Is this worth cutting up?

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Taillon27

New Member
Jun 9, 2018
10
Albany Area, NY
A sugar maple tree fell last winter… What i haven't cut up yet is about 18 inches in diameter and about 12 feet long. I have a Husqvarna rancher 55 with an 18" blade... is it worth my time to cut this thing up? Or should I try to cut other trees that aren't so massive? Thanks in advance!
 
I take everything that I can cut that includes cutting from
both sides . 18 inch is not very big I do up to 40 and that to some
people is small but in my neck of the woods not much over 30 inches
The bigger ones produce more wood ;per cut when split
 
I take everything that I can cut that includes cutting from
both sides . 18 inch is not very big I do up to 40 and that to some
people is small but in my neck of the woods not much over 30 inches
The bigger ones produce more wood ;per cut when split
More wood per cut, but each cut takes significantly longer.
 
Cut it up. It's not as great as some woods but it's still pretty good. Noodle it if you need to, but don't let it go to waste. That's good 'nuff wood!
 
It seems like a routine saw cut. And the closer to home the more desirable the find.
Wood that is 18" diameter is easy to handle. Sugar maple is very good firewood (223.2 MBtu/ cord). A good find.

Given that length is constant, a doubling in the trunk or branch radius will yield a fourfold increase in area (and volume).

There is a sweetspot to what is the best sized wood for a particular firewood scavenger to collect - increased volume (and proportionally less bark) versus increases in its weight, ability to handle, equipment needed, personal fitness, etc. It sounds like it might be some fuzzy optimization problem.
 
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Sugar maple is rocket fuel, get after it! Unless you're sitting on a gold mine of hedge, sugar maple is some of the best fuel going, you'd be remiss to pass up on it. Have a look at the btu charts - it's comparable to the oaks and takes half the time to dry.
 
Yes . . . sugar maple is a great wood to have for the middle of winter.
 
It's wood, i would go after it?
 
18 inches in diameter is right near perfect size. Big enough to get a number of splits from it, but not so big that it becomes too difficult to work with.
 
Sounds like you’re going to need a new saw!

Really, that’s medium wood and after you cut down on one side at full depth you’ll just need to knock out a couple of inches from the other side. Your bar will poke out again when you’re just over halfway through the log.

Even with a 28” bar I would still need to roll the log and cut the last little bit that’s near the ground. Same thing.
 
You my friend have good wood. Be proud and put your big wood to good use. Noodle it if you wish for it is big wood.
 
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