#79 IBC Totes for Firewood: To Cut or Not To Cut

In this video I load up a cord of Ash firewood into the Sure-Trac dump trailer using IBC totes. I'm trying to figure out if It's worth it to cut out one full face of the tote to assist in loading. Let me know what you think!
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Email us Questions! [e-mail]
Featured Equipment at the Dude Ranch:
- Kubota L3901
- Everything Attachments 55” Wicked Root Rake Grapple
- WoodMaxx MX-8800 Chipper
- RuggedMade RS-737 Log Splitter with Auto Cycle and Hydraulic Wedge Lift
- Homemade Firewood Conveyor
- Stihl MS 192 T
- Stihl MS 200 T
- Stihl MS 201 T
- Stihl MS 290 Farm Boss
- Stihl MS 362
- Husqvarna 455 Rancher
- Husqvarna 580 BFS Backpack Blower
- Milwaukee Hatchet Handheld Chainsaw
- Mingo Marker Firewood Measuring Tool
- Accu-Mark Magnetic Firewood Marking Stick
- Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O.
- Sure-Trac 7'x14' Low Profile HD Dump Trailer w/ Custom Built Log Arch & Winch
Protective Eyewear of Choice:
- Pit Viper Double Wide “Leonardo”

[@stevedoersch7994]

I don’t use the chains, I turn the tote completely over then pick it back up from the bottom to finish emptying it out. Works very well and so far hasn’t caused any damage.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I'd love to see someone do this, I tried that way back when I first got the totes and couldn't figure out a way to do it gently 😂

[@workingmanrondoyle3287]

Hey Jake great video 👍👍 I've been doing some firewood stacking with IBC totes myself and found them to be awesome for storing firewood! I also stack them two high as to build a privacy fence / wind block And was concerned cutting too many bars out would weaken the stacking ability of the IBC totes. Only stacking them single row should be able to cut all the bars out of the front and reinforce the top rail and front opening with 1 in EMT conduit hoop Bent by an electrician to fit and then oxy-acetylene weld hoop in with brazing alloy should do the trick. This may be a costly endeavor if you're doing more than one tote.🤔

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Hey Ronald! I love the IBC totes, totally takes the thinking out of stacking, no worries about the pile falling over! That process sounds a bit too time consuming for my purposes but sounds like it would work well! Thanks for watching!

[@oiu7890]

Do just 1 and see how well it works for you. You could make a swing door hinged at top and latches at the bottom. Leave the top bar in place for your hinges. The hinges could be made out of conduit brackets and some wood and self drilling screws.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I do not currently cut them all the way anymore. Fabricating hinges and doors takes too much time for all the totes I have. I get them for free so when one gets too beat up I recycle it and get more.

[@forrestfrick9223]

​@@DudeRanchDIYnNJ

[@RuralLifeWithTheRoss]

Yes, I think cut-off the bottom front. The entire wood will fall off earlier when you dump it. Great content and ideas. Save a lot of time to load it into the truck. You new subbie here. Thanks a million in advance. Greetings from Maryland 🎉🍻🍻

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Thanks for subscribing! Yeah for loading, cutting the entire front off is the way to go!

[@rickberlin3711]

I have wondered what if you cut out the other end, leave the 2 cross bars, and the bladder sides so wood couldn't catch the bars think it would work better for dumping

[@kylefelty7847]

Try cutting the front. Making an arch from one side to the other for a front bar. It would strengthen it and still give you room to stack and let the logs slide out easier.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Thats something I hadn't thought of, the arch would help shed water on the tarp as well...

[@sunseeker6088]

330 gallon totes = approx 1 facecord of split wood. 275 gallon totes = approx 2/3 facecord of wood. I might have missed it but it didn’t hear the size of your totes. I really like the Kubota…..what model??? Thx for the video

[@TakeNoneForTheTeam]

Hope you come up with something that can turn those totes over like a dumpster on a garbage truck. Seems like that will be the easiest ultimately. Good luck!

