Few pictures from round the farms *Updated on - 10/03/13*

[Deere-est]

We fill the shed first, during the early spring through the summer. Last year we didn't get as much in as we did the year before and supplies exhausted during that spell of snow. We hope to have enough next year though to see us through untill February's end. Basically, orders tail off towards March which leaves us with a quiet spell before the mowing starts. That gives us two - two and half months where we can get the shed bulked up. Too quick and the wood goes mouldy, too slow and you havn't enough supply. We hope to be able to cut and split the timber and tip it out in the shed fairly shallow. Once it has bled a bit, push it up and cut again and so on untill the shed is full. It works in well with the baling side of the business the boss runs. Any days whe he cannot bale silage, hay or straw he can split wood. Same story for me, if I am quiet elsewhere with other employers I can fall back here and cut wood. I do a little for the baling side of his business but it clashes with the foraging and combining I do elsewhere between myself and the two or three people I help out we seem to find a happy medium. I love it, Mark. This time of year to be able to maintain a minimum 50hr week is great.

Previously with one machine we could fill a 14t trailer in 8hrs sensibly. So with two machines that double, an extra hour or two and that's an artic load done without any strain but like I say, too fast and the wood goes fousty at the bottom of the shed. Of course, with the shed emtyping through the winter we have the capacity now to keep one machine on wet wood and one machine on dry to take straight out should we have dry wood in the stack.

Ideally a splitter with a 4m stroke would mean we could split an artic load of wet wood into halves and store it outside and let the weather do the work, then come this time of year with an empty shed we would have dry wood available to take out, albeit not possibly quite as seasoned.

Sorry to waffle!!!

T6080 - very high seating position and an ocean going ride. I would expect field work would be much the same as many other similar contenders but it doesn't haul very well, in my opinion. Would like to be able to have more of a go at working one rather than just hauling dung up the village and back though.

[Light Land]

Some nice pictures Tris.

Why do people in the UK put silage in sheds?for the life of me don't understand why?

[Deere-est]

Not sure really, Ol. Most places we go have open clamps but the odd couple do stored it in a covered shed. It does seem a waste of a good dry space.

Had a day on the kindling machine last week, we normally let the part time help sort this out but as deliveries are down to the odd few now work is now revolving around filling the shed with cut logs and filling the spud boxes with netted logs and netted kindling. It's not too bad a job when there are two of you.

The wood is ash as it dried better than beech without going mouldy. The rings are cut to 8" long and up to 10" diameter for the Splitta.

[Deere-est]

The X shaped splitter is on a ram, oil fed from a tractor and goes back and forth at a predetermined speed.The wood passes through and each time the ram withdraws it is shunted 1/2 before the the ram comes back. You can keep a constant feed, producing kindling 8" x .5". By hand, the kindling is slid down the long trough and a bag put over the end to fill up. Once full, the bag is taken off, plonked down and levelled/topped up and then tied up and stacked on a pallet, 80 to a pallet. Wood which has knots in it is no good as it makes for too much wastage and can jam up the splitter. We take it out with loads of wood as and when a customer asks for it but a the moment we are working to fill a shop order of X thousand nets for next season!! They will also have nets of logs too so it is quite a buffer to trade having such a customer.

[Deere-est]

A bag of waste, usually bark, knots and slithers no good for netted kindling. This just goes on the bonfire - after I have had the good stuff for home!!

A bag of oversize stuff which we all spend a few minutes at if we are waiting for a job. By hand just chopping it down to a bagable size.

[Deere-est]

Another load of 12" logs going in the shed.

[BC]

Tidy yoke Tris....just remember to lower the trailer before you pull out ;)

[Kiwi6920]

looks like fun smallfry, keeping busy i trust

[texas]

Very nice wood. Please send my some bags for next winter

Texas

[Deere-est]

Thanks chaps 

That 7840, Bill was bought as a wreck by the local NH salesman who has brought her back to at least half tidy. She is an early K plate one and we hire it from him on the clock hours for winter yard work - powering processors, moving the trailer etc. It won't pick the trailer up with a load on so we have to remember not to drop the trailer off and then load it!!

Always busy Nick, up there all week this week while the boss is away so I'll keep myself out of trouble.

Oh and Bas, I can do the logs for £50. ....  but to deliver to Holland will be £480. Yes?  :laugh: :laugh:

[Deere-est]

Well, the chaps I work for fencing and sooner - silaging among many other things have had a switch round. A fortnight ago we waved goodbye to this old girl who is staying local. If it wasn't for the hours she carries she'd have stayed I think. Everybody smiles when they drive this firm favourite.

Her replacement is a very late TM150, one of the last infact on an 02 black chassis. Front and cab suspension and same owner since she was 18 months old. Quite a find to be honest. New Klebers 200hrs ago too but these have been switched onto the TM165 now.

[Light Land]

nice looking yoak that tris,something tobe proud of that.

[Deere-est]

The chap traded his beloved TM in for a TVT190 

[texas]

Good looking TM you get there.

Thanks for the offer to ship to wood overhere, but i have found a new job, delivering wood from the UK to the Netherlands.

Pays very well

Texas

[Light Land]

Frist I knew they would let you out of Holland Bas,you sure your able to leave?

[texas]

Frist I knew they would let you out of Holland Bas,you sure your able to leave?

Why shouldn't i could leave? Only reason i can think is my dear lady

Texas

[MJB1]

that 150 going to be yours for the season then tris ? looks a tidy yoke as some might say lad  ;D \

[CMB]

How does it compare to the old 40?

[Deere-est]

that 150 going to be yours for the season then tris ? looks a tidy yoke as some might say lad  ;D \

You know what they say, Marcus. No smoke, no poke!

Chris, this one is another 20hp more with more comfort and a quieter cab and also quicker on the road. The 8340 has the benefit of being able reverseup to the same speed as it will do in top forward gear, handy for field work. Also it's a real 'smile generator' and will be missed I am sure

[jdc]

Big difference from the old 40 I'm sure. The 150s were the best of the TMs in my humble opinion.

[MJB1]

You know what they say, Marcus. No smoke, no poke!

is that what they say ? can't say i've heard it before  , ah tidy old buss though  looks like another enjoyable summer ahead for you now then !

keep er lit 

[Deere-est]

Well, over the last week or so the full time chap at the firewood/baling contractor has been getting the gear ready,starting with his baler. This is the older of two, built in the USA. The newer one lasted one season and was sent back as were another two locally, all built in Poland from rubbish steel. Still, fair play to NH as they are changing them all  New one hasn't arrived yet but is due next month I believe.

After this it was the turn of the rake which needed some tlc on one of the rotor drive shafts which was a bit stiff.

[Deere-est]

Then the mower had a clean up, grease, new blades, gearbox oil and general check round.

Balers in the shed, rear left is a BB940 and to the right is the 930.

[Deere-est]

Meanwhile, yours truely has been busy cutting wood, brought in by this chap. He is in pretty well every other day now working 50+ loads into the yard during the year.

Albutt 15ft grain pusher has been bought to do this, forgot to get a pic.

[Deere-est]

Of course, all this wood means extra capacity needed so we have  toughened up the shed so we can pile it in a bit higher. New timbers at the rear and new steel angle behind the tin which was bowing a bit. Also chocked in a load of sleepers and cut the tin away here to allow the wind to blow through the shed.