You know when I'm splitting vertical..I mean buisness lol ! I do not enjoy splitting larger stuff...as it just harder all the way around. Thank goodness for the tractor helping ! Got this old maple cut up into size...and moved. Chunking them into size ..then when I can stand up straight again lol ....ill finish them off in the horizontal position.
Those big sugar maple rounds are back breakers but some good dense firewood. Good you had the tractor to help. Moving those the old way isn't fun. Nice work HF! I usually noodle them into sections even then still heavy.
Thank you sir..I appreciate that ! I thought about noodling...but I figured I'd just start muscling those lunkers around. Still not sure if I chose correctly..but its done..and it was about a perfect day to do it lol !
My last adventure with big sugar maple was back in the Winter but no hydro at my disposal at the score, Noodling, some sledge and wedge to get them sectioned up to load. Im trying to convince myself not to take sugar maple over 16-18" in diameter anymore as its back breaking work. Will all that be for the sugar house?
It really is a great idea...I may have to try it ! I usually give away the big ones to my friend down the road...but he's retired to smaller diameter as well. But I couldn't live with myself if I just rolled these logs into the weeds I've successfully avoided processing large chunks for probably 20 years..until last year with large Ash off our property. Now all our old Sugar Maples around our house are starting to go . It's really sad. When I split them open today...lots of big ants...but the wood was pretty solid. Gave my 26 ton splitter a good run for the money ! I plan on using some of this to reload the sugar shack wood shed. But last year was such a low volume season for us...that there's not much to restock ! The rest will go to my parents..as they heat with wood. Btw...I miss using the sledge and wedge...sometimes!
Forgot to quote you on my reply above..sorry about that. Those are some beautiful chunks you are splitting in the pics! It's good satisfying work !
Love me some Sugar err Maple almost all of them have some rot in center with carpenter ants. here last sugar season in top 3 of last 20 years; long season above 1500 feet…
Some great pics! Biggins sure are a lot of work. I typically do whatever is needed to get them to 70-90 pound size to move around, w/o hydro help. Vertical splitting is absolutely last resort. Done it 2-3 times in the last 15 years. Every time I say it’s the last.
Only time my county line goes vertical is when I refill it with gas. I added two of the factory log tables to the engine side of the splitter and the back one is directly over the engine which makes the gas tank inaccessible. Sure is nice to have the extra space to stage rounds though. Also protects the engine from rounds/splits falling on it. I think I have split two big rounds with it in the vertical position, quickly decided that noodling was MUCH easier.
