Do you split first, then load or load first then split?

[jdhacker]

If it's possible I split in the woods, I cut my son hauls it out to the truck with a old lawn tractor and wagon. splits it , and stacks it in the truck.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Buck and load in the woods. Back the truck up close to the wood stacks. Position the splitter stand at the tailgate, which puts the electric splitter at bed height. Roll rounds onto the splitter, split and put the splits in the wheelbarrow. When full, roll to the stack and unload. I only lift the wood once, never put the wood on the ground and split at my leisure. Splitting when you can be cutting more makes no sense. JOMO.

 

[Chris-PA]

I cut on my own land, so I don't have to move it too great a distance, and I hand split and/or noodle big stuff and knots. In recent years I have gone to bucking, final splitting and temporary stacking right in place. I just find a couple of long sticks and use a small tree as an end stop. The reason for this is that I find the best of plans have a way of getting diverted, and this way come the next winter there is a stack of wood that has been drying for months rather than a pile of rounds I never got around to finish moving or processing. I still need to move it, but it is burnable. Basically, I try to get stuff seasoning ASAP.

In late fall I go around and collect the stacks. I end up with stacks all over the woods, but I've come to like that.

If I need to move them out of the location they are in I quarter them or whatever to get something I can move without hurting my back, but don't final split so as to avoid having to make more trips walking them out. But protecting the back is key - I hurt that and I can't do the work I need to do to live here. Those go down to my splitting pile across the lane.

 

[GVS]

I skid the logs out(from 30 to 50 ft. lengths) to a landing.Start bucking when all the logs are out.Start splitting when all is bucked up.Then haul and stack.

 

[origionalrebel]

my preference is to buck and split right where she falls. splits go straight from the wedge into the truck. sometimes you have to adapt and compromise. i hate skidding firewood because of dirt for the chains. sometimes you got no choice. lately i been cutting some peckerpole cherry on steep ground so i skidded it straight to the barn beside the stacks and bucked it up. had to carry the limb wood to the truck.

 

[Wellsco]

GVS my operation is the exact same. Split right into the trailer and haul out. Most of the time your sequence will be dictated by location, equipment available, and number of loads.

 

[demc570]

load rounds by hand,also use a 1200 pound dolley to get them to truck, and split at home when i get time

 

[MarcS]

I like to have some big rounds at the house to test saws and do some splitting if the mood strikes but those big rounds just beat the hell out of me and my truck so most of the time I split right where I drop the tree. Trim the stump off and use it for a nice solid chopping/noodling block. Also leaves a lot of mess in the woods since I cut a lot of dead Red Oak with loose bark and some punk on the outside...can't be too fussy eh?

But like others have said, do whatever works for you. I help my neighbor, an older guy, make his wood every year and he insists on draging entire trees to a landing-dirt and all. Bugs the hell out of me but it's his preferred way. Maybe a habit from the old days of using a pto saw rig?

 

[chucker]

?? "DEPENDS" ... IF IT'S FOR DELIVERY ? IT'S SPLIT OR UNSPLIT !! "DEPENDS" on how it's wanted delivered?? undelivered, it's split or unsplit! it depends on how it's delivered?? but in the end it's always the buck that counts weather it's split or unsplit for delivery!! it's really the point of "MONEY TALKS" and "BULL CHIPS WALK".... !! SO IT'S ALL ON THE "DEPENDS".... go figure? DAMNED DEPENDS!.........

 

[Furious]

Where I get my wood is 30 mins from home so I take my trailer and truck, cut 16 inch lengths, load both and go home and set all the rounds on end. Limb wood gets tossed in a pile. If the weather sucks (or is gonna suck) I tarp it all. Then I when I get home from work after a bad day or on my days off, I go out with my Fiskars and split happily for hours!!!! Works for me, but I tried a few different ways to get to this set up.... On a good day I take the whole family and I cut, they load the rounds, or I should say my wife does. The kids have sword fights with twigs or look for animal tracks!!!!!

 

[memory]

Ok, I noticed something reading these posts. More than a few people said that they can get more in a load when it is split. I thought it was the other way around. I remember someone on here, I think, did a small scale test on this and the conclusion was you could get more in a load with rounds. I will see if I can find it.

If we have enough help, I do think it is better to split in the field. You could have the third person load the truck while the other two are splitting. But most of the time, it is just two of us or sometimes just one person.

I found the thread I was looking for. Go to page 2 for the test.
http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...n-a-pickup-bed-split-or-unsplit.110955/page-2

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

If I have my choice I will always split on site of where I cut. Mess of bark and bugs stays in the woods and the loaded truck goes right to my stacks when I come home. I can't always do it that way, but it is my preferred method. Less heavy handling IMO.

 

[VW Splitter]

I have done it both ways, but I would much rather bring it home to split. I have 1 truck that I fill with saws, fuel, tools, and one 7.5' x 12' trailer I fill with rounds. I am often by myself. I use a ramp to roll the biggens on the trailer. I have rolled as large s 36" rounds up the ramp. They come off the trailer and onto the splitter. Then I toss them into the woodshed. This is the first year I have used the pile it method instead of stack it. Working great.

 

[dave_dj1]

I prefer to split in the woods but if need be I will bring the rounds home and split. I don't want to handle the stuff any more than absolutely necessary!

 

[Woodchucker Ron]

Depends for me to sometime I split sometimes I don't just depends on the situation. I won't get in to all that but your dad sounds a lot like my dad used to, we argued all the time. Sure do miss him. I would just enjoy the time you have with him and remember he won't be around forever. Maybe it's just easier on him to do it that way. That being said dad is always right in my book.

 

[woodchuck357]

Most of my firewood comes from tree work, so it gets hauled home in as large of pieces as can be rolled on the trailer with parbuckled cables and comealongs. I only stack wood when I'm trying to speed drying with black plastic covering. I'm a pile it and forget it wood storer for the most part. The Lady does most of the stacking because she likes to brag about how much wood she has, and she's a neat freak.

 

[AIM]

If i can lift the rounds I will simply do whatever my mood for the day dictates. Sometimes I want to pack a cooler and split in the woods and other days I want to just get it cut, loaded and brought home. If it's a huge tree to big to load I will split in the woods. I hate noodling!

 

[Stihl working hard]

It all depends on where iam cutting most of the time if the wood is being sold which most of it is I will cut rounds and split it on site for me personally I can fit more in the truck & trailer

 

[lapeer20m]

I've never considered splitting in the woods. I'll have to try that sometime.

With the owb, my need to split is significantly reduced. I only split the big trees that are 12 inches or more in diameter.

Sometimes I skid logs out to the landing to be processed, but most times I take the tracked atv out and haul out a load of rounds. It'll carry about 1/4 cord at a time. I cut most about 24" unless they are really heavy, then I cut them shorter just to make them easier to handle.

 

[kodiak]

I cut on my own property. The rounds get cut and are pretty much left laying there which could be for up to a few weeks until I have enough to go into splitting mode. In splitting mode, the splitter gets positioned right next to the stacks and the rounds go right from the trailer to the splitter (minimal lifting) to the stacks.