DIY firewood conveyor from a treadmill #69

In this video we take an old treadmill and convert it into a firewood conveyor to fill IBC totes

[@fredwilliams1902]

sure enjoyed your video and agree whole heartedly with your slogan, "Keep moving " from an 83 year old red neck with two toes, one & a half legs and one eye left, but I keep moving!! and splitting wood!!

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hey Fred… man I’m glad you stopped by! Hope you subscribed. I admire your attitude and work ethic. - Dick

[@BobbySixguns]

Best use of I treadmill I've seen in a long time. Definitely better than hanging clothes on it. Take care!

[@oldguyfirewood]

Haha Bobby! As someone else said "every woman has one they don't use".

[@ajsemtb]

I love it!! And there are so many treadmills on marketplace cheaper than conveyors!! Great job.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching. You’re right, treadmills are easy to find at a decent price.

[@TonysCoolTools]

Dick, Red Neck ingenuity inspired many great inventions. It sure beats touching and tossing every piece of wood. Keep those great ideas coming!👍TCT

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Tony. If it eliminates a touch it's certainly worth it!

[@christinelehn4289]

Hey Dick, when you said that you were going to use a treadmill as a conveyor , well that can’t work. You proved me wrong. That actually may work. Beats tossing the wood. I may start not stacking wood in totes and that may work. Conveyors are expensive. Way to go. I am 67 and have plenty of aches and pains and if you don’t have to through the wood even 1 less time, that’s success. Take care Dick.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting. You’re right, every eliminated touch is a big help.

[@danschneider3990]

Dick, that's is thinking outside the box (or IBC Tote), it's great how you adapted the old treadmill into a conveyor. Just keep on moving in both mind and body.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hey Dan. It's been a fun project. Yet to be seen how durable it will be.

[@sandrocamargo698]

I think that works perfect, if all you do is to fill up those tote bin, you don't need buy a elevator! great job repurposing this old treadmill.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I agree with making life simpler!

[@marvinremster]

Nice

[@lifeonmttammanyridge2565]

I’ve always enjoyed watching your videos. Now your fun side is coming out. Very cool.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hey John. Thanks for watching and commenting. In one of my earlier videos someone commented that I was the Mr. Rogers of firewood haha! Longtime friends will attest that I really do have a “fun” side. Too much sometimes lol 😂.

[@wolcottfamilyworks]

That's an awesome idea Dick. Seems to work really well. Can't beat free!

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Will. It was a fun project. Free is key!

[@hardworkingmanoutdoors]

Not bad at all! Good work. A few modifications and see how long it holds up! Definitely beats hand bombing every piece.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Heath. I love it when I can eliminate a touch.

[@danbentsen]

Like your idea Dick. McGiver's got nothing on you. It's people like you , that we have all the good firewood tools to choose from for our firewood gathering. It will be intresting to see what you wind up with that will work for you .

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Dan. I really appreciate your comments.

[@timstout781]

Nice use of an old tread mill. Anything to make life simpler. Have a good day.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Tim. Hope you’re doing well!

[@johnpierce1251]

That worked awesome I live by the improvise adapt over come who cares it’s a trad mill now it’s a log carrier well done my friend …. Hello Clifford stay safe my friend

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks John. Clifford was right on top of the whole process!

[@davidcheek3026]

Dick, Good day. Finally a great use for a treadmill! Your McGyver skills are awesome.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hi David. One of my other subscribers made a great comment about treadmills “every woman has one they don’t use”. Lol.

[@randythomasson2393]

WHAT A GREAT IDIEA I HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS THAT MCIVER HAD NOTHING ON YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR MIND BUT FOR SOME REASON I KNEW THIS WAS COMING GREAT VIDEO CANT WAIT TO SEE THE FINAL PRODUCT

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Turtle. You know I’m always messing around with something!

[@ohiowoodburner]

That looks awesome Dick. Why didn't anyone think of this before? Keep upgrading it and you can be onto something. Nice gloves btw!!

