The Economics of Splitting Wood by Hand

[peakbagger]

I have always split by hand. I cut the trees int he woods, split it and throw it in the truck then off load it out of the truck into a pile. Adding a splitter in seems to be adding in one more handling step. If I bought a truck load of treelength I might be of a different opinion (plus i am too far north for oak)

 

[parthy]

Splitters are fast. We used to rent one when my parents had a wood furnace. Only thing was, it spent more time broken than it worked. We gave up and bought 5 axes and put everybody to work because we could only get everybody together to help a few times in the year.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Sorry, you might split a few faster but not if the guy on the splitter had the same wood and knew how to maximize his effort. Yes, I've tried. Of course some splitters, like men, can work very slowly but that is not the point.

OK, addendum. I can split 1 cord of my red oak faster than I or anyone can split it using my mtd 25t splitter.

 

[jatoxico]

Back to the OP, I don't think the point was to figure out what was a better way to split but rather that the author's friends felt he could use his time in a way that was more constructive. He makes the point that he feels the time spent is worth more than the money he might save or make by buying cord wood or getting hydraulics.

For me I hand split and I like it. I only need 2 cords or so a year. If I needed more I might need to get a splitter. I'd spend the same amount of time and effort just produce more. Might not feel as good as the whole getting back to basics feeling I get from hand splitting though but you do what you gotta do.

 

[gzecc]

John A. Cuddeback discusses "The Economics of Splitting Wood by Hand." He says that his " ...commitment to purchase neither wood nor hydraulic splitter is at times a sign of contradiction."

On occasions it was pointed out by others that he would save so much more time by purchasing one of those firewood splitters. The rational person, he points out, would assume that because the mechanical splitter saves time it must be the best way to get his firewood.

His desire to hand split his firewood often wavered against the premium value of time. It came to a head finally when someone accused him that what he was doing was not economical. The accuser was basically telling him that the time spent splitting could be put to better use in his writing and lecturing and that he would come out ahead.

John's puzzlement led him to weigh his goals, "Is the goal to make enough money that I can pay others to do all the menial, or manual, activities in my day?" That mentality he states is "...a common, if unrecognized, trap." He mentions injury or sickness as reasons that he might personally turn to purchasing split firewood.


John builds a case defining language of Greek philosophers and concludes by emphasizing the importance of people and his personal satisfaction of self-sufficiency. "But I do assert that to replace a profoundly human form of work simply because one could come out monetarily ahead, or even save time, is..."

Awesome article - Confirms in me that simplicity and hard work are good things

The complete article can be found at: (broken link removed to http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/catholic_stories/cs0587.htm)

John A. Cuddeback is professor of Philosophy at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, where he has taught since 1995.

What is this world coming to? A Blazin Cajun is reciting philiosophy!

 

[blazincajun]

What is this world coming to? A Blazin Cajun is reciting philiosophy!

Ha ha ha - am a transplant from SW Louisiana. My handle was for all my runner friends to let them know that I was ready to take it to them. Grew up learning to split firewood with a double bit axe like Mr. RR. Went to UGA for a MS in forest ecology. Still do all my plumbing, carpentry, and electrical. Firewood gathering and processing is just another one of my common sense prepping activities.

 

[Woodman37]

Sometimes I split by hand if I don't have a lot to do but larger amounts I use the splitter. Burning wood keeps me active in the winter months this winter alone I've lost 12 pounds doing it. Better than the gym to me.

 

[JA600L]

My back yard is my own personal gym. The beauty of splitting by hand this time of the year is the rounds are frozen. I have a bunch of Mulberry and it splits with one small blow.

 

[osagebow]

If the Professor needs more quality time, I am right down the road. He can come and split my wood for me. Anything to help him out.

Great idea...or he could head south a bit.

 

[area_man]

I have had sedentary jobs for the last couple of years, and it's getting even MORE sedentary now. I probably spend 85% of my time sitting perfectly still on a chair and muttering. What the heck am I going to do for retirement? They'd have to dip me in plaster to get me any more set. Thank God for splitting wood! I love getting outside in the cold. It wakes me up!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Splitters are noisy. They wear me out.

