Best time for splitting?

[Phoenix Hatchling]

In the next two weeks I will be taking down approximately 7 trees in total. A combination of shagbark hickory and maple trees. They'll be cut to 12 inch lengths and left in rounds. How long should I wait and is there a best time of year to split and stack them? I figure I should be able able to use the maple next winter 2015-16, and the hickory maybe the following year. I know some prefer splitting in the dry cold, but what your suggestions?

 

[Hills Hoard]

I always try and split wood immediately...sooner its split and stacked the better..

 

[nsfd95]

If you don't like your neighbors I would start at 6am. If you like them 8am. I like one neighbor and not the the other so I start at 7am. Hope this helps.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

7 am it is then! Now...do I wait for the rounds to sit a while first, or do I split immediately? Ideally it's best debarked, but does that happen easier when freshly cut or after time?

 

[1kzwoman]

I split either late spring or early fall so it's not hot. Nothing beats splitting a big round by hand at -35 however !

 

[Chimney Smoke]

Some trees split better when cold but I prefer to split ASAP. Split everything now and you'll be that much further ahead on drying time.

 

[BobUrban]

Daytime - unless you have good lighting then nighttime works equally well. ASAP is the general plan so there is no better time than right now!

 

[Shawn Curry]

Most wood splits easier when it's frozen, but that's rarely when I do my splitting. I like to cut trees in winter, after the birds have left for their winter homes. Plus it's hard to get back in the woods except for on foot, so about the only thing I can do is lay them down. When everything dries up after spring, I start hauling, and I do my splitting as soon as I get it up to the house.

 

[BCC_Burner]

I would split it as soon as possible. The shelf-life of firewood increases dramatically once it has been split and stacked off the ground.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Good to know. I'll split ASAP then!

 

[gerry100]

in my experience, maple splits easier when "fresh", otherwise the sooner you split the more seasoning time before burn

 

[toddnic]

Phoenix Hatchling, why just 12 inches in length? I try to get as much wood in my stove as possible thus cutting the wood length to within a few inches of the overall length of the firebox. Also, I agree with everyone else above....get that wood cut, split, and stacked.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

In the next two weeks I will be taking down approximately 7 trees in total. A combination of shagbark hickory and maple trees. They'll be cut to 12 inch lengths and left in rounds. How long should I wait and is there a best time of year to split and stack them? I figure I should be able able to use the maple next winter 2015-16, and the hickory maybe the following year. I know some prefer splitting in the dry cold, but what your suggestions?

12" rounds? WTF?


The best time to split and stack is today. The second best time is tomorrow. The third best time is "as soon a you can get to it." There is no fourth best. This is true regardless if species or geography.

 

[JoeCt]

Asap

 

[scjotulman]

From what I have learned here. Three years before you need it.

 

[kennyp2339]

I always wait until the dead of winter, its a slower process, and rougher in the snow; but it really breaks up my cabin fever, plus frozen wood does split easier in my opinion

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Yes great holiday stress reliever. Christmas week with all the bla, bla ,blah. Take out the maul and split some heads, I mean rounds.

 

[Applesister]

ASAP. I would do the maple first then the hickory. Because you will probably want to burn that first. Both of these woods pick up decay fungus pretty quickly. Hickory petrifies so it doesnt benefit too greatly from sitting in the round. lay them on their sides if the wood is in soil contact, they will dry somewhat better with the ends exposed. If you want to cut now and split later you could always stack the rounds.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Phoenix Hatchling, why just 12 inches in length? I try to get as much wood in my stove as possible thus cutting the wood length to within a few inches of the overall length of the firebox. Also, I agree with everyone else above....get that wood cut, split, and stacked.

I like to load NS and the depth of the box is very shallow. The total volume is small as well and I find the short packs in nicer. Preference, and I never load my fire box. Even over night, I rather let it burn till early morning, and when I wake up I start it up almost new.

 

[Gboutdoors]

Best time to split is when your in trouble with the wife I like to split ASAP as we all know it does not REALY start to dry good till you split it.

That being said now that I am way ahead of the game I tend to let the pine sit in rounds for a few months that way the bark falls off while splitting it. All my oak is dead so no or little bark on it.

 

[Beer Belly]

If you don't like your neighbors I would start at 6am. If you like them 8am. I like one neighbor and not the the other so I start at 7am. Hope this helps.

I never, never fire anything up before 10am, even with a neighbor I don't care for....but then again, there is only 60 feet between the houses

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Well... Trees are down and rounds are stacked. Got myself an electric splitter to work my way through the piles, and tried a few rounds this evening. Both maple and hickory were quite stringy and didn't "pop" apart cleanly. Do I still crank through these rounds now or wait a few weeks for the rounds to shed a little free flowing moisture?

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

Well... Trees are down and rounds are stacked. Got myself an electric splitter to work my way through the piles, and tried a few rounds this evening. Both maple and hickory were quite stringy and didn't "pop" apart cleanly. Do I still crank through these rounds now or wait a few weeks for the rounds to shed a little free flowing moisture?

Get a wedge, an 8 lb maul, and a fiskars x27 (with steel tip boots).

 

[Sconnie Burner]

If you don't need them this year wait till they are cold or even lightly freeze. They will pop a little better then. When I was younger we always waited till they got that way when hand splitting. With the hydraulic it really doesn't matter now. As soon as its bucked its split.

 

[Rossco]

Split ASAP although I never do.

It's hard work felling, bucking, loading and unloading wood.

I try to get a friend around for a few cold ones and do the 'Two Axe' trick. I always stack myself thou. Iam a stack A-Hole.