I still like splitting the easy stuff (strait grained) by hand, but a hydro splitter is sooo nice on the ugly stuff. I pulled the trigger on getting a splitter when I started cutting on my neighbor's property that has a ton of hedge on it. Splitter's barely depreciate so you aren't really spending money to get one. I could turn around an sell mine for 85% of the purchase price tomorrow (and it is almost 4 years old now).
The tree on top is definitely hedge. Here's another pic of them. I thought it was oak? We will find out for certain soon.
Well, the danged thing looks like ash in the picture. However, I'm not really good with pictures for some odd reason so I'll go with your ID.
Top or bottom? Its definitely easier to id in person, pictures have fooled me many times. I'll be out there later this week/end.
Top's a Hedge tree for sure... Not gonna venture a guess on the bottom one... Both look nice though... Grazer gonna be busy for a while... Throw a split of the Hedge on the fire without seasoning some time... Call it an experiment...
Hedge burns strangely even when it's bone dry. When I open the door while burning it, it's like a little fireworks display. Doesn't really pop, it just kind of goes fft, fft, fft and showers of sparks burst out of the stove. We have a lot of open door fires that we sit in front of. I never burn Osage during those fires, the sparks shoot right through the screen. Seems like it only happens when it's getting a lot of air.
Then open the doors and poke at it a little... You get a little "supernova" going in there... I'm just glad I got hardwood floors instead of carpet...
