East Wind Tractors and Dozers - How to collect and cut firewood with your tractor or dozer and log splitter around your farm. Useful information about using your tractor with hydraulic log splitters, tipping trailers and chainsaws to cut firwood and many more maintenance ideas for small to medium sized tractors and dozers on small acrage and hobby farms in Australia. Including, building a bike track, maintaining or repairing a driveway, log splitting, digging trenches and laying irrigation pipe, building a bush shed, building an entrance fence and gate and many more useful tips to make the most out of your small acreage tractor or dozer. Sales in Brisbane, Queensland, sunshine coast, north, south, east, west, gold coast, central, rockhampton, sydney, new south wales, newcastle, melbourne, victoria, canberra, albury, lismore, stanthorpe, ipswich, toowoomba, townsville, adelaide, perth, darwin, western, northern territory, coffs harbour and more. Tractors and dozers have 3-point linkage kits for a large range of implements including front end loader, backhoes. Australia wide distributors.

'How To Use' your Tractor or Dozer for Projects

How To Collect and Cut Firewood

The chainsaw will always be the first tool the farmer will reach for when collecting firewood. However, smart use of a tractor can make the task safer and easier.

Dead Trees

Dead trees that are still standing can be a potential hazard. If you choose to take them down yourself, using a tractor can be a good alternative to felling with a chainsaw.

Only small trees can be pulled over this way but the advantage is you can keep your distance when doing it. The other advantage is you won’t be left with a stump as that will come out too if you are lucky.

Safety is Paramount!

Use common sense and good judgement and keep the following in mind.

Pulling down a tree means getting close to it to attach the chain. Be aware that it isn't so rotten that it could fall over simply through hitching a chain. Also watch out for falling limbs.

You need plenty of suitably rated chain. DO NOT USE rope or cable. If it snaps the backlash could be dangerous. The chain MUST be comfortably longer than the height of the tree so that when you pull it towards you it doesn't fall on you.

ALWAYS use the drawbar to connect the chain to the tractor. By having the pulling force applied below the axle, the risk of flipping the tractor over backwards is reduced. ALWAYS use a roll over protective structure. If your tractor has 4WD, engage it to maximise pulling power. An already fallen tree in an inaccessible location such as a gully can be pulled out to a safer location for chain sawing.

A tractor fitted with a 4-in-1 front end loader can be useful for grabbing and lifting a log up off the ground to make it easier to saw.

Your tractor can also be used to take the back breaking work out of wood splitting. The splitter pictured is driven by the tractors' hydraulics and can apply eighteen tonnes of force.

The front end loader can also be handy for carting a quick load of wood.

For bigger loads a trailer is ideal. And a tipping trailer (connected to the tractor hydraulics) can cut manual handling. Just back up the trailer to your storage area and tip it right in.

Firewood Collection Tips

Don't just collect any old wood. Some species burn much better than others. Gums are generally pretty good. Redgum, iron bark and greybox are renowned for their long burning, high heat output. Watch out for burning too much pine. It burns up pretty quickly and it also gives off high amounts of sparks.

Your local government may have regulations regarding taking down trees - check it out.

Watch out for termites in the timber you harvest. Don't store affected wood near your home or you may cause an infestation.

Making a simple saw horse as pictured is another way to make firewood cutting easy.

Allow enough time for wood to dry out before burning. Old dead wood that is simply wet needs a few weeks. Wood that is still green needs a full season.

If you have an old rain water tank lying around put it to good use by cutting it in half and turning it into a wood shed.

Safety is always the highest priority. Always use a tractor that complies with Australian Standards, including Roll Over Protective Structure, seat belt and protective covers. Only take on tasks within the capability of the machine and operator. Follow all relevant safety warnings, instructions and regulations. Wear appropriate safety equipment and use common sense.

* This article is a general guide only. Conditions vary from site to site. Judgement relating to your individual conditions must be exercised.

East Wind Tractors and Hanmey Implements feature in these article.
For more information visit www.eastwind.com.au or www.hanmey.com.au or call 1300 TRACTOR (1300 87 22 86).

Return to more 'How To' articles

East Wind supply useful information and articles on using your tractor with a 3-point linkage mounted hydraulic log splitter productively and safely around small acreage properties and hobby or lifestyle farms. There are tips on how to use a hydraulic log splitter and tractor to safely cut and collect firewood around the farm, as well as using a hydraulic tipping trailer to transport firewood and dry storage of wood. Safety is always the major priority when using farm machinery and there is an article to help keep farmers safe in the field. There is also information on using a backhoe to dig trenches, using a rotary hoe to build a vegetable garden, maintaining a driveway with a grader blade, collecting firewood and building a fence and gate.

Tractors with backhoes for sale in Australia from our branches in Queensland and Victoria include delivery to all areas of Melbourne, Horsham, Ballarat, Colac, Portland, Morwell, Hamilton, Seymour, Bendigo, Mildura, Geelong, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warnambool and Bairnsdale In Victoria (VIC). In Queensland (QLD) our tractor sales to Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Barcaldine, Proserpine, Winton, Longreach, Mt. Isa, Mackay, Rockhampton, Charleville, Warwick, Cloncurry, Emerald, Roma, Miles, Normanton, Gladstone, Sunshine Coast, Cunnamulla and Goondiwindi .

If you are looking for information on how to use tractors with hydraulic log splitters or looking for new farm tractors for sale or sales of compact dozers, contact East Wind today or drop into one of our Dealers and Distributors to see the full range of tractors and dozers, where we are sure you will find a tractor or dozer to suit your small acreage farm equipment needs. There are package deals including hydraulic implements for sale through our dealers.

^ top

East Wind Products

Service Network

Useful Information

Dealer Specials