# How many cords can you splitt in a day?



## smokinj (Sep 9, 2009)

Splitt 5 cords today just wondering whats a good day splitting? (2people 5 1/2 hrs.)


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## wendell (Sep 9, 2009)

I would say that is.


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## Todd (Sep 9, 2009)

Did you split by hand or a power splitter? Either way it's still a good days work. I have 6 cords of Oak I need to split, but I'm waiting for cold weather and then I will go out and split with my Fiskars a little bit at a time so I get a little excercise instead of spending all my time on Hearth.com getting fat.


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## smokinj (Sep 9, 2009)

Todd said:
			
		

> Did you split by hand or a power splitter? Either way it's still a good days work.



i used a 27 ton splitter vertical large rounds


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## Archie (Sep 9, 2009)

I'd say 5 cords in one day is alot better than "good." I can split about 5-6 cords a year.


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## BrotherBart (Sep 9, 2009)

I'll never know how many I could split in a day because I drop the tree one afternoon. Buck it the next. Haul it out of the woods up the hill in five or six trips the next and split and stack it the next day. So I am about a 3/4 cord a week kinda guy.


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## smokinj (Sep 9, 2009)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> I'll never know how many I could split in a day because I drop the tree one afternoon. Buck it the next. Haul it out of the woods up the hill in five or six trips the next and split and stack it the next day. So I am about a 3/4 cord a week kinda guy.



i normally drop it and splitt it at one time never had 10 cords setting waiting to be splitt before


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## olskool53 (Sep 10, 2009)

I split my wood by hand. Figure 1 cord = 10-12 beers so after a cord the wife usually takes my axe...................for my safety LMAO!


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## LLigetfa (Sep 10, 2009)

Can't say that I ever really kept track of it.  I always work alone and think two people hustling should more than double what one person does.

I did gauge that I burn about a tank of gas to a cord and if my memory serves me right, I've had to gas up the splitter 4 times in a day.


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## smokinj (Sep 10, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> Can't say that I ever really kept track of it. I always work alone and think two people hustling should more than double what one person does.
> 
> I did gauge that I burn about a tank of gas to a cord and if my memory serves me right, I've had to gas up the splitter 4 times in a day.



I remember you saying that a couple days ago so,I was keeping track used almost 3 tanks of fuel. We where also shutting it down when dumping and the other person restocking rounds.  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=101162&id=100000000464379 here a pick of it we done 1/2 cord of ash in anoter pile


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## woodgeek (Sep 10, 2009)

0.1 cords per day by hand is nothin'--0.2 cords is a lot.


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## Redburn (Sep 10, 2009)

I would say you'll feel it tomorrow LOL! I split 2 cords last month by myself and was feeling it the next day .. I'm 32 and work construction and go to the gym breaking wood with a splitter or by hand is tough work thats why I always say free wood isn't free. It also amazes me how many times you move it before you even burn it.

              Burn on.....


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## jzr1 (Sep 10, 2009)

about 4 1/2 with a splitter took about 10 - 12hrs s/s one other guy. And really tired after. only reason I did it was because I rented the splitter


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## rdust (Sep 10, 2009)

I usually split by myself and have done about 3 cords in one day and was whopped after.  I had a buddy come over to help me once and didn't enjoy the work as much.  I was splitting and throwing in a pile while he was stacking.  I found it hard to work with someone who wasn't stacking how I would have stacked the pieces and I'm far from one of the good stackers.


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## smokinj (Sep 10, 2009)

Redburn said:
			
		

> I would say you'll feel it tomorrow LOL! I split 2 cords last month by myself and was feeling it the next day .. I'm 32 and work construction and go to the gym breaking wood with a splitter or by hand is tough work thats why I always say free wood isn't free. It also amazes me how many times you move it before you even burn it.
> 
> Burn on.....


heck i fill it now lol i just turn 44 but work atleast 50 hrs a week aswell so time is very important to get as much don as possable
the kid that helps me most of the time can tell what needs to be done just by a look we never even stop for a break just long enough to gas up again. this is just what iam used to,and he's a farm boy aswell


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## LLigetfa (Sep 10, 2009)

If I split and stack same day, the stacking really slows me down.  Last year I just tossed the splits in a heap and stacked it months later in the shed.  Stacking takes me much longer than splitting.  I might get two cord split and stacked on a good day.  This is the first year that I stacked 8 cord right after I split it.  I would split until it ran out of gas and then stack.  Toward the end I got tired of stacking and heaped them.


