A Better Way To Cut Firewood

[@DoingItCheap]

If you don't mind an old man making a suggestion......... one trick I learned when trying to slide something in place on two pins, whether it be your swinging arm or a trailer ramp, is to cut one pin or in your case one bolt about a half inch shorter than the other. This will allow you to get started on the long pin and it holds itself in place as you line up the other. I love what you did here!!!!!

[@72TIGGER72]

On behalf of my aching back, I thank you, sir. I just built one for myself yesterday and had the chance to try it out today. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to build this wonderful contraption. Thanks for sharing all your projects. I really enjoy them.

[@wranglerstar]

Yes It's a Filson. A Subscriber named Chris sent it yesterday. A Very nice gift. Thank you Chris, you know who you are.. I really really like it. I feel very protected when wearing.

[@xhooligainz7327]

I dont know if he will ever see this comment but I was a pretty big townie here in Ireland and watching these videos helped me find my career. I emailed some guys and now work cutting firewood. People ask why I do such "back breaking" work but honestly I love every cut I make. So thank you for not only taking me out of town/city life but for helping me find my passion!

[@gregorrobertson4544]

From an older scottish country dweller - a great one for Limbs. Well thought out and meticulous attention to detail. And good video and good audio! Thanks and keep safe - and well. Civilisation needs folk like you. Gregor at Saltoun Hall.

[@rbfcaf]

I am new to you tube but have seen most of your vids and I see them help helping me and my family as we try homesteading in ND. Thank you so much.

[@CinemaSasquatch]

I had a lot to cut and I tried to use t-post to get a narrow stack about 5' high for cutting. It was a hassle and then I couldn't do the layer that was on the ground for safety sake of not digging my bar into the ground. Your way is so much simpler and as you said, can take it where ever you need to go. Great job...

[@buffalopatriot]

I came across your channel a few years ago but didn't know anything about subbing so I lost track. Needless to say your video on felling trees was first class and I follow your instructions as well as I could remember. I'm glad I found you again and have subbed. Thanks for everything.

[@sarahschafer2803]

what a great idea, I am Seven foot and regardless of my skill with the saw it is ergonomically smart to bring the work to me... This will be money well spent and a great time saver. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.- let the haters hate, this was a blessing... Ray

[@themadmailler]

nice contraption! when i'm splitting, i'll just clamp logs in the splitter using the ram, but with lots of small wood like you have, it makes so sense to run two engines to cut up the logs.

[@107retired]

That sir, is GENIUS!!! Never expect anything less from you Cody! Thanks for sharing!

[@bobrichardson2597]

I like this project. I have one suggestion for improving on it. Right now as you load the branch you have to hit the crossbar with the teeth on it so that it is pushed out of the way for loading. With longer/larger branches it might be more difficult to accurately hit your mark. I would add a piece of sheet metal across the vertical arms so that it covers the entire opening of the swinging section. This would give you a much larger target area to hit.

[@DENMONKEY]

not my thing but I can appreciate the creativity and craftsman ship applied to the job. Made for an interesting watch. Nice to be able to watch a project as it unfolds and see the final product.

[@175myles]

This was the video that I found 3 or 4 times before I looked at the rest of your channel, I am still finding it and watching it again and again.

[@rltkktlr]

Going to get started on mine! Thanks. My back already feels better thinking about not being bent over all day. You think smart and build smart. Pure genius! And to those who say things like, "well if you don't have the skill to avoid the dirt" don't those people just make us look smart? For instance a person walks by and sees you cutting on your invention, and then sees knucklehead bent over cutting through the rocks, well you get my point. Well done Cody. Keep up the great work!

[@OffThePath9]

Love your no nonsense approach to many challenges, and no frills buying expensive gear. Keep up the great work as I am getting tons of idea's, and some that have even been implemented at the family cabin already...Cheers

[@davidtrees1714]

Did I see right at the end that you added some kind of serration to the bottom bar? Thanks for a great simple project. Now all I need to learn is how to weld..LoL. All good hey. Love it. Cheers David

[@dalemotter5113]

Well he did sat when he was adding the swing arm cripplers that you can add them to the bottom aswel but he left them out as he didnt think they were necessary this a pretttty stupid question

[@trainlinezoo]

Great idea - I've been stepping on my limbs for years and didn't realize how much I didn't like it until I wsaw theis video. I want to build one too!

