Getting 42" hard Maple blocks on the splitter

Pawnee

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L2501
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I'm not sure what they weigh but they are too heavy for me to wrestle.

I put 1/2" lag bolts either side and lift them with the pallet forks on to the splitter.
Slow going but I don't have a faster way.


Pick the cleavage line
Block.jpg

Bam!
Split block.jpg

I drive it over to the splitter flat on the forks, then get the chain on the lag bolts because it swings on the chain and might hit the tractor.
It's easy to stand clear as it falls in half.
 
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jajiu

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I know what you mean. I have had my share of very large and heavy logs and the only way is with the tractor to lift them onto the splitter.
PB200002.JPG
 
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tinkerwitheverything

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Holly crap that's just nuts. I can see why it's slow going. Don't know what to even say about a easier way. I would probably use the chain saw to cut them into more manageable pieces.
 

NCL4701

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If you ordered a third function and grapple tonight it might be this time next year before you get them, but that looks like a job for a grapple. Pick it up with the giant hydraulic hand and set it up there. Loosen the lids a little bit and split it. Backhoe with thumb would do the same thing.
 
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JimmyJazz

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I would cut a 1 inch or so "seam" across the face of the round and use a steel wedge driven by a sledge hammer to split it into a more manageable size. Goes pretty fast once you get used to it.
 
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NCL4701

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I still split into manageable pieces using an 8lb maul, wedges, and a 16lb sledge. Wife and I both use the hydraulic splitter once they’re smaller. My Dad did that until about 10 years ago (mid-70’s then) and then had to move to using the splitter vertically for the big blocks using a cant hook to position the blocks. (Splitter is a horizontal/vertical convertible.) He would NOT let me help him even though we split wood together for many years growing up. He’s past all that now, so he burns wood but doesn’t process it.

If you’re past doing any manual splitting, it can get pretty challenging.
 

JimmyJazz

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If you have a lot of wood to split and want to speed things up consider "investing" in a Supersplit log splitter. Look it up on YouTube. Its amazingly fast compared to the hydraulic variety. Not cheap ,however mine has earned its keep so to speak. Around this time of the year when the weather cools I succumb to the urge to harvest dead and dying trees. Be careful with that setup. Its wouldn't take much to get hurt. Have fun. Nice tractor.
 

dirtydeed

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I used to split the large round with the splitter in the vertical position. Many times just split them thru the side instead of the cut face. You just roll them into place, no lifting.
 

bmblank

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Pickaroon/Hookaroon is the bomb. That and vertical splitter make it possible. Mine is a convertible, too.

That supersplit wouldn't make it with half of my wood.
 

Pawnee

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L2501
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Pickaroon/Hookaroon is the bomb. That and vertical splitter make it possible. Mine is a convertible, too.

That supersplit wouldn't make it with half of my wood.
I looked up the supersplit and think it's a great idea for straight grain easy splitting blocks. I split 95% of my firewood with a 3-1/2 pound axe and enjoy the work. With this Maple I can not split any of the main trunk by axe.

I would like to see the supersplit argue with this gnarly piece of Elm.
IMGP0007.JPG
 

bmblank

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A lot of mine is white oak, and knotty, or the base of the tree, at that...
My huskee 25t is a good balance between speed and strength.
Not to mention, I want to hold the wood so it splits in the right spot. Holding on to that while that ram comes in fast seems mighty iffy. I'm sure you get used to it and it's not a problem, but, never having run one, it kinda makes me iffy.
 
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Henro

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It is a shame a tree that size turned into firewood! Lost for words...maybe there is a reason...which I can actually easily imagine.

Still an 8 foot plus section of that tree would have produced some nice slabs...
 

RCW

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It is a shame a tree that size turned into firewood! Lost for words...maybe there is a reason...which I can actually easily imagine.

Still an 8 foot plus section of that tree would have produced some nice slabs...
You're almost in Maple Country.

Most sawyers are very reluctant to saw the first 6-8 feet of "Hard" (aka Sugar) Maple due to old iron or steel maple spiles.

Also, depending on the Sugar Maple tree's location, it could have been a "hedgerow" tree that had fencing attached to it..

Lot of other possibilities, such as horseshoes, plowshares, bullets...you name it.

A good Sugar Maple can be 300 years old up here....they attract a lot of metal in their time.....
 

GreensvilleJay

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I understand 'turning trees into firewood'.
spent a summer milling 'live edge spalted Maple' . enough to fill a 20x40x14 shop, 1/2 were close to 24" wide,2" thick,all properly stickered,air dried for 5 years. NO warping.ZERO interest in them even though 'live edge' tables were a hot item. Took chainsaw to sut up into 2' lengths and spent several months burning them in firepit.
next were the 'chickootery boards', 350+ of them, again milled,stickerd,dry, 'flat as a board'. ZERO interest. even the guy who'se wife sells them at $80 each, wouldn't buy the blanks at $1 each. They burned in th e pit as well
While I enjoyed the running of the sawmill, since no onewood buy the lumber, I gave it away, probably do the same with the BX23S next summer.
 
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Pawnee

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i love wood and have a lot of respect for old trees.
The Maple was dying, my forester brother told me it had to come down. It was close to the house so I found some guys who fell trees and mill hardwood, they didn't want any of it.
There were nails in one huge block that messed up my rented saw on about the third cut.
I will always give anything away that can be used for other than firewood but very few takers.
I have an astounding pile of firewood from that tree, will get an aerial drone pic when it's all stacked in my overflow area.

I've burned Butternut if you can believe that - it's crap firewood BTW. Splits nice and is heavy when you stack it but it must be 2/3 water. It's protected here so I don't know why nobody wants it. You can only harvest it if it has fallen on its own.

Now you know the rest of the story.
 

Magicman

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I would like to see the supersplit argue with this gnarly piece of Elm.
Elm is in the 'spiral grain' category and will fight before splitting. So it goes for other spiral grain species such as Hickory, Pecan, Sycamore, & Sweetgum.
 

Pawnee

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Elm is in the 'spiral grain' category and will fight before splitting. So it goes for other spiral grain species such as Hickory, Pecan, Sycamore, & Sweetgum.
I learn something every day. :)
I have Hickory here but don't think I've ever cut one up.

I guess we will never see those spiral species in a splitter commercial. Drives me nuts that they always use blocks you could split with a hatchet.
 

Magicman

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I forgot to include Hackberry (which is in the Elm family). The spiral will reverse direction and be in the opposite direction several times during a tree's life creating a finger lacing affect which resists splitting.
IMG_5666.JPG

872BE6A8-FB1F-413D-848F-81F34EFD0054.jpeg

Here are a couple of pictures of Sweetgum clearing showing the inter-woven wood grain.
 
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Henro

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You're almost in Maple Country.

Most sawyers are very reluctant to saw the first 6-8 feet of "Hard" (aka Sugar) Maple due to old iron or steel maple spiles.

Also, depending on the Sugar Maple tree's location, it could have been a "hedgerow" tree that had fencing attached to it..

Lot of other possibilities, such as horseshoes, plowshares, bullets...you name it.

A good Sugar Maple can be 300 years old up here....they attract a lot of metal in their time.....
I guess it would be a risk/benefit decision. Band saw mill blades are not that expensive. Maybe $25 to 30 last time I looked. Might be a bit more now.

BUT a nice maple slab of that width would be worth a lot more.

One takes his chances and wins sometimes. Not sure what the odds are...

Heat from combustion is a sure thing though.