Firewood: To split, or not to split?

[dave1949]

They are also gonna want it seasoned and I mean longer than a week.

And delivered.

Those aren't the people I would aim at in the OP's situation.

 

[PHPaul]

I use wood as supplemental heat, but I don't have any wood lot, so I buy wood in 8 cord tree-length truck loads.

My rule for splitting is that if I can grab the butt of a stick with one hand and pick it up, it doesn't get split. With my hands, that equates to about 6" diameter.

While split wood DOES season faster, the rule of thumb I've always heard is that you lose about 50% of the available BTU when you split a round.

 

[vtsnowedin]

While split wood DOES season faster, the rule of thumb I've always heard is that you lose about 50% of the available BTU when you split a round.

:confused2: You can burn it faster because it has more surface area but why would the two halves not contain as many BTUs as the whole round?

 

[PHPaul]

:confused2: You can burn it faster because it has more surface area but why would the two halves not contain as many BTUs as the whole round?

I expect that refers to reduced burn time, not BTU content, now that you mention it. That's what I get for repeating an old wive's tale I guess.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I expect that refers to reduced burn time, not BTU content, now that you mention it. That's what I get for repeating an old wive's tale I guess.

Not a problem. I remember my mother sending me back out to the woodshed to split each piece one more time so she could get a hot enough oven to bake a pie. I didn't mind doing it as I planned on eating the loins share of said pie.:licking:

 

[nybirdman]

I would be selling it for sure;why do all the work for nothing.A cord is going for $75-80 around here.I would not split it at all.A lot of home owners around here have outside boilers and don't want it split.

 

[GManBart]

Thanks guys....all very good points. I'm certainly not trying to make a career out of it, but there really is a lot of wood on our property that is either going to be wasted, given away, or turned into a modest amount of cash. I've doubled the size of the piles in the picture (and added a third pile), and that's just a fraction of what I have easily available to me right now, so I'm confident I'll run out of time before I run out of wood. All of what I'm cutting now is from a couple of areas I want cleared, so I'm going to be doing the bulk of the work either way....only makes sense to make a few bucks out of it.

I've considered selling just rounds, but most folks around here seem to want it split (and seasoned, of course). I was planning to buy a splitter, and figure the first year will probably just cover that expense if I get something nice (deciding between a SuperSplit and DR Rapidfire). I'm looking at 5yd dump trucks for a couple of other projects I have, so I could consider delivering in the local area, but most folks seem to just set up face cord racks on the side of the road, and put a cash box nearby.

I'm thinking that it may be smart to keep some of the bigger stuff unsplit in case somebody wants it for an outdoor furnace...and that means less effort when I'm splitting since I'll be handling stuff that's more manageable.

I guess that puts me in the range of 3-6" (ballpark) left unsplit, anything smaller in a kindling pile people can have for free, leaving the largest sections to deal with later, or sell to folks who want big/heavy pieces for outdoor furnaces, and splitting the rest.

 

[TnAndy]

Agreed but I didn't think making a business of it was the goal. No way I would go into the firewood business with a chainsaw and splitting maul.

I hear ya. Today, I'd buy or build a firewood processor in a heartbeat.

But back when I was much younger, I put myself thru college with the GI bill and selling firewood just that way. It was the 'energy crisis' of the 70's and you could really sell firewood at the time. I bought an old rust bucket '59 Chevy pickup, installed a new short block engine, built a wood flat bed on the back that could hold good 1/2 cord, and peddled one load every afternoon after classes, 2 loads on Saturdays, door-to-door for $25/load.

Started with an old Homelite XL-12 inherited from family, soon bought my first Sthil....041 Farm Boss...and paid for the saw in 2 weeks ! I cleaned up laps from timber sales on the National Forest and had an unlimited supply. Did it for 2 years nearly every day the weather would co-operate.

Wife had a job as a pharmacy clerk, and we actually lived pretty good ! Didn't have to borrow a dime for school, boy, THOSE were the days !

 

[TnAndy]

While split wood DOES season faster, the rule of thumb I've always heard is that you lose about 50% of the available BTU when you split a round.

All wood has about the same BTU content per pound.

Seasoned wood delivers more BTU in the form of heat, rather than in the form of steam up the chimney.

Large rounds take a LONG time to season.....probably years.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I hear ya. Today, I'd buy or build a firewood processor in a heartbeat.

But back when I was much younger, I put myself thru college with the GI bill and selling firewood just that way. It was the 'energy crisis' of the 70's and you could really sell firewood at the time. I bought an old rust bucket '59 Chevy pickup, installed a new short block engine, built a wood flat bed on the back that could hold good 1/2 cord, and peddled one load every afternoon after classes, 2 loads on Saturdays, door-to-door for $25/load.

Started with an old Homelite XL-12 inherited from family, soon bought my first Sthil....041 Farm Boss...and paid for the saw in 2 weeks ! I cleaned up laps from timber sales on the National Forest and had an unlimited supply. Did it for 2 years nearly every day the weather would co-operate.

Wife had a job as a pharmacy clerk, and we actually lived pretty good ! Didn't have to borrow a dime for school, boy, THOSE were the days !

You dredged up some old memories there. Homelite XL-12 ? My father had one. Selling wood during the energy crisis of '74 did that with that saw. getting out of college without a dimes debt? did that.
I wasn't a vet so didn't have that,but about half my college class was. And I didn't get up to a pickup just then as I didn't have the money or enough customers to pay for one. Looked at a new Ford 4WD F 150 for $4500 and just couldn't be sure I could make the payments.
Oh to be young, single and debt free again.