Thread: Green or dry

I hand split at least 8 cords of wood a year and was wondering what type of wood splits easier green or dry.

green wood to me splits easier... i do about 11 cords a yr myself... (with a splitter!)

If splitting with a splitter I don't care if it's green or dry. Elm is a pain either way. Hackberry seems to split easier when its green, ash does too in my opinion.

I cant think of any of the woods that I burn that aren't easirer to split by hand when dry. It seems like when wet the moisture absorbs the impack of the axe/maul more than when the wood is seasoned.

You can wear yourself out on green American Elm rounds. Sweet Gum, Sycamore, and Cottonwood are a few I avoid too. They make you sweat for the BTU's a lot more.

Hackberry, Oak, Hedge, Mullberry, Pecan, Ash, Tree of Pardise ( snicker) , Maple, Buckthorne, Boxelder, Locust and Slippery Elm come right apart for me green or dry.

when it's about -20* F everything splits easier.

I love to split wood here in the winter. When it's real cold you can just look at it wrong in it splits. Although real cold here is -40

I think dry has to split better, as the wood is less flexible. Weighs less, too.

I think dry wood splits easier unless you are at 20 to 50 below air temps. Like a few posts before me, when it is colder it splits easier. I personally like the -20 temp. best. I would guess it takes 1/4 of the energy to split at -20 as compared to 50 above.

Originally Posted by split4fun

I hand split at least 8 cords of wood a year and was wondering what type of wood splits easier green or dry.

After splitting 8 cords, you should have some idea yourself.

I don't split with my hands but prefer to use a maul.

I find red oak easier green and sugar maple easier dry. Red maple, haven't noticed much difference unless it's a real big round.

There's little in wood prep that's more fun than laying into red oak when it's below freezing.

Green and 0-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mostly think green is a much easier to split as long as it's below freezing, the wood that is. The important temperature is that of the wood, because it will determine whether or not your wood is full of water or ice.

Splitting green wood above freezing is not bad in drier species, but if the wood is very wet, all it does squeeze out of a wedge hole when you drive the wedge or maul had and lubricate the wedge to pop it out. Becomes a real chore at that point and is typically not worth it.

Most wood types are easier to separate the wood fibers through splitting while green....ALL types are very much heavier and harder to handle when green.

Originally Posted by cityevader

Most wood types are easier to separate the wood fibers through splitting while green....ALL types are very much heavier and harder to handle when green.

For hand splitting , I find the opposite to be true. But I dont like handling it much. The only reason I split it green is so it goes into a stack quicker. It might sit in a pile for a week before I get to it. This gives it time for the natural weak spots to show me where it wants to split and I take advantage of this.

I will split up some green when it gets in the drive to see what it is going to be like. If I am killing myself after bringing it home , it isn't going anywhere on its own so I don't get excited about not having it split and stacked right away.