Cut length questions

My stove is supposed to be rated for 16" but 16" long splits toward to the top dont fit. So I cut at 15". 3 rows of 15" splits fits perfectly on 4' x 4' pallets.
The tin roofing I have covers rows of pallets better than single stacks.
I believe wood seasoning happens primarily at ends of splits so the shorter and smaller the splits the faster it seasons.
It is just that cutting to go smaller is more back breaking. Plus if you wanna get techy the kerf of a chainsaw wastes alot of wood. There may be arguments that it's marginal, a personal taste kind of thing. Also, the shorter the wood becomes the more difficult it is to stack.
There you have it...starts with the stove but 16" x 3 = 48" which is a standard measurement when figuring a Cord of wood. 4 x 4 x 8 ft.
Aint life grand?

I have a 2X4 that has spray paint lines every 16". I use that to cut to the length I want.

My neighbor can fit 2 feet in his stove. I can stretch to 18", but no need to go longer than 16"

I buy my wood c/s. Unfortunately, the wood sellers around here, all have huge Fisher type stoves that will take telephone poles in their cavernous fireboxes, while I have a teeny-tiny Jotul stove that supposedly will take an 18' stick but is quite happy with 16". So that's why I have a saw to nick a couple inches off the longer sticks. This way, I can pretend I'm a lumber-jack....

My stove takes longer but my splitter limits me to about 23". Longer lengths are much faster to split and less work with the chainsaw. Unsplit branches will take longer to dry but splits are going to dry on the split side, not the ends so it makes no difference for drying. Longer splits tend to be a bit more stable when stacked. My old stove was 15" and I love the longer lengths and less work for the new one. Right now, I'm using both the long and some old shorter pieces and it is nice to have both to fill the stove.

I cut 18" (length of the bar on my husky) my Shenandoah furnace will take 24" but my efel in the living room will only take 18" so 18" it is.

My stove can take up to 21" and my splitter limits at 23", but I generally buck at 16-18" range. Smaller pieces, split and bucked smaller, may season better. 16" splits also stack better on pallets, anything bigger or smaller gets it all wonky.

I have 2 stoves, one in the garage and one in the house. The one in the garage takes 16" max, and the house stove takes 18", So I cut everything to 16 inches plus or minus an inch since I'm not perfect and it works out fine.

I season all my firewood 3 years so for me it makes no difference as to how long they might take to dry enough to burn.

Stove takes 18" max so that's what I cut to.

There was a article I read somewhere that showed that shorter lengths dry faster. Not unexpected...

18 inches . . . the length of my chainsaw bar . . . and just a couple inches shorter than the maximum length my stove will take. I find it is easier to not cut to the max length since you will inevitably be stuffing a crooked or Y shaped split into the stove and find it will not fit . . . typically you discover this as the split is starting to ignite.

I scrounge all my wood. Generally speaking I cut 16-18". However, as most of you already know, you really need a few pieces of varying length/width to pack a stove for an overnight burn. So if I scrounge already cut pieces in log style and it is greater than 16 and shorter than 32 I just cut in half

warno said:

I'm just wondering what cut lengths everyone goes with? It's kind of a multi part question.

What's your cut length?

What do you burn with?

Do shorter lengths help seasoning?

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Aren't you the guy with the giant homemade boiler?

16" works well for my insert. I sold wood to a friend, ONCE, and 16" worked for him too. I think it's almost a standard length. Three rows are 4' wide. I have a tendency to not stack in less than three-wide rows, which will fit on a pallet too.

I've read here about Europeans who split their wood to something like 3' long, let it dry, and then custom split it for their customers.

If the wood splits easily, I cut it to about 20" and load it in side-to-side. These are generally for overnight burns or when I am feeling lazy.

If it is difficult to split, I cut it to about 14" and load it front-to-back. I use these when I need heat, because it is easier to pack the firebox solid with wood.

I generally try to keep the two sizes separate in the stacks, but don't go out of my way.

