All Three Tree

[lynnmor 7,859]

I had two English Walnut trees croak this spring, one was 100 years old, the other 24.  I should have taken a picture at the beginning of the tree cutting project, this is at the end and doesn't really show the magnitude of the cutting.  The loader and trailer was running much of 4 days hauling firewood, bark and brush.  Having three tractors really was the ticket.  I hauled and dumped the cords of firewood with the loader and that still needs to be stacked.

[ZXT 2,401]

I'm not a "greenie" by any stretch of the imagination, but I hate seeing big old trees go. It hurts me every time I see big old oak trees or some other substantial tree being knocked down for a sub division or new business.

 

Sorry to hear that you had yours give up, but it looks like you were in good hands with the Horses! You ought to have fire wood for a while.

Edited June 4, 2019 by ZXT

[ebinmaine 73,025]

6 hours ago, lynnmor said:

Having three tractors really was the ticket

Agreed.

Over the last 3 years of tweaking the system so to speak, Trina and I have gotten into the habit of bringing the splitter to the forest instead of dragging the logs out.

I've been hauling the splitter to the work site then going back and getting the orange dump trailer to haul wood. Trina takes her trailer with all the tools and saws.

 

We find that it keeps the logs much cleaner and makes things a lot easier to handle because we are cutting the wood into smaller pieces immediately as it falls.

At some point soon, I'm going to add a two inch hitch to another tractor and leave the splitter hooked right up to it. That will raise the front of the splitter so as to make the work easier. Don't have to bend over as far to run it.

 

 

6 hours ago, ZXT said:

I'm not a "greenie" by any stretch of the imagination, but I hate seeing big old trees go. It hurts me every time I see big old oak trees or some other substantial tree being knocked down for a sub division or new business.

 

 

Right there with you on that one.

Statistically speaking, Maine is the most heavily forest covered state in the nation.

We most certainly have NO shortage whatsoever of trees.

In the last 110 years we have gained forest.

Still, it bugs me some when one of the old growth behemoths needs to come down for whatever reason.

 

[The Tuul Crib 7,339]

That sure would have made some nice

furniture and lots of bowls !!

[Retired Wrencher 5,847]

52 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Agreed.

Over the last 3 years of tweaking the system so to speak, Trina and I have gotten into the habit of bringing the splitter to the forest instead of dragging the logs out.

I've been hauling the splitter to the work site then going back and getting the orange dump trailer to haul wood. Trina takes her trailer with all the tools and saws.

 

We find that it keeps the logs much cleaner and makes things a lot easier to handle because we are cutting the wood into smaller pieces immediately as it falls.

At some point soon, I'm going to add a two inch hitch to another tractor and leave the splitter hooked right up to it. That will raise the front of the splitter so as to make the work easier. Don't have to bend over as far to run it.

 

 

 

Right there with you on that one.

Statistically speaking, Maine is the most heavily forest covered state in the nation.

We most certainly have NO shortage whatsoever of trees.

In the last 110 years we have gained forest.

Still, it bugs me some when one of the old growth behemoths needs to come down for whatever reason.

 

Glade to see you putting them tractors to good use. But my arms hurt just thinking of doing that much wood.

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

7 hours ago, ZXT said:

I'm not a "greenie" by any stretch of the imagination, but I hate seeing big old trees go. It hurts me every time I see big old oak trees or some other substantial tree being knocked down for a sub division or new business. 

 

 I agree about not letting mature,healthy trees go.My lazy slug neighbor had 8 or 9 beautiful probably eighty or ninety year old  oak and hickory trees in his yard.He paid to have them cut down last Summer.His reason???? Tired of raking leaves in the Fall.Funny thing is,I believe he raked only one time in the 30 yrs. he lived there.Now the trees are gone forever.I'm 66 yrs old and still planting trees on my property.Too bad I'll never see them mature.

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Pollack Pete

[ebinmaine 73,025]

45 minutes ago, Pollack Pete said:

 

Pete... there's a BIG difference between an excuse, and a reason.

Sounds like you're lazy neighbor had a bad excuse. And no reason.

