Nice to see I am not the only one to use a chainsaw on a knot infested round, cutting with the grain makes looong curls which I stuff into a plastic bag and save for fire starter. Much better than wadded up newspaper.
Being in Galicia (North West of Spain, just North from Portugal) where eucalypts are an invasive species and the most used for firewood, I feel what you feel. If you don't split it while it's still green, you're doomed.
I have split a fair amount of eucalyptus here in the states. It grows well in Arizona. One thing I do know about euc is , depends upon which one. There are near 800 species of euc. I also assume that like here in the states just considering oak,,, there are a few dozen types of oak and even if only discussing one, say white oak. There are regional differences. A forest grown white oak in Michigan, I'll hand split no problem,, a New England equivalent? uh. no. Your Aussie euc,, might it be equal to splitting American elm? That stuff is a right bastard.
@@Sailor376also here in Galicia it's mostly eucalyptus globulus, but even I can see (with no more biology knowledge than back in highschool) there are some other species but in much, much, lower percentages, except for eucalyptus nitens, which they say it grows better in colder climates. The thing is though, I've never checked what species of eucalyptus it was, if you let it dry long enough, you're going to have a hard (literally) time splitting it apart. If it's freshly taken down, you can split logs as the biggest ones in the video, even taller ones, no problem one after the other, and if it has knots, there're ways to go, literally again, around them. But if you let it dry, I've even had problems to split some logs half the size of those in the video by hand, mind you I'm using an axe instead of a maul, but I'm using always the same so the comparison persists. I guess I have to give mauls a try.
@@fadetounforgiven That is interesting,, most woods,, are much tougher to split green than dried. A tip. Most mauls are 8 pounds and heavier. I ALWAYS use a 6 pound (2.7k). I can swing a 6 pounder all day long and it does a better, quicker job than the 8. Two tricks. One is 'listen' to the log. When you stand the log up and I think by your comment you already do this,, near the center in a cured or partially cure log there are small cracks,, or a starfish. Those are the key to the easier split planes. Do not necessarily strike in the center on exactly that tiny crack, but exactly inline with it toward a side. Accuracy of where you strike is key. The second has to do with 'dead blow'. Wind up the usual overhead swing, but then you kind of crack the whip and release the hammer. You still hold it, guide it,, but with a very soft grip and loose wrist. Basically, you allow all the energy of the swing to travel into the work. Hard to describe, and hard to do,, but if you 'get it'. Sooo much easier and more effective. I do some work for the tree nursery in Arizona that supplies most of the Australian Eucalyptus to Arizona, Nevada, S California. You'd be amazed how many and the number of species we have here. Varrado Way the avenue entirely lined and enclosed by Ghost Gums Thousands of them
This sure brings back memories of splitting wood for the wood stoves when I was a kid. It took a lot to feed the fires, because Mom cooked on a wood cook stove, as well as having a regular wood stove. You haven't lived until you have done summer baking on a wood stove in a farm house without air conditioning or insulation. I always got appointed to keep the fire stoked for bread baking day, because they all said I was best at regulating the heat. Hogwash! My siblings just couldn't take the heat of that kitchen in the summer. We had outside temps some days of 120 degree's in the shade, and you could fry eggs on a cast iron skillet, if you set it in the sun. We lived in the heart of wheat country in eastern Washington and the heat was no joke. Our house was surrounded by wheat fields and the hotter it got the more we held out breath until the wheat was safely got in. We harvested mostly at night or in the early hours of the morning because the moisture levels weren't good enough. Too much moisture and your wheat would sprout, too little and it would shrivel. It was always great to watch ol' Grandpa Tupper go out and check that wheat by rubbing some of it through his hands. He could always tell when it was just right to harvest. Then it was all hands on deck, break out the combines and get to work. The old man was not our grandpa, but he was everyone's grandpa in that part of the country. My Dad was ranch foreman, but he had been a logger in his younger years, so we kids learned early what the working end of a splitting ax looked like. We had calluses on our calluses. The woodshed was large and held 15 cords of wood so filling it was a real chore, but come winter time, when it was wind chill factoring at 30 below, a fire in the wood stoves was mighty welcome. I hope you sell lots of firewood this year, but don't have to do too much more splitting. I must say, it was so nice to watch someone else split that wood instead of me!
Thanks for bringing a couple of memories back to me. I remember my dad rubbing wheat between his hands just like your grandpa. My grandma had a wood stove that had a water jacket connected to the house’s plumbing instead of a gas or electric water heater. I haven’t thought of those things in an awful long while.
Cut, split and hauled many cords out of the National Forest in Oregon many moons ago. Best years of my life! However, here in the east, maple, oak and such really benefit from a splitter. Hardwoods fight back! Always enjoy your videos!
Great video, I like your common sense approach to cutting firewood, I don’t understand TH-cam firewood guys who spend tens of thousands of dollars to cut firewood. If you average out the price of skid steers, expensive wood splitters and other machinery that 10 cords of firewood is costing hundreds of dollars per cord. Sometimes I think these TH-cam firewood channels are just about bragging about all of the stuff they have. A power saw, a maul, and a axe is all I used for years, I’m not in a hurry, I’m at peace. Thanks for your videos.
Some trivia , Merino sheep are the main type grown for wool here in Australia where they have been since the early 1800's . There used to be a petrol station company here called Golden Fleece that had a yellow Merino ram as it's logo , the company was sold to Caltex decades ago .
There is something very satisfying about processing your own firewood, from your own land, using trees that are already down or dead. Everybody needs heat in the winter, but not everyone earns it through their own hard work.