 

[Hickorynut]

After fooling with firewood for about 20 years and splitting it all by hand, except a one time rental, I am not thinking about getting a hydraulic splitter in the forseeable future. It has always been about saving the money first against an inefficient heatpump and now a propain furnace. Plus, I truly enjoy the handsplitting and although they don't take up much space you have the splitter just hanging around idle for most of its life. Like someone mentioned, as you get older and wise, you do tend to hand pick what trees you split if there is a choice. Sorry I can't help with the philosophying

 

[BEConklin]

I have always split by hand. I cut the trees int he woods, split it and throw it in the truck then off load it out of the truck into a pile. Adding a splitter in seems to be adding in one more handling step. If I bought a truck load of treelength I might be of a different opinion (plus i am too far north for oak)

That's how I generally do it as well - fell, limb, buck and split in the woods - toss it in the truck and haul it home to stack. And since it's all split by hand I often leave the crotch pieces (I call them "panty mannequins") in the woods....along with all the small branches, bark mess and sawdust..

I'm tempted sometimes to buy a splitter - but then I have to store it, maintain it, gas it, haul it.......and it seems like maybe it's more of a PITA then it would be worth to me...especially knowing how much I love to split by hand.

 

[bigbarf48]

Ha ha ha - am a transplant from SW Louisiana. My handle was for all my runner friends to let them know that I was ready to take it to them. Grew up learning to split firewood with a double bit axe like Mr. RR. Went to UGA for a MS in forest ecology. Still do all my plumbing, carpentry, and electrical. Firewood gathering and processing is just another one of my common sense prepping activities.

Small world, I'm in a Pre-Forestry program at GCSU and will be heading to Warnell after sophomore year for a Forestry degree

 

[blazincajun]

Small world, I'm in a Pre-Forestry program at GCSU and will be heading to Warnell after sophomore year for a Forestry degree

Congrats - skip all the partying and extra stuff and fill your extra time with camping, scouting, hunting, fishing or whatever just to get out of that town. If you get the itch to process firewood just jump in here.

 

[Hills Hoard]

I think splitting by hand is the way to go.!

(however I dont own a hydraulic splitter yet....its at the top of my list...)

 

[mecreature]

I need to rent a splitter to bust up those big rounds of elm and hackberry I have beat to death with my maul and fiskars.
I ran a splitter for smokinjay a few times. working for that guy will wear you out.

 

[Minnesota Marty]

Blazincajun, Your posting has really made me ponder some things.
Why not use a hand saw instead of a gas powered chainsaw?
I remember as a youngster 50+ years ago when my father and I cleaned out my grandfathers garage (after his death) and we found his old two man saw. Grandpa was a dairy farmer in Central Wisconsin and had the two man to cut up the large trees in the pasture so the cows had more grass to eat in the summer. So, dad and I brought that saw home and we decided to take a tree down without the use of the chainsaw. I was about 10 years old at the time and all I remember how much easier it was to use the chainsaw and how much effort grandpa had to expend to give the cows some additional pasture for grazing.
Being in the construction business my entire adult life I am always awed (sp) by how things must have been 75 or 100 years ago. We do so much today with power it is incredible. Hell, I have had guys work for me that complained when they had to hand nail something instead of using the air nailers. Give me a pouch full of 16's and my 22 oz. Estwing with its wooden handle and once I got warmed up I can put a wall together pretty quick. But, the wrist and elbow break down with all that pounding. Yeah splitting wood by hand is rewarding but splitting with a powered splitter is not demeaning.
Growing up we heated the house with wood for about 60% of the time and a gas fired boiler the rest. All our wood was split by hand and hand carried into the basement. But, looking back on it my brother and I did all the splitting, even my sisters carried in wood.
I do agree with the professor that nothing is beneath us. The world would be better if more people would carry that opinion. I heat with wood because it saves me money on fuel, I like the smell of a wood fire and I like the look in the fireplace/stove.

 

[blazincajun]

Blazincajun, Your posting has really made me ponder some things.
Why not use a hand saw instead of a gas powered chainsaw?

