A rough Sunday processing firewood...

[shamusturbo]

Scheduled a firewood processing job for this past Sunday. The customer was a family friend of a previous customer. He owns farm land that was cleared for a right-of-way and new pipeline install late last summer. He had the wood piled up in one location (what was about 8 hours worth of machine time). Wood was maybe D+ or C-. Not great but not the worst.

After we got the processor and skid loader there and setup, the motor wouldn't start. Cracked fuel lines and primed, no air visible. Pull air filter. Replaced fuel filter and checked lift pump screen. Still nothing. Pulled and tested fuel shutoff solenoid. Tested good with battery amperage. Wouldn't actuate when plugged into harness with similar voltage. Traced wires for damage. Finally killed the battery. (I do NOT have the manual for the motor) After hours of scrambling, it hit my brother that there should be a mechanical fuel shutoff. Finally it starts. We came to that realization shortly before that it wasn't making any smoke so the fuel couldn't be getting to the cylinder. Neither of us are super mechanics but I still felt embarrassed we couldn't figure it out faster. 

We ran about an hour past dark. There are lights on both the loader and processor. 15 logs short of finishing, the lower conveyor belt section tore in half. (Which we planned on replacing soon anyways). Solution: Remove the conveyor and just push the splits away from the machine. We finished around 930P and had everything loaded shortly after 10. Go to back the 2016 3500 Chevy up to the processor to hook up and leave and the lights come on but the motor won't turn over.

The customer finally laughed and said: "I am glad I am not the only one in this lifetime that struggles but this may take that cake."

The next day, after I got the dump towed and he could assess the amount of firewood we made, I think I have a new yearly customer. Makes us reconsider mobile firewood processing. I am hoping it was just a rough go.....time will tell. 

Chevy dealer just called: They "think" it's a bad starter. Closest one is in Flint MI and is 3 days out (which also blows my mind). I suppose they weren't planning on needing parts for a 8 month old truck this soon.

[Wood Shed]

What day did you say all this happened?  Just saying.

[florida]

Too much dust buildup on the steering column. Every time mine breaks I look down and sure enough, the column is dusty.

[dave_dj1]

Well darn! I'm glad you got it all taken care of. I once had a new Chevy 2500 4x4 that had a bad transmission after 3 months (automatic) and I had to wait a total of 5 months for them to finally fix it, they couldn't get a new one so the got a new case (case was cracked) and put all the guts into the new case. They finally took it to a transmission shop and he fixed it once and for all.
Hopefully you have better days ahead 

[GRANITEstateMP]

  Good job powering through and getting the job done!  Seems like you had more than your share of hurdles on this job.  I've done a couple mobile jobs, mostly for friends or friends of friends, seems like it's a good way to find the weak link in your setup!

  Hope GM get's your truck squared away.  Might help if you let them know you bought a new rig so you could reduce down time!  I work at a dealership, know all about just in time inventory...  I would be a bit concerned that they "think" it's the starter.

  Did you source a new conv. belt local or through CRD?

[hedgerow]

I see this Sunday thing both ways. I grew up in a small business and in the  1960's we were closed on Sundays but had trucks too and Sunday night was cattle hauling night. Then the 70's came farmers got bigger the fuel station needed to be open Sundays noon to six. By the time my Mom retired and sold the place it was open 24/7. My wife gives me hell about working Sundays but I have a real job so we can farm and Sunday is just another day. If I am on call from work I will be there if not will be farming or cutting wood. I came very close to being killed from a tractor running me over seven years ago on Easter Sunday. When things are not going right on a Sunday the wife reminds me that Sundays are for church, family and friends. For those of us that are wired to work on Sundays be careful and stop and smell the roses once in a while. Hope they get the truck going soon. Time to get a little lunch and get back to cleaning up some down trees from a storm. 

[LAZERDAN]

Just Remember:  Grandpa always said," What sunday earns,monday burns"   I work every sunday, I have your same luck.  But just get the job done, I'm really gettin burned out.   Lazerdan

[shamusturbo]

My grandparents and more my mothers family were big on resting on Sunday. My family grew up going to church on Sundays and seeing family, cooking out, going for a drive. We fell away when my dad got sick when I was 9 and life revolved around doctor visits and hospital stays. A heart virus attacked in 1999, he went on disability for 3 years, his heart regained strength in 2003 and he went back to work, and it showed again in 2005 and forced him to retire for good. in 2007 he got a heart pump and in Sept. 2009, a heart transplant. All has been great since then. Checkups are a weekly occurrence but in his words:"Everyday is a bonus day".

My mom worked every hour she could to make ends meet. My brother and I worked on a local vegetable farm and we saved enough for a used wood burner for our house in 2000. We figured it was a way to get rid of one of the more major bills, heating oil. That's where all this firewood madness started, yes when my brother and I were 11 and 9 years old.

I am 27 now and am starting to see myself get "less excited" when the cards don't fall my way. I can remember not all that long ago promising to boycott a business that wasn't open Sundays or Holidays. Why do they get to play when I am working? Luckily the big man has put several influential older men in my life that have taught me things I could have never dreamed of....

I sourced the new conveyor belt locally. We live very close to coal country so there are a couple rubber companies to pick from. I am going to a V-cleated belt from the OEM carpet belt, same ply. I have had bad experience talking with CRD. We drove to VT maybe 10 years ago for the forest products expo and they wouldn't pay us the time of day.

We are gonna take the boat to the river this Sunday.....

[Stoneyacrefarm]

Shamu,
I sure hope you caught some fish!!
My father taught me years ago that if you want something you need to work for it.
I have a full time job and run a 150 acre farm.
There are no days off.
Only downtime is when you're sick or someone gets married.  8) 8)
Can't say that I would change a thing.
I'm almost to my goal of staying on the farm full time.
Keep up the hard work and perseverance.
You will be rewarded.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Did they get your truck all fixed up?  What did it end up being?

[Corley5]

Gotta make hay while the sun shines  ;) ;D   I work so when I need to take a day it doesn't set me back

[Corley5]

One summer Grandpa loaned a couple hay wagons to the local festival to use on a Saturday.  It just happened that because of the weather there wasn't hay to go in that day.  Grandpa told Henry that he needed the wagons back that evening or Sunday before noon because there would be hay to bale.  Henry's response was "You work on Sundays Bob?"  Grandpa just shook his head, walked away and we had the wagons back Saturday evening because Henry had to be at church Sunday morning  8) 8)  We mowed more hay that Sunday morning and started raking before noon because the sun was shining and the forecast was good for making hay :D ;D