check out this spliter

[Treemonkey1000]

I just wonder how long those drive teeth will last. Seems like it wouldn't hold up for a long time especially with the Gnarly old Maple I split. I have a 34 ton splitter that does slow down on the big knots.

[Deadman]

My efficient wood burner has the catalytic heat tubes on the top, and it flames from the cat tubes, and barely from the wood. Its really burning on gasification. There is sooooooooo much heat in the fumes, most have no clue what they are wasting with an old style burner.

[bpattie]

Originally Posted by dave1949

I'm sure everyone has an opinion about stick size. It would vary according to the firebox size and type of wood burner. In an airtight stove, there should be a bright flame on the fire, not a small flame on top of a few smoldering large chunks.

Larger sticks don't have enough surface combustion area to burn with a bright flame. Those large sticks are 'cooking', not burning. The wood is being gasified but a regular stove has no way to complete the combustion of the gasification products. That means loss of thermal efficiency, creosote and excess smoke.

A fireplace is very different because typically, the combustion air is not limited.

My .02.
Dave.

well stated Dave. I believe there are stove that have a second combustion of the gases, but I also believe it is the unburned gases going up the chimney that cause the creosote in the chimney.

[JDGreenGrass]

The splitter in the video doesn't look like once you have a split log that you can take those 2 pieces and put them together to split into 4. You need to take each individual (split)log because the "pusher" end is too small to handle 2 split logs together.

After I get that first split...I like to double up and get 4 in one pass.

What I do like about it is....the work table once the log is split. It sucks bending over to grab a freshly split piece on the conventional splitters.

Hey, I'm getting old.

[JDGreenGrass]

I'm with Dave on the stick size as well.

My wood pile often shows few "all nighters" and lots of average sized sticks. They burn cleaner, hotter and are a heck of a lot easier to handle. My stove takes a 20" stick so I cut down to
18", which is large in and of it's self.

Remember, I'm getting old.

Dave, I am just across the way over in Solon. How are things over in the New Vineyard hills.??

[dave1949]

Originally Posted by Deadman

My efficient wood burner has the catalytic heat tubes on the top, and it flames from the cat tubes, and barely from the wood. Its really burning on gasification. There is sooooooooo much heat in the fumes, most have no clue what they are wasting with an old style burner.

I agree.
I had a Vermont Castings Defiant (I think) with the catalytic down-draft after burner. A LOT of heat came off the back chamber where the catalytic burner sat, there is heat to be had there. It was a great idea but not so well engineered, the after burner fell apart after four years of use. Cost over $200 to replace

Also used a much smaller Jotul #3 for several years with the hollow tubes above the fire, that was a good stove too.

The modern wood gasification boilers are probably even better.

Now I am using a Finnish Tulikivi soapstone masonry fireplace - another sort of stove entirely. Usually fire it once per day with around 70 pounds (2 1/2 - 3 five gal. buckets) of wood total. It burns with lots of air, long flame paths snake through the 3 tons of soapstone. If you can't put your hand on it and count to five comfortably, it's been over fired. It just radiates out very gentle heat for a long time after it is fired. They recommend sticks no larger than 4" across. It will take an 18" long stick.
Dave.

[dave1949]

Originally Posted by JDGreenGrass

Dave, I am just across the way over in Solon. How are things over in the New Vineyard hills.??

Didn't realize you are that close. I can see the New Vineyard hills from here, they are getting that bare look. It's going to be gray until it's white I think I will put the chains on the the tractor tomorrow. Plenty early, but it will be ready to go.

I have passed through Solon several times on my way to Monson to spend more money at the Sheldon Slate quarry. Actually, they are very nice people there.

I know what you mean about the getting old part, I would rather cut the small stuff and whack it once with my splitting maul than whale away on the heavy stuff. I think there is more heat value in the mature wood, but I have an abundance of smaller stuff that needs to be thinned out anyways.
Dave.

[Deadman]

Theres nothing better than taking my tractor and chainsaw, and just cutting a nice loader full of small stuff that doesn't have to be split. I can do it in a short time period, and its all piled and done, no splitting and repiling needed.

[Youare]

I have a SuperSplit. So far in the last three years I have split about 30 cord of hardwood. Alone it takes me about an hour to split a full cord. With a helper we can do a cord in 30 to 45 minutes.

So far I have split Elm, Oak, Maple, Ash, Hickory, Cherry, and the different Birches. It has split everything I have had so far.

I really love this splitter, it is quiet no hydraulic pump just a 6 hp. engine turning two flywheels. The cycle time is about 4 seconds at the engine RPM I run it at. I can split for about 3 1/2 hours on a tank of fuel.

Before purchasing mine I talked to people who owned them for 10+ years, two people sold firewood and split an average of 100 cords a year. No one reported any problems, the only things that needed changing was the V-belts that drive the flywheel sort of a normal repair item.

The SuperSplit is priced right up there with the commercial hydraulic splitters but is worth every penny.

Randy

[dave1949]

Originally Posted by Youare

I have a SuperSplit. So far in the last three years I have split about 30 cord of hardwood. Alone it takes me about an hour to split a full cord. With a helper we can do a cord in 30 to 45 minutes.

So far I have split Elm, Oak, Maple, Ash, Hickory, Cherry, and the different Birches. It has split everything I have had so far.

Randy

Anything that splits Elm gets my respect
Dave.