I've never owned a hydraulic splitter, or machine of any kind for splitting wood. Always used a maul, and for really large or tough rounds, wedges. I've helped others with their firewood using their hydraulic splitters, and aside from the initial cost, I find that all the fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, noise, smell, greasy mess, breakdowns and maintenance just isn't worth it. Besides that I can split faster with a maul. I suppose that some day I'll get too old for a maul, but I'm only 67 and enjoying my youth.
many of those youtube channels have arrangements with equipment companies to feature their equipment and thus not have to pay for the equipment. It's not reality.
Up till two years ago I split my firewood by hand but I ended up buying a splitter and have not regretted it one bit. I heat with oak and hickory and some maple thrown in. I have not burnt a chunk of pine yet
Kind of a late comment. I hope you see it. I grew up in the Columbia Gorge splitting crappy left over tops and punky knotty snags that the loggers left behind. Never saw a wood splitter until I was 40 years old. We split really tough rounds with a splitting wedge. I live in Kentucky now and still split tough logs with a heavy splitting maul and a wedge if needed. Even in tough hardwoods like locust and hickory I can keep up with a power splitter for the first cord. I’m not exactly Paul Bunyan at age 72! For very tough splitting wood I get much better first hit splitting by working on a very firm surface. Placing the round on a well compacted gravel road or in the woods on a stump cut off flush with the ground. Great videos. You do a great job showing how a little thought and steady work can get it done in the woods.
I enjoy your videos. I watch a number of different channels and learn many different techniques and tips about any number of things. Your humor and attitude is refreshing. And, I lucked into a free cord and a half of firewood from a tree company this summer. All I had to do was buck and split it. I gave the knotty chunks to my pal with a splitter. I split the rest with my Fiskars x27. No affiliation. 😁
I (and my family) cut and split 2 cords of wood every year for around 20 years. I did the majority of the splitting with a maul or a heavy axe. I really did like doing that as it was good exercise and a good form of meditation as well. When our sons moved away and I hit 50+ years old, however, it became too much for my wife and I to handle. We now have a pellet stove and we really do like it. Thanks for the video. You're pretty dang good with that splitting maul.
My shoulder without a rotator cuff loves my little hydraulic splitter plus I need to deal with whatever wood I get, no matter how knotty or twist grained.
Best comment I have ever seen. Speaking as a guy who tried splitting some rounds in subzero weather with a maul in an emergency when my home lost power. That tiny tear on the rotator cuff will keep you awake nights for quite a while. After a scan Docs will tell you surgery might help but tear could reoccur. Actually, this is one heck of a commercial for log splitters.
I like splitting wood by hand. The reason is because you get the full range of motion out of your spine. Whenever I work with a splitter, my back is always bent, and a lot “sorer”. Not sure if “sorer” is a word.
The only 3 things you need to log a property and process your firewood are: 1. chainsaw 2. splitting axe 3. wheelbarrow That's how my parents cleaned up probably 1,000 fallen trees after a hurricane 21 years ago and turned them into firewood. It took several years and a lot of time and physical labour, but it did work -- It probably helped that they were both retired. Still, I can see this setup being sufficient even for people who work full time, if you're someone who only burns wood on the weekend or when friends are over, and who lives on relatively level ground. Today, I do pretty much all the logging and firewood myself. I still have those three tools, but I now have a compact tractor with a trailer and logging winch, and a $550 electric splitter. Do I need these things? No. However, they do speed the process up, which is important for someone like me who works full time and who uses a large amount of wood for heating every year. If a wheelbarrow doesn't meet your needs, and a compact tractor is overkill, an ATV or even riding lawn mower with a trailer could be an option. Or you could use a pickup truck, or put a trailer on an SUV -- chains/cables make skidding the trees out much easier. Ultimately what you need to log your property and process your own firewood depends on how much time you want to spend logging, how much wood you process each year, the local terrain, and your budget. IMO, the most important item and the one I would spend most on if I was starting out is a good chainsaw, followed by wood transport, followed by splitting system. I think that's the point that this video was trying to make :)
I ordered a pair of those socks to try out. NGL, probably the best summer wool sock I've ever worn. Just a bit tight on the elastic around the calf, but I expect they'll wear in.
Processing firewood is ny favorite form of exercise, but i don't get to do it on a regular basis. I use a 4 lb. splitting ax instead of a maul so i can avoid the self abuse. I have a sledge and wedges for the really tough stuff. I use a log with an old tire mounted to the top end as a splitting platform so i don't have to chase down the pieces.
I have access to a good vertical access splitter, but I enjoy using an axe or maul, plus it is much more peaceful. Just as I love chainsaws, but sometimes I'll use a Silky because it is effective & peaceful !
Good job for the softwood you use. We heat 100% self harvested most from our woodlot . Softwood blowdowns are spruce and fir for "shoulder" times in fall and spring. Sruce/fir here is tough and stringy to hand split as I did for too long. Now reired with plenty of time. The hardwood for winter here in Downeast Maine from the woodlot and logger/arborist 'gifts' varies from real tough Black Locust to easy Paper Birch. In younger years I did hand split ( thanks to Fiskars BTW ). After years with a gas splitter, I went to a multi ton electric ( slow but reliable and damn quiet ). Fewer here want to heat with wood--hard work, dirty, time. Even the "greenies" with mini splits and solar don't want to have anything to do with the trees around us. We have two Jptul EPA wood stoves for heat and stihl love the warmth. End of long story. Love your stuff. JMNSHO.
Nice work! I like hand splitting when there are small amounts and it is nice wood (at least one straightish cut, not too many knots). Or on 2.5-4''+ rounds, removing the edges so it can dry, and be a little easier to use the splitter on. Or down a hill, where I can't get the big splitter, and it's too far for a power cord for the small electric splitter. Even with a big maul that might wear me out after 20 minutes, I can do that 3+ times a day. And often it's a lot easier to split in place and let it dry, than carry it up a hill wet. Plus it is just more satisfying. Each situation and wood is a little different, and this twisty pinion pine that a friend cut might be free, but is much more of a pain to split.
