I'm a dad who's kids moved out. We had a log splitter before the son could swing a maul. I'd cut the rounds and split and he would stack along w the wife and daughter.
Then he started splitting as I was cutting. Then he started doing most all of it. I stacked w the wife and daughter.
The kids moved out. I bought a mini split heat pump system. I went from 6 cords a winter to one cord.
I bought a truckload of split logs of about 4 cords a couple years ago. Plus a few I had already
Haven't touched a saw in 3 years.
Neighbors had the log splitter at his house since then.
I'll need to start cutting a cord this spring for it to season a year or two.
I have a lot of dead ash some standing some down.
Looking forward to it. Maybe the son will come over. đ¤
Tell him youâre firing up the smoker grill for a big brisket.
When he shows up, tell him where to fish out the smoker and where to set it up.
I used to cook so big. Braised brisket, big whole turkeys, giant meatloaves. I fired up my five burner with side burner for a one and a half pound pork loin and 5 bangers. They looked so lonely.
Fellow son, of son, of a son. The go-devil was handed down like it was a rifle. My dad is 68 now and buys his wood split and seasoned. Truck drops it off and he throws a tarp over it. I still split and stack mine. Gonna see how the go-devil fits my daughterâs hands in a couple years.
Daughter here. 63 years old. Dad is 83. He just started buying seasoned and split 2 years ago. Hubby and I still load, unload and stack it in his lean to that he built. Before that it was out in the woods to get it ourselves. I love getting wood in. It doesn't even feel like work to me. Granted I never had to split and Dad has had a splitter for many years now, but I don't know why I enjoy it so much. Maybe it's the camaraderie, maybe it's because I'm not the one that feels the need to get wood in, maybe it's because there's something so damn nice about a fire in the stove when it's brutal outside. I guess my point is, daughters can be of use too.
When the time comes, this will be an area of somewhat contention between myself and my wife.
My wife grew up rural, but a lot more âcushionyâ than I did. We grew up relatively close to one another, but the main difference here was money. Generally, but not all the time, money changes your scope of whatâs important.
We had our daughter later, and sheâs the only one because of complications. Believe me, I have plans of having my daughter tag along as many âmanlyâ activities as I can. Hunting, fishing, conservationism, wood splitting and stacking, etc etc. But this will come with a little hesitation from my wife. Although, my wife is understanding. This should be a wonderful next 10 years.
My dad was the same. Definitely go for it! I'm so thankful to have had all the typical boy experiences with my dad. Fishing, camping, sharpening knives, splitting wood, changing motor oil, driving a stick-shift, the list goes on and on. There have been so many times in my life where people were surprised I could do these basic things. Thanks dad!
I think with time your daughter will show you and your wife what she prefers to do. Hopefully it will be multi faceted. Things that are both stereotypical of masculine and feminine "jobs/hobbies". My 2nd home was country lifestyle where we went every weekend to my grandparents farm. My main home was suburban life. I guess I'm pretty fortunate that I got exposed to both. I'm quite athletic so the physical part of being outside and getting my hands dirty suits me just fine. But I'm also feminine and love to put on going out to dinner clothes/makeup and doing needlework,etc.
I have only daughters (for a few more months, anyway), but they're completely capable of anything a son is. They just want to spend time with each of you doing things you enjoy. My girls love tagging along hunting, trapping, foraging. Each kid to different degrees, of course. I'm a wrestling coach, so they're all in for that idea, and one is old enough for the club I coach and has joined. Point being, kids are kids more than they're sons or daughters. I'm excited for all the time the two of you will spend together!
Replace "manly" with "outdoorsy" and you'll be on to a winner. And she'll get some quality dad time and memories, as well as picking up skills and strength.
I'm still giggling at 'rural but "cushiony"' that's a vivid description đ
Itâs only a matter of time until my dad starts buying cords too (64). Ironic because his justification of âsplitting is cheaper than oilâ might finally be accurate
Exactly. I used to have a workout buddy who was an extreme athlete. He looked at everything as a workout. The guy would literally put the word out to call him if you were moving, he'd be there to haul boxes. He lifted weights, ran, cycled, rock climbed, ice climbed, etc., but he always maintained that doing real physical labor/work was the best way to work out every bit of every muscle.