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## CTburning (Sep 10, 2009)

By hand I split and stacked a cord one day.  Won't do that again!  I usually split about a half cord a day.  Any more than that I am too sore or tired for anything else.  Splitting is fun for an hour or so.  After that and it's just work!  A splitter is cheating by the way.  I have a few more years of honestly left in me.  When I'm old, like 40, then I'll buy the splitter.


lol


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## Ncountry (Sep 10, 2009)

About ten years ago ,selling wood for a living, I could block ,split with a maul, and deliver 4 cord . Now I usually spread that same 4 cord over  a few weekends . After changing my business ,sold the splitter with 5 second cycle time and 4 way . Boy I miss it %-P


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## savageactor7 (Sep 10, 2009)

smokinj I think a cord an hour is pretty incredible production for a homeowner splitter...we've never been there before. Good job.


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## SolarAndWood (Sep 10, 2009)

I usually split a cord at a time as that is what fits in my trailer.  It takes me on average an hour and a half.  I split by myself and toss into a heap.


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## Got Wood (Sep 10, 2009)

I split by hand and it doesnt matter how much I get done, an hour or so a day, 4-5 times a week from Oct-Mar keeps me fit both mentally and physically. I try to scrounge on the wknds when I have more time so that I have rounds waiting for the Fiskars during the week. Processed 16 cords last year doing it this way.


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## burntime (Sep 10, 2009)

I am with LLgetfa, a cord a tank, say 3 tanks in a day for about 5 hours of work.  But I usually don't stack it all the same day...I also use a speeco which is a great splitter but not real fast.  But hey, I own it and do not need to rush.  I may go from a 11 to a 13.6gpm pump if it ever goes south...should speed it up by 20% or so.


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## Jags (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm on the BroB routine and rarely just split.  I can produce ~1 cord per hour if I have the blocks at the splitter and just allow them to pile, but I usually don't split for more than 2 hours at a time before I start doing something else.

p.s. - Burntime - if your ever gonna change pumps, step up to the 16 gpm.  Its a very noticeable change in speed from 11, but will also need a 8hp or bigger to pull it.


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## stejus (Sep 10, 2009)

Me, about 1 cord per month, all manually with chainsaw and a maul. My supplier, 12 cords per day, cut, split, loaded and delivered.

Like others, I walk into the woods, drag back large sections, buck, split all by hand. This fall I'll be taking down 6 or 7 large oak and red maple trees just beyond the back lawn. I'm doing this to open up area to bring in more sun for my seasoning piles. This could take me all winter to buck and split, but there's not much else to from November to opening day at Fenway anyway.

So, 2011/2012 wood cost = my free time, 2 gallons of gas, 2 chains sharpened and about 9 cases of beer (Sammy Octoberfest to Winter Ale to Spring Ale)


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## Bigg_Redd (Sep 10, 2009)

smokinj said:
			
		

> Splitt 5 cords today just wondering whats a good day splitting? (2people 5 1/2 hrs.)



If it's Doug Fir I can split about a cord per hour.

Adler and Maple go a little faster.

Madrona goes about the same.

Hemlock is about 1.5 hours per cord.  


Never had enough wood on the ground all at once to see how much I could do in a day.


EDIT - These numbers are hand splitting with the 2.25 lb Fiskars and not stacking.


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## smokinj (Sep 10, 2009)

Bigg_Redd said:
			
		

> smokinj said:
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its a frist for me as well


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## Bigg_Redd (Sep 10, 2009)

CTburning said:
			
		

> By hand I split and stacked a cord one day.  Won't do that again!  I usually split about a half cord a day.  *Any more than that I am too sore or tired for anything else*.  Splitting is fun for an hour or so.  After that and it's just work!  A splitter is cheating by the way.  I have a few more years of honestly left in me.  When I'm old, like 40, then I'll buy the splitter.
> 
> 
> lol



I used to feel the same way.  The Fiskars Super Splitter does not wear me out.  I generally run out of time before I run out of ambition.


