Cutting and Moving Freshly Felled Pin Oak Logs

We had a Pin Oak tree that was leaning about 20 degrees off center toward our home and also had a few branches mixed in with our power line. We called a local tree service to take down the oak and I asked them to leave behind a few smaller logs I could use for woodworking projects.

Here's the link to the earlier video where the tree service folks took the tree down - https://youtu.be/wyySlx4esNk

I needed to cut the logs in half so I could load them onto my little landscaping trailer and move them to our pole barn on the opposite corner of the property. Using an online log calculator and entering the size and species of the logs, these were in the 1,200 lb. range. Due to the weight and size, which was just a bit wider than my trailer, it was a great excuse to get a chain saw. I went with a battery powered DeWalt DCCS670 FlexVolt chainsaw, which should be more than enough for my needs in the foreseeable future.

I picked up a log peavey to help roll and maneuver the logs around the yard and trailer. This applies plenty of leverage when needed, especially when trying to turn the logs in the direction needed to roll up the trailer ramp. And there were many times when manually pushing and pulling the logs by hand was needed.

Once the logs were cut, I then loaded them into the trailer. I did most of the loading with the cable puller and switched to tow straps whenever the cable jammed or I wanted to spend less time being stung, bitten or bored by my local insects. More about the insects in a moment.

Dealing with a cable jam is pretty simple unless you have a few hundred pounds of wood fighting gravity on the other end. This was close enough to the top that I just grabbed another strap and hauled it onto the trailer, then tied it down to prevent it from rolling off.

So, that was one of two attacks by the little bastards on two different days. Both were on my left ankle about an inch apart. I don't know what it actually was, but that's the first time I've been stung or bored like that in 20 years or so.

After loading each log onto the trailer, I then drove it around to our pole barn. As simple as that sounds, it was a little more difficult in reverse with three 90 degree turns. Thankfully, my truck has electronic training wheels for backing up the trailer, so I just had to turn a little knob on the console and try to avoid any obstacles. Even with all of that help, I was still able to run over a tripod that some jackass left between the truck and trailer.

Offloading the logs was always exciting. I'm pretty sure these were all over 500 lbs. and only a couple were close to cylindrical. They do require much less work to unload than load. In most cases, it's simply a matter of aiming them in the right direction, administering a firm tug or push and hoping they don't cause any damage before they stop rolling. Or the universe aligns and you get lucky and walk away laughing at what sorcery you just manifested.

Thanks for watching and please ask any questions or laugh at my misfortune in the comments.

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Email - mike@windridgewoodcrafts.com
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Onefinity Journeyman CNC - https://www.onefinitycnc.com
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