Playing with the big rounds.

[Jags]

Here is a thread that hasn't played out in a while. Playing with the big rounds. I had a few waiting in the weeds to get worked up, so I thought I would take a couple of pics. I only took pics of one round, as the rest were its twin. Many folks here have never seen a log lift in action. I prefer a lift over vertical. I have much more power and stability while on my feet than I do when sitting. Working with big rounds - power to control the round is important. This is by no means the largest I have dealt with, but the largest I had on hand at about 30-32". How do you do the BIG ones.

 

[captjack]

I dont know what I would do without mine ! You can split all day and not get to tired. The next best thing is a tractor with forks ! haha no more bucking logs on the ground. The saw in the picture has a 28 inch bar on it .

 

[Jags]

Nice setup Capt'n.

 

[lazeedan]

Nice set up!

 

[Paulywalnut]

I'm amazed how the big ones are handled. I will stick to 18 to 20.'s. I can vertically split them without the heavy equipment.
You guys keep it up though.. I enjoy the pictures

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The nice thing about it Jags is that very few folks have to wrestle those things. And I'll take sitting any day before standing.

 

[Thistle]

Here's how I handle the big ones.......

 

[CMAG]

vertical for me

 

[basod]

first pic thought you flipped the splitter over - you were standing on the tire while it came up weren't you....
that's a good sized round....the guy standing on the tire I'll leave that be

 

[Beer Belly]

 

[shawn6596]

I normally 1/4 them by hand. if they are to hard I call the neighbor we made him an inverted splitter that fits the forks on the bobcat.

 

[Jags]

first pic thought you flipped the splitter over - you were standing on the tire while it came up weren't you....
that's a good sized round....the guy standing on the tire I'll leave that be

No problem with the splitter tipping. It has a wide wheel stance. It might squish that tire a bit, but no tipping (and I don't have to stand on the opposite tire)

 

[Jags]

Thistle - I have noodled some of the big boys too, but that is usually when I can't get the rounds loaded without doing so. If I can get them in the truck or trailer I can actually have them split into sticks quicker than I can noodle. Of course, I don't have any 100 cc saws in my stable either.

This one had to be blocked up cuz my 25" bar couldn't get through it even coming from both sides.

 

[Jags]

The nice thing about it Jags is that very few folks have to wrestle those things. And I'll take sitting any day before standing.

Somebody has to take care of the big ones that nobody else wants.
I can understand when peeps walk away from some of the big stuff. Personally I like them. Lots of wood in one round and I have the equipment to make working with them pretty easy. The hardest part is standing them up and rolling them. After that - piece of cake. I knock a chunk off - let the rest roll to the work table, break up the chunk and go in for another one. I darn near have it down to a one handed operation (lets me drink beer with the other one.)

 

[Flatbedford]

Nice to get a weeks worth of splits out of one round. Also nice to have the machinery to deal with the big stuff. I'd probably have to leave that one to rot.

 

[Soundchasm]

Here's an honest question. If you rule out having appropriately sized equipment, my gut feeling concerning the 24"+ rounds is that I have to do a lot of work before I get to throw a single split into the wheelbarrow. Logic tells me there's a bunch of wood in a big round, but my suspicion is that I end up working harder for it.

Is that my imagination?

 

[HDRock]

For the 25 30" rounds I use what I got, sledge n wedge, or noodle em (some times that has to be done on site) then on to the 7 ton splitter.
Here's a quarter of some red oak I was bustin up today

 

[Jags]

Here's an honest question. If you rule out having appropriately sized equipment, my gut feeling concerning the 24"+ rounds is that I have to do a lot of work before I get to throw a single split into the wheelbarrow. Logic tells me there's a bunch of wood in a big round, but my suspicion is that I end up working harder for it.

Is that my imagination?

Ultimately - I don't see them as any more work. Fact is, I can probably produce splits faster with big rounds than I would with 14" stuff. I know it is difficult to envision, but a log lift with a work table is the cats meow for working big ones. The table is flat steel, so I can move the big stuff around like it is on ball bearings. I am always withing 20" of the next piece that needs to be split. I stand in one spot and will work the whole round into splits.

If you are a two person operation, that changes the logistics. I always work alone.

 

[gzecc]

Here's an honest question. If you rule out having appropriately sized equipment, my gut feeling concerning the 24"+ rounds is that I have to do a lot of work before I get to throw a single split into the wheelbarrow. Logic tells me there's a bunch of wood in a big round, but my suspicion is that I end up working harder for it.

Is that my imagination?

There is definetly more work in larger rounds. Getting them on to the trailer, off the trailer, on to the splitter off the splitter is harder. For saving backs, hands, elbows, rists, fingers 10's 12's, 14's, and even 16" diameters are the best (easiest).

 

[Jags]

For saving backs, hands, elbows, rists, fingers 10's 12's, 14's, and even 16" diameters are the best (easiest).

I didn't personally have to lift any of those big boys. If you have to lift them - fugitaboutit. I have split up rounds in excess of 300 pounds - that would have never happened if I had to use my back to do it. Rolling them is about as physical as it needs to be for my operation.

 

[Flatbedford]

Here's an honest question. If you rule out having appropriately sized equipment, my gut feeling concerning the 24"+ rounds is that I have to do a lot of work before I get to throw a single split into the wheelbarrow. Logic tells me there's a bunch of wood in a big round, but my suspicion is that I end up working harder for it.

Is that my imagination?

I think that with some qualifications, larger rounds are less work. I split by hand and I am fortunate that I deal almost exclusively with relatively easy splitting Oak, Black Locust. and Ash. I'd rather roll or drag a big split to my work place and bust a wheelbarrow full of splits off it than bend over and set up 5 smaller rounds for that wheelbarrow full. Even If I have to bust the big round into halves or quarters, its still more efficient to move a few big rounds, than a bunch of small ones.

 

[Jambx]

I dont know what I would do without mine ! You can split all day and not get to tired. The next best thing is a tractor with forks ! haha no more bucking logs on the ground. The saw in the picture has a 28 inch bar on it .

I too have to go with the Tractor Forks!

 

[Soundchasm]

Ultimately - I don't see them as any more work. Fact is, I can probably produce splits faster with big rounds than I would with 14" stuff. I know it is difficult to envision, but a log lift with a work table is the cats meow for working big ones. The table is flat steel, so I can move the big stuff around like it is on ball bearings. I am always withing 20" of the next piece that needs to be split. I stand in one spot and will work the whole round into splits.

If you are a two person operation, that changes the logistics. I always work alone.

I guess the crux is compensating for weight via balance, hydraulics and friction. It would be sweet to have all your work within arm's length. Your system gets that accomplished.

When I try to split something 2' on my little 7-ton, it's like a terrible game of Twister, holding it up there with my thigh and right arm, and working the controls with my left hand and foot!! Don't do it often, but when there's only one last target standing between me and "being done"...

 

[HDRock]

I too have to go with the Tractor Forks!

That's a big en

 

[930dreamer]

I see many large base trunks at the local brush pile that I want to pick up, no way of loading them, Screw in an eye bolt and winch?