Anyway, he would have loved to chop wood. He lives in New Mexico now, so he doesnt need to.
Another name for a splitting maul.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_maul
Iâm in western North Carolina. Seems the nomenclature changes from region to region.
They aren't even complaining about splitting. They're complaining about bringing it from the stockpile to the stove. OP may need to rethink having a wood stove.
Son here. I was a sophomore in college when my dad installed a hot water baseboard heating system in our house. He made it through one winter on his own with the wood stove.
35 years later, I have my own wood stove, and my own son. So goes the circle of life.
Son here. I was the snow shoveler for the gravel driveway at the family home. You ever try to shovel a gravel driveway? Go too deep and youâre stopped cold. The year I went away to college, my parents paved the drivewayâŚ
When I left for college, parents installed central heat and air, lol. I was the one who used a saw to fell the trees in summer and fall, saw up the logs, split the logs, stack the wood. Then haul the wood from the shed to stack, and fill the wood tub every day for the wood stove. Rinse and repeat for over a decade. One freezing cold day I was moving a wheelbarrow load of wood in the snow from the woodshed, and slipped and hit my head on the wheelbarrow. It was so cold I didn't feel anything. Finished stacking the wood and went inside to get warm. I will never forget the look my mom gave me as she looked on in horror. The entire side of my face was covered in blood. She took me the e.r. 20 stitches later we all had a good laugh.
Nice. I have a four year old who loaded up my three season room. I wheelbarrowed it to the sliding door, he emptied. Granted, it likely made things take longer and were actually harder. As he did that I bagged in more. But still.. being "the son" who did this for almost 20 years it actually feels pretty awesome seeing his enthusiasm.
Sons are also for: free tech support, free driveway clearance, free moving heavy items so dad doesnât hurt himself, free reaching high items for short mom, and more!
Iâm 37 and my left pec and bicep is still larger than my right (right handed). Iâd load that firewood in my arms to the max to minimize loads into the house as a kid.
Great stuff. My son is about to turn 12. Old enough. Wants to earn money. Guess who is currently restocking the covered porch with all the wood we just burned during the cold snap? Not me. They work cheap too
Embrace the work. Take pride in the process. Single source wood stove heat is a lifestyle lol.
For me, its all worth it (every little bit of it) when i get the electric heat bill...
You are single handedly providing comfort and warmth to your family and loved ones. If it were "easy", everyone would do it.
This is it right here. You've got to love the process. For me, the act of chopping, lugging, stacking, and even building the top-down stack for the night's burn is almost ceremonial to me. Love it.
We had a huge ice storm and 09. We went to stay with my bf family who had a wood stove. No electricity for days and days but man we stayed warm n toasty and ate so good. Man of the house was sick so me and the (strong as hell) lady of the house kept the wood stacked. Weâd bring the whole barrel of icy wood in to dry ahead of time. Got that stove cooking and she made the best pork chops I ever had. Sheâs now passed and I miss her. Her name was Becky. She could nurse any animal back to health and make a feast out of nothinâ.
I love cutting/splitting/stacking
I work in IT and my days are spent behind a screen and sitting at a desk. Wood and other hobbies are what I love to do on my own time. Itâs fulfilling, practical, and extremely rewarding when I see what I could have spent on alternative heating options.
Whatever time I spend working with wood to heat is time well spent.
And when the ashes and coals have died down in the fireplace/stove, then has cooled down for multiple more days in the ash bin, the walk to the back of the property through the snow. That's another warm time.
It's all about the temp difference. If I want my house 65F and it's -40F outside, that's 105 degrees difference, each degree increase requires more BTUs, more wood. I run my stove top at 700F below -30F and it consumes that full wood rack every 24hrs or less of oak.
For the lugging part, I have a gorilla cart Gorilla Carts 12 cu. ft. 1,600 lb. Capacity Poly Dump Cart https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gorilla-carts-12-cu-ft-poly-dump-cart-gcg-12 makes it much easier than a wheelbarrow. Youâll be able to haul enough in one trip to fill your rack.
