Free fire wood

[maple flats]

I helped a friend recently, whose house was involved in a major fire by going there with my tractor to load lots of debris into a dumpster. When I had finished he said he had some logs from tops off a recent logging job. He does not burn wood and wanted to know if I was interested. I went to look. The tops had all been limbed by the logger and were in a pile near the road. This was a mix on cherry, ash, red and sugar maple, ranging from about 8-14" diameter and from 6 to about 11' long. It totals maybe 2 full cord. I said I'd take it. Then his neighbor, who's landing it is setting on (by permission) came over and asked if I'd also take what he had too. It seems the logger had done a cut on both properties jointly, hauling both to the one landing. The neighbor's pile likely contains 4-5 full cord. He just wants it hauled out. I said I'd take that too. Then I ordered a thumb for my excavator so I can load faster and easier. On Monday the thumb is expected in. It will be welded onto the excavator on Tuesday, then I'll move the logs Tuesday and Wed. if needed.
This all looks like good wood, should make lots of syrup. Even though I already have about 1.5 yrs wood cut and split ahead, I couldn't pass this up. Besides, I've been looking at Thumbs for about 4 years, this gave me reason to get one.

[BAP]

That's the best kind of wood there is. Lucky break for you.

[MISugarDaddy]

Dave,
Sounds like you got the best deal ever. Free wood and a good excuse to purchase a piece of equipment you have been wanting. Now with all that wood you won't have to wonder what you are going to do with all your free time.
Gary

[buckeye gold]

Sounds to me like he just pulled out and left the low grade logs behind. They may only bring .20 cents a foot, but I'd be unhappy if he left my money to rot! Your gain though, good for you. when they cut my timber I told them to leave anything that would not bring 20 cents a foot because it is worth more as firewood, but if these guys don't burn wood he left money lay.

[maple flats]

Well it's certainly not the prime logs he left, knots, crooks and such, but I didn't see any hollow logs yet. There is plenty of better wood there. Beech, sugar maple, red maple, cherry, ash, white oak and maybe others, that was all I saw. I'll find out more this week, my new thumb arrived yesterday, I'll mount it on the Monday, weather permitting and then load and haul the logs Tues and Wed. Then I'll buck it up and split it. I sure wish I'd found one other "wish list item, a conveyor", the catch the wood off my "Super Split" and load it onto my truck. Less handling is always a plus!
Before I do that, I have to saw some more lumber and I use the excavator to load the sawmill, using a beam with a set of tongs attached, one at each end of a 42" long beam that I mount on the bucket of the excavator.