Splitting WOOD

[RoosterBoy]

hello i am getting six cords worth of trees i have to cut them with a chain saw
to firewood size should i buy a mull or should i rent a splitter?

I'm getting all different hardwoods my dad did it with a maul all his life
and now i want to do it.

it's $60 a day for a log splitter not sure how long it takes to split 6 cords but the wood i am getting will not be seasoned? ie green

any advice for a newbie would be appreciated

thank you
Jason

 

[Bad E]

hello i am getting six cords worth of trees i have to cut them with a chain saw
to firewood size should i buy a mull or should i rent a splitter?

I'm getting all different hardwoods my dad did it with a maul all his life
and now i want to do it.

it's $60 a day for a log splitter not sure how long it takes to split 6 cords but the wood i am getting will not be seasoned? ie green

any advice for a newbie would be appreciated

thank you
Jason

If you are young and strong , buy a good splitting maul and have at it. Good for the body and the soul.

My wife has painted on our woodbox a indoor scene sitting in front of the wood stove while its snowing outside. And a summer scene with me splitting wood and her stacking(that never happens). And underneath it says:" He who cuts his own wood is twice warmed"

 

[SmokinDodge]

Get a maul and go for it. How soon will you need fire wood?

 

[sloth9669]

Well the big question is do you plan on doing 6 cords a year ? If so get the splitter it will pay for its self in 2-3 years. If this is a one time thing and the 6 cords will last you years get the maul.. You may find in the end its not really work and that you enjoy the hard work like the rest of us ''wood nuts'' here on the site. Enjoy and have fun.

 

[mactel]

If you rent a splitter make sure you have it cut first to the length you want- nothing like renting a splitter and using half the day to cut the logs to length. also, even with a splitter it is much more efficient to have two people.

My way is get a maul and do bit by bit.

 

[RoosterBoy]

thanks guys mull it is i saw one today at sears 6 pounds $24 beats paying $1500 for a splitter and i am getting 6 cords this year 6 next then 2 or 3 cords every year after that.

i will be heating my 2 bedroom house with wood only.
i hope to use 1 to 1-1/2 cords of wood per year.

my house is well insulated i am taking out the old 1977 Vermont casting wood stove i have now and buying a new Avalon free standing wood stove.

i just hope the new stove will use less wood my stoves smoke like heck ;-)


thanks
Jason

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

i will be heating my 2 bedroom house with wood only.
i hope to use 1 to 1-1/2 cords of wood per year.

my house is well insulated i am taking out the old 1977 Vermont casting wood stove i have now and buying a new Avalon free standing wood stove.

i just hope the new stove will use less wood my stoves smoke like heck ;-)

I'd guess you'll use more wood than that, but then, there are a lot of variables.

As for the splitter - mauls are a lot cheaper, and take a lot less maintenance! Look at it this way - you can buy a maul and get started, and if you decide it's too much work or takes too long, you can look into the splitter. Going that way, worst case you are out the (small) price of a maul you won't be using.

 

[mactel]

my $.02: get an 8 pound maul unless you are in less than moderate fitness. it will make a big difference in my opinion over the 6. but everyone's different/

 

[RoosterBoy]

yea sears had the 6 pound and home-depot has a 8 pound I'm going with a 8 pound I'm 29 years old and can swing it no problem

thanks
Jason

 

[turnkey4099]

I'd guess you'll use more wood than that, but then, there are a lot of variables.

As for the splitter - mauls are a lot cheaper, and take a lot less maintenance! Look at it this way - you can buy a maul and get started, and if you decide it's too much work or takes too long, you can look into the splitter. Going that way, worst case you are out the (small) price of a maul you won't be using.

Unless all the wood you will ever make up is fairly small diameter, a maul, sledge and a couple wedges will wind up in your tool kit anyway even if you do get a splitter. You need them to bust big blocks up to a size you can handle. Thus, the cost of the maul etc is not a waste.

My maul is 6 pound (I think, it is antique inherited through at least 2 generations) My sledge is 10 pound. I still do most of my splitting by hand (8-10 cord/year) even though I have a splitter. I am in my 71 and still going.

