Hand split or rent a splitter

[allstihl]

ill be 59 this sun . i do 25 -30 face cord a year. i hand split it all. keeps me young.

 

[haveawoody]

Wildeman,

Well the question wasn't really directed at me but i have quite a bit of experience in leaving things in round format VS split.

Some rounds will take a very long time to cure in round format, some will even rot and some are very similar to split for cure times.
Length of the round can make quite an impact on that also, a 24" round of most things will cure in about 2x as long as split wood at the same length.
At 16" most rounds are about 1.5x as long as the splits.
At 12" near identical.

Box elder, poplar, cotton wood and a few others that will try to rot if left in round format.
Split these ASAP.
Red oak,black locust, walnut and a few others in round format will take a very long time to cure.

Then the question of how wide the round is has a big impact on cure times also.
The wider the round the longer it will take and same sort of math for it.


I think in general your thinking how long can i leave my rounds before i have to split.
The answer is the sooner the better because the sooner you do the sooner you have cured wood, but most rounds are perfectly fine to sit in a dry airy spot for a few months without worry.

As for wood quantity, most wood is the best it will be after the 2 year cure.
So minimal amount for you should be 2 years worth with the collection and splitting of 1 years worth each year.


Whod a thunk it was that complex

 

[Mac88]

Well I'm new(not that it is an excuse) and I can't get a feel for your humour yet. I'm sure you'll get me broke in!

I forgot to stick a smiley on the end. My bad.

 

[stihly dan]

So Mac, your going to be breaking in guswit. How are you gonna brake him in:msp_biggrin:?

 

[stihly dan]

The fiskers can easily go thru 20 inch rds. Split in a tire, and drink away, its all good.

 

[stihl023/5]

There are a couple terms on AS that you MUST familiarize yourself with. Pro Saw, and Fiskars. Until you own and use both you will find yourself at the very bottom of the AS totum pole. If you buy a Super Split (or whatever the current rage is), it may move you up a notch or two.

I believe the OP DID say 4 cords, period. I was pokin' fun at all the Pro Saw-natics and Fiskar-holics who think that one can't process firewood without owning both. In my opinion, it's good to let people know that you don't necessarily NEED those items to successfully process fire wood. I don't, and I put up 20+ cords of firewood this year, with a 15 yr. old homeowner saw and a 30+ year old farmer-built hydraulic splitter. I've never felt the need to use a wedge when felling. But then, I don't drop many trees bigger than 30" or so DBH. Just sayin'.

I am glad you clarified that, I thought you went to the dark side.:msp_w00t:

 

[stihl023/5]

Well I'm new(not that it is an excuse) and I can't get a feel for your humour yet. I'm sure you'll get me broke in!

It will grow on you.

 

[BigDaddyR]

I have the same delima here. My access to wood has gone up exponentially so now I need to find a way to transport more and to split way more. Working on shaking up the money for a good splitter and a trailer and truck crane/wench set up. Just got a maul and it works pretty well but I want to be able to put up about 20 cords a year. 10 for personal use and 10 for helping cover costs of tools, (saws) trailer, (saws) bigger better and maybe diesel truck, (saws) and fuel/oil/time, and maybe some additional saws.:hmm3grin2orange:

I vote get the splitter, cut and split a few extra cords a year to pay for it as was advised to me here.

 

[Mac88]

So Mac, your going to be breaking in guswit. How are you gonna brake him in:msp_biggrin:?

He'll figure it out. If not I'll sic you and spidey on him. Compared you you guys I'm a pushover...:msp_mellow:

 

[Iron Head]

Hand splitting is good exercise!

The shorter round the quicker it will season.............:msp_biggrin:

That's how I look at it too.
I split my firewood in the open where my neighbors can see my work as they drive pass my place.
I has several neighbors offered to lend me their splitter and a couple of neighbors offered to help me split wood but I kindly refuse them all and told them that this is for my exercise. And it it, I loose at least 15 lbs every firewood season.

 

[Herd8497]

Started in the wood cutting in Sept. Had the good fortune of a friend asking if I knew anyone who wanted to drop 26 ash trees. My quest began. Bought a saw and went to work. Went halves on a splitter with a buddy ($700). Bought a maul and got busy. Upgraded to a X27 in November. Have Used the splitter for an hour total. I love hand splitting. I would unload my half of the splitter gladly.:biggrin: I am a teacher, but feel so alive for three months a year when I roof in the summer and anytime I am working with the saw, axe, etc.

