In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Don't Stack Split Firewood - Here's Why

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by ReelFaster, Mar 4, 2026.

  1. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

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    Interesting!! I don't see this being a great idea IMO.

     
  2. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    I call BS try this with birch and your wood will rot before it dries. Maybe with pine BUT not at my home
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2026
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  3. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

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    It does not make sense to me, unless your are just storing it to split for another day or have an OWB.

    You still have to split it, why wait till winter to do it? So many other factors come into play cold, rain, snow, equipment failure (if using hydro), etc...

    Also don't you want to just head to the woodshed or wood rack and just grab splits to feed your stove vs. having to split that round into sizable splits for the stove? :picard:

    I'd also throw in drying times perhaps, I am sure a round of oak will take longer to dry vs. that same round being split.
     
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  4. Reloader

    Reloader

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    Last year I did have a stack of rounds that had sat for nearly a year before splitting. I split it and put it directly in the back of the wood shed last Summer. Just now getting to it and it seems to burn fine. Granted, this was mostly Alder which seasons faster than some of the other wood available.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  5. Chud

    Chud

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    King of clickbait
     
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  6. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    I've seen this guy's posts before and most of the time, shake my head.
     
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  7. RCBS

    RCBS

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    If you can't baffle them with brilliance, baffle them with bool....
     
  8. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    100% true for softwood in arid states. AND, it splits clean with axe.
     
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  9. Woodtroll

    Woodtroll

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    Yep, I think the regional (and wood type) differences make it work for him, but not as well with humid-area hardwoods.
     
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  10. Butcher

    Butcher

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    Well if you don't like a man's ideas that has been in the logging industry for years I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like how I season fire wood.
     
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  11. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Exactly how I do too :rofl: :lol:
     
  12. billb3

    billb3

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    He probably stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, too.

    There's far too much mis and disinformation on Youtube and AI is making it ten times worse. Youtube makes $$$$$ so don't look to them to reign it in. All you can do is stop watching.
     
  13. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Ok, we've now had our daily dose of pure Bull.
     
  14. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

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    Odd because he does have some other video's I've seen that were not bad and informative. But this one is a doozie IMO!
     
  15. RCBS

    RCBS

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    I wonder if he'd come stack the ~30" oak rounds I will be making in the near future? How high y'all think he can go? 3 high?
     
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  16. Horkn

    Horkn

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    Hmm. I get what he's saying with the stacking logic, and it works for conifers typically, at least quick drying ones, but you're opening yourself up to a higher chance of creosote production and chimney fires unless you stack it after being split at the final location, a good 6 months before burning it.

    I've not split Norway pine until right before use in the old 1940's cottage with a huge chimney. It was cut a good 9 months before burning, and the closest to a chimney fire was when my friend threw a wide snowmobile trailer tire in the fire in the fireplace. That was an interesting thing. The funny thing is that after that, there was no damage to the chimney. It was built extremely well
     
  17. jo191145

    jo191145

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    Well he’s not wrong about the labor savings. The question then becomes can whatever wood you have dry effectively in the round? Mostly the answer is no and he stipulates that to some extent. His tendency to ramble on in circles doesn’t help his case.
     
  18. Stinny

    Stinny

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    x2... I think red oak would go the same way too Canadian border VT ... :yes:
     
  19. ole

    ole

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    He must not have oak out there.
     
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  20. Dok440

    Dok440

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    It might work in his particular area with a particular species at a particular time of year. The oak I cut has to be split and stacked and stored in the sun for a couple of years.

    I used to burn a lot of pine and there is a big difference between winter and spring/summer cutting. In spring the sap starts running and rounds are noticeably heavier when cut. I could see his process working if he cuts in the winter, especially if it is standing dead.

    I like to get all the processing done at once. When I'm burning, I only want to haul it to the house and burn it.
     
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