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## Flatbedford (Sep 10, 2009)

I hand split and stack for about an hour when ever I have time. This usually gets me two heaped wheelbarrow loads. 





If I'm feeling extra butch, I might do a third load. I seem to process about 1 cord per month this way.
Due to my small lot, I have to buck and split in the driveway and stack in the back yard. Being a scrounger, I usually have some rounds on hand that need to be split. This year I have had a to be split stack on the driveway since February.


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## JeffRey30747 (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm 2 weeks away from 39 and my father is 25 years ahead of me. With the summertime temps here in GA, we have been trying to split a little in the mornings on weekends and give in once the temp climbs. He runs the splitter, I move the rounds to the splitter and toss the splits in a pile and we both stack after shutting down the splitter. We usually do about 1/2 cord but can get a cord if we get an early start.


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## LLigetfa (Sep 10, 2009)

Me thinks some people are boasting in face cords.


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## NWfuel (Sep 10, 2009)

Bigg_Redd said:
			
		

> smokinj said:
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> 
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Big Redd, I too have split 1 cord of Alder per hour when in my twenties. I would do 4 cords in 4 hours then call it a day. 6 lb collins and it was 16" cuts.
Thomas


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## BrotherBart (Sep 11, 2009)

On the best day of my wood splitting life I never hand split a whole cord of wood in one day.


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## joshlaugh (Sep 11, 2009)

I split everything by hand.  Typically I split 1/3-1/2 cord a night and stack that.  Every once in awhile I might just swing away to get some exercise or relieve some stress.  I could do approx 1 cord than, and do that about 1x a year.


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## Backwoods Savage (Sep 11, 2009)

I never really kept track. I do recall one time I was really hurting but took the splitter to another fellow's place. This guy put the blocks on the splitter and threw the splits while his dad rolled the logs to him. I did the easy thing which was simply pushing the lever to run the ram. Once we really got together it went fast. I'm thinking it was 3 + cords in less than 3 hours. I just don't remember the exact figure. 

When I used to split by hand, I'd just split until I began to tire. My theory has always been that when you do something that is possibly dangerous, if you are tired, you simply quit then. Tired bodies are the ones that get injured a lot.

Same goes for the chain saw. If you feel tired; stop cutting!


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## smokinj (Sep 11, 2009)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> I never really kept track. I do recall one time I was really hurting but took the splitter to another fellow's place. This guy put the blocks on the splitter and threw the splits while his dad rolled the logs to him. I did the easy thing which was simply pushing the lever to run the ram. Once we really got together it went fast. I'm thinking it was 3 + cords in less than 3 hours. I just don't remember the exact figure.
> 
> When I used to split by hand, I'd just split until I began to tire. My theory has always been that when you do something that is possibly dangerous, if you are tired, you simply quit then. Tired bodies are the ones that get injured a lot.
> 
> Same goes for the chain saw. If you feel tired; stop cutting!


thats a good point buddy clip his knee about 5 years ago with a big saw long bar tired I did the same more than 20 years ago my the Dr. told me my modeling career was over!


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## Tony H (Sep 11, 2009)

With the splitter I do a trailer full , split the rounds and throw them in the trailer it's 6' x 8' with 2' sides so about 2 face cords then if i have any energy or time left I pull it over to the wood pile and stack it. Takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the wood.
A few weeks ago brought the splitter to a buddies and we split about 3 cords in 2 hours and threw it in a big pile.
By hand during the winter I do about a face cord or a little less (maple) until I get tired and start taking wild swings (about 5 rounds elm).LOL


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## TreePapa (Sep 11, 2009)

I rent a splitter one ot two times a year. I try to pick it up early in the day (before 8 am) and turn it in just before the yard closes @ 5:30 pm. Rental splitter is only for wood that's too tough to split by ax & maul - usually twisty knotty pine, gum ball tree, or eukie. If I manage to split a cord of that stuff in one day (just piling, stack AFTER returning splitter), I'm doing damn good. Of course, that's usually about all I have to split, but I don't really think I could do much more anyway.