Harry K

 

[danrclem]

I would agree with the advice about trying it with a maul first and if it's too much get a splitter later on. How much extra time you have should be considered too. A splitter is a lot faster especially if you have 1 or 2 extra people to help you. If you plan on burning wood from here on out I'd recommend buying a splitter rather than renting one. That's what I did.

Turnkey4099 you are the man. I should be splitting by hand when I have the time too. Good for the body.

 

[RoosterBoy]

thanks guys i am buying a maul today. how long dose it take some of you guys to split 6 cords with a maul?

Jason

 

[RoosterBoy]

got back from the store with my new 6 pound craftsmen maul and tried it out for the first time. the first few shots hurt me because i hit the handle with the wood ;-)

but after stepping back and using it i loved it it worked good and i had fun ;-) will be using it again tomorrow should get better at it I'm splitting red oak with it so it's tough.

what i was thinking is to cut with a chain saw a few pieces split with a maul and stack it this way i don't get tired using the maul all day i can split my work up.

if you guys have any other tips for me id love to here them

Jason

 

[B-Edwards]

I noticed your busting Red Oak ,,Not sure if you guys have Black Gum up in the great north, if you do try using your new maul on it.

 

[1CallLandscape]

hey, ive been splitting red oak all day too. i just built a nice splitter for less than 500$ i did 4 cords alone ,cut and split in just over 5 hours (taking my sweet o'l time) ive been the maul route before. if you dont want to invest in or rent a splitter try busting the logs from the edges working your way in and following the check lines. after you do 6 cords youll wish you had that splitter , so wont your body!!!

 

[RoosterBoy]

i have a bran new 8 hp engine and wanted to make a log splitter with my welder but someone told be it would cost at least $900

can you tell me how you did it for $500 id love to do it then ;-)
thanks

 

[Patrick62]

There is a option...

I have used a maul
I have used a wedge & sledge
I have built two splitters.

I agree that for a small quantity of wood the maul is the way to go. However, I have seen small splitters both in hand powered hydraulic jack, and a really small AC driven machine. Both will do about 8 tons witch "might" be enough for the hard woods. Best feature is that they take up very little space and are affordable.
Might be the ticket for a homeowner.

I am a little more serious than that, 25-50 cords a year.

-Pat

 

[1CallLandscape]

that 8 hp is perfect for one, i got a steel i beam and various used steel parts including an old axle, tank all for 20$ i had a 5hp briggs also got a used 24" cylinder for 25$ all from a junkyard. i ordered a new 11gpm pump, valve , and filter for 250$ including shipping and had my hoses made locally for 110$ and 25$ for welding rods. I am a pretty good welder and mechanic and total build time was 25 hours. it may cost a little in the beginning to build but it will save your back and you can also split other peoples to make back that 500$ in no time. i paid for mine after 2 jobs!!! just kick back with a beer and split away (not on a job though)
im done with the maul!!!

 

[RoosterBoy]

hay guys what do you think of this
http://www.logsplitter.com/log_splitter_12_ton_hydraulic.htm
if i do six cords a year would this work fast for me if i weld it to a small table. and i can tilt the table so i can split on the ground if i want.

what do you think bunch of junk or what?

Jason

 

[JPP]

hay guys what do you think of this
http://www.logsplitter.com/log_splitter_12_ton_hydraulic.htm
if i do six cords a year would this work fast for me if i weld it to a small table. and i can tilt the table so i can split on the ground if i want.

what do you think bunch of junk or what?

Jason

I did research on these things 2 months ago as well.
I bought a hand operated hydraulic splitter for $240-ish from Sears. Works nice and easy, just very slow. But I do all this work alone, I bet it would be faster if 2 people were working. I have split 6 cords with it over the past 3 weeks. I really don't know how long it takes me, I do it when I can for maybe an hour at a time.

I used to use an 8 LB maul which was easy and great for splitting. However, my doctor ordered me to never go that route again as I had some shoulder/neck problems last year which put me my left arm in a sling for 8 weeks. My problem is permanent, so my maul sits in the shed. Not fun.
If you don't have any physical problems or limitations, the maul is perfect for only 6 cords of wood. Besides, it is fun and you should see my forearms from all the splitting I have done over the past 10 years.

To answer your question: no that kind of splitter isn't junk. However, I think the hand operated ones are more practical than the foot operated ones.