wood pile to stove?

[basswidow]

What means do you use to bring wood from your pile into your stove?

I used a beach towel all winter. Lay the towel down, put about 6 splits in it, gather the corners and carry it in. I want to improve on that. Any suggestions?

I kept a large tupperware storage bin (50 gallon size) to the right of the hearth to stored my splits in. I put them in on their ends and it's just the right size for a 24 hour period of wood. It took me about 4 or 5 trips outside to the wood stack and back to fill the bin once a day. Usually in the morning. I'd like to come up with more inside storage and less trips outside, but I don't want it to be an eye sore or something the dog can get into. My dog is constantly getting into the wood to chew on a piece.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

A beach towel? Really......wow, have never heard that one before.
My wife got me one of these...love it...about $100

 

[wendell]

You definitely need to find a better system!

I use a big canvas firewood bag for small loads (20 splits) and a utility wagon that I can pull right into my walk out basement when I want to fully restock my storage (I keep a couple days worth inside.)

 

[wendell]

ilikewood's wagon is almost exactly what I use but I have the much cooler black version.

 

[fossil]

ilikewood's wagon is almost exactly what I use but I have the much cooler black version.

Mine's red. Well, actually a sort of purply-red. I might have some pin-striping done on it. Rick

 

[basswidow]

I was thinking about a hand truck of some sorts. I'm not sure the wagon would work for me. I would be concerned about marking up the hard wood floors, Plus, there is a bump up at the door sill and steps up from the porch and garage. I do like the idea of wheeling it rather than lifting it. I guess a hand truck and wagon would be about the same.

 

[Risser09]

I've been using one of my grandfather's old trapping baskets (worn as a backpack). I can get 4-8 splits in it and have my hands free to open doors. I will also put a few in my left arm to have more coming in at a time. I get about 10 big splits per trip that way. I would love to get one of those carts, because I could use it for much more than just wood.

 

[wendell]

If you have steps a wagon probably won't do you a lot of good. I got mine at Menard's (which I am sure you don't have) for $49. Just don't try to move 450 lbs of wood down an angled slope. I bent my frame.

 

[gpcollen1]

I move my wood from the pile to the garage where I store about a weeks worth of wood. From there, I fill up a milk crate - not eh square ones but the rectangular one - and carry it up the stairs and into the house. I suppose anything you can find that is long enough and has handles will do if you want to carry it.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

ilikewood's wagon is almost exactly what I use but I have the much cooler black version.

I think I mentioned my wife picked it out

 

[titan]

Here's what I use..got it as an X-mas gift.I laughed at first but it works well and is easy on the back.I may get a second one....just to keep both arms the same length.

 

[Henz]

yup, I use a carrier like the one above but not as fancy.. Nine has 1/2 ends to keep bark and debris from falling out. I can hold 5 or so splits in it at a time. works the nutz..Think I bought it at a local hardware stove for $8.00 or so.

 

[northwinds]

I use a plastic 18 gallon tote container. It keeps the debris inside. The first system that I had--carrying
it by the armful--left a mess.

 

[waynek]

My heating stove is in the basement and years ago I brought a wheelbarrow load of wood to the back door and used a copper boiler to haul the wood down a flight of stairs over to a wood box next to the stove. The wood box will hold two wheelbarrow loads.

Several years ago I hinged a basement window and built a portable chute of galvanized sheet metal to insert through the open window. Fill the wheelbarrow at the woodshed and park it next to the window. The only drawback is the setup requires two people. One to start the split down the chute and another person at the other end to remove the splits from the chute and stack into the woodbox.

My two kids did not like to receive the wood and fill the woodbox, rather they liked to operate the wheelbarrow and chuck the splits down the chute. The kids are grown and gone...now my wife and I work together.
Jackpine

 

[rphurley]

I use the lawn tractor and cart to move wood from the pile to my front door, where there is a landing that holds about 2 weeks worth. Of course I have to time the restock for when there is minimal snow on the ground. Even with chains on my tires I sometime have difficulty making it up the slight incline with a huge load of wood in the cart.

