Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[WinterDeere]

Storing a splitter takes up space, don't want another engine to think about and I really don't have to split that much. I don't burn wood and everything I split is just saved for friends and family to use.

My splitter is the one machine that sits outside. I purchased a cover for it from Amazon, actually quite cheap. The covers last about 5-6 years, given my storage location isn't full-sun, and keep the machine totally clean and free of rust. You do need to watch out for wasps or hornets when you remove the cover in summer, but I've honestly had very few problems with that.

I briefly considered a three-point splitter, but after watching a few videos and looking at my specs, it looks like it would be exceedingly slow on my JD2520 due to hydraulic flow rate.

In addition to the speed problem, they're putting a lot of run hours on your very expensive tractor, in lieu of a $400 gasoline engine. Never made sense, to me.

If your Oak isn't burning well, are you sure it is properly dried? Oak seems to be the one wood I cannot get into the desired 15-20% moisture content range with just one summer's worth of drying.

3 summers for most oak under most conditions. White oak takes longer to dry than red.

Testing MC% of oak is never easy, because it's honestly damn hard to get good probe penetration. But if you try it, make sure you test it near room temperature, at 3 different locations along the length of a freshly-split face. Repeat x3 pieces from various locations in the stack (9 total test points), and then average the data.

Too many test on the outside of a piece of wood, rather than a freshly-split face. That just tells you the outside of the wood is dry (duh), but there can still be a lot of water locked up inside.

it is true that you guys summer are longer but ourself up north we need 2 summer minimum...although 4 summers stored in the elements is too long.

Depends on conditions. Most of the oak I burn is dried for 4 summers after splitting. It's under a roof these days, but I used to store on pallets and only cover in August of the year I'd be finally using it.

Wood tends to rot faster in log form than split, in my yard.

 

[goeduck]

For several years before buying my own, I used to split about 75% - 90% of my wood by hand, and just toss aside the stuff that was going to be difficult. Then I'd rent a splitter one day or weekend per year, to both plow thru the difficult stuff, and get a little ahead on the rest. A Saturday rental once per year wasn't that expensive, and my local place would give me Sunday for free, as long as I had it back by 7 or 8 am on Monday.

Those weekend deals are ice. The local rental is closed on both Saturday and Sunday, so a Friday rental has to be back on Monday for a single day fee. I have my own splitter, but I did rent a trencher that way.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

In addition to the speed problem, they're putting a lot of run hours on your very expensive tractor, in lieu of a $400 gasoline engine. Never made sense, to me.

What never made sense to me is, someone being afraid to run a 3 point wood splitter or a pto generator because it puts hours on their tractor...

I split a LOT of wood, and I bet I don't put a hundred hours a year on my tractor splitting wood.

Anyone who owns a tractor that they have to worry about, even a couple hundred hours a year running a splitter, must have bought a huge POS for a tractor... lol

SR

 

[Oaktree]

The tree service that said they would take the tops off seems to be standing me up. So much for a handshake.

I hear ya on the tree services. I had a half dead pine on my property I've been trying to find someone to take down for me all summer with no luck. Trunk was quite rotten, didn't want to attempt it myself. One guy took a look at it, gave me a quote then ghosted me. No one else even returned calls.
Had a bad windstorm last weekend, tree came down by itself. Couldn't have dropped it in a better spot if I'd tried!
Now to rent a stump eater and finish it up.

 

[Oaktree]

Elm is super stringy. Just doesn't separate. I use a splitter and then a short handled ax to finish. It doesn't pit off a lot of btus but, it's wood, and when dry burns.

Not much elm left around here but many years ago I got a bunch in exchange for helping a friend's uncle get rid of it. You're right, it's nasty stuff to split, and all I had to split with back then was an ax and sledge/wedges.
I didn't think it burned bad, just took a fairly hot fire to get going.

 

[WinterDeere]

Anyone who owns a tractor that they have to worry about, even a couple hundred hours a year running a splitter, must have bought a huge POS for a tractor... lol

That's a huge assumption. My tractor was bought new in 2019, and I'm not "worried" about running a splitter from it, but just don't see a need for it, or any advantage in it.