 

Perhaps the neighbors trees will be kind enough to shed their leaves on his lawn.

 

Go ahead and keep planting your own trees and don't be too concerned about the fact that you personally may not see them mature. It's just the right thing to do. Future Generations will be able to enjoy them.

 

[ericj 1,579]

8 hours ago, lynnmor said:

I had two English Walnut trees croak this spring, one was 100 years old, the other 24.  I should have taken a picture at the beginning of the tree cutting project, this is at the end and doesn't really show the magnitude of the cutting.  The loader and trailer was running much of 4 days hauling firewood, bark and brush.  Having three tractors really was the ticket.  I hauled and dumped the cords of firewood with the loader and that still needs to be stacked.

 

 

my cousin said he came up burkholder road and said that there was some horses sitting down there. I figured it must have been you

 

 

 

 

eric j 

[lynnmor 7,859]

2 hours ago, The Tool Crib said:

That sure would have made some nice

furniture and lots of bowls !!

I considered calling someone about a better use of the wood but as I got into it there was so much internal insect and disease damage I thought it best to just reduce it to firewood.

[Ed Kennell 42,220]

 I just finished the stump grinding, grading, and seeding of the  eighteen 60 year old  blue spruce that I planted in the '60s.        

According to Penn State Extension, they were dead or dying due o spider mites.     With all the wind we have had this spring, I am thankful they are safely down before there was damage to any of my neighbors property.   

Multiple horses certainly help with these projects.

Lynn, If you do rent a grinder, make sure they sharpen or install new cutters.   The one I rented did a good job on the first 6-7 stumps, then got too dull and just chewed and shredded the next 12 stumps.  

   Be aware, 18 ground stumps will make enough mulch to fill a large dump truck.

Here are a few pics of the spruce and a chestnut I recently took down.

[lynnmor 7,859]

Eric,

I had a few cars nearly stop, I guess it looked like a Wheel Horse yard sale.

 

Ed,

I am debating about renting a stump grinder to do five stumps total, but with a stump this large I think that there will be a sink hole for years to come as the root system rots.  Maybe I'll get a backhoe in and tear up the lawn.

 

 

 

[clueless 3,270]

Thirty years ago I had 28 large pine tree removed and the stumps ground about 10 inches deep. Pines don't have much of a root system but their tap root can be 4 to 7 feet deep. About every four years I have to get about 12 yard of dirt to fill in the sinking holes.

[ol550 830]

47 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

I considered calling someone about a better use of the wood but as I got into it there was so much internal insect and disease damage I thought it best to just reduce it to firewood.

I have seen a lot of interesting projects made from what some would call firewood. Might still see if there are any wood turners interested.

[The Tuul Crib 7,339]

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

I considered calling someone about a better use of the wood but as I got into it there was so much internal insect and disease damage I thought it best to just reduce it to firewood.

 

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

I considered calling someone about a better use of the wood but as I got into it there was so much internal insect and disease damage I thought it best to just reduce it to firewood.

 Character !!

[The Tuul Crib 7,339]

 If I were closer I would definitely take some of it off your hands for turning. But if you far from Tennessee !

[lynnmor 7,859]

5 minutes ago, The Tool Crib said:

 If I were closer I would definitely take some of it off your hands for turning. But if you far from Tennessee !

 

This is English Walnut, not Black Walnut, in this photo you can see that the dark heartwood is much smaller making it less desirable for some projects.

 

[Ed Kennell 42,220]

3 hours ago, lynnmor said:

 

 

Ed,

I am debating about renting a stump grinder to do five stumps total, but with a stump this large I think that there will be a sink hole for years to come as the root system rots.  Maybe I'll get a backhoe in and tear up the lawn.

 

 

 

I actually was going to dig mine.  In payment for removing 4 of his maple trees this winter, my neighbor had offered to loan me his backhoe.     Then due to the closeness to the state road, I became worried about the liability of working this close to the road and the possibility of the roots extending under the road and causing damage to the road.    So, I went the grinding route.       I took a very large Silver Maple down about 10 years ago, and after about 4-5 years, remainder of the stump and roots rotted and I had to do some back fill work, but since then it has been stable.