What's the best options for cutting your own logs?

[neiln]

Wood heat is hard work.  Reducing the handling is a big help,  split beside the stack, split on the ground if the wood is straight grained.  I'd also strongly urge you to get 2 or 3 axes if different sizes.  A lot of easy splitting wood splits easily with a 2.5 or 3 lb axe on a 28-30" haft, what doesn't after a couple of swings try with a bigger axe. It's easier and quicker to swing a light axe than use a big one all day,  that soon gets tiring. 

 

[Dougie Stirling]

2 hours ago, Will C said:

If you haven’t got a gauge for the rakers file 1 stroke off them to about 10 or 12 file strokes on the teeth.

 

if it’s grabby you have taken to much off if you have fine dusty saw dust they need more off.

Thanks that's going to save me buying a gauge and I'll have a shot at filing down the rakers today. I've the Husky chain file which looks to have a raker gauge on it so I'll youtube what I should be doing as that might help too. 

 

My dust is normally small square chips and it's when it turns to smaller dust or I have to fight to make a cut that I stop to sharpen. I'm pretty sure filing the rakers will be helpful though as I quite often feel I'm pushing down on the chainsaw rather than it pulling into the log.

 

Really appreciate everyone's tips as while I've been doing it for a few years I'm still self taught and so likely lots I can learn.

[Stere]

I   prefer a 6lbs maul head over an 8lbs one. I  like the  fibre handle mauls like the one you have. Don't think sharpness makes  that much difference for mauls.

 

 

 

A chain shouldn't blunt so fast it needs sharening every hr unless wood is dirty etc imo.

 

Cutting green wood will blunt a chain  alot slower than seasoned  wood, and the rounds will split easier green generally.

 

Any  rounds that don't split easy,  just set them aside  and cut them up  with the saw saves alot of effort.

 

 

Plastic flexi trugs are handy for picking up  split wood and tipping in log stacks

[Bocca]

A maul definitely has it’s uses for the heavier more seasoned stuff but get your hands on a Fiskars X21 axe. About £60 but worth every penny. The fibreglass shaft is virtually indestructible so the odd miss swing won’t hit you in the pocket. It’s incredibly lightweight and your body will thank you for it. 
 

I know a lot of the purists prefer a traditional ash handled axe, but the X21 is a game changer imo 

[roys]

Going to have to try an X21 been reading on here for years about them but never bought one to try, I keep on plugging away with my Roughneck one, probably do about  10 to 12 cube a year.

My wife is always wanting to know what to get me for Christmas so guess it is the X21 this year.

Back to the OP just to pick up on a couple of the points, @Rob D at chainsawbars always gives great service for new chains and bars, I split when green, just a couple of strokes with a flat file on the rakers at every sharpen.

[Dougie Stirling]

2 hours ago, Bocca said:

A maul definitely has it’s uses for the heavier more seasoned stuff but get your hands on a Fiskars X21 axe. About £60 but worth every penny. The fibreglass shaft is virtually indestructible so the odd miss swing won’t hit you in the pocket. It’s incredibly lightweight and your body will thank you for it. 
 

I know a lot of the purists prefer a traditional ash handled axe, but the X21 is a game changer imo 

I've seen it before and always thought the X21 had a very straight handle, I'm going to go to the local hardware store (B&Q) and try one out. Thanks for the tip.

 

I love the fibreglass handles as the roughneck one has taken a fair hammering (my aim is rubbish half the time especially on the knots), I'm sure it's outlasted any wooden handled axe at least by 2 or 3 times.

[Dougie Stirling]

Thanks for all the advice on the rakers, I filed them down about half a dozen strokes earlier today and seems to pull more chips off the log without me needing to push the chain into the log as much so I think that's made a huge difference.

 

I need more practice on my golf axe swing, I think the handle was too long today, X21 might be the bad boy to sort that out. I'm torn between that or an electric log splitter for xmas.

[Steven P]

1 hour ago, Dougie Stirling said:

I've seen it before and always thought the X21 had a very straight handle, I'm going to go to the local hardware store (B&Q) and try one out.

 

Not sure if the DIY warehouses still do them, B&Q have a very similar coloured Magnusson branded axe (made by Kingfisher... owners of B&Q), so check - not sure they will be the same quality.

 

 

I'd second a Fiskars, not used the mail for years really. The axe will get through most things.

 

Couple of tips

Electric saw shouldn't be too noisy, so go ahead when you want (remembering be social whatever).

Chain sharpening kit with measures are about the same as getting a chain or 2 sharpened at the shop, a no brainer to get one, need to replace the files every now and then

Chains - My Oregon one will sharpen quicker but loose its edge a bit quicker than the Stihl blade, but will easily do a few charges of the battery between sharpening.

Do the rakers as above, test each tooth as you go, I find if it just 'bites' my thumb it is OK (learrn quick enough how much pressure to use!!). I tend to run the flat file once along the top edge of the tooth as well, gives it a little sharper edge but never worked out if I should or shouldn't do this.