1. I use the loader on my tractor as my log lift, it lifts the rounds to where I transfer them onto the splitter. Using the tractor for 3-point splitter would mean losing that function.
2. I use the tractor for lifting logs off my storage pile, before bucking them and moving the rounds to the splitter. This could be done with splitter attached, but much less convenient.
3. Separate splitter is more convenient, no PTO hookup BS.
4. I put 100 hours per year on my tractor already. Purchased new in 2019 with plan to keep for roughly 20 years / 2000 hours, before retiring and downsizing. I run the splitter 50 - 75 hours per year, so that would increase hours on tractor over 20 years by 1.5x to 1.75x. The impact on resale price between a 2000 hours machine and a 3000-3500 hour machine would be greater than anything I'd save by swapping a gasoline powered splitter for a 3-point splitter.
5. In reality, most 3-point splitters I've seen have not been cheaper than gasoline-powered splitters of similar capacity and speed.

It's not that I'm "worried" about the cost, as you imply. I just don't like paying more for an inferior solution, at least as far as my needs go. Put otherwise, if I'm going to lose use of my tractor while the splitter is set up, it should at least save me money... which it would not.

I believe you have multiple tractors, so different scenario than most homeowners splitting wood for personal use.

 

[CalG]

My splitter is the one machine that sits outside. I purchased a cover for it from Amazon, actually quite cheap. The covers last about 5-6 years, given my storage location isn't full-sun, and keep the machine totally clean and free of rust. You do need to watch out for wasps or hornets when you remove the cover in summer, but I've honestly had very few problems with that.


In addition to the speed problem, they're putting a lot of run hours on your very expensive tractor, in lieu of a $400 gasoline engine. Never made sense, to me.


3 summers for most oak under most conditions. White oak takes longer to dry than red.

Testing MC% of oak is never easy, because it's honestly damn hard to get good probe penetration. But if you try it, make sure you test it near room temperature, at 3 different locations along the length of a freshly-split face. Repeat x3 pieces from various locations in the stack (9 total test points), and then average the data.

Too many test on the outside of a piece of wood, rather than a freshly-split face. That just tells you the outside of the wood is dry (duh), but there can still be a lot of water locked up inside.


Depends on conditions. Most of the oak I burn is dried for 4 summers after splitting. It's under a roof these days, but I used to store on pallets and only cover in August of the year I'd be finally using it.

Wood tends to rot faster in log form than split, in my yard.

View attachment 1631483 View attachment 1631481 View attachment 1631482

Nice set up!

 

[KennyG]

I've wanted a splitter for about twice that long. After having to deal with a rash of dead trees this year, I started thinking about it again, but I keep coming back to three issues:

Storing a splitter takes up space, don't want another engine to think about and I really don't have to split that much. I don't burn wood and everything I split is just saved for friends and family to use.

I briefly considered a three-point splitter, but after watching a few videos and looking at my specs, it looks like it would be exceedingly slow on my JD2520 due to hydraulic flow rate.

We've had the three pt. vs stand alone "discussion" before here. Each to his own. I have a 3 point splitter on my 2320 and it works well for me. It has a relatively small cylinder so it's not super powerful, but that makes it quicker and it's a two way splitter so no retract cycle. Wear on the tractor may concern some people but at my age and about 100 hours/year I expect the tractor to outlast me.

 

[John_Mc]

it is true that you guys summer are longer but ourself up north we need 2 summer minimum...although 4 summers stored in the elements is too long.

The only way one summer works for me is if I stack in single rows well exposed to sun and wind. As long as we don't have a totally rain filled summer it works. If I stack in a block of rows set together, I'll never make it in just one Spring/Fall/Summer.

 

[Jstpssng]

Ash almost splits itself (we joke that if you look at it too hard, it will split clean in two).

I have seen it do just that. It was cut in winter and left on the log landing with the sun beating down on it. It curled up in two pieces just like a piece of celery.

I split a LOT of wood, and I bet I don't put a hundred hours a year on my tractor splitting wood.

A hundred hours for some people is 2-3 years. You work your tractors to pay for them, for a homeowner it can be a significant part of their budget.