[@wranglerstar]

The steel wall thickness is 1/8" this is on the heavy side however I do notice that when sticking a long limb the leverage force is tremendous. I'm not saying thinner material won't work only that I'm glad I went with 1/8"

[@justincase9904]

Another high quality video and information. Great idea and love how 'handy' it is right off the splitter. For those with no metal fab Xp or resources -just make a wooden sawbuck. I have a few. VERY easy and quick to make once you've made 1. I have a few and they're all wood [limbs] held together by wooden pegs. 100% free. For what Cody did in this video they work GREAT. I can also load 3 of the sized limbs he did in mine and cut through all 3 at once.

[@CalinCETERAS]

You might want to cover the top openings (in case of rain). For cutting firewood, we used (in Romania) circular stationary electric saws (stationary - can be pulled by hand or transported on handcart). The electric motors used varied, but usually above 2 KW. Electricity from main network is (here) much cheaper than gasoline powered implements. They were usually built just like your device, out of square/round steel, with a spring-powered sled to sit the wood to be cut

[@anneirenej]

This is cool. I love the design and the gate that holds the wood steady.

[@E5Bobby]

Not only a well-thought out project but a very well filmed/edited video. Kudos to you my good man!

[@scottthomson700]

Clever thinking. I like the fact that it's mobile and you gave me an idea! one on the back of a trailer so the cuts fall in the trailer to speed up cutting loading and moving will be my next project.

[@absinthone]

Great videos a I really enjoy seeing what your doing out there.. Agree the limbs are a great resource also because they do not need to be split. I use an old Farmall tractor with a belt driven cord saw.. Cut up those limbs in a fraction of the time. Out do a chain saw easily.. Good luck to you..

[@jeffreyscottharris]

Great idea, great video. Folks like you are what built this country and made it great. Your inventions & innovations make life better for the rest of us. Keep up the good work...

[@jeffreyscottharris]

Rockjock007 I've never seen anything like this before. And why jump on me? I didn't rip off anything.

[@jeffreyscottharris]

Rockjock007 Like I said, I'd never seen anything like this.

[@rbljackson]

I watched this when it first came out, and just found it again. Its a great idea to make the limb work easier. I did notice at the end you added some teeth on the bottom support to help bite the logs....nice job.

[@TokyoCraftsman]

This is the first video of Cody's that I ever watched, dunno why it just popped up in my feed but it did. Wow has it really been four years? Cheers!

[@fitzyholden1036]

Mate that's a great design. Going to make one asap and mount it to the back of my firewood collecting trailer. Thanks for sharing.

[@JustinSpam]

Great vid as always Cody. These simple projects of yours are by far my favorite content on your channel. I'm thinking of the forge and the epic axe build. Thanks for taking the time to film it and even more thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@ColtonBlumhagen]

When I saw you grinding down that bolt I was reminded of your Pickaroon. I recently tried to make my own. All I did was grind down a bolt similar to what you did & fashioned a handle for it. It actually works pretty well but I'm sure an actual pickaroon would be even better.

[@amberprice7630]

Hey Cody we use a miter saw to cut branches. Works pretty good that way. We cut hard wood with an 8in saw. Don't know if your still using this log vise or not. But if you haven't tried with a miter saw you should.

[@josephbrown-ut9ty]

Really Great idea. I did have 2 suggestions but 1 has already been addressed about adding a upright bar on the outside of the bottom piece. 2nd suggestion and im sure you prolly have one is a 2nd saw with a much smaller bar, maybe a 10 or 12", this would cut a lot of saw weight and make working limbs a bit less of a chore. Just my 2cents. Great videos so far, keep it up.

[@robertdominiczak6523]

Super,going to build my own tomorrow,it’s dark out at the moment.thanks so much for the upload.

