All caught up!

[Slow1]

As some of you know, I had a pile of rounds (well, several actually) that had sat for far too long. I had agreed to clean up all my 'old' wood before getting any new to help keep the peace around here. Sort of makes sense of course, but it was harder to do than say.

At any rate, this weekend a friend of mine rented a splitter and I helped him do his pile. After we were done he let me take the splitter home - I just had to get it back to the rental place by 5pm. Thus I had several hours to use it and I managed to get all those rounds done. Not that it was a whole lot - probably about 1/2 cord once stacked (in a heap right now). It is all sorts of mixed wood - some pine, some mystery wood and then there are the oak rounds that I had set aside last year because they were all crotches and large knots.

It was rather fun to feed these to this 22ton splitter (in vertical configuration btw - I would never have wanted to lift these rounds). It clearly was working pretty hard on a few of those crotches but that's what it is for eh? This was my first experience using a power splitter - overall it was faster than I would have been with the axe/maul but I was surprised at just how long it took to get the job done. Somehow I thought it would have been even faster. As much fun as it was to get the job done in the time it was done on Saturday, I think I still would rather do it by hand for most wood - the nasty/difficult crotches I'll save for the splitter though - those were well worth it.

So my status now is basically all caught up on rounds. I have some oversized wood to cut to length and of course this pile to stack somewhere but then I'll be in serious need of some more wood to process. It does feel nice in a way to get those ugly pieces split and out of my todo list, but it's also weird to think that I'm going to have to score some more wood before I have any more to do other than carrying it in to burn. Once I get it all stacked I can measure it out and know how much wood I do have. (and take some pictures of course).

 

[Nic36]

The big rounds are hard to process quickly with a splitter. But, big rounds are hard to process no matter what. And, the more you use it, the faster you become. It may have seemed slow, but just think how long it would have taken for you to have split it all by hand. I've split pieces with my splitter that I know I could not have split by hand.

It's cool that you had the free use of one. Considered buying one? If the friend you mentioned is a close friend, you could always split the cost of one.

 

[SolarAndWood]

but it's also weird to think that I'm going to have to score some more wood before I have any more to do other than carrying it in to burn

At least you don't try to deny it. Then you would know you have a problem.

 

[Slow1]

The big rounds are hard to process quickly with a splitter. But, big rounds are hard to process no matter what. And, the more you use it, the faster you become. It may have seemed slow, but just think how long it would have taken for you to have split it all by hand. I've split pieces with my splitter that I know I could not have split by hand.

It's cool that you had the free use of one. Considered buying one? If the friend you mentioned is a close friend, you could always split the cost of one.

I don't think I want to buy a splitter - I don't burn enough to justify it. Even if I had to rent this one ($75 for 24hrs) once a year it would take a very long time to have spent as much as the splitter would cost... after all I would not be satisfied with a small one so knowing how things go I'd rationalize myself up to a large one. It seems I'd have to spend over $1K so that would be 13 years worth of rental fees. Then I would also have to store it and learn how to maintain it etc... (ok, granted rental fees will go up over that time, but you get the general idea).

I figure perhaps if I actually plan to use it in the future we can split the rental fee and work together on both piles. This way it would be better for both of us. I still enjoy splitting by hand so I'll keep doing that for most of my work. However, I do believe I'll stop pulling out the sledge and wedges to break up the really tough ones - those will get put aside for whenever we do rent a splitter even if it goes 2 years if the pile isn't too big it isn't such a bad thing.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It was rather fun to feed these to this 22ton splitter (in vertical configuration btw - I would never have wanted to lift these rounds).

It clearly was working pretty hard on a few of those crotches but that's what it is for eh? This was my first experience using a power splitter - overall it was faster than I would have been with the axe/maul but I was surprised at just how long it took to get the job done. Somehow I thought it would have been even faster. As much fun as it was to get the job done in the time it was done on Saturday, I think I still would rather do it by hand for most wood - the nasty/difficult crotches I'll save for the splitter though - those were well worth it.

So my status now is basically all caught up on rounds. I have some oversized wood to cut to length and of course this pile to stack somewhere but then I'll be in serious need of some more wood to process. It does feel nice in a way to get those ugly pieces split and out of my todo list, but it's also weird to think that I'm going to have to score some more wood before I have any more to do other than carrying it in to burn. Once I get it all stacked I can measure it out and know how much wood I do have. (and take some pictures of course).

Well lad, you might go by the name of Slow1, but you are a fast learner. You split in the correct configuration.

No doubt it did take you longer than it would someone who is more accustomed to using a splitter but I would not worry about that at all. In your situation, it is probably best to keep renting. That is, unless you get that new Woodstock stove and really start stoking it up. Then you will use more wood and also need more splitting done.

I purchased our splitter (20 ton) around 20 years ago. If we just use 20 years as a figure, we paid around $800 for it so the cost is not bad. It is even better if we figure all the wood it has split because it has split not only our wood but some that was sold and I also have rented the splitter on occasion. Methinks it ended up being a good buy.