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Joe, and as you know I have you to thank for finding those gloves!

[@garyingram875]

Come on Chris from Wolf ridge,let's get old guy firewood a conveyor!!!! Nice work Dick love your videos

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Gary. I appreciate you watching!

[@davidedwards3734]

Great idea for a conveyor for filling an IBC totes!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks David. It’s limited to totes and durability is to be seen.

[@billerwin3772]

That’s pretty ingenious Dick. I think that worked just great. You need to pay yourself on the back bud. Great work.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hi Bill. It was fun putting it together!

[@carolyn717]

I actually thought it was a neat idea. Couple of side panels should fix it up. I know it seemed to save you a bunch of steps which is what you needed. Good job. Love Clifford.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Carolyn. I’ll give Clifford a hug for you!

[@carolyn717]

@@oldguyfirewood Hey, I would like that.

[@Living-The-Dream]

Cool idea Dick ! Beats the heck out of tossing firewood grenades 😂 like you said, extend it, put a catch basin and sides and it would be awesome 🔥🪵👍👏🇺🇸 Rick

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hi Rick. I’m not sure how durable it will be but at least I’ve had fun making it!

[@firewoodathome]

Good implementation of an idea.

[@oldguyfirewood]

It worked better than I thought it would. Now to see if it holds up!

[@koreybaker4586]

That’s awesome. Smarter not harder 👍🏻

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching Korey. The older we get it becomes more and more important to work “smarter not harder” ha!

[@koreybaker4586]

Yes sir. We have the harder years. Time for the smarter time. 😂

[@paullandry4031]

What a smart idea. You are something else. Good for you !

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Paul!

[@AllenFamilyFirewood]

Now that’s being creative Dick and you made it work . I would think that idea / concept would work on any horizontal splitter and most everyone can find one of them rigs not being used . Great job an video Dick

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Phil. There are certainly a lot of treadmills around that are only being used as clothes racks haha!

[@Growing-Our-Retirement]

Why not! Work really well and that’s a commercial grade treadmill.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks. I don’t know anything about treadmill manufacturers but it does seem well built.

[@Growing-Our-Retirement]

Yes, Landice is top of the line. Start around $4,000 and go up. You might get a lot of use from such a well made unit. Hope it lasts a long time. Big time saver!

[@danshouseofsmokeandoutdoor7119]

Looks like it works. Nice thinking.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Dan. It was fun building it but I don’t suspect it will be too durable. We’ll see!

[@danshouseofsmokeandoutdoor7119]

@@oldguyfirewood never know I sure the wood going on it’s a light strain compared to people.

[@TCsOutdoors1]

Hey Dick , I think this is awesome! I’ll have to keep an eye on market place!

[@oldguyfirewood]

It’s use is limited Todd, but it does seem to work!

[@mountaintopoutdoors]

Such a great idea. Keep rocking it out OGF.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Jeff. It’s limited to filling totes, but I had fun building it!

[@botabob]

Nice - Enjoy The Journey - Cheers

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Bob!

[@inthebackyardwithdel438]

AWESOME idea Mr Dick . Like you said , a couple of mods and you saved yourself a lot of money !!!

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hey Del. I know you like to tinker just like me. I thought you would probably enjoy this video.

[@inthebackyardwithdel438]

Yes sir , I did very much !! 👍🏻

[@FirewoodMidwest]

Works great and the price was right! 👍🏻

[@oldguyfirewood]

Free is key!

[@Alan_Hans__]

Works a treat. I'd be slowing the belt speed down even further. When/if you make it better I'd create something so that the magnetic key thingy can be used as an emergency stop for when the conveyor jams. With such a thin belt you don't want things jammed up for very long.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Alan. You make a good point.

[@AroundTheYard-MN]

Nice work on the conveyor, I think you really have something there.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Time will tell Brent!

[@gregprince2523]

Wonder if you would spray some flex seal or the concrete sandy traction strip across every 2 feet if that might give it some gription?

