Back yard oak

  • 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.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

Driver

Member
Feb 1, 2014
78
Southwestern Va
I had a large chestnut oak taken down in the back yard 2 weeks ago. Hated to do it but it was starting to grow too close the house. I would rather bring it in the house 1 piece at a time when the stove needs fuel instead of the whole thing at once, at a time of it's choosing. Got a chance to get it split this past weekend, also had the tree crew cut a smaller red oak that was leaning badly but was outside the fence in the back yard. Didn't have time to get to that one yet. Here are a few pics of the effort.:cool: [Hearth.com] Back yard oak [Hearth.com] Back yard oak [Hearth.com] Back yard oak [Hearth.com] Back yard oak [Hearth.com] Back yard oak
 
That's a nice pile there.....
 
Yes, I am curious too on how long it took, I did some red oak today or 45-50 min using my huskee 22 and its no where near that size of you beautiful Pile. It makes me want to g o out in the 25 degree weather tomorrow morning to try to catch up......
 
Looks like maybe a cord and a half. High quality stuff. How long did it take you to split it?
Got about 8-9 hours in it, seems I spent more time getting those big rounds to the splitter than anything. Oh and breaks you gotta take breaks;) The Huskee really worked well. I tried busting some in half but couldn't get a wedge started in them. I'll know for sure how much wood is there once I get it stacked.
 
That's a nice pile from one tree!! I'll guess 2 cord depending on the size of that playset.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Driver
K
That's a nice pile from one tree!! I'll guess 2 cord depending on the size of that playset.
Kinda what I was thinking the pics are decieving because I took them from the deck...
 
Sweet:cool:
 
Beautiful! There's a lot of heat there to warm your feet!==c
 
  • Like
Reactions: Driver
That's a nice days work for sure, yeah now that you said you took the pick from the deck, you can tell it may be more than originally thought and I feel better about my 1 hour pile....;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Driver
Got about 8-9 hours in it, seems I spent more time getting those big rounds to the splitter than anything. Oh and breaks you gotta take breaks;) The Huskee really worked well. I tried busting some in half but couldn't get a wedge started in them. I'll know for sure how much wood is there once I get it stacked.

Hopefully you stood that splitter vertically before splitting. That takes over half the work out of it for you. Just think; no lifting! Just roll them onto the splitter and save your back for another day.
 
Nice pile there. Either it was a real big tree or they cut the rounds kinda short.
 
Either it was a real big tree or they cut the rounds kinda short.
The tree measured 44" across the stump, I'm glad they didn't cut the rounds any longer, tough enough to roll to the splitter as they were, had to get the boss (oops I mean official FIREWOMAN as I'm now the chief wood cutter):) to help roll a few of them.
Yep vertical splitting the only way to go even on the small stuff. The first splitter I used 30+ years ago was a home made 3 point hitch job on a Massey 175 tractor horizontal only, back killer for sure.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Backwoods Savage
Wow! I dealt with a bunch of big (to me) rounds last summer. I quartered them by cutting about a 1" deep "+" in the top. 2-3 wedges to break them in half, and 1-2 wedges to quarter them. Packed really nicely into the truck and SO much easier.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Driver
The tree measured 44" across the stump, I'm glad they didn't cut the rounds any longer, tough enough to roll to the splitter as they were, had to get the boss (oops I mean official FIREWOMAN as I'm now the chief wood cutter):) to help roll a few of them.
Yep vertical splitting the only way to go even on the small stuff. The first splitter I used 30+ years ago was a home made 3 point hitch job on a Massey 175 tractor horizontal only, back killer for sure.

At 44" you must have been getting like 50 splits per round. The cords stack up fast! I hope you knew the trick to put a piece of pipe on the ground in front of the splitter. With the pipe on firm ground or a piece of plywood/2xs it is very easy to position a huge round. Get the round balanced right on the pipe and it is about 1/10 the effort to jockey it about. A pickaroon goes a long way on those beasts also.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
I love those big rounds of Red Oak. So much easier to deal with than a bunch of little ones.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.