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nick249713 t1_ivrnxcg wrote

Stacking wood is like folding and putting away laundry. I don’t mind bucking it, splitting it, but stacking it is so tedious.

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ringomanzana t1_ivsnp04 wrote

You have to stack it all creative like the Scandinavians. I think the folks from Connecticut also get fancy with their stacks.

In all seriousness, stacking wood is a great time to clear your mind, get some exercise, and prepare for the winter ahead. It might seem terrible in the moment, but it is definitely satisfying once the job is done.

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reefer_roulette t1_ivt36ik wrote

If I’m having a frustrating day I’ll go stack wood to help release the stress. I don’t really enjoy it but at least I’m being productive while having a temper tantrum.

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bakerton t1_ivvawc9 wrote

I clean my kitchen for the same reason, if I'm going to be mad I might was well at least have a clean kitchen.

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ringomanzana t1_ivxgq9o wrote

I also clean my kitchen to prepare for the winter ahead. I will clean it again in the spring. 😂

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[deleted] t1_ivt4u61 wrote

[deleted]

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whaletacochamp t1_ivtaxs9 wrote

Right? It takes me at least an hour per cord to stack it (often more because my woodshed is not easy to just walk into) and then I feel like half a cord is gone in a matter of days.

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nick249713 t1_ivzs5bp wrote

Ya man I said it’s tedious not terrible. Definitely satisfying when you finish.

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Lasshandra2 t1_ivt8ncb wrote

I helped my neighbor with this task this summer. It’s really fun for desk jockeys like me. He could have charged admission.

You need to ask people to help. People who want the exercise.

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whaletacochamp t1_ivtb28q wrote

Exactly. My mom is a fitness junky and is always asking to come split/stack/haul logs out of the woods. She gets a huge kick out of it.

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Lasshandra2 t1_ivtx5a5 wrote

Oh yeah. You can chat about silly things and they are super grateful. Wear gloves. Joy.

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whaletacochamp t1_ivu10yh wrote

Also have a kid now (her first grand kid) so she will do anytbing to get a few minutes with him.

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Lasshandra2 t1_ivu3z8n wrote

There’s a thing about humans: when they do mountain climbing, their perception of difficulty is influenced by whether they hike alone or with others. We are social. It’s easier when we have a buddy to compete with/take care of/show leadership to/commiserate with.

Same thing goes for so many of the things we do.

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whaletacochamp t1_ivuo7gz wrote

For sure. Also, it's just logical that twice as many hands working on one task will get it done twice as fast. Obviously its not that cut and dry, but still much faster than doing it alone. So that in and of itself makes the task more approachable.

For instance, sometimes I have a free hour after work and think "i should stack wood" and then when I think about how I will spend my one free hour getting almost nowhere I'm like "ehh fuck that" - but if someone will help me for an hour a) it's no longer just a mindless boring task and b) i go into it more motivated because I know i will get somewhere.

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theghostofmrmxyzptlk t1_ivtccq6 wrote

Sure is fun whitewashing this fence!

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Lasshandra2 t1_ivtxgxx wrote

Thing is: if someone is bogged down, you can lend your enthusiasm to the awful task to make it easier.

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vtddy t1_ivrjf41 wrote

Picking up the yard.

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_ivsvqxc wrote

Same.

I also get bored Winterizing the summer stuff like putting the kayaks away, putting the bikes away, the clean on the lawnmower before some seafoam gets added for the winter. That stuff is usually a day of drudge work.

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ringomanzana t1_ivt4568 wrote

I like to put a roast in the crock pot before heading outside to perform tasks I do not like. It helps to have a reward waiting at the end of the day.

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whaletacochamp t1_ivtbbon wrote

Agreed. Something in the crock pot, low fire crackling in the wood stove, usually my wife has some delicious fall themed candle burning. Come inside dirty, tired, hungry, and cold. Enjoy an adult beverage and some herbal remedies for the aches. Take a warm shower and eat your hot meal in sweatpants.

Ok that's enough, I'm drooling and falling asleep.

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_ivts8g8 wrote

That's a good idea. I need to get the crock pot out again now that the weather has turned.

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scattered_mountain t1_ivtitqs wrote

Same.

Though if you are lazy enough, or the snow is early enough... it becomes a spring chore!

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Eledridan t1_ivrrypi wrote

Keeps you warm twice.

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Calligraphee t1_ivsc5pi wrote

If you cut it and split it yourself, it can keep you warm up to four times!

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whaletacochamp t1_ivtbuex wrote

Way more than that if you're not super efficient/cant do multiple steps at once:

  1. Bucking
  2. Loading log into trailer
  3. Unloading log from trailer
  4. Splitting
  5. Stacking
  6. Bringing inside
  7. Burning

Ideally I try to do:

  1. Buck
  2. Tow splitter to where tree fell/was bucked and split on the spot putting split pieces directly in trailer
  3. Stack directly from trailer
  4. Bring inside
  5. Burn

So really, even an efficient workflow is more like 5 times since I tend to cool off between steps 2 and 3.