I have a Lopi Freedom Bay, which supposedly takes up to 24" but that is a really tight fight and the door opening is only 21". I like to mix N-S and E-W loading, so I try to cut to two lengths now: 21 1/2" and 14 1/2" so I get a mix for loading. It's not as easy for stacking but so far I'm finding it still works with the shorter ones mixed in there. Also, when the power company comes through to trim Ash trees, they give you a choice of cutting rounds to 24" or 36". Since 24" is too big for my stove, I tell them 36, and then I can mark those 36" rounds for one cut and get 14 1/2 and 21 1/2.

My stove takes 22". I cut with a 16 inch bar but have a mark on the side plate of my Stihl that I use to measure 20 inches: mark to tip of bar. 22 inch splits can be hard to get in there when packing the stove full for an overnight burn.

firefighterjake said:

18 inches . . . the length of my chainsaw bar . . . and just a couple inches shorter than the maximum length my stove will take. I find it is easier to not cut to the max length since you will inevitably be stuffing a crooked or Y shaped split into the stove and find it will not fit . . . typically you discover this as the split is starting to ignite.

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This is true wisdom.

My thought process usually goes like this:
"Is this gonna fit? Let me try it...hmm....no...well, maybe if I turn it this way...and move this other one a bit...and then...oh chit it's already on fire."

Then it's GO time, and I can either close the door on it, or carry the smoldering piece of wood outside and leave it someplace where it won't start a conflagration

I have been cutting at 20" ... but am seriously considering cutting my splits down into chunks using the chop saw....like 6" chunks and then throw them into bins and/or boxes. I think it will be less space to store and more fuel I can get into the stove....so a couple cords of these chunks and a couple of regular cords and I should start seeing good warm winters in a couple years--am just getting started really.

edge-of-the-woods said:

This is true wisdom.

My thought process usually goes like this:
"Is this gonna fit? Let me try it...hmm....no...well, maybe if I turn it this way...and move this other one a bit...and then...oh chit it's already on fire."

Then it's GO time, and I can either close the door on it, or carry the smoldering piece of wood outside and leave it someplace where it won't start a conflagration

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Yup.....been there, done that. I end up chucking it off the porch into the snow bank. There's usually a few (or more) charred pieces come spring time on the lawn, once all the snow melts. You'd think after one or two times I'd have learned my lesson. Nope

firefighterjake said:

18 inches . . . the length of my chainsaw bar . . . and just a couple inches shorter than the maximum length my stove will take. I find it is easier to not cut to the max length since you will inevitably be stuffing a crooked or Y shaped split into the stove and find it will not fit . . . typically you discover this as the split is starting to ignite.

Click to expand...

One of the best accessories I ever bought for my stove, chainsaw? - nope, splitting axe? - nope, thermometer? - nope, moisture meter? - nope. With my stove, it's a pair of welders gloves, just so I can wiggle that big *&^%$ piece of wood into that tiny *&^% stove.

Splitter and stove both wind up handling about 23" so that works great for me.
Less air gaps in my stove packing gives me longer, slower burn times.
When I buck logs myself I try to estimate around 23" but don't do a very good job of it. Should make myself a rule stick as mentioned above.
Most of the wood I get is scrounged and rarely cut to around 23", usually 16-18".
Beggars can't be choosers. Free is free and I'm not turning down easy picking wood because it's not my optimal size.

My Buck 80 is rated for 22" east-west and 18" north-south. Neither of those sizes fit well so I cut 16" and load north-south.

colin.p said:

One of the best accessories I ever bought for my stove, chainsaw? - nope, splitting axe? - nope, thermometer? - nope, moisture meter? - nope. With my stove, it's a pair of welders gloves, just so I can wiggle that big *&^%$ piece of wood into that tiny *&^% stove.

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I got a pair for the same reason, and I also keep a small tape measure next to the stove - just in case a piece looks too long. Sucks carrying a lit piece of wood outside haha but I've done it, thus the tape measure. My stove takes a 24" split according to the specs but I now cut around 22" for a little wiggle room

Wait,,, you guys are STILL cutting to length?






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