Firewood cutting ?

[whalems]

I just had a semi load of wood delivered and it got me thinking... How do you cut your large piles of wood? Right off the pile? Do you pull one piece at a time off and cut? Do you have some sort of a rack/holder to cut from? Do you Premark your pile so all the wood is the same length? Lets hear how others do it. I have cut right off the pile in the past but am wondering if there is a better/faster way?

[Maplewalnut]

I cut right off the pile Both sides and when saw tank empties I go roll the rounds off pile and stack. Fill saw with gas and go again. Once pile is done and all logs are bucked I start splitting

[maple flats]

I have never bought wood, but in my processing I find everything goes better if I process 1 or 2 logs at a time. I've had large piles in the past, stacked only maybe 4-5' high, near the splitter. When this happens processing seems to go slower. Just this summer my grandson chunked up and just piled about 5 cord with plans to split and stack in the next few days. Then a major interruption to the plans happened and the pile sat for 6 weeks. 6 weeks with lots of rain. When the pile finally got split the wood was very messy, had tiny worm holes in much of it and was very wet thru the chunks. This was intended to be house wood. Now I have even more sugarhouse wood, but instead of the 21" I like, it is 14". I will not take wood with worm holes into the house. We then had to drop a few ash trees and process for the house.
For reasons like this I try to process 1 or 2 logs at a time.

[Brad W Wi]

I cut my own in the woods. I will cut up a tree and cut to length, and stack it right there. I'm always cutting 2 years ahead. Once it's stacked I put a cover over it. Just enough to keep the rain and snow off, but the sides open so the wind will get at it and dries it. I use plastic old plywood or sheets of metal siding. When it's time, I bring it to the sugar shack and split it and stack it. Make sure you put some runners under the piles in the woods or your bottom layer will start to rot.

[Spanielslovesappin]

Fools... I cut the trees and skid 8-10 trees to a flat spot in the nearest field where i am cutting. Then my Wife, Mom and Mother in law chunk, split, transport and stack the wood in the sugar house or house or in laws house. They think it's like going to the gym, i think its like Tom Sawyer white washing the fence...This is the best system and should be adopted by all progressive Maple Traders. :)

[ennismaple]

We cut off the pile and flip the 44" pieces off to the side as we make our way down. There should be 2 log trucks worth waiting for me at our camp this weekend - and its not gonna cut and split itself!

[markcasper]

Because some people are not as efficient as others when it comes to cutting wood, that does not warrant them being called "fools".

[maple flats]

Fools... I cut the trees and skid 8-10 trees to a flat spot in the nearest field where i am cutting. Then my Wife, Mom and Mother in law chunk, split, transport and stack the wood in the sugar house or house or in laws house. They think it's like going to the gym, i think its like Tom Sawyer white washing the fence...This is the best system and should be adopted by all progressive Maple Traders. :)
Now, that idea sounds interesting, but at 86 my MIL won't cotton to the idea. My wife had one arm messed up in a car accident back 22 yrs ago (another car crossed the center line and hit her head on in a snow storm). She has screws where they had to hold bone grafts to rebuild her arm together. It still bothers her at time. Now wood cutting or block moving for her. I'll keep using my 18 yr old grandson as long as I can. My next upcoming grandson is only 4.

[red maples]

The wood is my business and the relatives want nothing to do with it. I do get truck loads of junk pine from time to time from my local wood guy has it as it is cheaper for him to just drop it off at my house rather than go all the way to where ever he takes it for pulp or mulch or what ever I just trade him some syrup or a few $$ for fuel what he needs.

Anyhow I just cut right off the pile. why make more work for yourself by moving a log etc. just make sure who ever delivers it does a good job of stacking it with the machine it can be a little scarey up on a pile that is shifting!!!