 

[waynek]

I always admired my Grandfather's process in the bringing firewood from the wood pile to the stove. His house was a classic midwestern farm house and a large heating stove was on the first floor in a large room...combination kitchen/living room. There was a framed-in woodbox on the outside of the wall closest to the stove. It had a hinged weatherproof lid on it. On the inside of the wall was a hinged wall opening that gave direct access to the firewood.

When the woodbox needed filling, Granddad would fireup the Ford 5000 tractor with a hydraulic front loader/snow bucket. Fill the bucket at the woodpile, drive a short distance to the woodbox, open the lid and unload.

Most of the debris and dust from the firewood remained in the woodbox and not brought into the house which the womenfolk appreciated.
Jackpine

 

[Shari]

In place of your beach blanket get yourself an Otter sled: (broken link removed to http://www.otteroutdoors.com/sleds/mini1110.html)

I purchased the smallest one because I can fill it up (stacked high) and it's just about all I can pull. Works great in the snow and it's not too bad dragging it on bare cement either. I keep it parked in the garage, doesn't take up a lot of room and then I use a cloth carrier to bring what I need.

Shari

 

[LLigetfa]

Here's what I use..got it as an X-mas gift.I laughed at first but it works well and is easy on the back.I may get a second one....just to keep both arms the same length.

I too, use a sling and wanted to get a second one to balance out the load and cut down the number of trips but SWMBO declined my suggestion so I carry one lopsided.

 

[Backroads]

I wheelbarrow 1-2 cords into the garage. Then I cradle it in my arm, carry it up the stairs and fill my small rack in the house. Three trips and I usually have enough to last 1.5 days. It is a pain but it keeps the wife from complaining about too much in the house. Luckily most the small stuff sticks to my chore coat and I just shake it off outisde when I'm done.

 

[Abhoth]

I live in the city so things are pretty simple here... wood is stored outside until seasoned, then moved into the garage for the winter where I can store a seasons worth of wood(2 to 3 cords)... or close to it. From the garage to the stove is a simple task... 5 gallon bucket, simple as that. I cut to 14 inch, the depth of a 5 gallon bucket, stuff what you can in the bucket, lift the handle and slide in 3 to 5 more splits horizontally depending on size or more if kindling. As long as you can fit your hand in there pick it up and carry into the house, place in wood holding area of your choice. Rinse and repeat as necessary. Works just as well with 16 inch splits, you just won't be able to get as much horizontally under the handle.

 

[firefighterjake]

I use a canvas tote to move wood on to my covered porch each week. Then during the week I would take the wood from the stack on the porch and bring it to my woodbox near the woodstove usign the same canvas tote.

 

[caber]

In the snow, I have used an old plastic toboggan. Most of the time I use the kids' old wagon. If the rack on the porch is completely empty and I already have the tractor out, I'll use that.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

From my woodshed to my back door the wood is in a wheelbarrow. From the back door to my stove I use my arms - 4 or 5 pieces at a time.

 

[mayhem]

I have a wood sling too...I vary between using that and just loading my arms up. I find I can comfortably carry about as much in my arms as in the sling, so I usually don't bother with the sling anymore.

For next year I'll probabyl have a toboggan for moving the outdoor piles to the basement mid winter and continue on with hand carrying splits upstairs.

My slng has a stand it rests in, I find its pretty good as it holds about a days worth of shoulder season wood, but only a half day's worth of really cold weather wood. Probably going to put my old half hoop log rack on the hearth for next winter...fully loaded that thing ought to hold 2-3 days worth of wood...maybe I'll use the sling to fill that up.

 

[DBoon]

I use a hand truck to get wood from the garage to the front porch - about 150 feet away. Then, I bring it into the stove by the armful from there.

When I'm not around, my wife uses the old red wagon that she used to play with at her grandmother's house when she was little.