splitting elm

[woodhaven]

I have a chance to get a large elm that has blown down, but a co-worker of mine said elm is difficult to split and more trouble than it's worth. What do you guys think?

 

[brisawyer]

If I didnt have a splitter I wouldnt mess with it.

 

[DHIBBS75]

Some very nasty ****..... SPLITTER all the way..... STicks together till the last inch..... Burns good. In a burn pile....:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[kyle1!]

great firewood

I wouldn't shy away from elm even if you don't have a splitter. You have to slab around the circumference of the round to be most effective using a maul. Hitting in the heartwood the maul will just bounce. Splitting in freezing temp works in your favor as well.

Brian

 

[Blazin]

It'll make you work but the BTU's are worth it!

 

[scag52]

Some very nasty ****..... SPLITTER all the way..... STicks together till the last inch..... :

You aint kidding ! Driving me crazy with the splitter.

 

[branchbuzzer]

Another thing you can do if you don't have a splitter is cut the lengths real short. This might seem like more work as far as cutting, but it's better than killing yourself on the splitting. It all burns the same no matter how short. At 8-12 inches it shouldn't be too hard, plus it IS free wood.

 

[redoakneck]

Can you pull your truck right up to it????

If it is that ez, cut it short and eat your wheaties, How bad do you need wood???


If I can get right up to it to load it, I would get it. You can always noodle it and use the noodles to start your fires.

 

[boyland]

like splitting a tree with cable in it. Never really splits just tear through it.

I like the wood and use a lot of it but it does make u sweat.

 

[beavis331]

I split some elm last winter with the maul. It actually surprised me how well it split. As mentioned previously. It helps that it was frozen. And if I tried to split down the middle it would just laugh at me. Start to one side and then work your way around to the middle. I've since picked up a used splitter that will handle elm with very little trouble.

 

[CrappieKeith]

Now there's some wood that will give a guy a work out with a maul...

 

[woodhounder]

Now there's some wood that will give a guy a work out with a maul...

you'll get more heat out of it trying to split it with a maul than you'll get from burning it

 

[ericjeeper]

Which elm is it.. Red or American elm. one is much stringier than the other. Red commonly called piss elm around here is the stringy crap. American typically grows taller and straighter.

 

[boyland]

I guess they would call it red. It is just elm to me.

 

[cnice_37]

If you don't have access to a splitter, then I would just noodle it into useable chunks. It burns great, and its free - too good to pass up.

And if you want to get the workout, split it manually but use something sharp rather than a maul (Fiskars?)

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Noodles

Lots and lots of noodles. If you don't have a big saw and have been wanting one, you've just been given the perfect excuse.

Take Care

 

[Davej_07]

I love elm for free, but if using an hydraulic splitter make sure there is a good edge on the wedge. I found it cuts through rather than tears so much. Elm was responsible for cracking the foot plate on my speeco 25ton, which speeco promptly replaced I might add.
Dave

 

[woodhaven]

I've decided to pass on the tree for now, turns out they also want all the branches hauled away as well and I'm not really up for that. The tree is right beside the road though and only 15 minutes from home which is why I wanted it in the first place, but hauling away all the branches makes me think twice. I just cut up a few pear trees at another house where hauling away the branches was part of the deal, it easily triples the work, not to mention the extra gas in my vehicle making 3 or 4 trips with the branches.

 

[jerryw66]

It is a pain to split, it takes a long time to cure, smells bad, and doesn't really burn that hot. But if it's free, I'll take some, here's a little free stuff a guy dumped in my front yard unsplit as a favor to me.

 

[freemind]

Wet or unseasoned elm is like cable. Dead standing is like splitting rocks. The dry stuff doesn't "spilt" it breaks.

I like elm, but IF I had to break it by hand, I would burn box elder or cottonwood first. :hmm3grin2orange:

I too would pass it up if they want to get picky and have you haul away the branches. It isn't so "free" then. Alot more invested at that point.