How big a round before you should split?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

NordicSplitter

Minister of Fire
May 22, 2011
541
Western,NY
Been reading alot of posts on the subject of rounds. A thought came to mind: How big of a round can you leave without splitting it? 6,7 or even 8" in diameter? Now I know it may depend on the type of wood, but what has your experience taught........
 
Generally if I can easily palm the round I leave it . . . although truth be told a lot depends on how long I have been running the splitter . . . when I first start splitting I tend to split stuff that I might leave in the round . . . and if I've been splitting for hours and am tired I may just leave a larger than normal round and tell myself that will be an overnighter.
 
I tend to split everything rounds from 5 or so inches up. I have some huge splits from some huge rounds as well but I like to have a miiriad of sizes to better fill the stove up. But thats just me.

Shawn
 
It can be personal preference.Normally I split rounds from 6" to 8" in 2 or 3 pieces.But if they're already quite dry,I leave a few whole for overnight or when I'm at work.If they're pretty wet,I'll sometimes split 3"-4" in half to speed things up.

12" rounds or bigger are at least halved in the field to make it easier to load them in the cart or pickup.
Like most people I prefer to have a mix of sizes,from 1" round to 6"-7" splits or halves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cfran88
I've heard tell any size won't dry properly unless its cracked at least once. So I crack'em all even if they are 2"dia.
 
wkpoor said:
I've heard tell any size won't dry properly unless its cracked at least once. So I crack'em all even if they are 2"dia.

Disagree . . . will not dry as fast . . . that I could agree with . . . but not dry properly? . . . I burn plenty of small rounds with no issues . . of course my wood also isn't going into my stove for three years.
 
If it's White Birch, you have to split a 2" diameter round or it will rot in no time!
 
firefighterjake said:
wkpoor said:
I've heard tell any size won't dry properly unless its cracked at least once. So I crack'em all even if they are 2"dia.

Disagree . . . will not dry as fast . . . that I could agree with . . . but not dry properly? . . . I burn plenty of small rounds with no issues . . of course my wood also isn't going into my stove for three years.
I've got a bunch of logs stacked up in a pile about 8' high in the back. Some are starting to rot right in the middle and I know there would not have if I had got them split sooner. Hard to say though with small rounds. Depends on species, where they are, climate, on or off the ground, length and as you said time.
 
I split most evrything other than the little stick.s I never measured it, just use wmy calibrated eye.
 
I have all sorts of small rounds and never have them rot, if they get wind and sun they wont rot, single rows are your friend my friend.
 
depends on the wood...i like those 6 or 7 inch rounds of locust for overnighters.....i laso like the 6 or 7 inch rounds of the wood that normally doesnt burn for a long period of time...sycamore cherry etc...oak and hickory usually gets split 4 inches and up...
 
I split everything over 5", does anyone have a guess how long it would take 4 and 5 inch oak rounds to be seasoned properly, Ive heard they start with less moisture?
 
Anything more than 4 or 5 inches gets split, I may let it slide to 6 if it's ash I'm dealing with. Before I was three years ahead everything go split once.
 
A range for me the elm i have been splitting all the ash is split pretty good but the maple i have some that are 8" i tell my self over night wood plus if it does not work well i can always split it and let it sit one more year. I have tons of tree top size wood 2"-4" that i am not going to split.

But i don't have a coal/wood boiler so it might be different.
 
Depends on species. Pine and Cedar can be left at 8", (the max that is easy to load in my stove). I tend to split everything over 5", but I don't work as hard at it with softer woods. If they don't split easily, and are 8" or less, I leave them be. In the case of Pine and Cedar, larger splits slow down the burn. Hardwoods get split unless they absolutely refuse to. Larger hardwood splits get extra seasoning.
 
When I am forced to bring the little stuff home to score the big stuff, I generally leave it on the curb rather than process it. The town doesn't complain about anything up to 6", everything else gets split at least once.
 
oldspark said:
I have all sorts of small rounds and never have them rot, if they get wind and sun they wont rot, single rows are your friend my friend.

Exactly - if they're kept dry most species won't rot. Personally I like small rounds precisely because I don't have to split them. Oak rounds 5-6'' or less go right in my stove.
 
In the past I would split pretty much everything. But in the past, I've never been ahead so I wanted to accelerate the drying process. Recently I've been working on wood for 2013-14. I left lots of rounds up to six or seven inches because I know they'll be ready to go by the time I need them. I'll split a couple at that time and if they're not ready, I'll give them another year.

It's nice to be ahead for the first time.
 
I start by looking for rounds that look like it will fit in my stove for a long burn. I will then split a couple pieces to check the mc. If the mc is ok I'll either keep it round or split in half depending on my mood and how big a piece I feel like messing with. I have been keeping up to 10" rounds to burn.
 
High btu wood like oak, locust, hedge, hickory or mulberry etc. I try to split at 5" unless it is an ugly. Uglies of high btu wood unfortunately require you to add more wood to efficiently complete the burning cycle because the pieces weigh more and should be burned when you are around to add to the fire.

The difficult splitting woods like elm, sycamore or sweetgum which I usually don't have much I prefer to leave it on the large side and split it at 7 or even 8 " and I will make 3 or 4 inch cookies to 9-14" anything larger I don't bother to process. The rest gets split at 6".

There are other factors also one would be how far ahead you are in your woodpile. If you are 3 or more years ahead you can keep the pieces larger. However, if you burn more flash fires like for a southern burner keeping a larger cache of smaller pieces would be desirable.

I prefer to build zipper fires so 2-3 inch rounds are the most prized and difficult pieces to keep in quantity.
 
wkpoor said:
firefighterjake said:
wkpoor said:
I've heard tell any size won't dry properly unless its cracked at least once. So I crack'em all even if they are 2"dia.

Disagree . . . will not dry as fast . . . that I could agree with . . . but not dry properly? . . . I burn plenty of small rounds with no issues . . of course my wood also isn't going into my stove for three years.
I've got a bunch of logs stacked up in a pile about 8' high in the back. Some are starting to rot right in the middle and I know there would not have if I had got them split sooner. Hard to say though with small rounds. Depends on species, where they are, climate, on or off the ground, length and as you said time.

This I could agree with . . . burning some rounds right now (well last night) that were put up two or three years ago . . . all are good and well seasoned with no rot or spitting . . . as you said . . . there are variables.
 
If it will not fit in the stove split it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.