 

If I get any longer branches (2m or so), I'll split them lengthways - for a decent straight bit it will split in as many hits as chopping it and splitting, but the saw will cut it better (thinner wood, faster chain speed and so on). Also satisfying domestically seeing that length split.

Nothing wring with splitting a log edge on rather than from the cut end (with care of course that you hit it straight so it won't fly off somewhere uncontrolled)

Those little wedge shaped offcuts - perfect as... wedges.. for the knottier wood, hit with the axe, and put a wedge in where you can, knock it in if you can, will open the cut so your next hit will more than likely be where you hit before, put wedge in more and go again (obviously don't aim for the wedge). Often for a twisty but that won't quite go, a decent half log hit into a split will force it open,

Anything I can't get with the axe will either cut with the saw, awkward shapes go out to rot in my wood - for the bugs an toads to live in (I don't get many of them)

Quit the gym - use your work out time with the abs, legs, arm, making firewood

 

Big time saver is avoiding double handling.. but that is cancelled if you have to spend an hour sweeping saw dust and chippings off the drive. As above with the long lengths, I'll let them dry like that (holds the wood stacks together one every now and then), and chop to length in the garage (battery saw) - the saw dust is more contained there (most flies straight into the coal if you want to know). Brings me to new toys - a leaf blower is quicker than sweeping up and gets into the corners better

 

[Dougie Stirling]

7 minutes ago, Steven P said:

 

Not sure if the DIY warehouses still do them, B&Q have a very similar coloured Magnusson branded axe (made by Kingfisher... owners of B&Q), so check - not sure they will be the same quality.

 

 

I'd second a Fiskars, not used the mail for years really. The axe will get through most things.

 

Couple of tips

Electric saw shouldn't be too noisy, so go ahead when you want (remembering be social whatever).

Chain sharpening kit with measures are about the same as getting a chain or 2 sharpened at the shop, a no brainer to get one, need to replace the files every now and then

Chains - My Oregon one will sharpen quicker but loose its edge a bit quicker than the Stihl blade, but will easily do a few charges of the battery between sharpening.

Do the rakers as above, test each tooth as you go, I find if it just 'bites' my thumb it is OK (learrn quick enough how much pressure to use!!). I tend to run the flat file once along the top edge of the tooth as well, gives it a little sharper edge but never worked out if I should or shouldn't do this.

 

If I get any longer branches (2m or so), I'll split them lengthways - for a decent straight bit it will split in as many hits as chopping it and splitting, but the saw will cut it better (thinner wood, faster chain speed and so on). Also satisfying domestically seeing that length split.

Nothing wring with splitting a log edge on rather than from the cut end (with care of course that you hit it straight so it won't fly off somewhere uncontrolled)

Those little wedge shaped offcuts - perfect as... wedges.. for the knottier wood, hit with the axe, and put a wedge in where you can, knock it in if you can, will open the cut so your next hit will more than likely be where you hit before, put wedge in more and go again (obviously don't aim for the wedge). Often for a twisty but that won't quite go, a decent half log hit into a split will force it open,

Anything I can't get with the axe will either cut with the saw, awkward shapes go out to rot in my wood - for the bugs an toads to live in (I don't get many of them)

Quit the gym - use your work out time with the abs, legs, arm, making firewood

 

Big time saver is avoiding double handling.. but that is cancelled if you have to spend an hour sweeping saw dust and chippings off the drive. As above with the long lengths, I'll let them dry like that (holds the wood stacks together one every now and then), and chop to length in the garage (battery saw) - the saw dust is more contained there (most flies straight into the coal if you want to know). Brings me to new toys - a leaf blower is quicker than sweeping up and gets into the corners better

 

Thanks - maybe it's not the X21 at B&Q, I'll look next time I'm there. I'm definitely happy buying decent stuff though as I chop about 6-8m3 per year, maybe more as it's about 4-5 days worth of cutting and chopping, probably not much by some standards but still takes a fair bit if time and so appreciate all the tips for doing it quicker.

 

Handling seems like a good tip, I currently just do rounds on a block, I'm going to start trying other ways to see if I can get the knack.

 

Again thanks also for the rakers and chain advice, I can't believe I used to buy 2 chains a year and throw them away as I didn't know how to sharpen them and at £10 each felt it was cheap enough for helping to chop the logs. Most of the time I was running a blunt chain as wasn't aware what sharp was like. That was a fair few years ago though fortunately.

[Stere]

I have a   fiskars x27 but don't use it much found  the 4lb head weight to light for most logs.

 

 

 

Means it needs to  be swung harder to work effectively versus the 6lbs maul which can  often be swung  lazily & without much force - the head weight being enough to do the work.

 

 

 

Seem this is contrary to the consesus though as nearly all reviews of the fiskars are really posiitve.

 

Don't like axes with shorter  handles than 36" for spiltting rounds

 

 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Stere