By hand, I split a bit here and a bit there ... usually for one to three hours, w/ some cutting to length, stacking, etc., so it's hard to say how much, but I'm sure I wouldn't win any contests. Now, give me some 12" diameter, 16" length knot free green ash or straight grain pine (no knots or twists) seasoned in the round for six months, I'm sure I could split two cords a day. I rarely get fantasy wood tho', so it usually takes a lot longer.

Peace,
- Sequoia


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## burntime (Sep 13, 2009)

Jags said:
			
		

> I'm on the BroB routine and rarely just split.  I can produce ~1 cord per hour if I have the blocks at the splitter and just allow them to pile, but I usually don't split for more than 2 hours at a time before I start doing something else.
> 
> p.s. - Burntime - if your ever gonna change pumps, step up to the 16 gpm.  Its a very noticeable change in speed from 11, but will also need a 8hp or bigger to pull it.



Jags, I thought about it but want to retain the stock 6.75 hp briggs, it runs fine.  It should be just enough to run the 13.6gpm pump.  I think if I do the math 13.6-11 is 23.6 percent faster.  Now that is probably no load speed but its a volume thing so it should work.  Durring winter when its cold I only rev the motor about 2/3 so it is quiet.  I know the whol WOT to cool but I run synthetic and when its 20 degrees or less it stays cool.  I guess the two pumps are the same size even...  Time will tell.  I think the one that is on there will be going quite a while yet...


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## basswidow (Sep 13, 2009)

I rented a splitter once and did 4 cords  in  a day pausing for lunch.  

I've got another pile of rounds that's atleast 4 cords or more and need to rent again.  I found a guy with a 27 ton that rents $ 60 a day.  At that price - I see no reason to buy my own,  except that I wouldn't have to rush and do it all in one day.   I split by myself and it's a major work out.  At 48 yrs old,  I feel it the next day.


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## burntime (Sep 13, 2009)

Bass widow, you just revealed the reason you should have your own.  Your 48, and do not need to do it all in a day.  I am 39 and do not want to split wood by hand.  I have too much to do to spend all the time splitting by hand.  With your own machine it is more leisurely...


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## LLigetfa (Sep 13, 2009)

basswidow said:
			
		

> I found a guy with a 27 ton that rents $ 60 a day.  At that price - I see no reason to buy my own,  except that I wouldn't have to rush and do it all in one day.   I split by myself and it's a major work out.  At 48 yrs old,  I feel it the next day.


Oh to be 48 again... wait, when I was 48 I was still splitting everything by hand... scratch that.  When I bought mine, I couldn't find a rental at any price but ja, it would take 15 to 20 rental days to add up to the purchase price plus you don't need to store it or maintain it.  Mind you, I get 12 cord at a time so I'd really have to hustle to get'r done in a weekend.  At my age it's nice to be able to pace oneself.  Some Mondays I look forward to going back to work so I can get a break from the weekend workout.


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## LLigetfa (Sep 13, 2009)

I don't know about other people but if I were renting, I would probably split the easy stuff by hand and just set the tough stuff aside for the splitter so probably one day is all I would rent it for.


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## freeburn (Sep 14, 2009)

The way I see it, there are too many variable here. The only variable can be if you are splitting solo, without any help at all, otherwise, it's a bunch of guys splitting. Then there is the manual or splitter method, one much more tiring than the other. The speed is yet to be determined. How about regarding the time factor, is everything felled and blocked up already before you start. There's more time. An argument could also be made for the type of wood and whether it's dry or wet (weight factor). 