Give hand splitting a chance before you spend money on a splitter. Noodling is great!

 

[ZeroLife]

For the past 2 years i have rented a splitter and split 4 cords in a weekend have cut it all up into rounds. My stove takes up to 22” splits but i cut everything i can to 20” bar length. I have tried splitting with a maul but it kicks my tail, I am a rookie at this. My thinking is that if i cut everything 15” i could split it but that's a lot more fuel, sharpening and ware on the saw. Is it worth it for my manliness and my excuse to get out of the house “I gota go split wood” and drink beer.

Unless you're into that damn Elm, you should be able to split what you have with a maul or ax(I think. I don't know what the hell else you've got wherever you're at). We all sucked with a maul when we started out. It takes practice my friend. Get a good technique down. Stand with your feet at shoulders width. Lift the maul over your head however is comfortable, and bring it down so the striking edge is in line with your nose. Eventually you will learn how to strike a round where you're looking with concentration, and then without even thinking about it. Perfecting these skills will help you when you get into the 40" diameter oak rounds and you can run a straight line down the outer edges. You can split this way in a tire or with a rope tied around the round faster than you can with the hydros. You'll run into stuff you can't split by hand. Throw this stuff in a pile for chainsaw work if there's not much, or for rented/purchased hydraulic splitting if you've got a pile. There's nothing like splitting by hand. Unless you have no interest in learning. In which case, buy a splitter if you plan on doing this for the long run, or keep renting if you're only going to be doing it for another couple years

 

[sgt7546]

My only thinking is if your stove holds 22" and your cutting to 16" your wasting space and loading more than you need to.

I like to cut to fill the stove. More heat with less reloads.

As for by hand or machine, I like machine hands down.


• Sent from my screen to yours.

 

[SPDRMNKY]

@ the OP. depends on lotsa things...but all of them boil down to you. I wouldn't personally buy a splitter for 4 cord a year, but if'n you do...that's just fine. As to renting...I don't rent anything I'm going to need over and over again.

Cheers!

 

[Marc]

For the past 2 years i have rented a splitter and split 4 cords in a weekend have cut it all up into rounds. My stove takes up to 22” splits but i cut everything i can to 20” bar length. I have tried splitting with a maul but it kicks my tail, I am a rookie at this. My thinking is that if i cut everything 15” i could split it but that's a lot more fuel, sharpening and ware on the saw. Is it worth it for my manliness and my excuse to get out of the house “I gota go split wood” and drink beer.

Just know that here in the supportive Firewood forum, no matter what decision you make... it will be wrong, and you will be appropriately laughed at.





Ok boys, commence with the laughing.



/man up and split the damn 20" lengths by hand
//welcome, and put on yer hardhat

 

[BigDaddyR]

My only thinking is if your stove holds 22" and your cutting to 16" your wasting space and loading more than you need to.

I like to cut to fill the stove. More heat with less reloads.

As for by hand or machine, I like machine hands down.


• Sent from my screen to yours.

There's a few reasons why I cut on 16's instead of 22" as my stove will take a 22" as well.

1. 16" rounds are easier to handle weight wise if I have to roll them up the car ramps and my FIL is not around with the Bobcat. The are also more manageable to get off the truck and split by hand if I'm of a mind to.
2. I can fit 16" sticks in the stove both ways. Placing them from front to back burns faster but hotter and I can build an offset house inferno for quick heat if I need it.
3. A lot of people want 16" sticks and it seems a common enough size that if you want to sell a bit you can then without a hassle.
4. I can fit 3 rows deep of 16" sticks stacked on a standard pallet if I want to crowd it and not leave air in the middle of the row for drying.

I can split some sizes faster on the hydralic than by hand so I will still be getting one.

 

[CTYank]

Buy a good splitting axe like a Fiskars! For 4 cord I wouldn't bother renting a splitter, even if it takes you several nights after work to get it processed and stacked. Even though I have a monster splitter, I still split plenty by hand just to work off a couple of those canned pork chops.

I'd strongly suggest that you not waste your time/money on Fiskars, having tested X27 against a really well-made maul and some cheapie 5 pounders modified to match its shape.

