Winter Splitting versus Summer Splitting

[GoodJBoy]

Does ambient temperature affect how easily a wood splits? Does wood split easier in the winter when it is freezing out?

 

[PapaDave]

No idea.
I always split right after cutting. Within a few days, at most, and I cut all year long.

 

[USMC80]

Not sure about the wood but its hell of a lot easier for me in winter and fall. This heat sucks

 

[Jags]

Some species likes to be split when it is as fresh as possible. Others prefer to be frozen. I don't know that there is an accurate blanket answer to this question. Hydraulics don't really care when you do it.

 

[privatejoker75]

I split on demand last winter as I needed it. Seemed to me just as easy but i'd rather just knock it all out over the course of a few weeks when it's nice out as opposed to freezing. I already have all of it done for this coming winter and it gives me a warm feeling thinking about it lol

 

[Grisu]

Does ambient temperature affect how easily a wood splits? Does wood split easier in the winter when it is freezing out?

I had some ash that for some weird reason was a bear to split in the summer. Maybe because my neighbor had it "drying" in logs for 2 years. Still finished about 3 cords when it was warm but l left 1 cord that I only could do when it was frozen. Suddenly the splitting was much easier and I finished the cord in about half the time I needed for one cord during the summer. Then I tried that trick on some white pine rounds of 25 to 35 inches that were hard to split in the summer. The cold did not help though and I resorted to hydraulics finally. So my verdict is that freezing the wood can help but it does not need to. You will have to try for yourself with what you got.

 

[smokinj]

Does ambient temperature affect how easily a wood splits? Does wood split easier in the winter when it is freezing out?

I say Yes it splits way easier in the winter! Bawhahaha

 

[bogydave]

Wet (green) wood splits easier in the winter. I used to wait for a -10° to split spruce.
Don't always split nice straight with the grain though, but it was easier.
Also it wasn't sticky to handle, like it is on warmer days.

Now it splits easier anytime than pre - 22-ton Speeco

 

[Plow Boy]

Buy a splitter and don't worry bout it

 

[lukem]

Wood doesn't split here in the summer. Too hot for the operator.

 

[paul bunion]

When splitting by hand I have always thought that wood splits easier when frozen.

 

[ScotO]

I cut and split my wood year round......but if I had an ideal preference, I'd be splitting in the spring or fall, early in the mornings....
That said, I am sure that sub-freezing weather would make some species easier to split by hand, but when you have hydraulics, it's all the same in my opinion.

Well, heading out the door to fire up the splitter right now....it's only 95 degrees out, that's not too bad. The swimming pool will feel heavenly later this evening, though!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

GoodJBoy, I used to split all our wood by hand and only in the last 20 or so years have I graduated to hydraulics. I've split most of the wood in the fall or winter because I hate doing it in the summer although I have done some of that too. I too used to wonder about if wood split better when frozen or not and can say without a doubt, I would rather split wood when it is not frozen. Usually the best time to split is right after it is cut but I eventually got to the point that if the temperature was below 10 degrees, that wood could wait to be split. So in my book, it will split better unfrozen and if not in the dead of winter, it will split best right after it is cut. Now with hydraulics, I do all the splitting in the spring.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I know from experience dry locust laying dead for 5 years splits Much easier than green locust. I'm talking by hand though.

 

[Trilifter7]

I've split lots of frozen wood and can't say I've ever noticed a difference other than your gloves get wet and cold much faster as you handle the frozen splits. Spring and fall are def my choice of best times to split wood

 

[Hills Hoard]

Not sure about the wood itself, but splitting wood in the heat of summer is a just hard work...much prefer to split in winter when I can have a fire going, few beers etc

 

[Locust Post]

I cut and split my wood year round......but if I had an ideal preference, I'd be splitting in the spring or fall, early in the mornings....
That said, I am sure that sub-freezing weather would make some species easier to split by hand, but when you have hydraulics, it's all the same in my opinion.

Well, heading out the door to fire up the splitter right now....it's only 95 degrees out, that's not too bad. The swimming pool will feel heavenly later this evening, though!

The pool did feel good and I just stuck my head out of the water and looked at all those rounds I have to split yet....back under the water I went. They can wait till cooler weather.

To the OP I think you just have to test the waters on the species that split better in freezing conditions.

 

[Coal Reaper]

i was having a lot of trouble yesterday with some black birch (even 12" diameter ones!) as compared to last winter when i know they were frozen. i will be saving the rest until temps drop below freezing and continue to work on all the oak that im sure i could split with the backside of the fiskars if i tried hard enough.

 

[red oak]

I can't say I've noticed a significant difference in the wood - not enough to split in a certain season. I enjoy splitting in the late fall or early spring, when it's cold but not freezing. 40-50 degrees is just about perfect as far as I'm concerned. I have however, split and stacked about 3 cords this summer from various wood on my own property. In the summer I split for an hour at a time and then take a break and do something else, then maybe come back to it later. Also drink lots of water and finding a spot to work in the shade can make a big difference.

 

[JrCRXHF]

I cut and split in the spring most of the time between 40-60F but this year i ended up with so much wood and i was gone on the road for 1.5 months so i am still going at it. I did take last week off because it was in the 90's but got back at it yesterday and it was 82F and that was plenty warm.

i always split with hydro but bust up the big chunks into 1/4's by had to make them easier to move.