I remember splitting by hand just for me but as I got older I broke down and built a logsplitter for my own use which when I stopped burning wood I sold for about double what it cost me to build. Good to hear someone else's views on stuff thanks. Oh and if only turbo speed mode was an actual option for doing choirs, area now looks very park like.
9:52 If you find a log that's hard to split, sometimes turning it upside down Makes it easier to split. Split a lot of wood with maul until I reached 80. Now I bought an electric splitter which works perfect for me. I still love to split with a maul if the woods not dry oak or elm.
Ode to a Logger: "Why use a splitter, fancy and new, When my old maul still sees me through? It’s got the weight, I’ve got the arm, And splitting logs does me no harm. I don’t need gas or some new trend- Just a maul and time, my old best friend." I've used an old tire to hold the rounds in place while I swing away. Saves the back. But this video is for entertainment, which it was. Scott
Use a chop block. Glue up some 4x4's into a square large enough to lay a tire on. Bolt the 4x4's together with all thread placed through pre-drilled holes for extra strength. Then confine your rounds with 2 tires, one stacked on top of the other and screwed together using small 3-4 inch sections of pvc pipe as anchors for the deck or wood screws, whatever is cheap and easy to find. You may not need two tires depending on the size of the tire. But in my experience, wood will often jump out of just one tire. The goal is to keep your rounds confined until it's all split up into firewood. Then you only need to bend over once to pick it all up instead of 7 or 8 times chasing after each split. Your back will thank you and it'll all go about 80% faster, and even those tuff rounds won't be tuff anymore. That chop block keeps all the energy in the round instead of being absorbed into the soft ground. And as far as straps go, no. I've tried straps before. The tires are so much better, because they provide a cushion and a bounce back for the maul. Just be wary of overstrikes on already split wood. Protect your handle with wire clamps, or gorilla tape works quite well also. I don''t care what kind of wood it is, by the time you get your get your wood to your splitter or vice versa and get everything set up, I'll already be half way done.
Most important advice for splitting with axe or maul is to direct the force axe downward into the wood - no follow through. This is to avoid risk of serious injury on an errant swing to the legs/feet. You can do it a thousand times dangerously without getting hurt, but fatigue and bad bounces can cause life changing injury.
I never remember my dad using a maul until later in the 70s. But in the early 60s, he used a sledgehammer and three or four wedges. And a lot of blows.
I've got a Supersplit and it is an elbow saver! When you start getting long in the tooth, it helps very much. If all I had was straight grained fir, I could probly still do it by hand, but the ponderosa is nothing but knots. I still get a good workout humping the rounds onto the table, especially if they are still wet.
I would agree with you about a maul over a splitter, but now at 38 with 3 shoulder recons and no cartilage left in my left shoulder, I suffer immensely swinging an axe or maul sadly! I really used to enjoy wearing myself out and getting fit doing it years ago
Think I have the same maul. A little rounding with a grinder to help with sticking and a polish and it does quite well. Splitting eight cords a year for winter is easy enough until you have to break out the sledgehammer and wedges. That definitely decreases the efficiency. Especially if you forget and happen to be wearing those damn crappy cotton Sox’s! 😉👍🏼
Hey, come to Maine and see how you can put a dozen blows onto a round of beech before getting that first split. The next ones do come easier. I guess the payoff is that there's more BTUs from beech than the firs. Good day to you.
I split with a six pound maul. every year, I help split around seven cords for a good friend and I split near ten pounds for myself too. I am 62 years old and I like my cabin warm. I like to wake up and make coffee without shivering. : )
So a good friend of mine and I used to cut wood for a living. I had a 37ton splitter with a 5hp Honda. Jason could out split me with a maul. Then about 25min into it he was whooped and I was grabbing more wood. But we were splitting Douglas fir
When I started going down the rabbit hole of Firewood I used axe and mauls. Would come home and split for about an hour and call it done. I am on my 3rd hydraulic splitter and so much better on the body all year round for me.
Good video, I have a small hydraulic splitter but I often opt to use the 8 lb maul. Unless my wood is super knotty it is just a hair faster to split by hand even with white oak and walnut (not too much at one time haha). If I have a helper I use the splitter though one person to move the rounds and one to run it is by far faster.
For tough hardwood (e.g. Elm) a maul and a sledge hammer is the way to go. We only heat with wood, almost all is dead wood cut from our property. I have a splitter and at times am really happy that I do. Other times it’s easier to get me started than a tractor, not to mention the frustration of hooking up the splitter as well. A maul with thick sides is built to take the abuse of a sledgehammer, don’t do this with a thinner felling axe. And the satisfaction of splitting a log in a single shot is well worth the effort when that doesn’t happen.
Splitting is mostly about pace. Don’t be setting time/volume goals; you’ll just wear yourself out. And don’t try and be a hero with some knarly round. Like Mr. Wilson did, toss it aside for saw ripping later.
You are an inspiration!! Common sense, yes, get an ax and get some exercise, log splitters are expensive unless your cutting 10 to 15 cords per year to justify the expense.
And here I am taking 35+ whacks with all my might behind them to split a single log of Florida Oak over here in The Deep South. I've been dreaming of a log splitter, and now I know I've been torturing myself all these years. I had no idea logs could split like those dry Fir logs you have there.
I really enjoy watchin’ -YOU- work! I’ve become a big fan of yours and have learned a lot watchin’ yer show. Done some laughin’ too. Thanks! Keep ‘em comin’!
