Pine for starters

[Burd]

Ha first time burner QQ I have some 31/2Ft stumps of pine that's been bucked to 18" last year and the wood is very dry. But very knoty hard to split with 8 pound Maul. Is it worth the time or am I taking a greater risk for creoste build up?
Do you think I should get a splitter?.
What size should it be?
Any help would be great?

 

[pinewoodburner]

If you have the wood, burn it. Pine does not have the heat that oak does, but some people can only burn pine because that is all they have. You will not have any creoste problems if you burn it hot, don't let it smother. Small splits of pine will burn fast. Sometimes it is good to use several small pieces of pine with a large piece of hardwood.

 

[billb3]

I've split some of those nasties with the chain saw.
Not because the wood is worth the effort, just because I'm stubborn.

I've also gotten three wedges and two mauls stuck in one of those.
Like I said: stubborn.



I've also rolled them into the woods fairly far and let the bugs have them.
(sometimes I can be a little less stubborn)

 

[jadm]

I use pine to get my fires going in the morning because it catches so quickly. I split it small on a splitter that I got at Sears that is a Craftsman hand splitter - cost of about $165.00.

Because it is a soft wood it burns really quickly. Burned exclusively a cord won't last any where near as long as a cord of hard wood.

The way I use it as a starter it lasts 4 years. I split it up pretty small!

 

[Burd]

I use pine to get my fires going in the morning because it catches so quickly. I split it small on a splitter that I got at Sears that is a Craftsman hand splitter - cost of about $165.00.

Because it is a soft wood it burns really quickly. Burned exclusively a cord won't last any where near as long as a cord of hard wood.

The way I use it as a starter it lasts 4 years. I split it up pretty small!

So there great for starting fires and it lights fast
Thank for the info. I leave for work pretty early in the morning and I was hoping that the pine would make start up faster sounds like I,ll be splitting it soon
Thanx again
BURD

 

[fossil]

...Sometimes it is good to use several small pieces of pine with a large piece of hardwood.

I quite typically use several small pieces of Pine with some large pieces of Pine. :smirk: As has been said, some of us woodburners have ready access to nothing but softwoods...most typically Lodgepole Pine here where we live. We go through a lot of wood, but it's fuel, and we learn to deal with it. Really gnarly knotty stuff goes straight to the hydraulic splitter, which has no problem with it whatever. Rick

 

[Carl]

I cut down a large white pine tree a few years back. Couldn't split it so kept it in log lengths hoping to take it to a mill for boards. It is infested with ants but I have a splitter now so chuncked it up into short rounds. split it small and medium for starters. The ants scurried away in droves as I worked on it. Hope they went to the neighbors. I am now free of looking at the old tree logs laying in my yard.

I have already been using it for starters and it works great. A few small pieces and a few larger ones make a quick starting fire. Worth having some around.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Burd, you asked about a splitter. Many moons ago we bought a 20 ton splitter. We've split many cords of elm with it. Over the years we've found only one log that it would not split (huge elm with several knots), and we've split some pretty nasty stuff and some really large logs too. So my advice would be to get anything from 20 ton on up. Right now it seems the 25 and 27 ton splitters are selling good but the 20 ton will get you a good splitter for less dollars and should do anything you want.

 

[Burd]

Burd, you asked about a splitter. Many moons ago we bought a 20 ton splitter. We've split many cords of elm with it. Over the years we've found only one log that it would not split (huge elm with several knots), and we've split some pretty nasty stuff and some really large logs too. So my advice would be to get anything from 20 ton on up. Right now it seems the 25 and 27 ton splitters are selling good but the 20 ton will get you a good splitter for less dollars and should do anything you want.

Ha thanx for the info we just bought this 89 year old house and Ive been putting all my money into it.Ive just put windows in last year and it seemed to help with holding the heat but it was to much on the oil bill so I bought and insert four months ago.and I've been pricing splitter and I dont have that kind of money right now. I also noticed the big price difference. from the twenty to the twenty seven ton splitter.Is the twenty ton splitter fast and do they stand up and down for splitting.
Our do I spend the extra on the big splitter

 

[begreen]

Can you rent a splitter? Get all your wood gathered then arrange for a few friends or family to help. You can get a fair amount done in a day that way.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Burd, there aren't many splitters that won't stand up for splitting and I would not buy one that did not stand up. Fast I guess is relative, but ours is plenty fast enough for me. Can keep two men pretty busy if you want. It is the same one that Tractor Supply sells. We bought ours at Quality Farm and Fleet, which was basically the same as Tractor Supply and was bought out by Tractor Supply a few years ago. Ours is run by a little 5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine. Some use the Honda engine and they are probably even better than the Briggs, but ours has been trouble free. Not sure how much we've split with it, but would say over 50 cords for sure.

 

[Burd]

Can you rent a splitter? Get all your wood gathered then arrange for a few friends or family to help. You can get a fair amount done in a day that way.

I have some one thats going to lend me a 16 ton splitter witch is great. but the thing is old and I dont want to take on the responsibility if I break it .In my case if I do break it it would be cheaper to fix it then rent one. ( I hope) I have all my pine bucked to 18 and its sitting in a empty lot next to my house. If this weekend is nice Ill have the wife and hopeful my neighbor to help

 

[Burd]

Burd, there aren't many splitters that won't stand up for splitting and I would not buy one that did not stand up. Fast I guess is relative, but ours is plenty fast enough for me. Can keep two men pretty busy if you want. It is the same one that Tractor Supply sells. We bought ours at Quality Farm and Fleet, which was basically the same as Tractor Supply and was bought out by Tractor Supply a few years ago. Ours is run by a little 5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine. Some use the Honda engine and they are probably even better than the Briggs, but ours has been trouble free. Not sure how much we've split with it, but would say over 50 cords for sure.

I work for a commercial realiy company and I build shopping malls.we just had tractor supply looking at on of are empty in the mountains Im hoping that they will move in. and maybe Ill be able to get a discount of some sort for busting my ass and getting there store ready.I hope they do move in and If they do it won't be till next year so next years wood most likly will be splitt by hand or splitter