[@Precisionreelworks]

This is really smart. Im planning on building one of these onto a 3pt carryall for my tractor Cut limbs right into a bucket and take them to the firewood rack

[@C80ree]

Hi Cody this is a really great invention well done. Just a suggestion from an old lady if this was mounted to a trailer you could saw the wood directly into the trailer and save yourself the trouble of picking up the wood, just a thought. Keep up the great videos.

[@petercallaghan9851]

You won me, brother. Great solution to an endless hassle. THANKS - from the Land Down Under!

[@homesteaderwant2b]

Very good idea. I saw a video on you tube of a guy that made a rack that would hold 10 or 12 limbs at the same time. he went through them one after another and had them all cut is just a few min.

[@BideyRaptor700R]

Well done. An excellent concept and I will be making one in the holidays.

[@excalibur440]

i wish i had your shop. Thanks for the video!, great idea.

[@wranglerstar]

+excalibur440 very blessed to have it. collecting for decades to have it.

[@johnowen5327]

cool its gave me a lesson on hawe to cut fire wood

[@kamatz]

I concur. I wish I had your shop. Thanks for the video! Great idea.

[@newfieingenuity]

LIMBS! LOL this makes me just a little jealous of you west coasters. Here in Newfoundland and Labrador there are places where we have to cut trees for fire wood smaller than those limbs. Like the rig though, will be nice at the cabin where I pull out full length wood. Thanks!

[@Myxlplyk]

Ah... the video that got me hooked. Thanks, Cody, for changing my way of thinking about things.

[@joellenmccord73]

are a genious! my dad was cutting a branch on the ground, the bar hit dirt and kicked back. It shredded his jacket sleave, but missed his arm. This thing's worth it's weight in gold.

[@MrJohnMainwaring]

Thanks for sharing, I've welded for years , burnt wood for the last 40. As simple as that is learned something new, thanks

[@quadlinear]

Great idea Cody! Super execution of design

[@vastomers]

I bought the Stihl Safety Holder which is where he got the idea. Great product and folds down for storage.

[@AdamDahlberg]

Love it Love it Love it!!! Just a simple idea like this can save you years on your saw and axes....not to mention you back! Great thinking outside the box.

[@ronatholl]

Just cobbled one of these together works a treat mixture of wood and metal

[@michaelgarafalo2924]

@ 7:45, I agree with not putting teeth on the bottom bar, but some inline guide weld (humps for lack of a better word) to keep the log from wanting to swing sideways. And then at the end I see teeth on the bottom jaw to do just that.

[@CorrectiveAction]

I was thinking about that as well. Another solution would be to make the bottom bar a slight "v" shape, hence centrally locating the limb.

[@jjaylad]

CorrectiveAction looking at the video ...don't I see teeth of some kind on the input side of the shelf the limb is resting on?

[@tylersilva123]

jjaylad yeah i see it but only after he took it out of the shop and actually used it to hold the branch.. before that it wasn't on there

[@RickRabjohn]

nicely done! You should market these!

[@keneutsey2693]

Now that's a patent worthy idea. Any log splitter manufacturing company should be excited about being able to offer this as an accessory for their machine. Or for any piece of equipment that has a Reese style hitch.

[@j.c.wethington8335]

Sweet build Wrangler ! This may have been offered in a previous post ... you should put a piece of sheet metal on the gate to avoid stuffing branches through the hole . Kinda like a cat/ dog door .

[@jayeff3196]

Great piece of kit.....gonna try my hand at making one of those.....love things that make life easier....you are a problem solver....thanks

[@stearman]

If you season your firewood under a roof out of the sun, it will retain far more BTU's than simply stacking it in the open. The UV rays "cook" the wood as it dries and you loose density. I didn't believe it either until I got a cord of hickory seasoned this way in a huge pile, not stacked. That wood was heavier than the hickory cord remnants I had left from last season in equivalent sizes. Obviously it burned longer and put out more heat; so much so that the difference was dramatic. I know hickory doesn't grow out where you are but the principle is the same for doug fir, tamarack, pine or any other species. Thanks for making your videos, they are a blessing to all.