[@DudeRanchDIY]

That would be cool! I keep trying to make the process work better and better!

[@YouTuber-mc2el]

Try leaving the top and middle rung intact. This should provide the structural support and allow easier dumping. Dude please switch to a strap with a hook style end so you can attach to the vertical member of the IBC. You could then give a bit of a shake if the middle rung hangs up a few splits. Strap can be tensioned as needed eliminating the slop in your chain which is causing your failures.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Very old video, watch a newer one to see how I currently dump them

[@raybees4114]

Hi, what if you were to use the bladder that comes with, cutting of the top and cutting holes in the sides to allow air movement. The logs should not get hung up in the cage and slide out more readily

[@DudeRanchDIY]

This has been suggested before! I think that would work well, however if the front is cut it all usually dumps out anyway!

[@christopherkasik3291]

What happened to the conveyor? Or are the totes for measurement purposes, I think the totes would work for long term seasoning and storage (great organization method) bit it seem a like to many hang ups

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I sold the conveyor after fixing it up, I never really intended on having it for that long. Might be another one in my future...! Yeah the totes work well but definitely haven’t worked all of the kinks out of the system yet!

[@jeffmayeux1692]

Jake, cut the remaining bottom 2 bars and reinforce each side with welded on x-shaped metal rods or flat stock.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Thats a good idea Jeff simple, and light, yet effective!

[@PapaRug.58]

Do you find the darker color helps assist in the drying of wood as dark color absorbs heat and warms up some what or does it matter. I like the idea you have been using with sides/ends of the icb plastic totes

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I honestly have no idea haha, I just got the brown to blend in more, I suppose it can’t hurt!

[@lendevonuk5479]

Wrong approach! Look at making a hinged base, which you can place each individual tote on to then tip! Once over the trailer, release a catch, tip forward, and the whole tote tips over..upside down to discharge logs fully…leave all bars in place, don’t cut any out. Bit of thought here could be your resolution!! Len (Devon 🇬🇧)

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Thanks for the input, this is kind of an old video, you’ll see the way I dump them now is a little different and works quite well!

[@richardbrowne1679]

Can the Kubota lift over the sides of the dump trailer with the tote on the forks?

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Yes it can depending on the type of wood, but the full totes are pretty heavy and the trailer sides tall, I wouldn’t want to risk tipping the tractor.

[@davidedwards3734]

Try one tote and see if leaving top bar is feasible. Great video. Wondering why you dont dump from the side??

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Not a bad idea, I can use it as a test tote. The totes weigh in around 1,400-1,600lbs, that’s a lot of weight to lift up so high. Potentially could tip the tractor!

[@davidedwards3734]

@@DudeRanchDIY I think if you leave top rail and re enforce, per Schieb, it would work to you advantage

[@jasone9]

Leaving the top rail is going to make it harder to load for sure

[@DudeRanchDIY]

That's my biggest concern with leaving the top bar...

[@ke6bnl]

have a clipped on chain to the top

[@earlswift5714]

2 things Cut the front all the way down. It won't weaken it much because the wood is stacked. Use 2" ratchet straps for tie down.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I’ve cut the full fronts out and noticed a significant difference in the strength and longevity of the totes over time.

[@henryandfaithvanheeswyck1237]

I have trailer with a pinned back end, which I can remove completely, maybe this idea would work on your cages, keeping your cages sold for longer cheers Henry

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Not a bad idea Henry! I think you mean like a removable side that I can take the pins out of to dump?

[@roger766]

Watching the wood coming out of the tote, it wants to hang up. Try stacking the wood the other direction in the tote. It may come out easier.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Stacking in the other direction would be tough because I would have to cut at a strange length to be able to fit two or three rows.

[@vincew.6905]

Morning! I believe you are in CT as well, I’m having a hard time finding IBC cages for firewood. Any insight to where I can purchase some would be greatly appreciated!

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Facebook Marketplace is a great place to start, lots of them for sale on there but they can get expensive quick!

