How big of a tractor?

[RyeThomas]

Ok Gents I have been very fortunate and I have sold a lot of firewood already this year. At 41 I am getting tired of hand loading into my dump trailer. My John Deere 3032e 4x4 even with a ballast box just doesn’t have the weight or the bucket size to plow into my pile of firewood and scoop a big bucket and load. It’s faster to back down to the pile and throw it in by hand.

So my 3032 is paid for and while I like it I’m wondering what I can do to load by the machine. Skid steer is out since I have my wood pile in my side yard and have to drive across it. I have also considered a rock bucket. Yes I’d have to hand load it, but I could dump it in the trailer it can hold about 12 cubic feet.
My bucket only holds about 1.5 cubic feet even if I hand load it so it’s a waste of time.

Or I can look for an old 5 series with a 6’ bucket and 45 or so horsepower with a lot more weight and probably plow into the pile and get full buckets. That means possibly no hand loading. That would be amazing!

The only machine I’ve seen load firewood by full buckets quick was a JD 110 tlb and that’s a lot of machine!!
I don’t need that, or do I. Ugh I can’t afford it.

Anyway, tia. Rye.

 

[Jimmy in NC]

Old 5200,5300,5400 were solid machines. Ran well.above their ratings IMHO.




Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Jimmy in NC]

Also look at something like an older Ford 545 or 555. Solid machines that can be had cheap.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[RyeThomas]

Thanks.

Seems through my research most either still hand load or use a conveyor. I may just get a set of pallet forks and build a lightweight box for loading wood into. Then I can move it from the pile on my side yard out to the street efficiently. The bucket load is just way too small and takes too many trips.

A bigger machine may not do anything but push my pile around. At least hand loading I get no scrub, dirt or debris. Just old man back, lol.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

What about a track skidloader? That would save impact on your yard, but handle a bigger bucket.

For my money, I would be looking for an old (70's or 80's) backhoe. Ford 555, Case 570 or 580, JD 310 or 410. Get a thumb for the hoe, and you also have a great bucking stand, or could even use it for loading logs or heavy chunks.

 

[angelo c]

grapple bucket ?

 

[RyeThomas]

I think a grapple is great for longer pieces of tree but I’m not sure it helps that much with splits.

Now I need a bigger lot or a yard to keep the stuff. I don’t mind hard work for cash but the issue is I don’t have the room. My neighbors already don’t like my eye sore.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

grapple bucket ?

If you get a thumb, you can fold it up, and still use the bucket as a bucket.

 

[angelo c]

I think a grapple is great for longer pieces of tree but I’m not sure it helps that much with splits.

Now I need a bigger lot or a yard to keep the stuff. I don’t mind hard work for cash but the issue is I don’t have the room. My neighbors already don’t like my eye sore.

just an example. buddy used one for a while on a small Yanmar tractor. worked like a charm.
https://www.palletforks.com/48-grap...=4580565441470547&utm_content=Palletforks.com

 

[huskihl]

 

[woodtool89]

Old 5200,5300,5400 were solid machines. Ran well.above their ratings IMHO.




Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

our 5400 loads firewood just fine...we push the pile up and load the truck with it...

 

[concretegrazer]

I think a grapple is great for longer pieces of tree but I’m not sure it helps that much with splits.

@94BULLITT didn't you have a video of moving splits with a grapple?

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

View attachment 95504

One like that would be able to dig into a pile of splits, clamp on, and take with you. Pretty effective, actually.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

We have one of these as our 'yard machine' at work. It takes skidloader mount attachments, so we use it with forks for unloading material, a bucket for loading trucks, and we have a grapple like the one in Kevin's picture. I fell in love with it and would own one if it was within the budget.

 

[94BULLITT]

@94BULLITT didn't you have a video of moving splits with a grapple?

Yes, I do.

 

[94BULLITT]

I don't really like moving wood with the tractor. If you are in the dirt you have to be very careful to not scoop up dirt or push the wood in the dirt and make a mess of it. If you scrape up a bunch of sawdust or bark when you pile the wood up and it freezes, you will have a mess. The bark and saw dust make the pile one solid hunk. Since I have a root grapple, the bottom is open. Wood fall through the bottom then you have to get out and pick it up so you are not driving over it. I tried one time to load the trailer with grapple and gave up after a couple of minutes. By the time I pulled into the pile got turned around and the pulled up to the trailer and dumped it, I could have thrown it on by hand. You know when you are moving a pile of dirt how when you get the last little bit it is hard to scoop up in the bucket because there is nothing for the dirt to push against? Wood is the same way but worse. Wood is not very willing to go in the bucket or grapple. You need a big pile to push against to get it in your bucket. I have found it is faster to move it by hand. Now if you had your wood on a concrete pad and you had a skit steer things may be different.

I'm not sure what kind of space you work in but how about a conveyor? You can set it up at the end of your splitter so you can focus on splitting. Then you can back you truck or trailer up to it and use it to load with. I also know where there is or was a hay elevator for sale in Winchester, VA. It would probably need some work to be used for firewood. The main thing it would need would be a hopper.

 

[czar800]

A grapple bucket really helps, but firewood is hard to move efficiency!

 

[RyeThomas]

I landed my dream tractor a few days ago, I wanted a 4500/4600/4700 or 10 series. Almost drove a long way a few times to look at them. This one popped up 30 min from me. Well I jumped on it. I got really lucky.


I’ve decided after some testing and messing around either a rock bucket or pallet forks will work best. Yes I still have to load either by hand but then I can move out to the roadside and dump into my trailer. Forks are far more practical so I’m leaning that way, rock buckets are expensive and really only good for one use.
Anyway thanks fellas.

Oh and it’s a JD 4510, 460 Loader, Power Reverser, 4x4, 176 hours.

 

[czar800]

Good looking tractor!

 

[Marshy]

Nice. Looks like it hurt the wallet. The hydro static drive is excellent for a lot of back and forth driving like loading firewood. I have an older compact tractor with manual trans. It gets old making a lot of shifting.