[@oldguyfirewood]

I actually thought about that Greg, but it seems to get pretty good traction as is. I'll see if it's necessary down the road.

[@debfromthemill6945]

Hello Dick. Great job on your conveyor I would of never thought of that one. Take Care

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Deb! Hope you are doing well.

[@debfromthemill6945]

Miss talking with you at the firewood gatherings . Take care

[@outdoorswiththisguy1950]

I think that’s a great idea! That’s going to help you a bunch I bet! Have fun with it and take care !!!

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching. We’ll see how it works out.

[@sidstimeoutdoors2782]

Nice, I like the idea

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thank you!

[@outdoorsinthe608]

Awesome! I like it!! Great job Dick👍👍

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Jeremiah. With a few more modifications I think it might work. The length is only good for totes… it sure can’t fill my dump trailer.

[@OpenAirAdventure]

I love this idea Dick. I fella could attach another if needed, plus you'll never run out of treadmills. Kenny

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hey Kenny. As someone else said “every woman has one they don’t use”. Ha!

[@geezerindawoods]

Awesome! Well Dun!

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Geezer!

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

The crew that put this treadmill together wounder what is going there mind's when they see this. 😁👍

[@oldguyfirewood]

Haha… hadn’t thought about that Daniel. Hopefully they’d be happy to see it repurposed instead of going to the scrapyard lol.

[@donflack3778]

I like it! KC Don 😉

[@oldguyfirewood]

It has limited use Don, I had fun making it!

[@RicksWoodshed-rjp89]

Great idea Dick. Maybe consider taking your table extension off then the treadmill will be that much closer so you don't have to throw or reach as far.

[@oldguyfirewood]

As I watched the vide I had the same thought Rick. I’ll try it!

[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Hello Dick, now thats just Being lazy! 😂 great idea if it was 8’ longer, Take Care 🪵👍🏼🇺🇸

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hi Larry. You’re right… it’s too short for anything other than totes. It’s not a long term solution but I had fun building it. I’m sure you understand!

[@benscoles5085]

@@oldguyfirewood that machine does exactly what you need it to do, nothing more nothing less.

[@InMyBusyLittleShop]

Worked well. Worth the effort to take it to the next level

[@oldguyfirewood]

I’ll certainly play with it some more. Thanks for watching!

[@dragonspicks]

That’s awesome how you got 1 treadmill to work good like that. I’ve been thinking about doing something like that for my log deck for sure. I’m sure you can make some improvements with it such as a small hopper and some sides going up the machine.

[@oldguyfirewood]

I was surprised how well it worked as is. I still plan on adding some sides. Thanks for watching!

[@knottwworking]

I think it worked great Dick!! 👍Talk later. Terry

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks Terry. If it quits tomorrow I still had fun doing it!

[@scrhino40]

It's a good idea. Some improvements to it would make it work better. You could find 1 or 2 more treadmill hook together and make 1 longer conveyer. May have 3 controllers to work but may could wire all 3 together. Just idea. Have a great day be safe.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching. The short length is definitely an issue!

[@TwinCityFirewood]

That’s clever!! Looks like it worked great!

[@oldguyfirewood]

I think adding sides to the conveyor will really help. Thanks for watching!

[@TwinCityFirewood]

@@oldguyfirewood yessir. I agree. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it

[@rogerbelanger295]

That was a fun video

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hi Roger. As I’ve said before, if it quits tomorrow I still had fun making it!

[@hankkalb9267]

Good idea

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks! I had fun building it.

[@lynnhudson838]

Use a small/medium motor with a😊 pulley mounted on the shaft. Drill a hole in the pulley for a bolt and nut to make a vibrator out of it. Mount it then onto the tray underneath to get the wood to move on down to the treadmill. You may have to figure a way to tilt the fingers/tray a little more so you don't have to help it along so much. Great idea and almost immediate success! How could you ask for more?