Species of wood are varying in cure time and granular integrity.... I can tell you that there are very few wood processors that can efficiently and quickly split the high knots content of balsam fir by hand.... I have handsplit many tons of Doug fir and pine...easy peasy...not so balsam fir
“Firewood heats you many times. Once when you process the tree, once when you split the rounds, once when you carry it to wherever it’s going, and once when you finally burn it. Doing any of the above in the summer time is a waste of heat.” - my dad who grew up very poor in a fireplace only heated home. Staying warm wasn’t just a matter of keeping the house warm, you needed to keep moving sometimes to stay warm too. The only time I do firewood related stuff in the summer now is occasionally hauling some for a fire pit/bonfire type thing, or if a tree falls over on its own on my property and needs to be removed.
Some wood is good for a maul, some wood is good for even a boys axe. Other wood requires a splitter to get something done. What really matters is knowing the difference-I'm from iowa, our stuff is most generally pretty tough.
We likely have much smaller fireplaces/wood burning stoves in MN than you do in the PNW. Those are the largest firewood splits I have ever seen! Maybe they need to be that large to get the btu's we get from oak?
What's the name, I absolutely agree with you today, I just want to say an 8 pound lb mall used for 6 and 1/2 years , and nothing works as fast ,and kept it sharp. 😊
I did 3 cords a day of Doug fir and sold it for $90 Can. When the Canadian dollar was worth 60 cents U.S. I would sell in Bellingham for 90 US /cord (150 Can)
I've had 5 surgeries on my shoulders and couldn't split my firewood without a log splitter. And funny enough my wife really enjoys splitting wood with it as well.
I'm just surprised that you couldn't find a reasonable splitter on the web just to keep at the coastal property. You can always get some swinging in for extra exercise if you wanted. Just a suggestion that I would probably do. I have a 20 ton and it splits everything I feed it in Wisconsin.
I have cut and hand split 10-15 cord per year for 47 years, mostly maple, big oak, ash, some fir. Because of health and old age, 70, I put in a heat pump last year😢. Don't like it as much but not missing all that work. I have ripped my share with a saw. 🎉😂
I'm from New England and we burn oak, maple and hickory here along with other hardwoods. I have untold hours splitting with a maul but my doctor told me its destroying my rotator cuff. I will be moving to North Idaho soon and I look forward to splitting such soft wood for my wood stove. I will certainly miss my hardwoods from the east coast though
I have been splitting wood, 100% hardwood, for 30 years. house heated solely with wood as well as hot water. Never owned a wood splitter until recently and rarely use it. For many years I used an 8 pound maul. Try a Fiskars x27. you will not regret it.
Nice work, both the splitting and the cleaning. I wonder why don't you use another piece of wood below the one you're splitting. If they're properly cut with the chainsaw, so one can stand over the other, I find it more comfortable to work, and I'd say even safer, as the maul ends in a more horizontal position and not angled already towards your feet. On the other hand, you lose a bit of speed (therefore splitting force) that extra centimeters (hey, I'm European) may give thanks to gravity, but I guess it's not that much. Also, bein on a harder surface than the ground itself, and at least once the base wood is already settled after some use, I think it would help splitting as there wouldn't be so much energy lost in that "bouncing" of the wood you're splitting against the ground. Nah, just giving my two cents here. Thanks for the video as usual.
I’ve been cutting firewood for decades with an old 026, an 8lb maul and an old pickup. I’ve cut and hauled as many a 20 chord a year with that setup. You are spot on about TH-cam verses reality.
for me, two cords a year is too much to split by hand, but my maul is not shaped well, and I have other work I have to do. if I can lift it, it goes on the splitter.
I've always split by hand. 80% of my wood it works just fine. That last 15 to 20% of just really tough, knotty wood is really a pain and a wood splitter would be nice.
My point when working things out is to “work smart, not stupid”. It doesn't always protect me from myself though. Was a firewood business at the coast property always the plan? Even if it wasn't its obvious that a byproduct of your efforts day today produces lumber/firewood. Go out and buy a used but functional splitter nearby or contract a man/woman to build a replica of the one you already have. One for the coast and one for your original property. I'm 71 now and I can tell you your back will thank you later. Just because you can do the work (for now) doesn't mean you should. I know where you're coming from though.😅
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The point of the video from a viewers point of view is its nice to watch someone else split fire wood and not me .
Great point 😂
lol
Nice to see I am not the only one to use a chainsaw on a knot infested round, cutting with the grain makes looong curls which I stuff into a plastic bag and save for fire starter. Much better than wadded up newspaper.
Being in Australia,. the land of eucalypts, i am almost crying seeing how easy you are splitting that wood with the maul!
Being in Galicia (North West of Spain, just North from Portugal) where eucalypts are an invasive species and the most used for firewood, I feel what you feel.
If you don't split it while it's still green, you're doomed.
I have split a fair amount of eucalyptus here in the states. It grows well in Arizona. One thing I do know about euc is , depends upon which one. There are near 800 species of euc. I also assume that like here in the states just considering oak,,, there are a few dozen types of oak and even if only discussing one, say white oak. There are regional differences. A forest grown white oak in Michigan, I'll hand split no problem,, a New England equivalent? uh. no. Your Aussie euc,, might it be equal to splitting American elm? That stuff is a right bastard.
@@318ishonk Mind you, originally those sheep were European, Spanish and Portuguese to be more precise.
@@Sailor376also here in Galicia it's mostly eucalyptus globulus, but even I can see (with no more biology knowledge than back in highschool) there are some other species but in much, much, lower percentages, except for eucalyptus nitens, which they say it grows better in colder climates.
The thing is though, I've never checked what species of eucalyptus it was, if you let it dry long enough, you're going to have a hard (literally) time splitting it apart. If it's freshly taken down, you can split logs as the biggest ones in the video, even taller ones, no problem one after the other, and if it has knots, there're ways to go, literally again, around them.
But if you let it dry, I've even had problems to split some logs half the size of those in the video by hand, mind you I'm using an axe instead of a maul, but I'm using always the same so the comparison persists.
I guess I have to give mauls a try.
