So, a coworker came over last weekend and i rented a skeleton grapple for the skid steer. We spent about 6 hours cutting up the last of my log deck. Worked out really well. I wanna buy a grapple asap. 

 

I ended up bonsaing into the round pile and took whatever i could and dumped it into my leanto. The remainder took 5 truckloads to hand load that was left out in the driveway. 

 

The picture shows the results of the efforts. So i chipped away at this pile some today with a new splitter i bought. 

 

It's a DR Rapid Fire K10. It's an electric kinetic splitter rated to the equivalent of a 10 ton hydraulic splitter. Runs on 110v. This is their cheapest kinetic splitter model and got it on sale for $500.

 

With what i have split, which is mainly paper birch, seasoned. it performed really well. I had the occasional Doug fir or Tamarack pieces which split even easier. All these species are mainly straight grained wood but the birch can get stringy.

 

I really think for what it is, it will perform just as well as any hydraulic splitter. Yea, i won't put any crotchety wood on this splitter, but i rarely get anything like that. Especially when i buy log truck loads of wood. It took some time getting used to, but after spending the time, im used to how it works.

 

It has some design flaws that i think should necessitate some changes to improve it, but i could just be picky. Otherwise, i see this splitter staying in my firewood processing arsenal for many years to come!

 

 

 

I would say in overall, I've got about 4 cords and in 3 to 4 hours split 2 cord. 

Edited October 14, 20177 yr by hex0rz

That's a quick splitter for sure. Makes the old hydraulic ones I'm used too look like they're standing still haha

 Whew! I Just got the rest of the firewood done. Splitter kept the wife and mother in law buried in split wood the whole time. THE WHOLE TIME. 

 

It is one heck of a spliting machine! I'd be curious to see how well the larger models perform. I'd love to have a 4bt with some old farm flywheels.

 

Rough estimates of finished, stacked wood,  4.5 cords. I also have 4 ton of Lignetics press logs. Bringing my energy equivalent to 8.5 cord. Bring it on winter!!

 

Had to take a couple shots of hard A to kill the pain in my back and a HOT shower. Tomorrow is day of resting...

I've got at least 3-4 cords of large ponderosa pine rounds out in the yard. I just wish I had more time to split wood and had the help to stack it.  Sad part is now it's too late to stack the wood in the shed it would block access to my dry wood being everything in the yard is now frozen wet.

I'm very thankful to have the resources that i do. If it was just me it'd be allot different. I probably wouldn't even own a house at that rate,  haha.

 

The snow is coming. It's at about 4k feet around here and the ski resorts are getting good snow. I can watch it make its way down the mountains near me. 

 

I've been seriously considering replacing the electric furnace with a propane one as a supplemental heat source. I just don't have a few thousand sitting in the account for that right now..

 

Next year in going to repurpose the pallets I've got lining the leanto wall for the firewood and make crates to put firewood in. Then I'll use the bobcat to move them around. Then all ill need to do is just buck up from the log pile, split it fill a crate. Then when i need the wood, fork it onto the deck and bring in what i need for the week. No more stacking!

13 minutes ago, hex0rz said:

I'm very thankful to have the resources that i do.

 

Same here... It's nice to have firewood around the corner from the house and easy to get.

 

15 minutes ago, hex0rz said:

I've been seriously considering replacing the electric furnace with a propane one as a supplemental heat source. I just don't have a few thousand sitting in the account for that right now..

 

Might consider a heat pump system. I'll admit I paid $13,000 for the system I've got in the house here. It's a ductless system and uses modular heads. So far I'm closing in on a year of ownership and love this unit. There are a few things about it that is rather strange but have heat and A/C in this house for the first time is awesome. Power bill is up some but nothing crazy. 

 

16 hours ago, notlimah said:

That's a quick splitter for sure. Makes the old hydraulic ones I'm used too look like they're standing still haha

Really???

 

 

Man, you move quick Mike!!

I'm trying to shy away from electric unless i have enough solar to offset that. That's another story though. 

 

Electric would still be cheaper i guess, just depends on how much i can get propane for. 

 

I think if anything i would go with a through the wall unit. They are nice. But i was aiming with a more even heat. Master bathroom and guest bedroom come to mind. I use 3 ceiling fans to push warm down and 2 box fans to push cold to the stove. 

Edited October 16, 20177 yr by hex0rz

8 hours ago, hex0rz said:

just depends on how much i can get propane for. 

 

Or if you can get propane at all... Like my neighbor learned a few winters ago his drive is a fairly steep slope and was really icy. The propane truck couldn't make it up his driveway and had to delay delivery till the driveway thawed out some make it possible to get the propane truck up there. 

 

So this why we have two forms of heat. One is the electric modular heat pump then firewood. So if power is out for any length of time we still can start a fire in the wood stove and stay warm. Being that propane and electric forced air is requiring electricity to operate you need to ensure a mode of heat that doesn't require city services (power and/or propane). Just food for thought for everyone...

 

The longest power outage I've been through is 23 days in the middle of winter. Consider this... 

I'm not as bfe'd as you are Mike. I get dsl, full cell service etc. Im 30 min from a town in either direction. 

 

I don't think there would be any logistical problems getting propane out here. But yes, all good thoughts. 

On October 15, 2017 at 5:31 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Same here... It's nice to have firewood around the corner from the house and easy to get.

 

 

Might consider a heat pump system. I'll admit I paid $13,000 for the system I've got in the house here. It's a ductless system and uses modular heads. So far I'm closing in on a year of ownership and love this unit. There are a few things about it that is rather strange but have heat and A/C in this house for the first time is awesome. Power bill is up some but nothing crazy. 

 

Really???

 

 

 

 

That splitter may charge you with "sexual harassment" Mike!!!!