[@portersadventures]

Get some metal and weld up a box with a tailgate style door on the front to load trailer.- Those totes will get breaking using them like that. There is a video on here where a guy built a 1/2 cord box just for loading trailers

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I've seen this! I don't think my tractor could lift a full half cord at a time but 1/3 would be cool. Only issue is I'd need three of them. This is why I like modifying a tote since most of the structure is already existing!

[@portersadventures]

@@DudeRanchDIY Make one that is 1/4 cord of tossed wood - just fill with bucket - shake dirt out and dump in trailer- still way quicker than totes. I have about 20 totes and use them for storing and selling wood but they fall apart to easy when you try and rump em out - im going with the 1/2 cord "dumper box" with a quick tach on it.

[@traviscover590]

I like your new video today you did a really good jop today we have same snow you guys have buddy 6 and 7 this how much we have and PA buddy

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Thanks Travis! More snow coming!

[@wobblypops4448]

So what do you do with the plastic liner in the tote? Im trying to decide what to do with mine. Thanks

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I try to repurpose them, I now use the two larger sides of the bladders as covers for the totes. I’ve also made a kindling catch tray for underneath my splitter. I’ve given them to friends for projects they’ve had or lastly I can bring them to my local recycling center.

[@gambatmc]

What did you decide to do here?

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I no longer cut them all the way down, I leave two rungs on the bottom for lateral support.

[@jasonstewart9379]

I wish i could find some for free ended up paying $90 a piece for mine. they are hard to come by up here in Canada it seems 🤷🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Jeez that’s expensive!

[@zacharygross460]

I would take off one more bar off the bottom and leave the top

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Thanks for the feedback Zachary!

[@WoodysRTBFirewood]

You have to come up with a better method than the chains. Too bad your arch wasn’t movable where you could winch the totes upside down to empty them . The remedy would be a fork rotator that would dump the totes over the side of the trailer. The forks rotate 180 degrees in either direction

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Technically my arch is moveable I'd just need to weld on more stake pockets in a new location, but the wood would just pile up in that one spot. Rotating forks would be awesome but very expensive!

[@workingmanrondoyle3287]

@@DudeRanchDIY the rotary attachment is an awesome idea. I've used them on forklifts for dumping trash dumpsters in a commercial setting but one thing to take in consideration is the weight shift! The wood won't come out fast enough before your tractor starts to tip possibly bending your front loader arms and or hydraulic cylinders.

[@marcjoseph8300]

Get yourself a 180 degree rotating forklift. unloading will be a dream

[@DudeRanchDIY]

If money wasn’t an object I would for sure!!

[@williammiller2636]

Leave the top bar cut the hole front off including the corners so it all comes out easily. They make the totes with round bars which are a little more heavy duty.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Yeah I've found the round bar totes do seem to be better built! Thanks for the feedback!

[@smity7096]

Leave the top bar and cut the rest out.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I think I will be trying this on a few of my new totes!

[@guerrydotson3213]

Sold the conveyer?? Hmm....I am sure there is more to that story.......talk soon.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

There sure is, I'll tell you tomorrow! Lets finalize those plans...got home from work yesterday and slept all afternoon!

[@jasone9]

WHAT?!?! Sold the conveyor??

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Yeah I did but there might be another in my future...!

[@jasone9]

With the conveyor you could use the firewood bags, no stacking. Set a bag in the trailer, hook the bottom loop and dump it. Back 40 tried to show it but he didnt have enough clearance in his shed to get it completely dumped.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Yeah I like the idea of the bags, still not totally convinced on them. Waiting to see how they work out for Mike Morgan and Dan on the Back 40.

[@rickweagant2720]

I throw each load on…..keeps me from getting fat and lazy😃

[@DudeRanchDIY]

That’s one way to avoid the gym!!

[@ralphkanagy4602]

Nice video buddy looks like you need to get some more wood cut and split and everything else text me back buddy God bless your family

[@DudeRanchDIY]

I sure do Ralph! You can never have enough wood!

[@yolala100]

Jesus, what a stupid way to do this