#FJB - Home Heating Investment

[Gray]

Hard to find a log splitter for sale these days. A buddy owns a landscape supply shop and got four in last week.

So I towed home a brand new 35 ton Oregon splitter today.



Headed tomorrow am to drop a couple dead standing locusts to bring home and split. Should be enough wood to keep me warm well into next year. That coupled with an endless supply of logs to cut from an arborists laydown yard 3 miles from my house.

The splitter should easily pay for itself over the next three years. #FJB

 

[Gray]

Three hours and less than a tank of fuel ran in the Stihl 362.

I may not be able to move tomorrow, but I’ll be warm on the couch.

 

[Gray]

This guy came crawling out of one of the trees as we were trying to load logs.

When I tried to scoop him up he popped open the wings and when I tried to scoop up again (with pieces of bark) he flew away.

Really cool to see up close like that.

 

[Gray]

Side kick like a boss!

 

[Gray]

And done at 7. I also split a normal truck load of oak before I started on the locust.

 

[Slacker]

Locust and Shagbark hickory are my favorites.
Both are chain dulling stuff but carry coal-ish BTU's. I split it small, so I can use it sparingly.
Plus it seasons really slow, so small pieces dry faster. It looks like your wood is already close to dry but locust is so dense it's deceiving.

I also owned an MS362 for awhile, it was my first pro-grade saw. I bought it specifically for bucking locust and hickory.
You probably already know but be careful with the locust, it will warp a Woodstove. I use it at night for a longer burn but only mixed in with oak.

I'm using a MS462 for bucking these days.
13lbs, 72cc. It's a beast, makes short work of logs.

 

[Leadchunker]

I’m still running a Brave 34 ton splitter I got from Home Depot. Bought it in 1997. It has been used and abused by my crew over the years.
I replaced the engine with a predator 10 years ago. Starts on the first pull. I just put a new cylinder on it and all new hoses 3 weeks ago.

 

[BlackGun]

Investment is the word. That is expensive.

 

[Slacker]

Investment is the word. That is expensive.

Gotta use it for it to pay.
My kind of investment.

 

[BlackGun]

I’m on natural gas for both living area units now. Natural has is up 85% over last year and climbing. In NC we have 55 less days of heating days than the Northeast. It’s going to be a cold or an expensive winter for those north of us. I would not want a $1500-$2000 natural gas bill. Let’s Go Brandon voters.

 

[ES44AC]

You've got to get a FJB decal for your wood splitter.

 

[Torn and Frayed]

@Gray how does it do on gnarly woods like locust and white oak?

 

[GeorgeBush]

but think of all the exercise youre missing out on

 

[Gray]

@Gray how does it do on gnarly woods like locust and white oak?

It doesn’t care. I haven’t had too much knotty oak to split but the locust burls busted easily.

 

[Gray]

but think of all the exercise youre missing out on

I’m still cutting with a saw, moving rounds, splitting and stacking. And that’s before I carry it into the house.

 

[Leadchunker]

You cut it down, buck it, load it in the truck, unload it, pick it up to split, pick it up to stack it, pickup/carry into the house.
Plenty of exercise in every btu.

 

[Torn and Frayed]

been using https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-X27-6-3-lbs-36-in-Super-Splitting-Axe-78846935/202681680 this fiskars, ugly as sin but does a heck of a job. eventually i'll need a splitter, will probably buy once cry once. lot's of non straight grain white oak to bust up. the axe does really well on straight grain red oak but locust and white oak can be a bear. yours have a honda engine?

 

[Torn and Frayed]

You cut it down, buck it, load it in the truck, unload it, pick it up to split, pick it up to stack it, pickup/carry into the house.
Plenty of exercise in every btu.

reading this made me tired

 

[papa_smurf]

We have a 37 ton Huskee thats about 15 years old. Dad ranks it in his top 3 purchases of all time. Splitter, Tractor with Loader, Hudson trailer.

That thing has split everything we've ever loaded it with, even curly grain sweet gum that just soaks up an axe head.

 

[BlackGun]

I was talking to a guy who told me it took him 120 hours work to bust up enough wood for winter. At $20 hr x 120 that’s $2400. About double a heating electrical bill.

 

[DrScaryGuy]

I was talking to a guy who told me it took him 120 hours work to bust up enough wood for winter. At $20 hr x 120 that’s $2400. About double a heating electrical bill.

there's a lot to be said for looking at a pile of something you made happen for those of us who work behind a computer screen all day

 

[Gray]

been using https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-X27-6-3-lbs-36-in-Super-Splitting-Axe-78846935/202681680 this fiskars, ugly as sin but does a heck of a job. eventually i'll need a splitter, will probably buy once cry once. lot's of non straight grain white oak to bust up. the axe does really well on straight grain red oak but locust and white oak can be a bear. yours have a honda engine?

Mine has a big Briggs. I think the older model Oregon’s came with a mix of Honda and Briggs motors.

My buddy who owns the shop said that from what’s he’s seen, the Briggs is a little more forgiving with poor quality fuel, water etc and went on to mention the easily available aftermarket parts.

I’m really impressed with the on/off controls, throttle and choke setup. And it’s got a fuel cut off switch factory.

I think either way, if you just treat a decent small engine correctly it should last a very long time.

I actually just changed the engine oil on mine after about 8-10 hours of run time.

 

[BrettB]

Oregon makes great products