Hands-Off Firewood Processor

Hands-Off Firewood Processor WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous of the time and labor he put into building a firewood processor 4 years ago “I don’t have to touch the wood with my hands at all ” he notes except for throwing it into the outdoor stove that heats his Wisconsin home and 2 000-sq ft shop He picks up several 10-ft logs at a time with the grapple on his skidsteer and drops them on to the live deck of his processor It drops one log at a time on a belt that takes it to a 24-in saw with a carbide chain The firewood length blocks drop into the splitter that self-centers the block to be split in half or quarters The split wood falls onto a 24-ft conveyor belt that carries it to the woodshed where it falls in a pile With experience in maintenance and equipment design Belohlavek looked at many processors to pick out the best ideas to create his own FARM SHOW readers may remember the composter he built Vol 32 Issue 3 “I bought the power unit with the hydraulic reservoir and cooling system The rest I designed and built from the trailer on up ” he says Since he plans to use it for a long time he purchased new steel and hydraulics He estimates he spent about a third the cost of purchasing a processor “It handles wood up to 18-in in dia and I can cut off an 8-in oak log in 3 or 4 seconds ” Belohlavek says “It has only a 23 hp Kubota motor so I can run it 8 to 10-hours a day and it uses less than 8 gal of fuel ” With a ball hitch and sections that fold up such as the live deck it’s portable and can be stored inside a building It gets plenty of use processing the 15 cords of firewood he needs each year plus wood for all the friends who he helps out “I’ve had it 4 seasons and it works just fantastic ” he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Carl Belohlavek 150680 Redfield Rd Mosinee Wis 54455 ph 715 581-3501; carlb@tds net

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