The most I ever did solo, with a small homemade splitter, piece of junk, probably could have manually done better was 1.5 full cord(s) and it was all well seasoned oak, maple, ash mix logs several over 20in. Took me 5 hours to do it, but that included blocking it up, and tossing into trailer and at times chasing after my boys so they didn't get into trouble. Was I tired? Of course! But I will love it come winter, and that was my exercise for the day without paying for a stupid gym membership. There's a waste of time and $$$. Why not spend that energy getting something done!


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## Wet1 (Sep 14, 2009)

Bigg_Redd said:
			
		

> The Fiskars Super Splitter does not wear me out.  I generally run out of time before I run out of ambition.


I tried that and realized there has to be a better way... now I use a gas powered Super Split.  :cheese:


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## basswidow (Sep 14, 2009)

burntime said:
			
		

> Bass widow, you just revealed the reason you should have your own.  Your 48, and do not need to do it all in a day.  I am 39 and do not want to split wood by hand.  I have too much to do to spend all the time splitting by hand.  With your own machine it is more leisurely...



True - but for now,  I can't see spending over  $1000 for the one I'd want.   No pain - no gain.  Atleast I get it all split quickly - instead of dragging it out.  

I gather until I get enough for a splitter rental.  Then I split.  After I return the splitter,  I stack.  4 cords is my max.  It only hurts for a day and it's another project off my list.  

Owning a splitter is constantly on my mind.  I don't like spending on a rental - what I could be making a payment on owning.  Splitters seem to hold their values around here and you never see one used for sale.  Someday.


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## Apprentice_GM (Sep 15, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> I don't know about other people but if I were renting, I would probably split the easy stuff by hand and just set the tough stuff aside for the splitter so probably one day is all I would rent it for.



That's pretty much what I do - I have a small electric splitter that (up until a month ago) splits small (up to 10") rounds but I save larger ones for when I rent a 40-ton splitter with a splitting friend.

The 2 of us did 32 rounds he had which were 750mm diameter (30") and 2 foot long and weighed 45 kilos (100 pounds) each. We had to split them into 32's. We worked with the splitter horizontal. Along with a few other smaller rounds he had we did 1200 splits in 7 hours between the 2 of us and were pretty shattered (both white-collar workers with no grit) the next day. It stacked out to about 4 cords. Doesn't sound like much compared to previous posters, maybe we are slow, or maybe splitting large wood is slower, or both. He had Sunday off, I did 11 hours of splitting and took the entire next week to recover.


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## wellbuilt home (Sep 16, 2009)

I can split a cord an hour with my old splitter  27 ton and 2 people .  With my new splitter  i can split 2 cords an hour when i get rolling .  Sunday we split 10 cord in 4 hours with 2 splitters and my sons 12 and 13 years old  helping . My wife has a day care in the house and any one with out dippers stacks wood .  John


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## smokinj (Sep 16, 2009)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> I can split a cord an hour with my old splitter  27 ton and 2 people .  With my new splitter  i can split 2 cords an hour when i get rolling .  Sunday we split 10 cord in 4 hours with 2 splitters and my sons 12 and 13 years old  helping . My wife has a day care in the house and any one with out dippers stacks wood .  John



lol i like it!


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## 'bert (Sep 16, 2009)

wellbuilt home said:
			
		

> I can split a cord an hour with my old splitter  27 ton and 2 people .  With my new splitter  i can split 2 cords an hour when i get rolling .  Sunday we split 10 cord in 4 hours with 2 splitters and my sons 12 and 13 years old  helping . My wife has a day care in the house and any one with out dippers stacks wood .  John



So I take it that the ones in diapers are only responsible for the kindling?????


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## Creek-Chub (Sep 16, 2009)

With easy wood (Cherry, for example) that is nice and straight with minimal knots, and bucked to 12 or 16 inches, I can do the better part of 3 cords in a day with the Fiskars, especially with someone setting up rounds.  When you've got nice short rounds, that little splitter goes right through with almost no effort, and you can scoot around the round taking off chunk by chunk in no time.  With the hydraulic splitter, I'll go through literally anything, but it takes probably 3 times as long or more.