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@jeanpomerleau8416]

great idea but wonder if it is worth it or just put the tote closer and toss them in? Nice job

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thank you! It’s much easier than tossing each piece. I think with a few modifications I won’t need to touch the splits.

[@LeBlancfirewood]

That's awsome

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hey Chris. I was pleasantly surprised!

[@James.......]

I like it

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks James!

[@fatefarmspa]

I have been looking for a conveyor they are hard to come bye with a good deal in my area

[@oldguyfirewood]

That are VERY hard to find. This is more of BBC a novelty than a solution. It’s too short and I don’t think it will hold up. I’ve still had fun with it!

[@Wood.Water.Camping]

That thing works pretty slick and quiet too. How do I explain to my wife where her treadmill went🤔😆

[@oldguyfirewood]

Haha! As another subscriber commented about using the treadmill “every woman has one she doesn’t use”. Thanks for watching.

[@bendugas8632]

I think if you modified the grate on the splitter, it would not hold the wood back, slick little rig though, I have the same setup, but the treadmill is in my cellar window and off my dump cart, the furnace wood just slides on the rubber belt and gone.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching Ben. I think I’ll try removing the table extension. The splits would slide forward better. I’ve seen a video of the setup you’re talking about. Was that your video?

[@bendugas8632]

@oldguyfirewood no, it's something I thought of a few years back, I'm the type of guy when I have tv time my mind races to different things.

[@bendugas8632]

@oldguyfirewood in stead of removing your grate put a piece of sheet metal for now and see the difference

[@york806]

Yes, it has been done before..

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching. It doesn’t surprise me that someone else has done this!

[@EcSsAwS]

Pretty sure. You just gave me a idea. 😛

[@oldguyfirewood]

Great! I try to do videos that will provide useful information to my viewers. I appreciate you!

[@ofcv1238]

6:27 what you need are two 13-15 year olds just learning how to work safely for a little cash & highly in-need of some creative & practical mentoring.

[@oldguyfirewood]

I like your thinking!

[@dannystricker854]

Looks like you have to toss the FW half way up the belt anyway...why not just toss it into the bin?

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching Danny. I’ve been tossing into the bin for years. Believe me, this is much easier. Once I put sides on it the splitter will automatically push the splits onto the conveyor and I shouldn’t have to touch it.

[@dannystricker854]

@@oldguyfirewood Gotcha....been splitting FW for many years (I'm 75)...hand it to wife and she puts in stack. Works great!

[@ofcv1238]

12:59 get a Golden or Lab and they will be moving dropped wood all over the yard.

[@ofcv1238]

2 hours of training & might be able to have them dropping into open IBC rack!

[@ofcv1238]

I don’t know your dog breed, but Golden’s and Lab’s love, love a task…they will hover at your feet waiting for dropped wood splits. This would take way, way more time than putting sides on genius conveyor…however, sincere inventiveness has a rating system linked to labor physicality, cost, time, efficiency and entertainment. It might take more time but offset by entertainment & labor efficiency factors. Entertainment factor more heavily weighted on my rating scale or we wouldn’t bother sharing ;-)

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hi ofcv. Clifford is a labradoodle. Normally when I’m splitting he will have pieces all over my yard. I always have to pick up before I mow!

[@ofcv1238]

@@oldguyfirewood doodle drop-in conveyor on other side of IBC. Get on it BRO…even a doodle will drop wood pieces from chest level as a game

[@ofcv1238]

Might need to figure out irregular treat release or doodle will widen to 🪵 loggle

[@jimbo5056]

L. I. B. dat thang werks Dick 😂👍

[@oldguyfirewood]

Hi Jimbo. With a few modifications I think it might be better!

[@shottyshoshco]

I will look for one at a sale. This, I think, will work great for filling the log-lift bags.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Thanks for watching shorty. The one I built won’t go high enough to fill the bags. I hope to have a longer conveyer at some point, because I think the bags would be great.