by Royce Jordan
The end of May and the first part of June in this year of our Lord 2024, weather-wise anyway, kicked our tail right in the butt. Massive flooding, 8 to 12 inches of rain in what seemed like only a millisecond, and winds so intense, whether downburst or tornadic, it would force white-capped swells in a minnow bucket.
The ground was so saturated the largest, and may I add some of the oldest, most beautiful trees in our region bowled over as if the the hammer of Thor slammed into them. Others simply snapped like a toothpick. Mother Nature doesn’t play when she’s ready to storm!
The following moments to days after the tempest, all of us property owners took the opportunity to survey the damage left behind. Multiple structures were destroyed, including one of mine, and no telling how many miles of fencing were leveled. I could see the livestock making a break for it like illegals pouring through our southern border. Roads had numerous trees across them limiting access to anything within the property boundary.
What a pain! The term “menial labor” approaching in the very near future came to mind. One begins thinking about all the physical labor required to clean up the massive mess, but “menial” is not the right choice of word. The labor here will require skill and training, otherwise, something might get crushed or lopped off and leave you wandering around with a nub, looking pitiful.
I addressed this storm-related “redevelopment” with our editor, who had quite the clean-up duty in store for himself as well. The topic of chainsaws, splitters, and tractors immediately came into the discussion as these machines would most definitely come into play for the “do-it-yourselfer” to fix what Mother Nature tagged our happy rear-ends with. Training with the equipment, a learned experience, would carry our topic.
Training comes in many forms and has to adjust to the individual in need of the knowledge. Kelly related a story of an individual who was very new to the landowner world, including a small herd of cattle. The feller appeared at his property seeking Kelly’s knowledge regarding this property disposition. Kelly advised him in a true mentor’s fashion how fences are down everywhere, and he had best go and check the status of his cattle, and, would most likely be hindered by felled trees blocking his access. The mentor explained to his student he would most likely require a chainsaw to assist in his inquiries. The student departed with his newfound knowledge, however, returned to the mentor explaining he did, in fact, have trees blocking his access, but he could not cut them. The mentor surveyed the situation, and determined the student had in his possession an electric device only slightly different than a hedge trimmer, and again in true mentor fashion informed the student no matter how hard he tries, it ain’t gonna work when the chain is on backwards.
I’ve been blessed to have operated cuttin’ and splittin’ equipment for some time now, but there is nothing like having friends and kin-folk who add to the continuing education of our operational task. My in-laws, RC and Alan, are two of the most knowledgeable tree cutters I know and are excellent mentors to assist in the operation and maintenance of chainsaws and other equipment. They both stress the most important operational task for saws: SAFETY. Safety equipment for the do-it-yourselfer is often overlooked or ignored, til your happy hind end starts bleeding. Good gloves, boots, and clothing that covers your arms and legs seems like a “gimme”, but it ain’t. I can’t tell you how many folks I know who have brushed their knee or leg with a chain, or after it jumped the bar from being too loose and not snug. They both stress chainsaw “chaps” for any form of cutting and insist on hard hat and face shield protection, preferably with built-in hearing protection. Chainsaw noise will rattle your teeth. Cutting limbs or whole trees down without head protection is asking for a disaster. Protect your eyes always…first and foremost! I’m just like a lot of do-it-yourselfers who rely on the mentoring of folks who KNOW, instead of some internet “guru” who projects their inability to function because the seams on their socks are not lined up properly.
Maintaining your saw is a critical component of safety. No matter what brand saw you choose, READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL to learn about the upkeep and operational maintenance. I prefer STIHL equipment, but that is my choice. Learn about mixing the fuel, bar chain oil use, keeping the blade/bar channel clean, and sharpening the chain properly. Some folks like to sharpen the chain by hand, others with a mechanical apparatus. A sharpened chain, properly installed and snug down in the blade/bar channel is less likely to jump or become separated. Newer users … understand, you will have to adjust the bar/ blade every so often when the chain starts to get slack … and it will. Read your manual to show how this is accomplished so you won’t leave any of your leavins on the ground due to an injury.
Cutting up downed trees is a tedious task, but you best take your time and pay attention. As you begin to get tired, take a break and relax a bit. Take the pressure off your back and neck, and hydrate. Getting tired and sloppy, your concentration wanders and the next thing you know somebody is calling 911. Most importantly, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Some trees are massive, and even more so once on the ground! What if the tree is just too big, or if it is in a dangerous place or in a position to cause further damage? Sometimes you’ve got to call a spade a spade and know your limitations. I had a full-grown oak fall right through the middle of our metal building, and the tin and metal below the tree was a booby trap the Viet Cong would’ve been leery of. I called Ryan Grimes over at Grimes’ Tree and Land Service and got professional help on that one. His crew is reasonable, professional, and in no time cut up the limbs and trunk to usable lengths for me to split later on (with all the others) at my own pace.
Splitting equipment is amazing, but it does require safety precautions like every other piece of machinery. I use a 32-ton splitter that you can either set the wood on or adjust the splitter upright for bigger pieces. They make larger and smaller machines, some hydraulic and smaller manual. Your choice, but remember, you’re splitting wood chunks. Your hand bones ain’t a problem for a hydraulic splitter. Respect the process! Keep in mind, some wood chunks burst out at considerable speed coming right at you. Gloves, eye safety, and ear protection will be required for your better health. Monitor
the equipment motor and hydraulic oil pressures and levels, and like anything and everything else related to this article: monitor yourself. Don’t overdo it, and take your time. Just know, your back and neck will be most displeased after several hours of this, and be more than happy to share that discomfort with you. I wish I could tell you that it gets better the more you do it, but I ain’t no spring chicken, either. Let’s not kid ourselves. Buy some topical pain reliever and forge on. Ice is nice on sore muscles. Don’t worry about getting older. You will keep doing exhausting stuff to yourself, only slower…
The split pieces of firewood, regardless of size, and you definitely will have ALL sizes, will require hauling and transport to your new stacking area. I do mean the NEW stacking area because you will have a whole bunch of new firewood stacks to make these areas flush with your labor. If you have a trailer, that will work just fine. Bend down, pick ‘em up, throw ‘em onto the bed, and move it to the stack area. There, you can climb up, bend down and pick ‘em up, throw ‘em to the stack, bend down, pick ‘em up, and stack ‘em. All the while your back and neck are saying: Yo Mama!!! Yes, wisdom has always been chasing me, but I was always faster…
I made a trip a little while back to see Gyce Butler over at Lowe’s Tractor in Henderson, Texas, and hooked up with one of his experts named Issac Lennie. He lives his job, and his recommendations are not hypothetical. He figured on my needs in a tractor and came up with a perfect solution for me that wasn’t too big, nor insufficient in horsepower. The product was a perfect 26 HP tractor with a front end loader, bucket, box blade, and rear cutter that was very reasonably priced on my small budget. How is this important in hauling firewood? That tractor is big enough for any of my needs, small enough to maneuver around most anything, and the bucket can be lowered or raised and tilted for whatever angle. I pull up to the pile, lower the bucket for wood pick up, transport it to the stack area, then place the bucket of wood right where I need to stack it. The leftover small stuff can then be pushed into a pile for burning using the bucket instead of your back. My back and neck declare a “Heck Yeah” or something similar.
I would like to think wisdom was about to tell me “Tag, You’re It,” but let’s not get carried away! There just is not a simple way to to head out and deal with the job at hand when cutting and stacking the wood litter left after Mother Nature’s furies, so keep the safety and equipment upkeep in the back of your mind, don’t get in a rush, and bite off a little at a time.