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## wellbuilt home (Sep 18, 2009)

Alberta Burner said:
			
		

> wellbuilt home said:
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 No way a split is a split,   every one stacks here .  I louse time in the cold weather  because of breastfeeding  . The kids take break inside .  No high beams at the wood pile .   John


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## johnsopi (Sep 18, 2009)

I used to rent a splitter 2 or 3 times a year,75$ a pop.Could splitt a 4 or so cords. Found a splitter for 300$ off of CL
now just for a hour or so at a time.Much better then hurting myself.


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## Hansson (Sep 18, 2009)

I saw and split my year consumption of wood in one day.
If i got some help to put the wood in the Firewood Processor

I got this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rrjcn_cVMA


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## savageactor7 (Sep 18, 2009)

^Here in the States we call those trees...limbs.


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## smokinj (Sep 18, 2009)

savageactor7 said:
			
		

> ^Here in the States we call those trees...limbs.



or chipper bait! cool machine


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## Hansson (Sep 19, 2009)

savageactor7 said:
			
		

> ^Here in the States we call those trees...limbs.



It takes trees up to 12 Inches but i think that i to big to handle.Bigger is not always better.
I usually get trees in 8 Inches when I thin out the forest.

In southern sweden they have bigger trees like oak beech but up here north of the sixty latitude they dont survive..
Maybe they do in the States ?


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## savageactor7 (Sep 19, 2009)

Exactly my 1st thoughts Hansson... that's a nice machine only if your surrounded by a stick forest. Being N of 60* I can see why that so useful esp if you were disabled. Around here we have a Brownie Girl Scout chapter that splits wood that size as part of their good deed/outdoor recreation program.


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## ken999 (Sep 20, 2009)

With my brothers Timberwolf TW6 and the rounds stacked next to it, I can bang out a full chord of 16" wood in 35-40 minutes. That machine is pretty quick and has a hydraulic adjust 4 way wedge.

Around the house I split by hand and never really timed myself. It's pretty slow this year as I'm cutting my wood 24" for the OWB instead of my PE insert. BIG difference in effort required. I'm using the maul and wedges alot more than I used to for the shorter stuff.


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## DBoon (Sep 20, 2009)

I answered this question for my self this weekend.  My father-in-law and I bucked and split tow and a half to three full cords of hickory on Saturday and Sunday - about 8 hours total.  Probably three hours to buck, so that leaves five hours to split, or about 2 hours per cord.  He does about 1/4 of the work, so that would mean that I could do a full cord about every 2-1/2 hours, no stacking (just tossing into a pile).  

I don't want to do this every weekend.  I'm definitely feeling it in my upper body.


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## Wood Duck (Sep 21, 2009)

My 8 pound maul and I have split and stacked about 1.5 cords in a day, max. That didn't take all day, perhaps 4 or 5 hours, but I was getting tired and I think any additional hours might have resulted in decreasing productivity. I usually can't accumulate more than a cord or so of rounds at once, since I split a few whenever I get a chance. That is the big advantage of hand splitting, I think; I can split for 10 minutes a day if i want, since there is no set-up time, I simply pick up the maul and swing away.


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## LLigetfa (Sep 21, 2009)

Wood Duck said:
			
		

> I think any additional hours might have resulted in decreasing productivity...


How much wood would a Wood Duck chuck if a Wood Duck could chuck wood? %-P


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## ROBERT F (Sep 21, 2009)

One cord a day by hand is alot!  I hand split about 1/4 cord at a time, then stack it. Once either I cant pop a round apart in one or two blows, or my blows start becoming errant, its time to do something else for awhile. I usually split for about 30 mins before work and 30 after work.


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## quads (Sep 21, 2009)

My little woodhauler trailer behind my ATV holds 1/6 of a full cord (1/2 of a face cord).  It takes about 45 minutes total from the time I leave the house, go out in the woods, cut up a tree, hand split it, haul it back to the yard, and put it in the wood museum stack.  So, I guess I could do a full cord in one day without too much trouble, but I never split only.  That would be a cord in a day from the whole process, taking in to consideration that I have a slow running, dull cutting saw, and a slow swinging can't believe it splits anything 6# maul!   ;-)   Ha ha!


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