One thing that is at the utmost importance! Beware of chainsaw addiction! It starts with a saw u like, then a back up saw. Well what about a saw to cut big stuff? Then a back up for that. What about a mill size saw,and a back up for that. Then you want back ups for the back ups..... You see where this is going? For me it's standing room only in the shop. So be careful! Waiting on Jesus
Well if you're OCD like many (most) of us here, or if you're buying "seasoned" wood, it's a must. But if you can give it enough time, and some wind and Sun, you won't need it. Some species dry faster than others, so it can be a helpful tool starting out. Regarding the Fiskars axe, the reason I bought mine was because I'd heard it was indestructible, and I had just broken a couple department store mauls. It's true - and if you do manage to break it, they send you a new one. It's a no-brainer for the price they sell them for. I split all my wood with it.
Chaps! YES! Labonville full wraps for sure, the best $ you will spend. One trip to the E.R. will be more than the cost of all of your PPE combined. Trust me. I darn near cut my finger tip off in my hydraulic splitter this year. That was a very dramatic and expensive warning, wake-up call about the inherent dangers of dealing with lumber/firewood/OPE. It can all happen in less than a second.
Moisture meters are a fun, cheap, easy tool to acquire. If you plan to put up your wood and leave it stacked for three years you really dont need one. If you are new to wood burning then you probably will need to burn the wood you put up sooner than three years. You will need to learn which woods will be good to burn with one season of drying and which ones need multiple years. If you are like some of us who dont have the space to store three years of wood it makes sense to have it in your tool box. The moisture meter takes the guess work out of it. Get one.
This advice is worth more than all the PPE in the world! On top of that, I haven't seen a budget mentioned anywhere, which I would put 2nd on the list behind a good head on your shoulders. It's easy to get caught up in the buying frenzy when you see what everyone else on these forums recommends and before you know it you're spending more than you save on heating costs. Folks will say a 2 saw plan is best. Others will say a 3 saw plan. Then we'll try to up-sell you from a farm/ranch saw to a pro saw. I won't lie, having 2 pro saws is great, but a TON of people have happily heated their homes for years with a Stihl 290 or even a Stihl 250. So you're really got to decide up front if you're burning wood to pinch pennies and save money, or if this is going to be a hobby that happens to save some money like it is for a lot of us (not that we'd admit to that). My starter kit would be one saw with an 18" bar (50-60cc if a pro saw or 55-60 cc if a ranch saw). A Fiskars X27 and just noodle what won't easily split. A 1 gal gas can. A pack of Stihl 2-cycle oil. Bar oil. Safety glasses or mesh goggles. Ear plugs or muffs. Filing kit. And pallets or landscaping timbers for stacking. The next list of "nice to haves" would include chaps, a helmet, steel toed boots, rubber dipped gloves, a spare chain (I've never hit a rock or nail and ruined a chain in 10 years of cutting), plastic wedges, a second saw, and of course a hydraulic splitter. Personally I'd skip a maul and wedges, I haven't touched either since I bought a Fiskars.
Way to rain on the parade...budget? Haha only kidding. It's a valid point, my plan was to review what was recommended in this thread and then prioritize accordingly. With my dad nearby, I don't need to buy a sledge and splitting wedges or a small saw out of the gate because he has all that already and seldom uses it these days. I know where to get pallets for free and have supplied my local wood hoarding buddy 2 pickup loads already.
I don't have a tractor, but I can't have enough wheelbarrows. I also have a pneumatic tire hand truck which helps if I wanna move a big round around the yard. Someone already said it, but a can't hook it an amazing tool. A bench vise for sharpening is nice too, also a stump vise is nice to have in my to-do bucket in case I need to touch up my chain out in the field. A small sharp axe is nice, but not needed. When I am splitting, even with hydraulics, it is nice to have that small axe on hand to swipe at the tough strings to finish a split quickly. Milk crates or banana boxes to toss all the tiny splits and slivers in that come off when splitting. Stow those boxes of kindling inside so they get crispy and dry.
Many have them and many seem to think they need them but probably don't. I've burned wood most of my life and I'm in my 70's. Never used a MM nor felt the need for one. But then, I don't tend to cut wood one year and try to burn it then either. For those that do those sort of things, I guess it might help but it won't help the wood to dry at all. It will just tell you what you already should know. The best MM is still a 3 year supply of wood that has been cut, split and stacked out in the open so that Mother Nature will do the natural drying for you. You will also learn the best ways to stack your wood and there are both right and wrong ways of stacking. There are right ways and wrong ways of covering that wood pile too. Some won't even cover the piles but unless you live in a very arid region, your wood will be much better off if it is top covered. Over the years we found the best way is to cut the wood in the fall/winter. We just sort of stack it up during the winter then after snow melt, we do all the splitting. Of course we tend to pile that wood in the winter and split in the spring right where we want to build the wood pile so as to not have to move it again. We then leave the wood piles uncovered that first summer but do top cover before the snow flies much. We don't even move wood into our barn until October every fall and then only enough for the winter. We want our wood to dry outdoors BEFORE it gets moved into the shed. We know you've read about the 3 year plan and no matter what is said, it is still one of the best tools you have for burning wood. Never underestimate it.
