I couldnt agree more. Got an X25 for Christmas a few years ago and lost it roadside in some leaves. Bought an X27 to replace it. Broke the handle last Winter see my thread Broken F iskars! and they replaced it no questions asked. A simple online form to fill out and pics of the broken ax Maybe Santa can bring you one for Christmas? Have you been naughty Kubota ?
i guess i could be banned from the forum. Probably would be a first! Hate to see you with a lot of contusions! Is there a FHC award for worst puns??? Or is it a psych (A)ward?
It is a stringier (sorry The Wood Wolverine , had to say it ) than most common hardwoods around here. Heavy and dense so excellent btus, but 2-3 years ideal seasoning time. Takes more oomph to hand split. This particular score is a little tougher due to the little knot scars in the mix. The hickory i scored in Sept/Oct seemed to split easier and cleaner. I only split a couple rounds from each score and it wasnt that bad. These were pignut, shagbark and bitternut varieties. Maybe a two cord stack of rounds waiting for me. Maybe ill split them when it gets below freezing again. Does it grow up your way Dakota Hoarder ?
The first time I had elm was a very large dead standing removal. It was a fall job, I tried splitting and it was miserable. I read on this great forum to let rounds freeze. So I did just that. Pretty much no difference. Maybe not enough moisture to freeze? So in my experience, this didn’t work. buZZsaw BRAD hickory is a little stringy compared to oak and some others, yes. But compairing it to elm in the same sentence is cray cray. Lol! Just my humble o-pin-yun. It is easily separated by hand where as elm, and the worse - gum, you will struggle every time. If I had either species in the way of getting prime firewood, I’d simply noodle them with my saw to manageable pieces. The last elm tree I processed was at a friends lot that needed cleared. I was obligated. 90% of the wood was given away to top off a 2 cord purchase for a friend with an owb. Fortunately I can afford to be an elm/gum snob.
im a snob too then. I enjoy hand splitting, but dont like killing myself in the process so hickory is the extent of my "stringy" wood. I had thought of bucking 4-5" thick cookies then split in sections. Hopefully ill never be that desperate! Still ample amount of good Asplundh wood around.
Finished up the hickory between Saturday and today. Used the Isocore 95% of the splits. X27 on a few. Used both on the big sugar maple there as well. Room now to bring a load of red oak ill try and cut tomorrow.
Looks great! Wish I had some hickory! I used my new one today for a couple of hours on the white oak and it’s my go to as well. Substituted splitting wood by hand for my workout and I got a good one in today. I thought I would need to get the hydraulic splitter out for half the rounds due to twisting grains and crotch pieces but the isocore took care of them. Compared to the X27 for me it’s like 6 swings more powerful as in 6 strikes with the x27 for the same result of 1 swing with the isocore. Thanks again for recommending it. The x27 is still a great tool but I’m not wasting my time with it unless it’s super easy splitting wood. Split a little more than a cord and got tired and stopped. Safety message for the day: Stop when you get tired, took me a lifetime of injuries and mishaps to decide there’s merit to the saying...
Your are welcome! With all that white oak (higher btu's than this hickory) dont think you'll be needing wood for a while. I have the PU full of white oak there to split as well. Ought to be a breeze compared to the hickory. Nice straight grained quarters. Opted to do the tougher hickory first. How much has that tree yielded so far Winston? You holding out for a bigger saw for the rest? Ive never processed a tree that large.
Almost 5 cords so far and I still haven’t gotten into the main trunk. That said, I left about a quarter of the crown because it’s been dead and the sapwood is punk. I don’t have room for any of this wood, I’m going to end up moving it at least twice which is why I am leaving the stuff that’s got punk behind for now. I have no idea how many cords remain, one way or the other I’m going to find out. lol I’m all over the place with the saw situation. I might just buy a longer bar for the 390 and buy a 261 or get frustrated with the 390 and buy a 462 and a 261 and sell the 390. This is a bigger decision to make than buying a new truck. Other part of the dilemma is that I’m in the suburbs and these old trees are always full of metal. I left behind a solid 38” diameter red oak trunk a few years ago because it took out 3 chains within 5 minutes of cutting in different sections.
I can understand your frustration on that one. Maybe a 362? Happy medium? I have a 261 and a 460 (my understanding the 462 took the place of the 441 and 461) and am very pleased with the pair. Hard to believe two years ago i was using a 290 with a 16" bar! I wont shy away from larger diameter stuff anymore. Although your tree is in a league of its own! I hear you about the punky limbs. Felled a few standing dead white oaks in the last year or so and limbs are useless IMO. Even some of the trunk is punk too. Have more this Winter. OUCH!!! 3 chains in 5 minutes. I mightve cried on that one!
