How many cords per year until you break down and buy a splitter vs renting one?

I wouldn't measure by how many cords a year I use, I'd measure by how much time I have and how I value it. I love the whole firewood thing, but I've got a lot of hobbies I'd rather be doing. If someone heats their house with wood and they dot have 6 kids to split for them I'd suggest buying a splitter. Do it when you want because there's probably other stuff you want to do. Plus splitters hold their value so it's almost an investment. It's surely an investment in your long term back and shoulder health.

For me it was about time. Once my daughter was born, I could not get a full free weekend for anything and large rounds started piling up. Found a good deal on Craigslist and have never been happier. Now I can split for about 45 minutes at night if the weather is good.

I processed 12 - 14 cords per year, my first few years. Rented a splitter one weekend each year, plowing thru 4 - 5 cords in a weekend, and did the rest by hand. After 2 - 3 years of that, I had all sorts of shoulder problems (which have gotten better, but not gone away), and I broke down and bought a splitter... too late.

Splitting with a maul or axe is a heck of a lot of fun, but I'd say if you're doing much more than 3 - 4 cords per year, you owe it to your future self to buy a splitter. Hand splitting is pretty hard on the shoulders, after a while.

I'm getting one this year. I split 3 cords by hand and just said, *&*( this!

I also like to lift weights, and sometimes the splitting time was cutting into my 'lifting' time. Oh and family time too .

I'd pick up a 22 ton from Tractor Supply for $950 and call it a day. Splitters hold their value fairly well so you could always sell it down the road.

I cut wood to save money and I figure if you need to buy a bunch of equipment to get enough firewood done (multiple saws, a splitter, a new truck, a trailer, etc), you aren't saving money anymore and should probably just run your furnace.

In your spot, I would continue renting a splitter or just split by hand as time allows.

If you aren't worried so much about the financial aspect and enjoy burning wood for other reasons (exercise, ambiance, whatever), then you have to decide whether your time is more important than the money a splitter costs.

I burn about 3 cords a year and it takes me about 36 hours of work to get there, from cutting a tree down to having it all split and stacked. I usually do it in half-day chunks, so that's only 9 days of weekends / year for me. I don't consider that I'm missing much time from my family, at that rate. Some guys spend more time than that watching football at the sports bars.

5 cords for me, then dad called, I bought a splitter.

Mr. Jones said:

I've found a splitter for rent for $50 a day at the cheapest. I rented it last year. The only problem is I feel rushed to get through a cord or maybe two trying to get it all done in one day. I did this with a stump grinder by myself, and it about killed me trying to get all the stump and the roots in about 13 foot diameter. Then I'm sore as heck, and have to go back to physical work swinging a hammer all day. It would be nice to split at a steady pace without overdoing it by myself. How many cords do you guys think justifies dropping $1500 to $2200 for a new splitter vs renting?

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bob

ElmBurner said:

I cut wood to save money and I figure if you need to buy a bunch of equipment to get enough firewood done (multiple saws, a splitter, a new truck, a trailer, etc), you aren't saving money anymore and should probably just run your furnace.

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Not sure if I agree. When oil was near $4.00/ Gallon it was costing me >$3K to heat this place. At that rate you can pay for a splitter and lots of tools and it was worth it the first year.

After 4 cords, I'll go out and buy a 6lb maul for the wife

A good splitter holds its value. My time can be better spent doing things I want to do so when I feel like splitting I will. Not being subjected to a rental companies availability is priceless.

I get using a splitter is easier on the body, but is it any faster than splitting by hand? For the elm and really big rounds yeah I get it. I have an old splitter that the in-laws gave me which I use for the impossible Elm and any other horrible rounds. I know I'm young and can still do it easy and enjoy it. But apart from any of that stuff, in terms of speed alone, is a splitter much faster than splitting by hand? When I have to get the splitter out I really don't enjoy it. It is a pretty old one but it has plenty of power to split the worst elm you can throw at it. Maybe the newer splitters are faster and better?

I paid $1200 for my DHT 27 ton splitter. The same splitter on black Friday and some other deals sold for $799. There's no need to spend $1500-$2000 to get something that will get the job done.

I split 90% of my wood by hand. It is quicker than a splitter. I bought a splitter to do the last 10% of my wood. I take 3 swings and if it does not split I toss it into the splitter pile.

gerry100 said:

After 4 cords, I'll go out and buy a 6lb maul for the wife

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Lol

I've been fortunate in that a buddy's relationship broke up, and he needed to move out of a house, and into an apartment. He needed storage space for his riding mower AND his 27 ton Troy built ... luckily Dix had a shed, and a lot of firewood that needed to be splt

FF 2 years later, and he's in a house that needs a roof, a new baby, with a postage stamp sized piece of property, and NG for heat.

I've bought the mower, and am buying the splitter. 4+ big oaks have to come down, along with a mulberry, 2 apple trees, and about 8 eastern pines. With more to come, I am sure.

I'd say having a splitter is worth the expense if you have the need. I am also using it for the "too bigs" that my Prince of a firewood guy has been bringing me.

Babaganoosh said:

I wouldn't measure by how many cords a year I use, I'd measure by how much time I have and how I value it. I love the whole firewood thing, but I've got a lot of hobbies I'd rather be doing. If someone heats their house with wood and they dot have 6 kids to split for them I'd suggest buying a splitter. Do it when you want because there's probably other stuff you want to do. Plus splitters hold their value so it's almost an investment. It's surely an investment in your long term back and shoulder health.

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YES! It's about time spent, and how you value it.

We had our wood burning insert (Quadrafire 2700i ACC) installed in February, and only ran it till April-May. I really don't know how much wood we'll burn over a full winter season. I DO know that trying to split 24" diameter freshly cut ash rounds by hand (Fiskars X27) did not work for me. I also know that trying to split them with a Homelite 5 ton electric splitter is possible, but a pain. You end up having to noodle the rounds into halves or quarters before trying to split them.

My time is valuable to me, as is my personal safety. I got tired of trying to roll big rounds up an inclined plane (a nice thick board) onto the small splitter, then trying to rotate the round between splits. In my case, it was worth it to just go & buy a splitter that fit my needs, rather than hassling with renting one from time to time. This way, I have the personal freedom to use my own splitter whenever/wherever I need it. Much less hassle all around.

splitting by hand doesn't necessarily mean beating up on the body. It is more dependent on what wood you are splitting. I have a splitter but hardly ever use it, although it is nice to know its there if I need it. Actually only time ive used it was on an elm I got and a hickory. I find splitting in late fall early winter for a couple hours at night gets the job done quick and easy.

The elctric splitters @$ 200 tp 300 dont hold their value as well as the gas ones.

Iam already in the how worn out are my shoulders camp, my limit is about one cord annually. Beyond that, splitter.

When i toss my current electric i am buying a gas one with a hitch ball on it. I do want one with a ram that can go vertical so i dont have to lift every round.

Get an electronic splitter for $300. They work great and do 90% of what the gas ones do. They are slower but if you only do a couple of cords a year it worth it. I have split 10 cords this year with mine.

tsquini said:

I split 90% of my wood b by hand. It is quicker than a splitter. I bought a splitter to do the last 10% of my wood. I take 3 swings and if it does not split I toss it into the splitter pile.

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Wanta bet? For how long?

I bought a DHT 22-ton splitter for $800 + tax (I just asked a Lowe's manager if he would match a HF 20% coupon). Than I sold 4 or 5 cords of dry firewood. So in my mind I was swapping out some firewood for a splitter.