officially firewood season has started for me

[frustratedearthmother]

Gotta admire the work you put in to heat with wood. We don't do too much of that in my part of Texas!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I HATE firewood! Lol we use wood pellets currently, 6 tons worth per winter. $1500 a year... Maybe someday we'll go back to wood but, so much work and so little time!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yes, yes I do. And that $1500 does not include electricity to run the boiler or anything, just pellets. Sigh.

 

[Hinotori]

I have a splitting maul like that as well.

I prefer the gas splitter with all my health issues.

I have a little 3 lb hand kindling maul that works well for dividing chunks of cedar and fir smaller for the stove. Swinging something hammer size is easier on me than a full size maul.

 

[Hinotori]

I'm grateful for our mostly mild, if wet, climate. Couple that with us liking it cooler and just a cord to cord and a half will get us through winter.

We're low on restoration priority so pellet stove isn't even a good option for us. We have gotten the pressed blocks when they were cheap for a pallet. I think it was $80 for it and it lasted all winter. Win win for us on work and cost

 

[Hinotori]

Hinotori I love my Truper Ive given my Step Son and a couple Amish Friends one as a gift because it works so well. Ive thought about purchasing a kindling cracker for splitting kindling I understand it works well and is very safe it was designed and marketed by a 13 year old girl what a story.
View attachment 8285https://www.kindlingcracker.com/

Got one of those for my parents two christmases ago. Mom can't use the kindling maul, but she can manage that fine. She likes it

 

[Beekissed]

We have an old orange steel maul, the name no longer is evident on the tool, so not sure what kind it is. Nowadays we use a splitter, as none of us have the shoulder joints enough to use a maul.

We use an old Swisher log splitter that we keep in good condition....looks brand new right now after Mom cleaned it up before the firewood season. We've been splitting on some giant trees that have fallen down this year, two of them are green pine we are putting in a dry out shelter for later use when it's dry and cured out.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@cabinguy - Enjoyed seeing you use that old Ford for heavy work (along with horse power!). We haul our logs out with a 1954 Ford tractor and it's been a huge help. My husband has a a splitting maul and axe he picked up at Home Depot that have served us well actually. I've grown up a fan of processing firewood yourself with minimal tools- when the family invested in a gas splitter years ago, it looked more dangerous than using the axe.

Did you train the horses yourself for skidding them out? We've been talking about getting/training an ox one day to help us out.

 

[cabinguy]

I LOVE it that you are skidding with your horse! Such a quiet way to get logs out of the woods and so little impact on the land. I've always wanted to do that and once had the perfect horse for the job, but we never implemented him.

I don't care for the noise of the splitter either, though this one is kind of quiet for a splitter, I must say. I still wear ear muffs, though, while operating it...gotta protect the hearing.

I think it's wonderful that you are using your maul...if everyone had continued to do so, I don't think we would have aged quite so quickly around here. I used to LOVE to chop wood, especially for the wood cook stove...to me that was very relaxing and it felt good to watch that pile grow.

I LOVE it that you are skidding with your horse! Such a quiet way to get logs out of the woods and so little impact on the land. I've always wanted to do that and once had the perfect horse for the job, but we never implemented him.

I don't care for the noise of the splitter either, though this one is kind of quiet for a splitter, I must say. I still wear ear muffs, though, while operating it...gotta protect the hearing.

I think it's wonderful that you are using your maul...if everyone had continued to do so, I don't think we would have aged quite so quickly around here. I used to LOVE to chop wood, especially for the wood cook stove...to me that was very relaxing and it felt good to watch that pile grow.

 

[cabinguy]

@cabinguy - Enjoyed seeing you use that old Ford for heavy work (along with horse power!). We haul our logs out with a 1954 Ford tractor and it's been a huge help. My husband has a a splitting maul and axe he picked up at Home Depot that have served us well actually. I've grown up a fan of processing firewood yourself with minimal tools- when the family invested in a gas splitter years ago, it looked more dangerous than using the axe.

Did you train the horses yourself for skidding them out? We've been talking about getting/training an ox one day to help us out.

I love my old Ford 9n it just keeps on running . DW did most of the ground work with the horses but needed help with training them to drive on the open road. 1st our Amish neighbor trained them next to his best bomb proof draft horse on his large heavy work wagon on the road. Then each one spent time with an Amish horse trainer. This year another Amish neighbor used them plow with his draft horse 3 wide.