Wood Splitting Purists.....

[aczlan]

Do all you manual splitting fans have one of these? I got this from my
FIL about 15 y ago, and what a discovery it was!

When I was a kid in the 60s, we used a sledge hammer and wedge....that
was AWFUL.

ah, a Sotz Monster Maul. my dad has one just like that, I have the 8# version with the foam grip, it is great to not have to worry about busting the handle.

Aaron Z

 

[Tundra2]

I'm 43 and swing a Gransfors Bruks splitting maul to take care of the 4 cords that we burn each winter here in MA's snow belt. Come the beginning of winter I try to have at least 7 cords cut and split to stay ahead of myself (I work on this in the fall and spring). The Grandfors is by far the best maul that I have ever used, and I started bashing rounds as a kid. Paired with the maul I've also got a GB splitting wedge to go along with the random handle-less maul heads of years past that I also will use in tandem with the GB wedge if she gets stuck in any particularly nasty grain.

The mauls and all of Gransfors Bruks' axes, etc. are hand forged in Sweden by a family of smiths and are fitted with balanced hickory handles that make them a pleasure to swing. They are not cheap, but I find them worth the $$ (I also have one of their axe's).

For the crazy stuff I either rip a wedge opening with my Husky 359 or throw the offenders into a problem pile for later splitting with my neighbors motorized splitter. I don't like using that thing...

I will at some point no doubt need to put down the maul and get a powered splitter but I don't really look forward to that day. When I do go that route, I'll probably get a SuperSplitter with log table. I like their speed and operating height.

 

[WarrenF]

My father is 87+....turns 88 in January. Up to two months ago he had bucked and split 13 cords of wood over a three month period. He would complain to me that his arms and shoulders would hurt. I told him that first of all I did not know ANY 87 year old men who could first of all pick up and start a chain saw, let alone split it and stack it. He split it all with a maul.

Then he was diagnosed with cancer in his liver and or pancreas. Doctor gave him about six months to live. Man he is tough!!!! I asked him if he was going to take any treatment....his answer...."NOPE, this just means I can see the finish line. I will get to go home to Glory, and I will get to see Mama." His wife my mother passed away about three years ago. I told him, then we are going to celebrate your life and your last days....and we are not going to stand around and mope.

 

[WayneB]

Then he was diagnosed with cancer in his liver and or pancreas. Doctor gave him about six months to live. Man he is tough!!!! I asked him if he was going to take any treatment....his answer...."NOPE, this just means I can see the finish line. I will get to go home to Glory, and I will get to see Mama." His wife my mother passed away about three years ago. I told him, then we are going to celebrate your life and your last days....and we are not going to stand around and mope.

Warren my thoughts go out to you and your Dad, good for him that he has been able to do what most of us only wish to do.

Heck with his strength he just might beat that cancer.

Oh and up to two years ago I always split wood by hand then I bought a wood splitter, took me twenty years to do it, but it certainly is faster, only problem is I want to do more every time I am out there splitting. Do about 8 to 10 cords a year. age 62
Wayne

 

[WarrenF]

Warren my thoughts go out to you and your Dad, good for him that he has been able to do what most of us only wish to do.

Heck with his strength he just might beat that cancer.

Oh and up to two years ago I always split wood by hand then I bought a wood splitter, took me twenty years to do it, but it certainly is faster, only problem is I want to do more every time I am out there splitting. Do about 8 to 10 cords a year. age 62
Wayne

Good for you Wayne....keep doing it....it will keep you young.

 

[BigE_]

I'm 35, but I grew up splitting wood. We used to burn it in an old coal stove, and we could go through a full cord in less than 3 weeks. Man, that thing ate a lot of wood!

Up until two years ago I used an 8lb maul and a splitting wedge as needed. Then I thinned out my forest and wound up with pieces up to 4' in diameter, and full of knots. After spending 45 minutes per round trying to split the stuff, I went out and bought a 27 ton splitter, tow behind style. It can do horizontal or vertical (which is how I use it for the big stuff).

For the really small stuff (less than 10" in diameter) I sometimes break out the maul and wedge, but I generally have some big stuff as well, so I'll split the small stuff by hand until I get tired, then switch over to using the hydraulic splitter.

Cut, split, stacked a cord last weekend. Took maybe 4-5 hours.

I've put away about 22 cords in the last two years. I was burning about 4 cords a year, but I got a new Quadrafire stove this spring, so I expect that number to go down. Wood is my only source of heat...

 

[Just2quickz28]

I am only 25 but I have 3 pins in each of my shoulders which renders me useless for splitting by hand, with the help of my father and we cut split and stacked 16 cord in 3 weekends time using the tractor the woodsplitter and my atv.

We had a pretty good routine going we would both cut off the pile of skidded logs till there was a pile to split and move the pile around some with the tractor. One of us would then go sit at the hydraulic splitter and split and toss the wood into my 4x8 trailer that I tow behind the ATV. When the trailer was full the other would stop cutting and help stack the wood in the wood shed.

Only down side is in the fall about 3-4 cord of that would then needs to be loaded up into my truck and trailer and transported to my fathers house for his use.

 

[vsteel]

I got a new Quadrafire stove this spring, so I expect that number to go down. Wood is my only source of heat...

I have a Quadrafire stove and love it. I bet you will see a huge drop in the amount of wood you burn.

 

[Oldmax]

I'm one of those West Virgina "Hillbilly's" at age 67 I would not touch a splitting mall with a 10' pole. My back and shoulders can't stand the pressure it puts on them anymore . I use a hyd splitter it might be a little slower but i'm not going anywhere in a hurry anyway. I split about 9 ricks a year to heat house.