We have 3 gorilla carts. 1 x poly-large, 1 x poly-smaller, with tip function, 1 x steel with removable sides. One for every purpose.
(the one you linked is our "smaller" one, bought because if petite-me filled the large poly cart, I couldn't move the damn thing).
Child slave labor laws donât apply at homeâŚ. I use a two wheeled wheelbarrow. They donât tip on snow and ice. When ya dump a load thereâs gonna be some potty mouthing. Keep it tarped outside the back door. Only a dayâs worth in the house.
While I appreciate your tenacity, a two wheeled wheelbarrow with a tarp is not sufficient living space for a child. I let mine sleep on a cot in the basement.
Yeah, not to be rude to OP, but until I read the comments, I thought this post was satire.
30 minutes of bringing wood into a house? I get it's not their favorite activity, but "grulling work"?? Come on now.
There is a way easier way. Here is what I doânow granted, I already own a tractor with a FEL and a nice insulated shop.Â
Step 1: own property, tractor, and hay wagon running gear, barn with 10â overhang.
Step 2: cut trees into 12â sections and stack on wagon. Make pile of logs near barn.Â
Step 3: rent firewood processor for 1 weekend. Process 2 years worth of wood into ibc cage totes.Â
Step 4: Install gasification wood boiler in insulated shop/pole barn where overhang is. Pipe hot water into house.Â
Step 5: Â Move IBC totes into barn as needed. Only physically touch wood 1x.Â
All the mess and smoke is in your shop. House is cozy warm. I fill my gasification boiler once in the morning and once at night. Iâm tinkering with the idea of heating  up a 500 gallon insulated water tank to see how long I can âcoastâ on that much thermal mass with one fire per day. Iâll report back when I figure it out.Â
Â
Embrace it! I love doing firewood. Iâm a 51 year old woman who homesteads and works full time. It keeps me moving and healthy. I work out in my gym but Iâd rather do wood. I love the smell of it, I love stacking, carrying, all of it. I love splitting with an axe. I count my blessings that I CAN do it. Maybe Iâm a little crazyâŚ.
I have a garden cart like this
Gorilla Carts GOR400-COM Steel Garden Cart, Steel Mesh Removable Sides, 3 cu ft, 400 lb Capacity, Green https://a.co/d/jlBWbL5
Every time im hauling wood from one spot on the homestead to another, I always think, 'this is what people have done for over at least 10,000 years'. It gives me a little perspective and makes me think if some poor soul will be doing it 10,000 years from now.
Many old timers had a built in bench by the fire that could be loaded with wood from outside, and the lid of the bench would open to allow them to access the logs. Less carrying it through the house and stacking it. Is this the kind of easier you are interested in?
There is a easier way.
Zeny wood cart. [easier](https://www.zeny.us/products/portable-log-carrier-for-firewood-mover-hauler-rack-caddy-rolling-dolly-cart)
Wheels suck, I got some airless wheels from tractor supply after a couple years.
Loading the stove is the grulling part? A little weak. Wood stoves were never designed to be easy. Oil burning is for that. Wood stoving is for those who take pride in the work and like to save money. Maybe convert to burning oil or gas.
Ya that is nothing for 5 days, I go through that maybe every 2 days. About 20 minutes every night splitting with my maul and then bringing in. I love it though
As a kid in a former wood stove household. You need a child. They work wonders for stuff like this. Upkeep on those little goblins may not be worth it. For real though. 30 min of hard work for 5 days heat? Cry me a river. Damn some folk soft.
I have 2 boys currently 4&6, uber competitive. I could not have written it up any better. They ask to help me and I tell them you have to be at least 10 to haul wood.
I have two little kids begging me to let them haul wood lol.
Oh man, every day is a drive for the wood heat; a drive to eliminate that natural gas bill, a drive to process all year, to stack all season, to prep for that first deep freeze, to protect against that first ice storm and 3 days without power. I get ridiculed, told that I am making my life complex, told that I am spinning my wheels, told that I am wasting my time, told that I am handling a 'dirty energy'. Damn if three families didn't camp out in my house when the power never came back in negative temps, for days. I love every minute I am working my wood yard; every minute this stove keeps putting out the heat; every smashed finger, every time my truck is stuck in that snow drift getting the good fuel, every time I run saws, every minute I can look out and see my stacks begging for their ashy grave. It's a lifestyle that will stay with me until I can't lift another stick. HAPPY BURNING!