@@fadetounforgiven That is interesting,, most woods,, are much tougher to split green than dried. A tip. Most mauls are 8 pounds and heavier. I ALWAYS use a 6 pound (2.7k). I can swing a 6 pounder all day long and it does a better, quicker job than the 8. Two tricks. One is 'listen' to the log. When you stand the log up and I think by your comment you already do this,, near the center in a cured or partially cure log there are small cracks,, or a starfish. Those are the key to the easier split planes. Do not necessarily strike in the center on exactly that tiny crack, but exactly inline with it toward a side. Accuracy of where you strike is key. The second has to do with 'dead blow'. Wind up the usual overhead swing, but then you kind of crack the whip and release the hammer. You still hold it, guide it,, but with a very soft grip and loose wrist. Basically, you allow all the energy of the swing to travel into the work. Hard to describe, and hard to do,, but if you 'get it'. Sooo much easier and more effective. I do some work for the tree nursery in Arizona that supplies most of the Australian Eucalyptus to Arizona, Nevada, S California. You'd be amazed how many and the number of species we have here. Varrado Way the avenue entirely lined and enclosed by Ghost Gums Thousands of them
You are a stud Mr. Wilson. I have a 34 ton splitter and I have not swung a maul in over ten years and no intentions to do so.
This sure brings back memories of splitting wood for the wood stoves when I was a kid. It took a lot to feed the fires, because Mom cooked on a wood cook stove, as well as having a regular wood stove. You haven't lived until you have done summer baking on a wood stove in a farm house without air conditioning or insulation. I always got appointed to keep the fire stoked for bread baking day, because they all said I was best at regulating the heat. Hogwash! My siblings just couldn't take the heat of that kitchen in the summer. We had outside temps some days of 120 degree's in the shade, and you could fry eggs on a cast iron skillet, if you set it in the sun. We lived in the heart of wheat country in eastern Washington and the heat was no joke. Our house was surrounded by wheat fields and the hotter it got the more we held out breath until the wheat was safely got in. We harvested mostly at night or in the early hours of the morning because the moisture levels weren't good enough. Too much moisture and your wheat would sprout, too little and it would shrivel. It was always great to watch ol' Grandpa Tupper go out and check that wheat by rubbing some of it through his hands. He could always tell when it was just right to harvest. Then it was all hands on deck, break out the combines and get to work. The old man was not our grandpa, but he was everyone's grandpa in that part of the country. My Dad was ranch foreman, but he had been a logger in his younger years, so we kids learned early what the working end of a splitting ax looked like. We had calluses on our calluses. The woodshed was large and held 15 cords of wood so filling it was a real chore, but come winter time, when it was wind chill factoring at 30 below, a fire in the wood stoves was mighty welcome.
I hope you sell lots of firewood this year, but don't have to do too much more splitting. I must say, it was so nice to watch someone else split that wood instead of me!
Thanks for bringing a couple of memories back to me. I remember my dad rubbing wheat between his hands just like your grandpa. My grandma had a wood stove that had a water jacket connected to the house’s plumbing instead of a gas or electric water heater. I haven’t thought of those things in an awful long while.
Loved your story. You are a great writter. So much images came to my mind as i read you. Never done or known what you described. Thumb up 😊
Cut, split and hauled many cords out of the National Forest in Oregon many moons ago. Best years of my life! However, here in the east, maple, oak and such really benefit from a splitter. Hardwoods fight back! Always enjoy your videos!
Great video, I like your common sense approach to cutting firewood, I don’t understand TH-cam firewood guys who spend tens of thousands of dollars to cut firewood. If you average out the price of skid steers, expensive wood splitters and other machinery that 10 cords of firewood is costing hundreds of dollars per cord.
Sometimes I think these TH-cam firewood channels are just about bragging about all of the stuff they have.
A power saw, a maul, and a axe is all I used for years, I’m not in a hurry, I’m at peace.
Thanks for your videos.
Splitting knot free straight grained doug fir with a maul is such a treat. At least you got your exercise in for the day. 😁
Some trivia , Merino sheep are the main type grown for wool here in Australia where they have been since the early 1800's . There used to be a petrol station company here called Golden Fleece that had a yellow Merino ram as it's logo , the company was sold to Caltex decades ago .
What set them apart was they employed Chefs for the Meals they served. People from Towns would go there to eat. Old Fashioned Service.
Its hard work, but after its split and stacked. A very satisfying feeling
That Fir splits beautifully! 🪓
Love your humor! Keep it up
There is something very satisfying about processing your own firewood, from your own land, using trees that are already down or dead. Everybody needs heat in the winter, but not everyone earns it through their own hard work.
I've never owned a hydraulic splitter, or machine of any kind for splitting wood. Always used a maul, and for really large or tough rounds, wedges. I've helped others with their firewood using their hydraulic splitters, and aside from the initial cost, I find that all the fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, noise, smell, greasy mess, breakdowns and maintenance just isn't worth it. Besides that I can split faster with a maul. I suppose that some day I'll get too old for a maul, but I'm only 67 and enjoying my youth.
many of those youtube channels have arrangements with equipment companies to feature their equipment and thus not have to pay for the equipment. It's not reality.
Yes you suckered me into watching your video like you always do. But I sure do enjoy watching them. Thanks
You reminded my of Benny Hill running around with the trimmer.
Thanks Wilson.
Up till two years ago I split my firewood by hand but I ended up buying a splitter and have not regretted it one bit. I heat with oak and hickory and some maple thrown in. I have not burnt a chunk of pine yet
Kind of a late comment. I hope you see it. I grew up in the Columbia Gorge splitting crappy left over tops and punky knotty snags that the loggers left behind. Never saw a wood splitter until I was 40 years old. We split really tough rounds with a splitting wedge. I live in Kentucky now and still split tough logs with a heavy splitting maul and a wedge if needed. Even in tough hardwoods like locust and hickory I can keep up with a power splitter for the first cord. I’m not exactly Paul Bunyan at age 72! For very tough splitting wood I get much better first hit splitting by working on a very firm surface. Placing the round on a well compacted gravel road or in the woods on a stump cut off flush with the ground. Great videos. You do a great job showing how a little thought and steady work can get it done in the woods.