 

[Northstar9126]

I have never seen a 3-point splitter with tires on it before. I assume that the tires are to manuever the splitter around when off of the tractor. Do you find that the tires get in the way when operating the splitter? I just might put tires on my splitter.

 

[WBWI]

Just split and stacked a cord this weekend with a borrowed hydraulic splitter. Since seasoning firewood is new to me what is the best method to season, covered or uncovered? The trees had been on the ground since November '06, logs were cut at least 6 months ago and but I just got around to splitting them.

 

[dmccarty]

Just split and stacked a cord this weekend with a borrowed hydraulic splitter. Since seasoning firewood is new to me what is the best method to season, covered or uncovered? The trees had been on the ground since November '06, logs were cut at least 6 months ago and but I just got around to splitting them.

Oh boy you asked a question that people will disagree on.

I can't find the link anymore and I have looked for it several time but I remember seeing a study on seasoning put out by the Feds. The bottom line on seasoning was that the longer the wood the longer it took to season. A 16 inch long piece might season in 3-4 months.

Even a tree that has been down and cut into logs will take a long time to season. I had a tree down from Fran that I cut into logs. Years later I cut those logs into rounds and split them. They were wet wet wet. That tree had been down about 10 years.

I split the wood into 16 inch lengths and put them on pallets to keep the wood off the ground. This means that some of the wood is not exposed but buried in the wood pile. I try to build the pile so that as the height increases the pile get wider. I do this since the pile will eventually have a tarp over the top and having the pile get wider as it gets taller helps keep the bottom rows from getting wet.

The worse thing that can happen is for rain to get into the pile. So I also try to build a peak on the top of the wood pile so rain will run off the tarp. The tarps cover most of the side of the wood pile but not all the way. I also put the dark side of the tarp on the outside. Figure the heat build up from the sun will help season the wood.

One day I'm going to build a wood shed so I don't have to use tarps. There are a couple of wood sheds near me that I really wish were on my land.

Later,
Dan

 

[kossetx]

I split all I need by hand for the winter. All .10 of a cord.

Kinda warm down here.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin Craig,
Im 57 and have been burning wood all my adult life ! Up until last season I used an 8 lb and a 6 lb maul along with some wedges to get the job done! Last year I succumed to a great deal on a 25 ton splitter that was being sold out of Home Depot rental department, so i guess you can say I weakened ! The problem was that doing 5 or 6 cord a year was gettin a bit much for the old body, so i got some help !


BTW I was a purist for a long time !

 

[Shmudda]

Scotty.......

You have about 11 years on me and I can see myself getting to the point where I let the automation take over too! Winter is coming fast as the woods have that fall smell and the leaves are beginning to change ever so slightly.

I can see you have yourself a very nice Farmall there....only if old machines like those could talk.....the stories they could tell.....

Take care.......

Craig

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I grew up in a house that was heated with wood. 4 fireplaces. Partially because that was just the way things were done back then, and partially by dads "design", I spent a LOT of time splitting wood. Dad knew that keeping me busy was one way to keep me out of trouble. And then keeping me worn out tired was yet ANOTHER benifit! I sure wasn't going to get in trouble if I was too tired to do anything! We split with an ax and sledge hammers and wedges. Slow and steady.

Then I struck out on my own. Firewood became a cheaper alternative to gas heat. Somewhere along theline Ifound the wonders of splitting mauls. After my son got old enough, I took a page out of dads child raising manual and put him to work. But, as it should be, he grew up and went out on his own too. Back to splitting my firewood by myself...

Eventually, age takes its tole on the body. The maul just wasn't the wonderous tool it once was. Ibought a splitter. I THOUGHT I wanted a 3-point mounted version. Bought a Wallenstien 3-pointer. It was GREAT compared to hand splitting, but I just wasn't thrilled with it. First, I didn't like the idea of the tractor sitting there at a fast idle all day long. And I didn't like being in so close proximity to the rear wheels. Just not enough room. I founda buyer for the 3-point splitter, then went out andbought a 27 ton Troy Bilt vertical/horizontal trailer-type splitter. I'm MUCH happier with it.

Us hillbillies here in Kentucky burn RICKS of wood. (1/2 cord.....Stack is 4' tall X 8' long X whatever width you choose) I burn 15 to 18 ricks per season.

 

[dogtired]

Just split and stacked a cord this weekend with a borrowed hydraulic splitter. Since seasoning firewood is new to me what is the best method to season, covered or uncovered? The trees had been on the ground since November '06, logs were cut at least 6 months ago and but I just got around to splitting them.

Some say covered some say it does not matter.
I'm of the belief it does not matter , more important is to keep the wood off of the ground IMO

like this

 

[arrow]

I have a Quadrafire stove and love it. I bet you will see a huge drop in the amount of wood you burn.

Got my 5700 Quadrafire 3 years ago. Used to go thru 5 cords from Dec to end of March with Timberlines biggest stove. Now I go thru 5 cords from Oct. to the end of April that and an indirect 40 gal dhw tank allows me to go thru one 275 gal of oil per year in New England.

 

[PhilNH5]

I am 48 and use a Gransfor Bruk Axe. Tundra2 mentioned them and they are every bit as good as he says. We burn 5 cords per year in two stoves. Most is split by hand by me. If I get behind I will rent a splitter for one day. The splitting axe has a 5.5 lb head. This is a great weight. Heavy enough to do the job but light enough to use all day. I have seen 8, 10 and 15 lb heads. I could never lift one of those all day.
Fortunately for me my wife and daughter do a lot of the work.

Pic one is my wife cutting up small pieces.
Pic two is my daughter loading the tractor bucket
Pic three is my Gansfors axe.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Wow, you wear safety glasses too!! Good for you, I never even thought of them for wood splitting or using the axe any other way.