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InformationHorder t1_ivt505d wrote

If the wind blows your stacker over in a storm it warms you three times!

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SomeConstructionGuy t1_ivt8da1 wrote

Figuring out why the f my plow won’t raise again. Every damn year I hook it up and something’s broken.

Maybe I should try it this weekend before it snows.

Nah I’ll wait until it snows…

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CTdadof5 t1_ivs2wps wrote

I love cutting, splitting and stacking wood.

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zombienutz1 t1_ivt4f2i wrote

Winterizing items with small engines and changing over tires (I do them myself).

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whaletacochamp t1_ivthj22 wrote

I spend an entire day doing this stuff:

  • Clean shit off mower. Change oil, spark plug, and blades on mower. Drain gas and tuck out of the way somewhere.
  • Get out snowblower. Add fresh gas and check oil. Start and make sure it's working alright.
  • Install plow on ATV. Grease all fittings on ATV. Check hub fluid, replace drive belt. Install tire chains.
  • Put driveway markers along driveway
  • Install snow tires on both vehicles
  • Install special winter door over one of my exterior doors for insulation
  • Ignore all other small engines and wonder why they need their carburetors cleaned in the spring

Then there's usually an entire extra day of winterizing garden beds and whatnot.

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whaletacochamp t1_ivtasdk wrote

I love everything about burning wood - the felling, bucking, splitting, burning, smell, etc. BUT, I absolutely despise stacking, get super sick of bringing loads into the house all winter, and hate having to vacuum around the stove every other day.

To mitigate my hatred of stacking I usually have a "firewood party" - this usually happens once I have a good stash of logs built up and I invite my parents and inlaws and whoever else I can convince. We cook a bunch of food, have a bonfire, and split/stack all of the wood together. It's actually pretty fun, plus i usually just get to operate the wood splitter lever while drinking a beer or some hot spiked cider.

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rosiesmam t1_ivt1j67 wrote

I enjoy stacking wood. Lists more fun than stacking bags of wood pellets!!!

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Cap1691 t1_ivss671 wrote

Splitting wood, so satisfying.

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YOurAreWr0ng t1_ivtegzs wrote

Putting plastic over all our windows. I dread it every year.

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RandomHero565 t1_ivtibhb wrote

Make it fun, take a hit of weed every 50 pieces stacked. It'll get done in no time.

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DamonKatze t1_ivtq6ri wrote

Crap chores are one of the biggest reasons country folks have kids.

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Mundane_Income987 t1_ivusdsg wrote

As a kid/teen, I hated having to steer the wobbly wheelbarrow full of wood to the basement 😂

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mr_chip_douglas t1_ivtw1zg wrote

Post it over at r/woodstoving, it’s like 70% Vermonters

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bobsizzle t1_ivuci4j wrote

That's my favorite part

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EphraimJenkins t1_ivrpkeq wrote

It’s not stacked inside the house is it?

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GrayHairedRacer OP t1_ivt2qtj wrote

It is in our finished basement. It's kiln dried wood, so no bugs or added moisture.

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artful_todger_502 t1_ivt6owk wrote

How long will that last? Do you use pellets too?

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go-home-fashy t1_ivt6unf wrote

Winterizing the summer stuff. It seems so easy to just put it away with old fuel or oil but then you always regret it all spring.

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trashtrucktoot t1_ivtaf4n wrote

My winter prep is turning off and draining the water, cleaning the composting toilet and packing up til May.

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anoftz t1_ivtcmq1 wrote

Same. My folks get their delivery and the next three weekends are going to help stack. Oof.

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zifnabhaplo t1_ivteeef wrote

Mine too. That's why I dont do it. Just leave it in piles in the yard. I go through 5 cords a winter

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Enough_Camel2650 t1_ivtjvbs wrote

Stacking wood 100%, we use an outdoor wood boiler that burns around 8 chords a winter & it’s a nightmare each year…but worth it with the cost of fuel

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skiitifyoucan t1_ivunmjg wrote

my wife actually loves stacking wood, i have no idea why but i let her do it.

I used to hate putting chains on my garden tractor, so I just leave them on all the time now.

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anapoe t1_ivuuccd wrote

I've stacked ~8 cords of wood this year and I'm really looking forward to not doing it again for a while.

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CaleNord2020 t1_ivv0t3j wrote

Substituting regular coffee for Irish coffee is a great hack for getting through those long dark days, and tedious winter chores. Lol

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HomeOnTheMountain_ t1_ivw7v4e wrote

I like stacking wood :(

It's kind of meditative. I hate changing the oil on everything. That's a pain in the ass.

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