Since reading the forums here ive noticed the split size you guys cut is a lot smaller than what people do here in Tassie. Here for right or wrong large split pieces are what the buyers buy but since you guys all seem to have smaller splits I must ask the question why that is? Does it burn better? easier to carry/stack? The conventional wisdom here is that big splits burn longer and you don't have to keep feeding the fire as often and thus use less wood. But from seeing your photos I must ask the question is this actually the case? Are smaller splits better?
I like them smaller because they dry faster (the Midwest US isn't the greatest place to dry wood) and it seems easier to control the fire. Big splits are for overnight.
I agree that bigger splits burn longer, but I split according to what my stove will take best. Some bigger and some smaller to be able to load stove to max capacity. I also have to split some a little smaller for the girlfriend to handle if I am not home, or for my elderly Mom to handle at her house.
I just spoke with the wood hooker who delivers my wood and he said he burns the limb wood in a heap because he cant sell it! It must be a hassle to load it and cut it but you would think there would be a market for it!
I split ash, which dries pretty fast, usually into quarters. Oak get split again so they're half that size. They dry a little faster.
W Would it be more cost efficient then to have 2 stoves and use large splits over the long term? (If you take the girlfriend out of the equation just for the point of the question)
I use limbs up to the point they become too much trouble, or are small enough that they arent worth splitting.
If you were 5 years ahead would you still cut to the same size as you would then have ample time to dry the wood?
Not so much. When you first start out, you get all you can out of a tree. Now I have people offering me trees left and right, I no longer mess with the tiny stuff, aka brush.
Good question. I don't know if I would. I do know I like the lighter pieces of green oak when I'm stacking.
Its interesting because I like smaller splits because of ease of handling as well. Since im going to build my stack up another 100 tonne I want to really make sure im happy with the size as I don't want to split again down the track if you know what I mean.
Good position to be in. Perhaps buying a small chipper and selling mulch may be a good earner on the side?
I have found that because it gets brutally cold here we like about 4" to 6" splits for more heat with a few cord large rounds to mix in. The burn time is really close with our stove either way we go so the difference at least for us is the heat output.
I do have two stoves one at my house and one at my mom's. Sometimes at night when I load the stove and put a couple of bigger splits in, you need smaller splits to fill the voids, so stove is loaded to the max for the night. Also like Stinny said they dry a little faster.
One issue with very large splits may be the longer time it takes to get 'em dry. Might not be an issue in your climate. It was suggested that my splits may be on the small side, so I've been splitting quite a bit larger recently. We'll see what happens. Folks who use larger splits should be along soon.
I have a medium sized stove, so medium splits work well. Of course, some splits are certainly larger, or even good sized rounds, for those overnight loads. I have mainly oak, so med/small splits as opposed to larger ones may be WellSeasoned a few months sooner.
I tend to split larger pieces too. It started when I did not have a splitter so I would leave them a little larger and just still do. I also burn down to like a 3-4 inch limb. All depends on tree. Makes good filler wood those smaller pieces.
