blocking or splitting?

[chucker]

after blocking a semi load of bigger red oak bolts(14" to 30") for firewood to 16" lengths I am at the point of not wanting to split all of this! my question to you all is which is the better of the two tasks you prefer blocking or splitting? blocking goes faster and splitting takes forever it seems, but this is the rewards of the labor to the fruits or the benefits of heat!

 

[Whitespider]

What tool(s) are you using to do the splittin'??
*

 

[svk]

Depends.

If the logs are laid nicely in reasonably flat woods and not amongst rocks, then I prefer blocking.

If you've got a big stack of logs and you need to get each bolt out to saw it, then I'd rather split.

 

[Ironworker]

That's why I try and split it up, I'll run my saws and buck a few logs and then I'll split them either by going out in the morning on the weekends and doing it by hand or I'll take my kid out there and do some with the splitter, then I'll take the whole family, wife and three rug rats and stack. Then I'll start the cycle again, it kinda breaks it up a little and keeps it fun. The problem is in order to keep it fun I keep buying new firewood toys which is easily justifiable with all the money I save heating with wood.

 

[Marshy]

I break it up some because I dont like doing either for too long. Especially splitting because with all of it blocked it seems like no matter how much you split you're not making any progress. Whereas if you buck some split some its like a small triumph each time you split all your blocks. I usually cut for a tank then split until its all split. Rinse and repeat.

 

[chucker]

What tool(s) are you using to do the splittin'??
*

I use a duerr 20 ton /27" vert/horz. with a 6 horse briggs when lazy and a friend named manual labor when not lazy..... 6 and 8 pounder..

 

[jrider]

I would rather block. I've spent about 20 hours the last few days splitting and I've had enough for the moment but sadly have about 2 hours more to go until I fire the saw up again.

 

[svk]

Also if splitting depends on the quarry and tools. I split a bunch of sugar maple for a friend last fall with a big box maul. About a face cord through I was ready to call it quits. I've since properly sharpened his maul and purchased him a X27.

 

[cantoo]

Obviously you need more toys to do the job properly.

 

[KiwiBro]

Depends. If using the old stihl (castrol) oil in the mix - that blue stuff that make your eyes water and nostrils cry for respite-, I prefer splitting. Otherwise, I love an 'angry barstid' chain and making big piles of chips bigger than the ones on both shoulders.
The machine pictured in my head can do both but might take another 6 months before it makes the leap from wish to reality.

 

[stihly dan]

Red oak- I would rather split. Red oak almost makes splitting fun, hydro or manual.

 

[Marine5068]

Red Oak takes some time to dry, that's for sure.
I did three cords, two Summers ago and just finished burning the last of it this heating season.
Nice wood to burn though. Lots of heat and nice coals.
But to answer your question, I guess I'm like most and will usually do some of each and break it up as not to get bored or too sore from one activity only.
That's what happens when ya get old....Ha,Ha.

 

[trukn2004]

Im new to it as well and I find that splitting the tasks up is best. I block for a bit, usually a tree or two, carry and split or split and carry, then stack what ive split. It allows me to rest muscles so I don't burn out too fast. Luckily all my wood is on my property so I can do it slowly, and I can leave it where it lays if I need a break.

 

[Whitespider]

I use a duerr 20 ton /27" vert/horz. with a 6 horse briggs when lazy and a friend named manual labor when not lazy..... 6 and 8 pounder..

Just me... but I would dread using a vertical splitter, even in the horizontal mode you're lifting the stuff way too much (if the wood is on the ground).
I'd use the 8 pounder to halve and/or quarter first... and then get help (someone to lift the dang stuff).
B'sides, two guys workin' a splitter makes the job go a ton faster... well worth a box-o-beer or two.
*

 

[chucker]

Just me... but I would dread using a vertical splitter, even in the horizontal mode you're lifting the stuff way too much (if the wood is on the ground).
I'd use the 8 pounder to halve and/or quarter first... and then get help (someone to lift the dang stuff).
B'sides, two guys workin' a splitter makes the job go a ton faster... well worth a box-o-beer or two.
*

anything bigger than 16" I will split in half or quarter them, then use the splitter! no more heavy lifting then needed for an "old fat man" trying to do a young mans labor with a strong back an a weak mind!! lol

 

[Guswhit]

I block for awhile and then split. 2 reasons, #1 breaks the days up and I seem to pay attention more and the second is, I had probably 10-12 chord blocked and ready to split so it would be dry for burning season and, well, uh, you guy's know what happened. Life just gets in the way sometimes so I like to keep stuff split and drying out as soon as I can.
Yeah, sometimes I gotta go and block and carry off if I'm scrounging somewhere or on a fast clean up mission, but for the majority of the year is what I'm referring to.

 

[Cheesecutter]

Trigger time is great therapy, but splitting by hand can really get the frustration out.

 

[srb08]

I enjoy both but I don't do it for a living and I only cut/split around 10 cords a year.
I like running my saws a lot more than splitting but I really like looking at a big pile of splits.
When I split, I surround my vertical splitter with rounds, then I sit on a bucket and with a pickaroon, pull the rounds to me. If I have help, I let my helper feed me rounds but mostly I work alone.
Hauling and stacking, when necessary, is the sucky part.

 

[mr.finn]

I think the way to do it is get some rounds cut up near the splitter, take the time to split what you have, then go cut some more. It seems to break things up a bit so you are not stuck at the splitter all day. Chainsaw time is fun though.

 

[svk]

My dad and I used to collect rounds for 6-12 months and stack them 3-4 high in a long row along our driveway. Then we would rent a hydro and just work down the pile until they were all gone. After a year in the sun most rounds were already getting fairly dry and split really nice.