I searched the forum and read quite a few posts on how hard Sugar Maple is to split. I have a chance to get a fairly good sized one a couple miles from home. When I hear "Splits Hard" my mind automatically goes to Elm. Have done my share of Elm and come to the conclusion if it comes down to Elm or snowballs I am going to see how many BTUs are in a snowball. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1-easiest 10=Elm) could I get some comments on Sugar and where it would fall in this scale in your opinion. From what I read it seems like a decent firewood that rates somewhere close to Oak.
Sugar Maple
- Thread starter Dogsout
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Depends on how twisted it is. If it's twisted bad you won't split it with wedges. If it's straight I give it a 5 should split about like red oak. It can be noodled though! Hydraulic splitter is the best way IMO unless it's straight.
LoveStihlQuality
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hydraulic splitter paid for itself with a dozen elm.
LoveStihlQuality
LoveStihlQuality
cuinrearview
Red saw lover
Most of the sugar maples around here are branchy and knotty. All of the straight grained pieces I've split come apart just a touch harder than oak. Not stringy at all. I would never turn any down because it throws fantastic heat and seasons rather quickly but I have access to a hydro splitter.
It is definitely work even with the straight grained pieces, probably 7 range. With that being said it is amongst the highest btu wood out there so it is well worth the work unless you have lots of red oak handy which is slightly less output but splits like butter. If you try to split fully seasoned wood you may as well noodle because it dries rock hard.
Now that I have a splitter I would take all I could get of it but it doesn't grow where I do most of my cutting.
Now that I have a splitter I would take all I could get of it but it doesn't grow where I do most of my cutting.
101mph
ArboristSite Lurker
+1 on this.
I have lots of sugar maple on my property (also Red Maple & American Beech) and I didn't realize what a difference it made when splitting some rounds that have been sitting for about a year compared to newly fallen green Sugar Maple. I split by hand and was almost needing to get a hydro splitter on some of the bigger rounds (and this was pretty straight wood).
I have another bunch of rounds that have been sitting for a a year that I still have to split. Going to be fun....
I would say sugar maple splits about like honey locust. (not black locust) its a lil tough but not stringy. its just that the splitter bogs a lil when you push it in. or it takes a couple extra swings with the maul. the heat is really nice and it smells really nice too when cutting and burning. the sweet smell and hot burns put it high on my list of wood preferences.
Sawyer Rob
Addicted to ArboristSite
I never noticed it hard to split at all,
It went right through my splitter just like everything else does! lol
SR
It went right through my splitter just like everything else does! lol
SR
JCMC
ArboristSite Member
I would take all the SM I could get. Good BTU's
You all know that it's MY favourite firewood.
It throws great heat, long lasting burns and splits ok except for the knots or twists.
Not to mention the great maple syrup that can be tapped from it.
Love my Ontario or Quebec maple syrup.
Here is a quick update on the Sugar Maple. All I asked for was the 8' trunk, all the upper branches another wood burner took. Wow this was a big a$$ tree so after cutting the trunk up into 5 pieces I got 3 loaded on my manure spreader trailer and headed for home. Unloaded them by pulling them out of the back of the spreader with a chain and commenced to noodling. Got them down to manageable pieces and started to split. It was very easy to split and usually the wedge would only make it half way down and the split would fall off. Thanks for all the comments to split it green so it would be easier. Now if it burns as good as you folks and the tree service guy have said I should be really happy in a year and a half when I burn it in the OWB.
Note: I did hit a stupid nail in the second round so that set me back 1/2 hour and a 1/4 of each tooth on the chain.
Note: I did hit a stupid nail in the second round so that set me back 1/2 hour and a 1/4 of each tooth on the chain.
town tree???
I didn't see any mention of using it for smoking meat - nice mild smoke flavor. Also, they used to use it for bowling pins. A friend had a bowling alley and gave us several boxes of damaged pins. Wow, did they burn nice!
Make sure you keep it dry after splitting. It does tend to decay quickly compared to other woods.
Make sure you keep it dry after splitting. It does tend to decay quickly compared to other woods.
Oly no it was not a town tree but it was right in the front yard of this house for the last 100 years or so after counting rings.
I never heard of anyone smoking meat with Sugar Maple but I do have 3 or 4 friends that do smoke. I could sure spare a little seeing how much wood I am getting out of this huge trunk so I will let them know to see if they have any interest. Thanks for the heads up.
066blaster
Addicted to ArboristSite
No problem with a hydraulic splitter.
woodbooga
cords of mystic memory
All the sugars I've busted up were either yard trees or from sugrabushes. They turn with the Wind and heliotrope to face the sun - plus they limb out anywhere they can well may. Anything like that's a ***** to split compared to a sky-reaching forest tree. That's regardless of species. I had a red maple that just would't yield. Damn splits were wedge shaped when I got done account of the grain twist in that - 8 inch fat at the top and 2 inch at the bottom. If its free and enough, toss on your favorite ripping chain and make an afternoon of it.
ppkgmsy
ArboristSite Operative
I agree with everything you say… except give me Vermont syrup all day long!
LoveStihlQuality
Addicted to ArboristSite
Years ago my Dad tapped a bunch of maple in the woods. The trees yield sugar water that needs evaporated down with heat. I think the ratio was like ten million to one! Seemed that way anyway. The old time places called sugar camps and sugar shacks. I think they cook meth in off seasons.
LoveStihlQuality
dbofdalton
ArboristSite Lurker
This was about load number 9 or 10 from a sugar maple cut down at my brother in laws place. Was about 4 feet in diameter. 
JCMC
ArboristSite Member
Yep! There is alot of good wood in those old Sugar Maples. Nice trailer! How many cords did you get from one tree?
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