I enjoy your videos.
I watch a number of different channels and learn many different techniques and tips about any number of things.
Your humor and attitude is refreshing.
And, I lucked into a free cord and a half of firewood from a tree company this summer.
All I had to do was buck and split it.
I gave the knotty chunks to my pal with a splitter.
I split the rest with my Fiskars x27. No affiliation. 😁
I (and my family) cut and split 2 cords of wood every year for around 20 years. I did the majority of the splitting with a maul or a heavy axe. I really did like doing that as it was good exercise and a good form of meditation as well. When our sons moved away and I hit 50+ years old, however, it became too much for my wife and I to handle. We now have a pellet stove and we really do like it.
Thanks for the video. You're pretty dang good with that splitting maul.
Like you sense of humor 👍👍👍
My shoulder without a rotator cuff loves my little hydraulic splitter plus I need to deal with whatever wood I get, no matter how knotty or twist grained.
Best comment I have ever seen. Speaking as a guy who tried splitting some rounds in subzero weather with a maul in an emergency when my home lost power. That tiny tear on the rotator cuff will keep you awake nights for quite a while. After a scan Docs will tell you surgery might help but tear could reoccur. Actually, this is one heck of a commercial for log splitters.
Pick up a Fiscars X27 splitting maul. It will make a big difference. It’s my go to when I don’t use my splitter.
I like splitting wood by hand. The reason is because you get the full range of motion out of your spine. Whenever I work with a splitter, my back is always bent, and a lot “sorer”. Not sure if “sorer” is a word.
Mr Wilson IS reality. 🤠
I see you saw is a stihl.....i like it. Best saws made. There is not even a close second.
The only 3 things you need to log a property and process your firewood are:
1. chainsaw
2. splitting axe
3. wheelbarrow
That's how my parents cleaned up probably 1,000 fallen trees after a hurricane 21 years ago and turned them into firewood. It took several years and a lot of time and physical labour, but it did work -- It probably helped that they were both retired. Still, I can see this setup being sufficient even for people who work full time, if you're someone who only burns wood on the weekend or when friends are over, and who lives on relatively level ground.
Today, I do pretty much all the logging and firewood myself. I still have those three tools, but I now have a compact tractor with a trailer and logging winch, and a $550 electric splitter. Do I need these things? No. However, they do speed the process up, which is important for someone like me who works full time and who uses a large amount of wood for heating every year.
If a wheelbarrow doesn't meet your needs, and a compact tractor is overkill, an ATV or even riding lawn mower with a trailer could be an option. Or you could use a pickup truck, or put a trailer on an SUV -- chains/cables make skidding the trees out much easier.
Ultimately what you need to log your property and process your own firewood depends on how much time you want to spend logging, how much wood you process each year, the local terrain, and your budget. IMO, the most important item and the one I would spend most on if I was starting out is a good chainsaw, followed by wood transport, followed by splitting system. I think that's the point that this video was trying to make :)
I ordered a pair of those socks to try out. NGL, probably the best summer wool sock I've ever worn. Just a bit tight on the elastic around the calf, but I expect they'll wear in.
Noticed the same on the thin, not on the thick. Seems to be getting better...
Processing firewood is ny favorite form of exercise, but i don't get to do it on a regular basis. I use a 4 lb. splitting ax instead of a maul so i can avoid the self abuse. I have a sledge and wedges for the really tough stuff. I use a log with an old tire mounted to the top end as a splitting platform so i don't have to chase down the pieces.
I have access to a good vertical access splitter, but I enjoy using an axe or maul, plus it is much more peaceful. Just as I love chainsaws, but sometimes I'll use a Silky because it is effective & peaceful !
Good job for the softwood you use. We heat 100% self harvested most from our woodlot . Softwood blowdowns are spruce and fir for "shoulder" times in fall and spring. Sruce/fir here is tough and stringy to hand split as I did for too long. Now reired with plenty of time. The hardwood for winter here in Downeast Maine from the woodlot and logger/arborist 'gifts' varies from real tough Black Locust to easy Paper Birch. In younger years I did hand split ( thanks to Fiskars BTW ). After years with a gas splitter, I went to a multi ton electric ( slow but reliable and damn quiet ). Fewer here want to heat with wood--hard work, dirty, time. Even the "greenies" with mini splits and solar don't want to have anything to do with the trees around us. We have two Jptul EPA wood stoves for heat and stihl love the warmth. End of long story. Love your stuff. JMNSHO.
P.S. Look at Darn Tough socks ( mil specs BTW).
Nice work! I like hand splitting when there are small amounts and it is nice wood (at least one straightish cut, not too many knots). Or on 2.5-4''+ rounds, removing the edges so it can dry, and be a little easier to use the splitter on. Or down a hill, where I can't get the big splitter, and it's too far for a power cord for the small electric splitter. Even with a big maul that might wear me out after 20 minutes, I can do that 3+ times a day. And often it's a lot easier to split in place and let it dry, than carry it up a hill wet. Plus it is just more satisfying. Each situation and wood is a little different, and this twisty pinion pine that a friend cut might be free, but is much more of a pain to split.
I remember splitting by hand just for me but as I got older I broke down and built a logsplitter for my own use which when I stopped burning wood I sold for about double what it cost me to build. Good to hear someone else's views on stuff thanks. Oh and if only turbo speed mode was an actual option for doing choirs, area now looks very park like.