[@chuckbear1961]

Super design beats the old way of cutting small limbs. I usually get a lot of small limbs many leave behind at our compost site.

[@lrs2856]

Great idea. Nice and small. What if you changed the bottom rest to form a V at 60 deg, this will ensure the limbs will not move to either side and you can still use it to cut variable size limbs.

[@cawesthaver]

Good onw

[@dufus2273]

thanks for putting stuff on here that country folks can build and use. things that work.....

[@jlmandl73]

Simple and effective. Only though I had was maybe adding a piece of scrap plate off the back and underneath at an upward angle to protect the hydraulic hoses on the splitter or the back of the ATV (or wherever it might be mounted) and force the last cut to roll away from the machine. No matter what your wood pile for next winter will be awesome.

[@wranglerstar]

The jacket is made by Filson in Seattle. It's called the Truckers Hunting Jacket and it is very good. I feel very protected wearing it.

[@dubmacca]

That is a great bit of kit, love it. I am just as impressed with your work shop too.

[@THEMOWERMEDIC1]

Very ingenuous contraption.

[@wranglerstar]

Thank's gunny, I loved your work in full metal jacket

[@rocklandkcorvic9408]

This is Great, I have around 100 or so limbs waiting to be cut and have been dreading it. I'll slap one these devices now! Thanks . ..

[@bilgewater79]

Very clever Sir. You are a real engineer/mechanic.

[@POLOLOUS3]

I was going to build one of these a year ago then thought about it and looked into a small top handle saw. Now I can safely hold my Dolmar 3410-TH top handle saw in one hand and hold the limb up in the other and I can process limbs up to 10"+ much faster.

[@jjdieselman]

I built something close to that for the same thing. Mine goes in my trailer hitch on my truck and quad. Nice job man.

[@artytomparis]

You are a natural born teacher. Bravo!!

[@jackbrehony1]

Just took inspiration from this video to build my own version of this. Very handy thanks for the idea and great videos.

[@lxmzhg]

For the bar that doesn't' have "teeth" on it, I think it would have been a good idea to make it V-shaped instead of straight; that way the log would be centered & would prevent the log from sliding off. And another thought is to have the bar that has the teeth on it, to also be V-shaped, perhaps thus eliminating the need for teeth altogether.

[@dufus2273]

I like that idea. you're too late.lol

[@Gr8Layks]

Well, not too late for me!

[@dalyjolly3186]

I think I'd want the teeth to make sure the wood can't rotate or slide forward & back.

[@DaMoose1015]

I agree... Either a shallow "V", or a shallow "U"

[@AztecWarrior69_69]

lxmzhg you don't need a V if you just angle your bottom support up about 10% and angle your top the same 10% down. That will pinch anything to the upright. You just need to add a small bit on the length of the brand door.

[@bubba45357dan]

Thank you for all your videos, you are a wealth of information, your ideas are innovative and most useful !!!!

[@MisterSoul99]

Great Job Cody, in just a few years you and Jack will have a two-man crew, one feeding the logs and the other on the saw.

[@terryorourke9632]

a budding genius--- surprising what is invented to make life easier-- nice presentation.. wish you lived near me ! Terry

[@CinemaSasquatch]

Exactly, and that is why I,ll never do it again. If we owned a larger piece of property, I would definitely go the route you did. We live in the city on a corner lot of about 8500 square feet. I'll have to figure out a method that will work for our needs. I only need to do this type of cutting about ever 3 years.

[@DoingItCheap]

Just curious............after using this awhile, did you add a 45 degree brace to the top section also?

[@ZombieReady556]

A shallow V shape for the bottom bar of the jaw would help to center and stabilize the limb as it sits in there. great build.

[@michaelhutin5451]

Good idea the V shape.

[@danielroglich3309]

Great idea Mr.Wranglerstar. Thanks for the content

[@bowlweevil4161]

I made mine to pin into the hitch connector on my pickup and just slide logs back out of truck bed into holder and buck away good vid THANX!

