Split 'em or burn 'em?

[stihl_in_texas]

What are the smallest rounds ya'll run through your splitter? Are you splitting or burning 3-4" pieces? I've heard they burn better when split so I've been splittin' 'em. What's ya'lls take?

Steve

 

[jimbojango]

burn them! they'll burn longer as rounds and you're not gaining much by wasting the time splittign them. I split anything over probably 5 or 6 inches unless it has a Y in it. Then its case by case on whether it'll fit in the stove or not. I have yet to find a little piece that won't light because they dry/season so fast anyway. Good luck

 

[turnkey4099]

I split anything over about 7 or 8". I'll save anything down to 3" if it is quality wood (and I have the time). This year I was clearing groves of dead locust and had so much to get through that I slash piled stuff 6" and under. Would never have done that in the past for quality wood.

Harry K

 

[dingeryote]

Muskmellon diameter or larger gets split.
The rest get tossed in whole.

I do split some well dried Sassafrass down to 1" or so for Morning start ups, and kindling though. It's like tossing diesel on the fire when they cook off.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Marine5068]

Split Some, Burn Some:

Most of my small Maple or Oak down to 5 or 6 inches gets split in half.
I do split some smaller stuff for kindling but it has to be very dry and straight first with no knots. It takes some time but I use my small hatchet for speed.
Tops of trees down to 2 inches are sometimes kept and dried out for a year then cut to length for kindling as well. Not much waste in my wood piles.

 

[avason]

I split as much as possible. I have some rounds that I didn't split but wish I did. I think when split they burn hotter. I don't know. I think with larger rounds it smokes more and takes longer to catch.

 

[Suz]

If it is under 12" inches I don't bother splitting them, unless it have a "Y" on one end. I very seldom split something that I can get through the door.
I used to cut with two guys who each had little stoves with little doors. I would take forever to get a load of wood for these guys with having to split even the twigs.
However, if the wood is wet or green then I'll split the 8" and larger chunks so there is more surface exposed to the air to speed the drying/curing.

 

[slofr8]

I split by hand so.....anything that's splitting well I keep going with it to about 4".
If it's knotty I'll keep it round up to 6 or 7 inches. I cut off of my own wood lot so I bring the branches down to 1 or 2 inches. Just makes for a neater job left in the woods.
Dan.

 

[WVwoodsman]

Since I have an OWB, I have some that is split, but the majority of rounds go in whole as this makes for longer burn time. The splits help get the fire going when there is a low coal bed.

 

[loadthestove]

I'll split down to about 5 inches anything smaller gets burnt .

 

[rustyolred]

Dependson how I feel. I have split down as little as 3" but most of the time I leave round all 4-5" and smaller.

 

[rmount]

Anything smaller than about 5" I leave whole except for white birch which gets split down to 2 - 3 inch diam., otherwise I find it goes punky too fast.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I don't split anything under 8-10 inch dia. for all nighter logs. My firebox drops well below the door, so if I can fit it in it goes.

 

[RustyBoltz]

What a split and don't depends on how many rounds I have in my stacks and what kind of wood I have. I keep large rounds of bois d'arc (~15") because I use them to burn for long periods of time (like over night) and a majority of the pecan we have around here is very burly and won't split well so I keep those in larger pieces too. My dry stack on the carport is sectioned into small, medium, large and bois d'arc and my splitting follows those sizes so that I done run low on any of it.

 

[stihl_in_texas]

Sounds like they'll burn purdy good. I'll have to leave more whole pieces from now on. Unless I get another request for a cord of kindlin'. Thanks for the replies.

Steve

 

[Streblerm]

I don't split anything that I can pick up with one hand and I can easily palm a basketball I do split wood smaller than this and I'll even pick up sticks down to about 3" or even a little smaller.

As long as it can be handled and will fit through the stove door, it isn't too big IMHO. It is nice to have a variety of sizes in the woodpile.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

i am getting a little bit lazier in my old age so anything below 8" gets burnt hole.

 

[danrclem]

Most wood larger than 6" usually gets splits but it really depends on the mood that I'm in. Splitting does let them dry out a lot faster.

I cut cedar about 8" long and use my splitter to make kindling. It's a lot quicker than a hatchet.

 

[J.Gordon]

For me it depends on how long it will be before I burn it. If I need to burn it soon, it gets split very small. If the wood was very dry and I can get it through the door of my OWB. Then weight determines how large goes in.

 

[beerman6]

It depends on who is helping me split/stack...