Welcome to FHC pete from down under ! Does no trailer for the free eucalyptus branches mean you drive a ute? You've got some fun falcons and Holden's down there. ( for now)
I cut up and take just about every thing off the trees I cut but they are dead standing Red Oak with no small branches left on them. I started stacking them separate from the splits this year as I do think they pack and burn longer. And also are nice to fill the stove chock full at night.
Around here (Rural Tasmania) almost everyone drives a ute and has a chainsaw in the cab. Its actually a scroungers paradise if you have the time. Half the state is forestry and national park and it doesn't take long to get around as its so small. Some guys make a very good living out of firewood. As far as utes go the Holden Maloo Utes aren't for firewood that would be a crime against humanity!
Thanks guys me and my old saws are gonna fit in nicely cheers,no I have a trailer but lately been a one car family and the wife aint to happy if i leave a trailer on for her' Yep we got some nice utes but the old holden traytop onetonners are pretty cool,starting in about 1072 as a hq going through to the wb not sure of the year, roughies can still be found around 3 grand
I also cut limb wood down to 2 to 1.5" depending on time. Only potential negative is the extra bark = ash. To me it is not a concern. However, if you are talking about meat smoking wood, stay away from bark period. It give the meat a bitter taste.
Limbs are definitely more work. There were an awful lot of them in this tree at my sister's house: I've spent around 8 hrs just on the limbs so far, but there's a good 2 cords of firewood. I also use the Eric VW / Horkn method - I leave them in long sections, and cut them to length on a sawbuck. Luckily, most of my firewood comes from my own forest grown trees, especially dead ones, so they tend to not have many limbs. Certain species, like some poplars and birch, don't dry very well if left unsplit, and round pieces will actually rot before they dry. I'm not sure if the BTU output is any different in limbs vs splits, but I take everything I can use.