[@shotgunsnmudmowers8167]

Nice. im gonna borrow this idea its so useful and so simple. It appears to work better then the limb holder i built out of 2x4s

[@Edisto54]

Brilliant idea Cody. Well done.

[@Glock2201]

I have watched a few of your videos and are very informative and spot on. The one thing that I disagree with you on this video is that IMO the limbs are not as dense as the trunk of the tree and therefore has less BTU's

[@danryan3146]

Clever, although it seems like extra work to me. I have found that a 24 inch bar on my saw is just the right length for standing straight while cutting limb wood on the ground. Mind you, I am only 5'7" and I prevent the chain from contacting the ground by leaving a layer of wood pieces on the ground. Each to their own...

[@510Redneck]

+Dan Ryan Completely agree, I don't want to be lifting shit more than I have too. A 8ft tall man should be able to keep his back straight unless he has wood stilts for legs (or "peg legs" if you wish). Even then he can spread them a bit and maintain posture... lol Is a clever device for physically able weekend warriors though I will give it that... or a old feller that has some youth feeding said device so he can just stand there cutting.

[@kellyhay79]

very good. i really like seeing what people can come up with. this is great.

[@merselous]

Nice job Wranglerstar, you may want to add some expanded metal shielding to protect your hydraulic lines and fittings.

[@margof1437]

well done! this can easily adapted to wood for those of us that can't weld as well I think. Thanks for sharing this innovation..I appreciate your skill. liked & subscribed!

[@PapaRug.58]

Great idea to mount it to the splitter I built something similar out of scrap angle iron but I like this idea too

[@bradne1]

Just a couple of suggestions. Don't worry about the reciever being plumb. Plumb is irrelevant on a vehicle (or trailer). In this case, just make it square to the I-beam. Even if it is not perfectly square, it realy wouldnt matter in this case, but it is a good fabrication habit. Also, you may think about putting a guard over the engine, cylinder and hyd line. This will protect those pieces from falling wood. Excellent idea though and a real back saver. Great video.

[@petzltreeclimber]

wranglerstar, you are such a handy man. Like seriously, you can just go out and make something like this.

[@Cayoot]

Wonderful! Just wonderful, thank you! Am I mistaken, or does it look like you did attach something "serrated" on the bottom limb holding arm? (I see it at about 8:35 in the video). Do you suggest that be done?

[@denisberger7]

Thanks for posting this! I haven't read all of the comments, but have you thought of adding a piece of sheet metal to cover the void space of the swinging holder? That way, you don't need to line up the log end with the frame of the holder, to push it in.

[@SlimMech]

This is exactly the tool I have been looking for! Great video, I'll have to work on one of those.

[@OneNotNumb]

Really like it! Great idea that I will certainly duplicate. It did look a little tall though. I might make it so that the height is easily adjustable. Great work man. Thanks for sharing!

[@MikeKincaid79]

I'm going to have to build one of these

[@72TIGGER72]

Well done! Thanks for sharing. I'm heading out to the shop now and get busy building this handy tool.

[@stevenpdxedu]

I wonder, since it's low, if you couldn't put a mount for that on the tongue of your trailer so that when you cut the branches they fall right into it. Just drag the loaded trailer right up to the porch off load then go back for more. Good for cleaning the big stuff out of slash piles too. Well done Cody.

[@lxmzhg]

Do you have any videos that explain the welding process? After watching you fabricate this contraption, it seems like a very useful skill to know.,

[@scruff_uk]

Smart idea, thanks for sharing. All the best Thom

[@acprinceiv]

Absolutely BRILLIANT! Thanks for sharing.

[@cbursta]

Hey Cody, I know you wont see this but I was the one who sent you this Filson jacket. Hope it still serves you well!

[@DaveBare]

I may work up a version of this for smaller wood from pruning. Genius.

[@wranglerstar]

I used a piece of 1" flat bar. Using the plasma torch I cut some teeth and welded it to the tubing.