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[mlappin]

So I've run the processor for a total of three days, yesterday still couldn't get a full day in, lost the automatic oiling function on the processor, so set it on manual for the bar, lost that as well after a while, so headed up to the shop and grabbed a 12 volt tester, ended up replacing the only piece of 3 wire cord that I didn't replace before, then ended up just chucking the toggle switch as well as it was getting flaky at best. Did get another three full truck loads yesterday though, 16 foot bed, 8 foot wide, 14 inch high contractors sides, had it heaping full, went back with the Ranger to pick some pieces up that fell off.

Anyways, bring the truck up, dump it on the slab, then use the other loader to shove it up in a pile. Did the math and have close to 18 cords in the pile. How much do you think is lost from spaces between the pieces? I know I won't have 18 cords when it's stacked, but I wonder how much less?

[kommandokenny]

All I know is that's a lot of wood for 3 days.
Take my wife a month to cut and split that,for us.

Hard to tell how many cords ya got from lookin at your piles.

Post a picture of your pile and we can put in our guessess 
Maybe we can get to the bottom of this

kk

[racnruss]

all I know is a pile looks big and when I stack it, I'm always like "that's it?"

[mlappin]

Okie dokey, when the wife gets home I'll have her stand in front of it for perspective.

She is exactly 5 foot tall btw, suggest any less and they'll be hell to pay.

[JTS717]

I figured out a stacked pile is about 65% of what a heaped pile is.  My 20' trailer with 2' sides can hold 2.3 cords if it is stacked and even with the top of the sides.  When I throw it in I only get 1.5 cords and that comes up a little higher than the sides in the middle. 

One of the guys at work bought 3.5 cords and he took a picture of the truck they delivered it on.  It was a 20' flatbed with 3.5' sides looked like it was loaded with a hay conveyor (not stacked).  I told him he got ripped off if he paid for 3.5 cords.  I explained it to him and told him to call the guys he bought it from and let them know that they shorted him.  I hate seeing guys rip people off on firewood but that's a whole different topic.

[mlappin]

All I know is that's a lot of wood for 3 days.
Take my wife a month to cut and split that,for us.

Well yes and no, actually had more than three days in the whole process. Was dropping dead/dying ash last fall and cutting the tops up using the Polaris Ranger to bring the wood up to the boiler. Was way to wet to actually drag the trees out of the woods. Then it froze up and I got the topped trees out then stared dropping more and dragging those out, cut up almost forty dead ash, some were only 12-14 inches at the stump while a few the Stihl 362 with a 25" bar didn't quite go all the way thru. All nice straight tall woods trees though so not an excessive amount of tops to cut up. Those forty came out of the two small woods that is about 25 acres combined, haven't even started on the bigger 25 acre woods yet.

Spent a day getting the processor home, my uncle had it and it sat so long the rear tires were within inches of being sunk in up to the hubs, jack was sunk in and froze as well, hauled a lot of hot water from the uncles house to get it out, then spent better than a week rewiring, replacing toggle switches and fixing limit switches. Also had some work to do on the elevator that goes with it.

Wife gave me some hell the first day about running it as she was worried about my back, told her if I can't stand and push buttons then might as well shoot me as I'm completely worthless now. I've found standing or walking is much better than sitting anyways.


https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204527449760635

[Jwood]

I figured out a stacked pile is about 65% of what a heaped pile is.  My 20' trailer with 2' sides can hold 2.3 cords if it is stacked and even with the top of the sides.  When I throw it in I only get 1.5 cords and that comes up a little higher than the sides in the middle. 

One of the guys at work bought 3.5 cords and he took a picture of the truck they delivered it on.  It was a 20' flatbed with 3.5' sides looked like it was loaded with a hay conveyor (not stacked).  I told him he got ripped off if he paid for 3.5 cords.  I explained it to him and told him to call the guys he bought it from and let them know that they shorted him.  I hate seeing guys rip people off on firewood but that's a whole different topic.

I think you are right I read online that a stacked cord is 128cubic feet and if it was piled would take up 180 cubic feet so if my math is close somewhere in the range of 30%

[kommandokenny]

Then a stacked cord, takes up 60% of the space, that a loose, piled cord, takes up.
That makes sense to me.

I would not buy a loose cord out of the back of a truck,unless I knew the guy.
Everyone is out rippin each other off.
I think it's worse in some parts of the world.
It sux ya can't trust people!


kk

[mlappin]

I was hoping a stacked pile would be more like 70-75% of what a stacked one is. This was shoved up with the loader so it might be packed a little tighter than if it was just tossed on. Even spun the tires several times on the concrete pushing it up. John Deere 401C with loaded rear tires, two wheel weights per wheel and the six inch solid cast iron spacer to widen the rear tires out for more stability handling round bales.

I need to start building racks so the neighbor kids have something to do. If I could find some 4'x4' pallets I'd build some racks like coolidge has, if not I'll go back to my original plan of making them out of treated 4x6's.

Not quite done yet either, I have five ashes to run and one big ugly knotty maple, just going to carry it up with the skid steer and cut it up with the 460 then split it with the skid steer splitter, I have enough experience wit the processor to know running something that ugly thru it will only lead to heartbreak.

[jrider]

I've read splits tossed in a pile takes 180 cubic feet to equal a cord.

[coolidge]

If you had the time and cash I would invest in steel racks, these pallet ones work great but there are some that are only good for a year, I think I have had 6 just break in half this winter.

[mlappin]

If you had the time and cash I would invest in steel racks, these pallet ones work great but there are some that are only good for a year, I think I have had 6 just break in half this winter.

Steel ain't cheap either, least not any more. Used to have a salvage place that would buy out factory's warehouses, whatever, would sort all the good stuff out and store it inside, would sell for half price of new. Kid took over and sorting is too much work so it all goes thru a shear and into the containers.

Thats why I was thinking 4x6's for the runners and 2x6's for the uprights, all treated of course.

[slimjim]

Marty, you wouldn't have to worry about wheel weights if you had simply bought a CAT instead

[atvalaska]

new cut wood? my guess is 75%  ...and 20% less than that when dry

[mlappin]

new cut wood? my guess is 75%  ...and 20% less than that when dry

Dead or dying ash, wettest stuff I've found was 33% according to my moisture meter.