9:52 If you find a log that's hard to split, sometimes turning it upside down Makes it easier to split. Split a lot of wood with maul until I reached 80. Now I bought an electric splitter which works perfect for me. I still love to split with a maul if the woods not dry oak or elm.
I get a big laugh from your humour, much enjoyed!!!
Ode to a Logger:
"Why use a splitter, fancy and new,
When my old maul still sees me through?
It’s got the weight, I’ve got the arm,
And splitting logs does me no harm.
I don’t need gas or some new trend-
Just a maul and time, my old best friend."
I've used an old tire to hold the rounds in place while I swing away. Saves the back. But this video is for entertainment, which it was. Scott
Use a chop block. Glue up some 4x4's into a square large enough to lay a tire on. Bolt the 4x4's together with all thread placed through pre-drilled holes for extra strength. Then confine your rounds with 2 tires, one stacked on top of the other and screwed together using small 3-4 inch sections of pvc pipe as anchors for the deck or wood screws, whatever is cheap and easy to find. You may not need two tires depending on the size of the tire. But in my experience, wood will often jump out of just one tire. The goal is to keep your rounds confined until it's all split up into firewood. Then you only need to bend over once to pick it all up instead of 7 or 8 times chasing after each split. Your back will thank you and it'll all go about 80% faster, and even those tuff rounds won't be tuff anymore. That chop block keeps all the energy in the round instead of being absorbed into the soft ground.
And as far as straps go, no. I've tried straps before. The tires are so much better, because they provide a cushion and a bounce back for the maul. Just be wary of overstrikes on already split wood. Protect your handle with wire clamps, or gorilla tape works quite well also.
I don''t care what kind of wood it is, by the time you get your get your wood to your splitter or vice versa and get everything set up, I'll already be half way done.
Most important advice for splitting with axe or maul is to direct the force axe downward into the wood - no follow through. This is to avoid risk of serious injury on an errant swing to the legs/feet. You can do it a thousand times dangerously without getting hurt, but fatigue and bad bounces can cause life changing injury.
I never remember my dad using a maul until later in the 70s. But in the early 60s, he used a sledgehammer and three or four wedges. And a lot of blows.
Don't you just love those sneaky knots that hide on the back of a round you are trying to split.
Sir ,your hilarious and content is excellent. Kudos from a log cabin living gardener in Northwest Florida.
I've got a Supersplit and it is an elbow saver! When you start getting long in the tooth, it helps very much. If all I had was straight grained fir, I could probly still do it by hand, but the ponderosa is nothing but knots. I still get a good workout humping the rounds onto the table, especially if they are still wet.
I would agree with you about a maul over a splitter, but now at 38 with 3 shoulder recons and no cartilage left in my left shoulder, I suffer immensely swinging an axe or maul sadly! I really used to enjoy wearing myself out and getting fit doing it years ago
I'm so much agree with you, I love just splitting axe that is how do
Nice job on the wood and weeds. Keep up the exercise???
Think I have the same maul. A little rounding with a grinder to help with sticking and a polish and it does quite well. Splitting eight cords a year for winter is easy enough until you have to break out the sledgehammer and wedges. That definitely decreases the efficiency. Especially if you forget and happen to be wearing those damn crappy cotton Sox’s! 😉👍🏼
Hey, come to Maine and see how you can put a dozen blows onto a round of beech before getting that first split. The next ones do come easier. I guess the payoff is that there's more BTUs from beech than the firs. Good day to you.
up here in maine we didnt have non of those dang automatic log splitter and i split one hell of alot of wood b hand, and loved every minute of it.
I split my firewood just like you did here. Except I use a wedge too. it is good exercise.
well said, splitting by hand is best for most
I bought a log splitter. The wife and friends really like it.
For me it’s another piece of equipment to maintain.
I split with a six pound maul. every year, I help split around seven cords for a good friend and I split near ten pounds for myself too. I am 62 years old and I like my cabin warm. I like to wake up and make coffee without shivering. : )
So a good friend of mine and I used to cut wood for a living. I had a 37ton splitter with a 5hp Honda. Jason could out split me with a maul. Then about 25min into it he was whooped and I was grabbing more wood. But we were splitting Douglas fir
Hey, I enjoyed this monologue! Happy Mauling!
When I started going down the rabbit hole of Firewood I used axe and mauls. Would come home and split for about an hour and call it done.
I am on my 3rd hydraulic splitter and so much better on the body all year round for me.
Good video, I have a small hydraulic splitter but I often opt to use the 8 lb maul. Unless my wood is super knotty it is just a hair faster to split by hand even with white oak and walnut (not too much at one time haha). If I have a helper I use the splitter though one person to move the rounds and one to run it is by far faster.
U must have perfect wood😁,my wood splitter for years name is Tyler just discovered a wood splitter,loves the thing
Beautiful piece of land!
For tough hardwood (e.g. Elm) a maul and a sledge hammer is the way to go. We only heat with wood, almost all is dead wood cut from our property. I have a splitter and at times am really happy that I do. Other times it’s easier to get me started than a tractor, not to mention the frustration of hooking up the splitter as well. A maul with thick sides is built to take the abuse of a sledgehammer, don’t do this with a thinner felling axe. And the satisfaction of splitting a log in a single shot is well worth the effort when that doesn’t happen.
Splitting is mostly about pace.
Don’t be setting time/volume goals; you’ll just wear yourself out.
And don’t try and be a hero with some knarly round. Like Mr. Wilson did, toss it aside for saw ripping later.
I can remember when i was a kid in the 60ies a cord was about 35 bucks for oak in Virginia.
Nice cord progression!
As we say here, "You get warm just moving logs" 🙂
Speaking of thinning out the forest, maybe someday you can show us rookies just how the selection process is carried out
You are an inspiration!!
Common sense, yes, get an ax and get some exercise, log splitters are expensive unless your cutting 10 to 15 cords per year to justify the expense.
