Hi Guys - I'm relatively new to burning wood for home heating. Wife and I put in an Enerzone 3.4 stove in a couple of years ago in the basement and boy does it work nice. I've been burning red (I think) oak that died on my 3/4 acre from oak wilt the last couple of years and I've just about burned it all up. Its a shame, some of those oaks were really big. I had one that measured about 27" across and was that diameter for 30 feet. THAT was a big tree. Those 18" long rounds were a bear to move around. I'm not totally sure how much wood I burn in a season yet, I'm thinking about 3 to 3 1/2 cords. We are probably going to buy a semi-load of oak (about 10 cords) this year from a local logger. I've been mooching off a good friend who has a splitter, but I hate to take advantage of him. So, couple of obvious questions . I've been researching splitters, and I would really like a lift, to save my back. I ran my buddies in a vertical position, which wasn't to bad, but being low like that was tough on the knees as well, (but easier than lifting rounds up to the splitter). I've seen a splitter by ruggedmade, that has a lift but I believe its a chinese import. I'd rather buy American made if I can. I came across wolfe ridge (made a couple of hours from me) and their splitters look REALLY nice. The price tag is a little tough to swallow, but buy once, cry once. However, I'm wondering if this thing is overkill for what I need. Run it hard for a month or so processing 10 cords and then have it sit for a couple of years until I'm ready for more. Kinda a waste. I was originally considering the Northern Tool 37 ton and trying to rig up a lift for that, but when you put into account the cost of a new valve, a cylinder, materials and time am I really saving. Anyways, I'm looking for advice on a splitter, homemade lift and maybe something I can use to get logs off the ground so I can cut them at waist height. Bent over with a chainsaw takes me out of action pretty quick. Unfortunately, I don't have a tractor to pick the logs up so I need a ramp or something to pull them up to a jig. Yeah, I'm pretty needy LOL So, nice to "meet" ya'll and looking forward to playing on this forum
Welcome to FHC Joe P ... ramps, levers, ropes and pulleys can do a lot to help with lifting logs. A Peavey with a "T" on it, to lift the log up a bit, can be useful. I think one brand is called a Timber Jack... not sure. Most of the splitters out there seem to do the job. Renting a splitter works for some too. Lots of good folks on here...
Welcome to FHC Joe P Good to have another guy from Wisconsin here. Where are you located? I do not have a lift on my splitter so when it comes to working up large rounds I will try to split them by hand into sizes I can get on the splitter. If that fails, there is noodling. I have even used my splitter vertically just to break it down into pieces I can put on the splitter in the horizontal mode.
If you are only going to split every couple of years you could either rent a splitter or pay a processor...
Welcome aboard Joe P . Sounds like you will fit right in here. I would love to have a Wolfe Ridge splitter also but way beyond my needs. I got a Dirty Hands splitter in standard configuration and it fills all my needs. There are a lot of good values out there on standard style machines and they are very versatile. Maybe get a standard machine that lends itself to a loader mod and then decide if you really need it! Look forward to more posts with pictures!
Welcome! You will like it here and lrean more then you want to! Nice to see another wisconsinite here.
Hi Erik - I'm by Wisconsin Dells. Noodling, that's a new term. I had to look that one up! Anyways, I need to find the thread the Walt mentioned. The wife isn't overly opposed to the wolfe ridge splitter (which kinda surprises me). We can't get our logs until May anyways, so I have some time to "noodle" the decision. LOL, see what I did there?
Welcome to the club, Joe P ! I think you're gonna like it here! As for splitting those big rounds, i like to go vertical and break them into quarters, then switch back to horizontal to finish them. Ive got a huskee 22 ton from TSC. Bought it used for $500 in great shape.
Im 7 years into heating with wood. Oil was running $18-2200 per year. Wife is ok with saving that! And sitting in an 80°+ basement... In 2013 i figure i "saved" $26-2800 as HHO was almost $3.50 /gal. This payed for my whole setup and bought 2 years worth of firewood to get started. You're just investing in future savings.
Welcome to the FHC Joe P , First I would try to get some wood in for winter 8 months from now as that load of oak will not be ready by then. Second I understand your feelings, and this might be heresy to say but a wolf ridge splitter for 10 cord once every 3 years is a bit of overkill. I would try renting one and see what you like and dont like and report back.
Howdy, Welcome. For me trying to move those big, as in 30" +, rounds around under a vetical splitter is a no go and that was on a hard surface let alone in the back forty or similar. I just let the 084 Stilh with the 40"+ bar chew on them a bit until they are human size. At home got the tractor to move them. At the shop a fork lift, but in someone else's area I am at the mercy of gravity. Have some huge 3-4' dia x 2' or so chunks of Silver Maple here at the shop right now. They were cut during the winter so they will be a bit liter than if they were fresh cut now. Even so I am thinking that they are big enough to be a bit much for my loader to hoist so I need to cut them down at least in 1/2 .
The splitter we got was split between us and a friend. It came from TSC and about $800 a piece. Welcome to FHC Joe P . You'll like it here. We like dogs, beer and pics. A lot of knowledgeable people here who are willing to share their knowledge.
You will be surprised at how easy the oak splits. I am just getting done with a 5 cord load of wood that was mostly oak and Maple and I have hand split all of it with the isocore 8 pound Mual. If it's not full of knots you can reduce a 24 + inch round of oak to a pile of splits in less than 10 swings.
If he is buying a load of log length, his chances of getting nice, straight, knot less, easy to split Red Oak is pretty slim.
Mine was log length from a logger and I went with the cheaper woods run not the sorted. ($93 vs $140 a cord) and it's all been relatively very easy to split.
If he can get good straight loads, I'd go for trying to hand split it. Its only 3 cords/year. Could invite over a friend and pay him in some beer. Around here, the log length loads I see dropped at peoples houses are crooked sticks or massive logs. Not to much in between. I suppose a lot of that would depend on who dropped it. Maybe its different in WI.
I will agree, there is a huge difference in between logging companies some are really good with their firewood some give you pure chit they can't sell any place else.
The place I'm buying from also does their own firewood. Their lot is visible from the highway and the stuff in their pile looks pretty nice and straight. They are about 3 miles from my house so I don't have a delivery fee either. I'd split by hand as some suggested, but I've got torn rotator cuffs from martial arts in both shoulders and swinging a maul like that tends to aggravate the injuries.