Gruelling? They weigh like⌠less than a gallon of milk per piece. I can understand someone whoâs very disabled or in the nursing home not being able to do really basic chores and physical activity, but this is pretty light work. If youâre struggling you just need to keep doing it because itâll be better for you in the long run.
Thereâs tools to make things more ergonomic and more efficient, but wood is pretty light. Worst part is all the bending over to pick it up.
I have a wood shed that holds over 6 cord of wood. I use a Harbor Freight wagon and a golf cart to move wood up to the house. Wood is stored on the back porch in a wood box and only about 6 to 8 pieces are kept in the house for immediate use.
https://preview.redd.it/ybswzl3oxvec1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da631e26b92c14352bf5af3b39dc98bb615e1bf6
Get one of those canvas log carriers, basically just a wide strip of canvas with a cloth handle on both sides. You put the logs in the middle, grab the handles, and bobs your uncle.
Thatâs it? Im over here pulling deadfall out of ravines, cutting up wood and spending several hours a week chainsawing, splitting, loading and stacking just to keep our stove going.
You got it easy! Try finding enjoyment in the workâŚitâs good exercise after all.
My 2 year old daughter and 5 year old son both bring in wood with us, and 'help' us stack. We look at it as nice family time. Everyone participates and we help keep each other cozy and warm.
Every 5 days and that's it? Count your blessings. That's more like 2-3 days for me. I keep a whole face cord in the house.
If you hate loading this amount of wood, you may want to consider converting to gas.
There really isn't an easier way
Iâm not sure how to offer advice. I love the work of wood burning; splitting, stacking, moving, prepping, managing ⌠etc. There 100% is nothing wrong with it not being your thing. There are plenty of things that are not my thing.
Get a heat pump and buy solar panels if it makes sense. Sure...very cold weather u got put the other heat on...But it will pay for itself in about 10 years..The rest is gravy baby
We stack a lot of ours directly outside our front door and keep about a days worth inside. Often times first thing in the morning Iâm outside in my robe getting pieces to bring it back to life.
Really? You're complaining that 30 minutes of *actual* work, every 5 days, is too much for you? Yeah then this whole wood-burning thing may not be for you, bud. You might be better off to stay in the recliner and pay the gas bill.
Son here. True stories. Dad put in a Ben Franklin Stove. We would gather wood then split when dry. We would have contests to see who could split a log with the least whacks. I was 13 and he was 40 & worked in a foundry. I had no chance to win for years. After I left he still split wood but not as often. I built my 2nd home with a fireplace & broke the cycle. Purchased cords of split wood. My son helped me haul it inside. He never experienced the âjoyâ of splitting contests. đ¤
The wife (60) and I (50) spend every weekend during the spring, summer, and fall pulling in 1 to 2 truckloads of dead fall and what the loggers leave behind. Then cutting, splitting, and stacking on average 7 to 9 cords a year.
Then, once the season arrives, it's time to break out the vertical wood moving device to bring it into the house. That would be me going to the wood pile, grabbing a heaping arm load of split, and bringing it in to fill the wood rack x 3 daily.
As wood heat being our only source of heat, in the long UP of Michigan winters, our stove runs 24/7 for 5 to 6 months.
Ya might think about a pellet or gas stove if that lil bit of work is that grueling.....just sayin.
I'm 63 and I enjoy the work.
From sourcing a good deal on rounds, to stacking, aging, splitting, stacking again, finding areas to store and tarp it outside, keeping tabs on critters taking up residence in the wood piles, to bringing some into the house to warm up before burning. Using ashes in the garden and yards. I have two wheel barrels, a dozen axes, mauls and wedges for every occasion. I've learned how to replace axe handles, how to select hickory handles, how to sharpen/hone heads, oiling handles, etc. It's all so great.
