Split Size Question

[Garbanzo62]

Saturday, I bucked up a fallen Ash and two pine trees. I know that ash tends to burn quick and I've never burned pine. Should I be splitting on the larger size (leg diameter) or smaller size (Arm Diameter) and should I adjust my split size based on the species? Attached is pick of two splits. I hand split, so sometimes I have no choice, but basically looking to see which way I should lean.

 

[gzecc]

Ash is a great all around wood. Those sizes are good. If you need them next year, make them a little smaller. Stack loosely off the ground now.

 

[30WCF]

I like a mix of sizes. Depends on the temperature what I go after that day.

 

[weatherguy]

Both should season nicely in a year, I usually do a variety of 3-6 inch size splits.

 

[mcdougy]

Ash will dry well, it's a species you can get away with large splits and even some full rounds 6" or less. The pine if it's green will be a bear to split by hand in my opinion. If your having trouble splitting the pine you might have better luck mid winter once the pine freezes.

 

[Garbanzo62]

I split a round or two of the pine to check the MC. It split fine. It might actually be Hemlock. We have both in the area and Hemlock Blight has taken a lot of trees. These were down dead trees so all of the needles were off. All I know is they were some sort of Evergreen.

 

[gzecc]

I split a round or two of the pine to check the MC. It split fine. It might actually be Hemlock. We have both in the area and Hemlock Blight has taken a lot of trees. These were down dead trees so all of the needles were off. All I know is they were some sort of Evergreen.

I split pine into kindling if it splits easily. Nice to start fires with.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

Pine is nice fast burning wood. Easy to light and works well for getting a load of oak going.
I just split up some pine for kindling.

 

[Dix]

I prefer various sizes to have in the arsenal.

If it's really cold, having some larger splits for overnight / "have to go to work" day time loads can be a big plus.

Ash is an awesome firewood, and so is pine, they both have their place in your stacks.

 

[Eman85]

Whatever fits in your stove and is easy to handle is the size to split. My stove top loads and my wife many times is the one tending it. I tend to split smaller as it is easier to handle and easier to get a full box.

 

[stoveliker]

You're going to get longer burns much more from truly filling the box than only from bigger splits as compared to smaller splits.
So I'd do a mix. Have a few big ones, and have a few small ones. Then play tetris and fill the box - that way you'll get the longest burns.

If need be in mid witer, mix the pine with other wood so you have a bit more BTUs in the firebox so you can get enough heat out before the next reload.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Thanks for the opinions. Been having trouble really filling the box due to odd shaped piece, So I'll go the various size route as many have suggested. Had another tree come down in the wind last night so next year's supply should be better than this years.

 

[Corey]

Your arms and legs are different sizes? Hummmm... learn something new every day, I guess!

If it were me, all else being equal, I would tend to split the pine a bit on the smaller side and ash a bit on the bigger side. As others have said, the pine will burn fast and good for getting a fire going. Ash will burn a bit slower and good for long runs / overnight heat. If you split small ash and big pine, you're working against those natural tendencies.

Obviously exceptions: if you have a lot of pine and expect to run out of ash, anyway - then split some of the pine big, too. If you need a small fire to burn down quickly to coals for grilling, then split some of the ash small. Many other reasons, too!

 

[Garbanzo62]

Right now the Pine and Ash I have are all High MC and I don't expect them to be usable until next year. Even though the pine was dead and down (those branches really help to keep trunk off of the ground), they are nowhere near burnable. Even the top part that was maybe 3" diameter testing in the high 20s. But I'll split the pine smaller as you suggest. I really want that MC to get down in that stuff and smaller splits should dry faster.

 

[stoveliker]

I had (pitch) pine here on Long island that I cut, split, stacked in March. It's <15 percent now, including some square pieces i left at 7-8".

So for drying reasons I'd say splitting the pine smaller.may not be needed. We had a rather dry summer though

 

[Eman85]

@stoveliker Where in LI are you? I left a lifetime ago, lived in Nassau County.

 

[stoveliker]

That's funny. I left Knoxville 5 years ago to move here.
I'm Eastern Suffolk, North shore.

 

[Eman85]

That's funny. I left Knoxville 5 years ago to move here.
I'm Eastern Suffolk, North shore.

I'm about 1 1/2 hrs NE of Knoxville. I lived about 4 mi from the Queens border off of 25.