You'd be way ahead long-term with a maul from Wetterlings or Stihl, based on price. Stihl resells Ochsenkopf. 5 lb seems to be a general sweet-spot for maul-head weight- I'd agree with that.

Splitting axes might work for busting up kindling. (They're a lemming phenomenon.) Their heads are too brittle for hitting steel, sez their mfgs.

 

[CTYank]

I believe the OP DID say 4 cords, period. I was pokin' fun at all the Pro Saw-natics and Fiskar-holics who think that one can't process firewood without owning both. In my opinion, it's good to let people know that you don't necessarily NEED those items to successfully process fire wood. I don't, and I put up 20+ cords of firewood this year, with a 15 yr. old homeowner saw and a 30+ year old farmer-built hydraulic splitter. I've never felt the need to use a wedge when felling. But then, I don't drop many trees bigger than 30" or so DBH. Just sayin'.

Who started the Fiskars fanboy shtick? From simple test, the product is way sub-standard, because of the unbelievably bad metallurgy. Almost instant gap-tooth. Brittle failures galore, and the fragments bend.

Maybe people think their only other hand-splitting choice is the cheapie 'murican blunt bludgeon. Not so. There are excellent mauls made by european forges such as Gransfors, Wetterlings, Ochsenkopf, Mueller, and others I'd like to know of. They have the benefit of centuries of learning. Their tools are expensive up front, but not long-term. Much better metallurgy than Fiskars' and they should last longer than me. Just don't hit the handle- I haven't done that for years- accuracy is preferable to brute force. :msp_rolleyes:

Right now my favorite (pro) saw is a RedMax 40cc. Unbelievable ripper, and still breaking in after ~10 tanks. Excellent bargain too, IMHO. Best pre-filtration I've seen; seems it could almost dispense with air-filter. Call me a "pro-saw-natic" then. (I know it's a "pro" because it has a black muffler, which will remain totally stock.) :msp_biggrin:

Whenever I'm bucking or felling anything bigger than a few inches, I've two felling wedges in a rear pocket. Much preferable to torturing chains with pinching, and soooo inexpensive. A couple of them got trimmed a bit- no biggie. :msp_wink:

 

[bcorradi]

I'd personally recommend the X25/X27...which ever fits you better. I have owned the X25 and X27 for a little over a year and we have split 36 cords between the two with the X27 probably splitting about 24 of the 36 cords. I don't see any signs of them being inferior in quality. My wife, and 12 year old son also help me quite a bit and we split quite a large quantiy with ease. I know my son or wife wouldn't be able to swing a heavier mall much, if at all, so they work great for us. Out of the 36 cords there was a ~ 80 pieces I ended up noodling because I didn't want to fight hand splitting them anymore. I'm not saying they are the best fit for everyone, but imo there isn't any other one on the market that would suit our needs better. There are many variables to keep in mind when choosing which one is right for you: wood size and specie you split mostly, quantity you split, physical capabilities of the people doing the splitting, quantity of wood you split per session, etc.

 

[Incomplete]

X25/27 is a good tool, worth having in the arsenal (multiple arguments to be found in the boards after a simple search), most current hardware/box store mauls are crap, drop forged, bludgeonous mexican carp. Better luck using a broken maul handle. There's a new thread started dedicated to striking tools "I Found Heaven..." Two fantastic links for purchasing high quality low cost goods already posted.

I split everything by hand. I love it. You build muscle, discover muscles you didn't know you had, loose weight, and you're out of doors DOING. And by hand, there's no noisy clatter of the splitter, no fuel costs, no back and forth of getting the splitter, yadayadayada. You make a chip fire, you set you tools out, you find your rhythm, and occasionally you fire the saw up to cut conflicted crotches. Noodles are excellent fire-starter.

As to leaving your fire wood in rounds: don't. Split it as soon as you can. And forget this nonsense about "two year seasoned wood." There is a certain point where wood will stop loosing moisture. And that averages to about 9 months. And then, unless properly protected i.e. in an enclosed barn, it starts to take moisture on. That's why all wood rots. (But don't take my word for it: http://www.lumberjax.com/faqpage.html)

Did somebody mention elm?View attachment 274139 all by hand. And now that I am almost done with it, I think I may have found the miracle axe for elm: I bought a $5 dollar Tasmanian Plumb from the rummage store and finally dressed it tonight; tried it on a 20" branch buck and it blew it apart: a la X27. Something to say about old school.