[Jere39]

Very big variance throughout the area. I live in the very northern tip of Chester County. Scout and I have a view of Berks county when we walk out of the woods onto a soybean field. I hadn't heard of anyone less than 9-10", but not far from me were areas of 24-27". It was still snowing this morning, almost 70 hours after the start.

(Adding this picture from the Soybean field)
The barn is still Chester County, but just past it is the river and the mountains behind are all in Berks county

And, as promised, Scout and I hit the log with a broom this morning for work later today:

And, should be back building the wall again later.

 

[g huns]

Neighbor had a couple standing dead trees in a fence row about a half mile away that needed taken down. With the cold and snow, Saturday was as good a time as any to cross his chisel plowed field and snag them. My goal is always minimal handling so any time I can drag whole logs right up to the pile next to the boiler I will do it.

This video is nowhere near Jere quality, but it's my favorite technique for hauling whole logs around...

After I got these home the neighbor kid and me took the truck back and got a whole truckload out of the tops. The neighbor kid was skeptical of working in single digits, but he managed to break a sweat by the time we were done.

After we got back I started cutting/splitting the two logs. One was a silver maple. It split the second the wedge touched it. The other log, I am guessing, was elm. The 21 ton splitter grunted ALL the way through it and even then I couldn't rip it apart. I turned it 90 degrees and did it again, and again, and again. Still too stringy to rip apart. I just hooked a chain to it and drug it out behind the barn to fight with another day.

 

[mikeinri]

G_huns, looks like fun!

What model is that tractor, and how deep was that snow?

Mike

 

[g huns]

G_huns, looks like fun!

What model is that tractor, and how deep was that snow?

Mike

2020. Snow was mostly about 6". Had one pretty long stretch of 18" where it drifted a little.

 

[mikeinri]

Nice!

Mike

 

[cjet69]

A short video moving one log with the grapple in preparation for bucking.

 

[mikeinri]

Nice! Is that your machine? I don't see it on the list in your signature.

Mike

 

[My craftsman 917.27308]

Mike, He has a Youtube channel that his Father has a lot of tractors and he films him working.

https://www.youtube.com/user/19ztu47/videos

 

[cjet69]

Nice! Is that your machine? I don't see it on the list in your signature.

Mike

The tractor belongs to my Dad. We have a large collection (30+) of mostly older tractors with a few newer one's. I own 5 of them plus a couple parts tractors and Dad owns the rest.

 

[mikeinri]

What year is it? Hard to tell from the video angle how big it is.

Mike

 

[My craftsman 917.27308]

They came out in 2009 to 2014.

 

[cjet69]

What year is it? Hard to tell from the video angle how big it is.

Mike

I think its a 2012 Workmaster 55. Its 55 engine HP and 47 PTO HP.

 

[mikeinri]

Nice!!! That'll move stuff around!

Mike

 

[mikeinri]

Just a boring 2WD Craftsman tractor and 10 cuft cart yesterday. Had to clear the path with the blower first. Still have a solid base (ice) layer to ride over.

Mike

 

[My craftsman 917.27308]

Just a boring 2WD Craftsman tractor and 10 cuft cart yesterday. Had to clear the path with the blower first. Still have a solid base (ice) layer to ride over.

Mike

View attachment 2491251 View attachment 2491252 View attachment 2491253

I bet your son would want to go to college in Florida and stay down there after college. Almost all my cousins that grew up in the northern states went to southern colleges.

 

[Jere39]

Grooming Firewood Trails

I like the snow for dragging firewood. It levels out my trails, smooths the drag process, covers over the roots and rocks, and is just prettier than the dirt and leaves. But, this year, it was getting too deep. I was dragging the centers of ATV, Cart, and Tractor. So, I've taken to running the plow, partially raised around my trails. And, this morning was perfect weather (23° and sunny) for grooming the trails and getting back to moving firewood.

Here for your review is 17 minutes of operator perspective grooming. It might get boring, no worries, bail out whenever you want. But, the x728 does a great job of keeping the roads of productivity in service here on the summit.

 

[APinNY]

So now I have questions. Is that entire area that you groomed yours? That is quite a stash of firewood. Does keeping it uncovered affect its drying time?

 

[Jere39]

So now I have questions. Is that entire area that you groomed yours? That is quite a stash of firewood. Does keeping it uncovered affect its drying time?

Everything I drove on, and plowed was my property. And all the stacks of wood are the fruits of my labor. I'll take a look at the video, but I suspect there were times when you could see beyond my property into the woods (about 75 acres) of a neighbor who has been working on contract in Japan for two years. Ten years before that he was in Kuwait, and 10 more years in Quatar. I don't harvest anything off his property (trees, deer, anything). But, Scout and I have access permission for hiking to our heart's content.

As far as covering my wood piles; I can't say if it affects seasoning. I personally believe it would be like trying to time the market. If I covered it all the time, it wouldn't get the same amount of sun and wind. OTOH, if covered, it also wouldn't get rained on nor snowed on. And, If I tried to cover it before weather, then uncover before wind and sun, I'd just frustrate myself. Got plenty of that going on already.

 

[706owner]

My 1986 Chevy 5/4 ton stock military pickup.

 

[APinNY]

Jere, you and Scout are vey lucky to have all that room to wander. I don't use much firewood at the camp in fall, but I built a rack to keep it dry and still let it get air. That would be impossible for you but I would guess you have a holding place near the house to let some of it dry out before burning it.