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Best wood to split

Started by jargo432, March 15, 2014, 02:30:08 AM

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jargo432

The three types of wood on my land to choose from are Oak, Mesquite, and Elm.  I do all my splitting with an 8 pound maul so the type of wood I cut is based on how easy it will split.  For me Mesquite is a dream to split.  Next would be Oak which isn't too bad as long as it doesn't have too many knots or twist.  Last would be Elm, which I avoid like the plague.  The last time I tried to split Elm the maul just bounced like I was hitting a basketball. :D 

Since these are the only trees I have experience with I'd like to know which types of trees are easy and which are hard to split where you're from.

Thanks
Jack of all trades.

Glenn


BBTom

I always thought that a good straight ash log was the easiest splitting wood.  Makes decent firewood too.
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timberlinetree

Ash&soft maple. I splitwood_smiley about a ranger load a day in the winter for us and a few others unless the splitter is on the job. I pull some dead stuff with the skidder when i find it and pile it. End of the day I split a load.
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thecfarm

Glenn,beech, :o  Must be a diffeant beech than one I have. Beech kinda splits like yellow birch.
I would have to say young red oak. We never cut much of it,only if it was in the way. We mostly cut white maple. Than I got my own place and we started to thin out some beech.

jargo432,the way we use to split elm,was to leave it behind the shed for a year,To get the life out of it,my Father would say. This was big elm too,we never got much of it.
We use to split with iron wedges too. Sometimes we would have to split wood in 4 foot lengths to load it onto a trailer.
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r.man

For any heating value ash. Can be burned the same day it is cut and it will burn. Better dry but if you have to burn green wood ash is the choice here. I have burned lots of green wood and if the coals get too low it can be a problem getting a strong fire going again. Find a piece of ash in the pile, split it fine and even though it is as green as the rest you will have a strong fire soon. Splits like a dream green or dry compared to any of the other species that give decent heat.
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Rockn H

I would say red oak was the easiest wood to split that we burn.  Jargo, on that Elm try slabbing it off around the edges. ( hit it on the growth rings instead of the rays)

jargo432

Jack of all trades.

Rob5073

I agree with the mesquite. Nice, clear pieces of mesquite are very easy to split and oak isn't bad either. Pecan is difficult and stringy especially if it's wet.

Magicman

Ash is my easiest species to split, but I avoid it because it makes so many ashes.  Red Oak is by far my preference, both for splitting and heat output.  I believe that Red Oak ashes burn up because there are very few to carry out.
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jargo432

Rob, good to see someone else here from North Texas.
Jack of all trades.

woodmills1

straight grained clear wood is the easiest to split, but it should be a sawlog then.


as for species, (no mesquite here)  red oak hands down, cause even with knots it pops


maple and poplar even pine split better than oak with straight no knots

try any of those with knots or forks ouch, pine forks and knots yowee

hickory straight is ok but stringy, and elm just rip it instead

good clear straight red oak will see ya acummin with a maul and pop itself apart to save you the trouble
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Rob5073

Quote from: jargo432 on March 15, 2014, 05:06:27 PM
Rob, good to see someone else here from North Texas.

Holy crap it rained in N .TX today!  I'm building an ark. 

doctorb

Elm is the reason log splitters were invented.  :D  If I had to split a lot of elm for heating each winter, I would most certainly use a splitter and allow my maul and wedges to gather some dust.  The others mentioned are good fun and exercise with a maul, and you can get a lot of wood split in a reasonable amount of time.  But I don't swing at elm any longer.   
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

jargo432

Holy crap it rained in N .TX today!  I'm building an ark.
[/quote]

I know, we got at least an inch of rain here in Jack county.  I was just out checking if all this wind is drying me out enough to get my pickup back to the barn so I can cut some wood.
Jack of all trades.

kevin19343

Did you ever see the scene in the movie Frankenstein when the villagers are chasing him with torches and he reacts with fright & terror? Thats how I feel about hand splitting firewood.

Remember, maul is a 4 letter word. ;D

clww

Red Oak is the easiest I split.
Gum is the worst. It just rips.
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Al_Smith

As general information EAB killed ash is not as easy to split as one would think .Obviously Ohio ash does not produce as much ashes as Mississippi ash trees either .I'm not certain weather grits has anything to do with that or not .

Elm as previously mentioned was what  neccessitated  the invention of the hydraulic splitter .Short of that noodling with a chainsaw is the best method .

Dieselsteve

I like to split red oak with my fiskars, its like a hot knife through soft butter

glassman_48

ash and cherry are easiest for my processor, we have some type of swamp type oak that gets a little stringy like elm, I will ask my logging company next time I get some to see what it is. Dieselsteve, what part of Michigan are you?  I am in Kalkaska

Dieselsteve

Im from in between Clio and Millington just east of 75 about 40 min south of Bay City. More city slickers down here than my liking haha

Dieselsteve

I got 20 acres just north of seeney off 77 in the yoop though I havent been up there in quite a few years.

Shotgun

Diesel, Where are you on M77, North of Seney?  How far north, and are you near M-77?

I'm from Traverse City, and go to a camp near Kingston Lake a  couple of times a year. From Davison a long time ago.

Glassman, I'm pretty close to you.
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Dieselsteve

to tell you the Gods honest truth I havent been up there since I was about 10 years old. I was raised by my grandparents and my grandpa aquired the land with his best friend 50/50 back in the 50's they used it for deer hunting. I came to aquire it after pop died in 2000 and this summer marks the first time ill be up there since. My Aunt and Uncle (who paid the taxes because I was I minor) have been up there a couple times but between me, my sister and 2 cousins who might as well be siblings all share the deed. I know its north of seney right off 77 not sure how far north. this summer will be the first I have been able to afford the trip. I know there is a cedar swamp on one corner of the property and alot of old growth oak up there that we have been trying to protect.

glassman_48

shotgun,
nice to find someone close, i own kalkaska glass, thats my work number on my profile.  My logging site is about 10 miles east of kalkaska on m-72.  If your ever over this way, stop in.  I would love to show someone the wood that looks like oak and splits like elm to see what they think it is.  I wish I could figure out out to put a picture on here I would really like to get input on what kind of wood.  If you ever stop over bring a camera or your phone and maybe you could help.   

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