Our New “Baby”! ~ Prep For Firewood Processing Begins!
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You have a few options when heating with wood. You can order the wood all split for you (we pay around $260 a cord around here to have it delivered that way), you can order the wood delivered as tree length logs (we pay around $180 a cord to have it delivered this way) and process the wood yourself, or you can “scavenge” unwanted firewood from fallen or damaged trees that other folks don’t want or, here in our province, you can purchase a “fuelwood harvesting” license.
The year we were most cost-effective, we purchased a $20 “fuelwood harvester” license from the province and were given a map that showed sites of crown land that had been cleared. Those with a license are permitted to “scavenge” what is left on the ground. Depending on the site, and how picked over it already is, you can gather a lot! And we did!
That year we gathered all five cord that we needed for the winter! The cost? – $20 and a LOT of labor!
It is one of my fondest memories that I have with my husband! We worked together to do something pretty amazing, in my opinion! We had never done anything like that before, but that winter we heated our home with our sweat (there was a LOT of sweat!) and labor!
We have used saws in the past few years that were purchased second hand and they made things frustrating.
Last year, my husband spent more time repairing the old saw that he was using than actually cutting wood!
Frequent chainsaw repairs, combined with a rotator cuff injury for my husband, led to a LOT of frustration!
We knew that we needed to purchase a new saw if we were going to continue processing our own firewood. With monthly power bills in the province equal to or more than most people’s mortgage payments, using an alternate heat source is appealing!
After some consultation with our local agricultural equipment store, we purchased this saw! It has more power than the old, broken down saws and should make things a little easier!
We’ve already put in an order for four cord of tree length and are hoping that it can be delivered soon!
I plan to continue sharing our adventures, and they should include this new chainsaw and the giant pile of tree length logs that we’re hoping to see soon!
So, stay tuned! You might even learn what a splitting maul is! P.S. Don’t let my husband hear you call it an “Axe”!
