I'll never split in the summer again.

Just got done splitting about a cord and half by hand over a few hours/day for the last few days.

Big benefits of splitting in the winter when the wood is somewhat frozen...splits a lot easier. (Of course, I was mainly splitting maple and some red oak..no elm thankfully)

Wil try to post some pics later.

Work up less of a sweat too.

I'd like to be processing now too but mother nature isn't cooperating ...hopefully by the end of the month though. At least I won't have to harvest when it gets warmer.

split two cords Saturday without a drop of sweat, your right it was nice.

Yup, real nice in the sun. Was pretty much out there in crappy pants, a tee shirt, and my blue blockers as the sun was so bright.
I did break a sweat though....you must have a hydraulic splitta (I just have my Home Cheapo 8lb maul....works really nice though)

If I split wood in the height of summer here I'd probably drop over from heat stroke. Of course, if I don't keel over, I'd probably lose a couple pounds due to sweating. That being said, splitting wood in heavy rain is no fun either.

I don't get the benefit of frozen wood ... but we don't have the temps that go with it, either.

Peace,
- Sequoia

My goal is to finish cut/split/stack next years supply by the end of March. Have not stopped through the winter, an hour or two a few days a week - keep plugging away at it. Once the end of March hits I will turn the focus to other activities (but won't pass up gathering wood to process next fall when the weather gets cooler).

Splitting frozen wood is nice. But I like getting all soaked with sweat in the summer, too. It makes me feel like I accomplished something. OHOH, I spent all weekend splitting frozen wood, and my muscles are telling me that I accomplished something. And I did work up a sweat.

not being drenched in DEET is a plus for many, too.

There is one situation where you can't win at the game of deliberately choosing to work the firewood in the cooler winter weather. Summer storms that leave the yard littered with limbs and trees down. This happens at least once almost every summer in my area. Nothing worse than working the limbs and tree removal in the summer heat and humidity. I absolutely love working the firewood in cold damp cloudy days where it looks like it might snow with temp. in the mid 30's to low 40's. Not much wind though. Course I don't have a splitter so I am picky. Tony

Bill, you sound like a fellow who has not tried the ThermaCell yet. Believe me, it works better than DEET or anything else you put on your body for protection. This thing just simply keeps the skeeters away from you so there isn't anything to slap at all! One great invention!

Glad to hear I am not the only one to enjoy splitting frozen wood. There is too much other stuff to do in the summer anyways.

I try to split 30-60 minutes a couple times a week - using an splitting axe.

I will try to keep a year ahead splitting only in the winter - 8 cord a year. (I use a splitter for the hardest piece, that can be in the summer.)

Around here March and April can be pretty cold months so splitting then is great....and I don't sweat a whole lot while doing it either.

thermacell, mosquito magnets, zappers, stinky things, not so stinky things .. skeets should be extinct here. Unless the swamp in my back yard dries up in a major drought, living here requires deep wood DEET.

You guys are still using DEET? I know of military personnel who refused to use that stuff, they were afraid that it would soak into their skin and cause problems later on down the road.

Bill, it doesn't matter what you have. We grow skeeters in large quantities here too. This thing will not kill the skeeters at all. All it does is keep a circle around you that the skeeters won't enter.

I well remember a few years ago when I was late getting the wood stacked in the spring. As I was doing the last day's work on that we suddenly had a warm muggy day and the skeeters really swarmed. So, I went into the house and got the little ThermaCell and laid it right by where I was working. I then finished my work wearing just a t-shirt (and pants, of course, lest the neighbors talk). Those skeeters never bothered me again and I just kept working and sweating. It sometimes is good to take out hunting too. Keeps you from slapping and a whole lot better than DEET.