And here I am taking 35+ whacks with all my might behind them to split a single log of Florida Oak over here in The Deep South. I've been dreaming of a log splitter, and now I know I've been torturing myself all these years. I had no idea logs could split like those dry Fir logs you have there.
I really enjoy watchin’ -YOU- work!
I’ve become a big fan of yours and have learned a lot watchin’ yer show. Done some laughin’ too. Thanks! Keep ‘em comin’!
Species of wood are varying in cure time and granular integrity.... I can tell you that there are very few wood processors that can efficiently and quickly split the high knots content of balsam fir by hand.... I have handsplit many tons of Doug fir and pine...easy peasy...not so balsam fir
“Firewood heats you many times. Once when you process the tree, once when you split the rounds, once when you carry it to wherever it’s going, and once when you finally burn it. Doing any of the above in the summer time is a waste of heat.” - my dad who grew up very poor in a fireplace only heated home. Staying warm wasn’t just a matter of keeping the house warm, you needed to keep moving sometimes to stay warm too.
The only time I do firewood related stuff in the summer now is occasionally hauling some for a fire pit/bonfire type thing, or if a tree falls over on its own on my property and needs to be removed.
Some wood is good for a maul, some wood is good for even a boys axe. Other wood requires a splitter to get something done. What really matters is knowing the difference-I'm from iowa, our stuff is most generally pretty tough.
Having a maul is good insurance.
Nice looking park! :)
Some of those tough ones remind me of the wood I split here in NY
You really made short work with that splitting maul on that dry DF. Nice job!!
We likely have much smaller fireplaces/wood burning stoves in MN than you do in the PNW. Those are the largest firewood splits I have ever seen! Maybe they need to be that large to get the btu's we get from oak?
What's the name, I absolutely agree with you today, I just want to say an 8 pound lb mall used for 6 and 1/2 years , and nothing works as fast ,and kept it sharp. 😊
I did 3 cords a day of Doug fir and sold it for $90 Can. When the Canadian dollar was worth 60 cents U.S. I would sell in Bellingham for 90 US /cord (150 Can)
thanks for inspiring me to clean out my wood lot. just saying
I've had 5 surgeries on my shoulders and couldn't split my firewood without a log splitter. And funny enough my wife really enjoys splitting wood with it as well.
I'm just surprised that you couldn't find a reasonable splitter on the web just to keep at the coastal property. You can always get some swinging in for extra exercise if you wanted. Just a suggestion that I would probably do. I have a 20 ton and it splits everything I feed it in Wisconsin.
I have cut and hand split 10-15 cord per year for 47 years, mostly maple, big oak, ash, some fir. Because of health and old age, 70, I put in a heat pump last year😢. Don't like it as much but not missing all that work. I have ripped my share with a saw. 🎉😂
I'm from New England and we burn oak, maple and hickory here along with other hardwoods. I have untold hours splitting with a maul but my doctor told me its destroying my rotator cuff.
I will be moving to North Idaho soon and I look forward to splitting such soft wood for my wood stove. I will certainly miss my hardwoods from the east coast though
I have been splitting wood, 100% hardwood, for 30 years. house heated solely with wood as well as hot water. Never owned a wood splitter until recently and rarely use it. For many years I used an 8 pound maul. Try a Fiskars x27. you will not regret it.
forgot how old I was. actually 40 years. dang it!
Maybe you could get a bit of sponsorship from Buckin Billy Ray ?🤔 One of his wood bullets Thanks Michael 😃
Could not agree more. 👍🏻👍🏻
good honest work
Nice work, both the splitting and the cleaning. I wonder why don't you use another piece of wood below the one you're splitting. If they're properly cut with the chainsaw, so one can stand over the other, I find it more comfortable to work, and I'd say even safer, as the maul ends in a more horizontal position and not angled already towards your feet. On the other hand, you lose a bit of speed (therefore splitting force) that extra centimeters (hey, I'm European) may give thanks to gravity, but I guess it's not that much.
Also, bein on a harder surface than the ground itself, and at least once the base wood is already settled after some use, I think it would help splitting as there wouldn't be so much energy lost in that "bouncing" of the wood you're splitting against the ground.
Nah, just giving my two cents here. Thanks for the video as usual.
I’ve been cutting firewood for decades with an old 026, an 8lb maul and an old pickup. I’ve cut and hauled as many a 20 chord a year with that setup. You are spot on about TH-cam verses reality.
In addition to my mauls and axes I have a hydraulic hand splitter, does wonders on even knotty oak and requires no fuel or power.
Your a great splitting tool 😅 !
for me, two cords a year is too much to split by hand, but my maul is not shaped well, and I have other work I have to do. if I can lift it, it goes on the splitter.
I've always split by hand. 80% of my wood it works just fine. That last 15 to 20% of just really tough, knotty wood is really a pain and a wood splitter would be nice.
Holy crap…. $350 a cord for softwood firewood? That sounds so insane to me here in Maine. We get hardwood firewood for under $300 a cord around here.
Keep you yung
Eazy😮 until it's knot 😂 fir is about all we got. Some hemlock and alder . Not much big feaf maple. It's all good till it's knot 🎉😂
I do all my wood splitting by hand, it great exercise
My point when working things out is to “work smart, not stupid”. It doesn't always protect me from myself though. Was a firewood business at the coast property always the plan? Even if it wasn't its obvious that a byproduct of your efforts day today produces lumber/firewood. Go out and buy a used but functional splitter nearby or contract a man/woman to build a replica of the one you already have. One for the coast and one for your original property. I'm 71 now and I can tell you your back will thank you later. Just because you can do the work (for now) doesn't mean you should. I know where you're coming from though.😅
Hand split wood warms you twice. Or four or five times if you have to move it around and stack it like I do.
Thanks again for another entertaining video 👍
Liking this content. Regards, from Australia.