Length of wood for boiler?

[Bwhunter85]

What size length do you cut for your outdoor boiler? I have a 24x24 door, so if it fits I throw it in, takes out a lot of the splitting that would otherwise be needed. I am thinking on going to 24" cuts to maximize bucking time and be able to get 2 rows going on a 4x4 pallet.

 

[JimBear]

It maybe best to throw that question out in the Boiler Room also.

 

[pernox]

I cut to 24" because that's the length my splitter can handle. When I hand split I cut to 30", but actually found that 24" lets me pack the Firebox tighter as there isn't so much dead space at the bottom of my round combustion chamber. At 24" with an e/w load the splits sit right on top of the ash bed, then I can fill the sides too if it's a particularly cold night.

 

[lindnova]

24" is ideal, but in the real world I am not too picky on mine. If I am cutting a large diameter tree I might cut to 18" so I can handle better and have the option of using it for campfire, wood stove or sell. I usually end up with shorts mixed in with longs.

My splitter is 24" also, so anything longer (up to 30") will be 12" or less to be unsplit.

I split large - just small enough to be able to bend over and throw in without hurting my back - in reality it is not so much my back, but fingers that get pinched when maneuvering big logs in.

The larger pieces take less processing and are good for long burn times - small pieces go up fast and the heat isn't recovered well on them. Split one time dries a lot faster than unsplit though. I usually let my stacks dry a year or two depending on species which really helps with smoke and goes through less wood than when I was burning green for those first couple years.