood yourself with minimal tools- when the family invested in a gas splitter years ago, it looked more dangerous than using the axe.

Did you train the horses yourself for skidding them out? We've been talking about getting/training an ox one day to help us out.

 

[cabinguy]

I LOVE it that you are skidding with your horse! Such a quiet way to get logs out of the woods and so little impact on the land. I've always wanted to do that and once had the perfect horse for the job, but we never implemented him.

I don't care for the noise of the splitter either, though this one is kind of quiet for a splitter, I must say. I still wear ear muffs, though, while operating it...gotta protect the hearing.

I think it's wonderful that you are using your maul...if everyone had continued to do so, I don't think we would have aged quite so quickly around here. I used to LOVE to chop wood, especially for the wood cook stove...to me that was very relaxing and it felt good to watch that pile grow.

I LOVE it that you are skidding with your horse! Such a quiet way to get logs out of the woods and so little impact on the land. I've always wanted to do that and once had the perfect horse for the job, but we never implemented him.

I don't care for the noise of the splitter either, though this one is kind of quiet for a splitter, I must say. I still wear ear muffs, though, while operating it...gotta protect the hearing.

I think it's wonderful that you are using your maul...if everyone had continued to do so, I don't think we would have aged quite so quickly around here. I used to LOVE to chop wood, especially for the wood cook stove...to me that was very relaxing and it felt good to watch that pile grow.

 

[cabinguy]

Bee What makes me feel good is when I leave for work in the AM after stocking the cabin with wood and stoking the wood stove for DW looking in my rear view mirror seeing the white plume of smoke coming from the chimney.

 

[cabinguy]

@cabinguy - Enjoyed seeing you use that old Ford for heavy work (along with horse power!). We haul our logs out with a 1954 Ford tractor and it's been a huge help. My husband has a a splitting maul and axe he picked up at Home Depot that have served us well actually. I've grown up a fan of processing firewood yourself with minimal tools- when the family invested in a gas splitter years ago, it looked more dangerous than using the axe.

Did you train the horses yourself for skidding them out? We've been talking about getting/training an ox one day to help us out.

I love my old Ford 9n it just keeps on running . DW did most of the ground work with the horses but needed help with training them to drive on the open road. 1st our Amish neighbor trained them next to his best bomb proof draft horse on his large heavy work wagon on the road. Then each one spent time with an Amish horse trainer. This year another Amish neighbor used them plow with his draft horse 3 wide.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee What makes me feel good is when I leave for work in the AM after stocking the cabin with wood and stoking the wood stove for DW looking in my rear view mirror seeing the white plume of smoke coming from the chimney.
View attachment 8302

I've always loved coming home in the winter time, seeing that little cabin with the smoke coming from the pipe and lights in the window....I can already FEEL the warmth inside before I even get in the house!

Wood heat always makes me feel that way and I think coming home after a hard day's work, moving in and out of the cold and wet, seeing the warmth of the lights and seeing the smoke is one of life's hidden pleasures. People who don't heat with wood really miss out on that kind of heat...there's none like it.

 

[cabinguy]

I've always loved coming home in the winter time, seeing that little cabin with the smoke coming from the pipe and lights in the window....I can already FEEL the warmth inside before I even get in the house!

Wood heat always makes me feel that way and I think coming home after a hard day's work, moving in and out of the cold and wet, seeing the warmth of the lights and seeing the smoke is one of life's hidden pleasures. People who don't heat with wood really miss out on that kind of heat...there's none like it.

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View attachment 8304

beautiful pics love the cabin