Arkaybee
Silver Member
This was a "free" bit of firewood but I don't think it will be free of work.
So, how big a splitter do I need for this?
Here's the REST OF THE STORY:
My neighbor's SWMBO told him that the big oak (red oak family) in the front yard had to go so grass would grow. He hired a man to put it on the ground. The tree was 42 inches in diameter at about 4 1/2 -5 feet above ground where the the felling cut was made. The tree was sound, healthy, had no internal rot and was not hollow-- a shame to cut it down but . . . (Recently I counted the growth rings and it was 75-80 years old.) A few days later I saw him dragging a block by chain and truck to his burn pile. He got his truck stuck so I pulled him out with my Kubota Grand L 3830. Mission accomplished . I asked him what he was going to do with the tree. He said they were going to burn it on their burn pile. I asked why. He said they didn't know what else to do with it. I said that I would take it for firewood if that was OK. He agreed but added that SWMBO wanted it moved out of the front yard as soon as possible and afterward I could take as long as I needed to get it split. Before we could move some of the blocks he had to cut them again. He rented a Stihl 440 with a 36 inch bar. That is a real man-sized saw and it really sliced through that big tree. He had to cut from both sides to cut it all the way through. My 3830 wouldn't lift the large blocks because of lack of ballast on the rear. Another neighbor came over and brought his somewhat larger Kubota with a large Rhino bushhog on the back but he couldn't get the block into the bucket. It took my tractor pushing and restraining the block while he got his bucket lip under the block and then I could lift and push it further onto the bucket. He only lifted the bucket containing the block a scant few inches off the ground while the bushhog bounced a bit and then slowly moved them into the side yard and stood them on their sides so they could dry out before attempting to split them.
So, what do you recommend for splitting these monsters. I've not seen a hydraulic splitter that would handle these. Don't know how one would get them onto the splitter or under it either.
Decided to let it dry for a few weeks and begin to shrink and show the primary cracks.
Did I bite off more than can be chewed?:confused2:
This may be old school.
Progress report to follow.
So, how big a splitter do I need for this?
Here's the REST OF THE STORY:
My neighbor's SWMBO told him that the big oak (red oak family) in the front yard had to go so grass would grow. He hired a man to put it on the ground. The tree was 42 inches in diameter at about 4 1/2 -5 feet above ground where the the felling cut was made. The tree was sound, healthy, had no internal rot and was not hollow-- a shame to cut it down but . . . (Recently I counted the growth rings and it was 75-80 years old.) A few days later I saw him dragging a block by chain and truck to his burn pile. He got his truck stuck so I pulled him out with my Kubota Grand L 3830. Mission accomplished . I asked him what he was going to do with the tree. He said they were going to burn it on their burn pile. I asked why. He said they didn't know what else to do with it. I said that I would take it for firewood if that was OK. He agreed but added that SWMBO wanted it moved out of the front yard as soon as possible and afterward I could take as long as I needed to get it split. Before we could move some of the blocks he had to cut them again. He rented a Stihl 440 with a 36 inch bar. That is a real man-sized saw and it really sliced through that big tree. He had to cut from both sides to cut it all the way through. My 3830 wouldn't lift the large blocks because of lack of ballast on the rear. Another neighbor came over and brought his somewhat larger Kubota with a large Rhino bushhog on the back but he couldn't get the block into the bucket. It took my tractor pushing and restraining the block while he got his bucket lip under the block and then I could lift and push it further onto the bucket. He only lifted the bucket containing the block a scant few inches off the ground while the bushhog bounced a bit and then slowly moved them into the side yard and stood them on their sides so they could dry out before attempting to split them.
So, what do you recommend for splitting these monsters. I've not seen a hydraulic splitter that would handle these. Don't know how one would get them onto the splitter or under it either.
Decided to let it dry for a few weeks and begin to shrink and show the primary cracks.
Did I bite off more than can be chewed?:confused2:
This may be old school.
Progress report to follow.