Your question is the same thought that I've been having the last couple of months. My father spent a lot of time with us growing up and trained us brothers to use all the manual methods of woodwork before ever letting us use a power tool. We had a two person crosscut saw as well; also, brace, bit, handsaw, ripping saw, and all sorts of chisels, hammers, and hatchets. My sister and I used to practice cutting up, using the crosscut saw, downed southern red oaks for a local lumberjack contest (coed) and you would be amazed at how fast a properly sharpened saw would slice through that wood. When I was younger I told my father how nice it would be to get a bass boat to fish. His advice was to learn how to fish without a boat first and to respect other fishers space. In my early profession as a carpentry sub-contractor and single, I didn't have many expenses and saved just about everything. Bought my first new truck with cash and finally was able to get a boat that I could use in the marsh as well as deep water lakes. Everytime I walk into our garage I see those old rusty saws and think of taking them down to sharpen and re-kurf the teeth if that is a word? My daughter's just eat up all this prepping stuff that we do and I'd like to show them how to use these saws. Our youngest daughter is quite adept at building and stoking our wood heater and lets mom know that she's the expert when I'm not around. I have experienced the peace and stillness of the forest while using the crosscut saw along with the fresh forest smell without the odor of gasoline. I can imagine a time where quiet and stealth would be important while gathering fuel for the woodheater. In reflection, learning independence to do other things different ways is an important aspect in maintaining a steady flow of firewood for the home. If we spend less TIME wasted with electronic media contraptions then we should have more TIME to learn and build.

 

[ironpony]

So this is my take on this. From a strictly financial point, if I spent the time CSS, doing what I do for living I would be far ahead financially. I could pay for the heat, propane , gas or electric and have money left over. This is where it gets even better. I DO NOT burn wood, I CSS for fun. I have wood piles all over the woods, why? because the wife and I go into the woods buck up the down trees split and stack them to keep the woods pretty as she says. I use a little in the fire pit but that is about it. Some of it is given away most of it is rotting to the ground.
Yes we have a two PERSON crosscut saw and a couple of Fiskars and maul. Some times its not about the money. We have fun, get outside away from electronics and sweat some.
If you are focused that much on the money, I truly feel bad for you. Money is a necessary evil in my opinion. I am not rich or do I want to be. I am very happy though. I guess I am to simple.

 

[blazincajun]

I am not rich or do I want to be. I am very happy though. I guess I am to simple.

Simplicity and happy - nothing else really matters. Many folks would love to be in your shoes. Keep the course!

 

[Firewood Bandit]

I use hydraulics and a Fiskars X27 to split wood.

Believe it or not, Winters in Wisconsin are awful and I'd move South in a heartbeat but the significant other is not in favor of this. So cutting wood is my pastime in the months when the golf course is closed. I do get quite a bit of exercise cutting wood.

This is since Sept. 1.

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[Firewood Bandit]

Sorry I got the 1st picture wrong and can't get it out. Anyway that's Yatt.

This is the picture it should have been.

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[BEConklin]

The professor's article reminded me of a conversation I once had with my wife's uncle Luigi. He asked why I went fishing so often when I could just buy the fish in a market?
I didn't say it - but I wondered how do I answer that to anyone that could ask such a question?

I'm not saying that using a hydraulic splitter is like going to the market to buy fish - but certainly spending money to buy split firewood instead of cutting and splitting it yourself is getting a bit closer to that - go fishing or go to the fish market - analogy.

 

[Flatbedford]

I'm a hand splitter and will be until I can't anymore. I guess the hydraulics save some time and work, but splitting the wood is only part of the whole process. There's still plenty other work to be done to make trees into firewood and to get the wood into the stove. I also think that if the hand splitter chooses and cuts his wood with hand splitting in mind, he can probably split almost as fast as another guy could with a machine. I can split Red Oak and Black Locust pretty darn fast by hand. The time is in all the handling of the wood through the steps.
I also feel that buying and maintaining yet another machine takes something away from the whole ''free heat'' thing.