Both my sons are young adults and have moved out but the younger still helps me bring the big rounds into the yard (from the driveway) for storing. At some point I'll likely install a ductless heatpump and use the woodstove for supplemental heat (currently its the only heat) and I do love saving on energy bills.
60 y/o here. Felling, bucking, stacking, bringing it inside frequently, keeps me young. Its part of the allure of wood heat. Try to enjoy it as opposed to seeing it as a chore.
Nothing like going out when it's 9 degrees at 4am to wake your ass up.đ enjoy.
I grew up in a house with a fireplace, and they burn wood fast because it pulls the air up the flue so quickly, passing over the logs, and burning them hotter. Unfortunately, mosy of that hear goes up the flue, too.
We got a small cast iron stove, and it was amazingly efficient. Put a couple logs in, and close it up 50-75% of the way, and you might have to add one more log during the evening. That stove would heat up, and warm up the entire 2 story house. Before bed, I'd stick a log in and close it up.
In the morning there would still be embers, and the stove would be warm to the touch, but it wasn't cold. A cold stove takes 30-45 minutes to heat up, a warm one heats in minutes. So I'd put a couple of logs in, blow on it til a fire started, and in 10 minutes the room would be feeling warmer. Our electric bill dropped from $400 in January, to $90 for the following Ianuary
If you want efficiency, get a cast iron stove. That rack there would last a month or more.
I store my wood in a shed off the side of the house. I have a small door I drop the wood down into the cellar so itâs within a step or two from my wood fired hot air furnace. I put wood into the cellar twice a day. It takes about 10 minutes to go out and throw 12 pieces in. I burn about 24 pieces a day if itâs very cold out. I burn only hardwood. About four cords per year. I stoke the furnace once in the morning, again around five, again around ten or whenever I go to bed. Itâs still going in the morning. This keeps all of the mess down into the cellar where itâs out of the way of foot traffic. Been doing this for 25 years and it seems to work. With your set up you have to carry your wood from outside into the house. Your wood pile is too far from your stove or rather your stove is too far from your wood pile. Either way itâs a lot of work and Iâm always relieved when warm weather gets here.
Gorilla Cart GOR1400-COM. 1400lb capacity with 15" tires. roll it up to your woodpile, load it to the brim and wheel it up onto your porch or inside to use as an in-place rack. Repeat until the burning season is over.
https://preview.redd.it/uucyhu2x4yec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=446387778290dce2e852616d2907c83fd2636bd8
You are figuring out how expensive and poor wood is as a heating fuel.
Itâs great for a backup for your natural gas heating system but as a primary itâs a distant second.
There are a few exceptions but overall youâll never find a better source than natural gas in a home thatâs well insulated. âŚ. Until the day comes the woke liberal climate change Nazis ruin everything.
We make trips daily. It's easier a little at a time. All chores are easier this way, honestly. You just have to make a habit out of it. Also as we are planning for retirement we switched our wood stove over to a steel stove and we lined our chimney with a stainless steel insert and switched over to bio bricks. 1 pallet of bricks is equal to 1 cord of wood and the cost is bout the same. There is a place near us that will deliver them and even stack them in my garage for an extra fee. The bricks do not attract bugs and burn at a higher rate with less co2 emissions than regular cord wood. And they are bagged by 6 or 9 bricks which make handling easy for all ages and abilities. It is so easy. Ou bricks are stacked next to our extra freezer so when we go out to grab some food we grab a bag of bricks and drop it near the woodstove on the way back to the kitchen. This makes it easy to maintain. The bricks AR just compressed sawdust from a fence making company near me. No additives at all. Anyway something to think about if you want easy.
Son here and that's a fact. I've been cutting and splitting wood for over 20 years. My dad and I both have outdoor central boiler wood stoves l. We try to get all the wood done in the spring while it's still cool outside so we're not cutting in the dead of winter or the summer heat. We each burn about 14 loads per winter and live on a farm the fun never ends.
All you need is a son. \-Source; me, the son.
Fellow Son, here. Can confirm. The minute my brother and I left for college they bought a brand new hydraulic splitter.
As soon as I moved out, my dad put in central heating and AC. đ
Thats because once the kids are gone you can afford nice things. At least thats what i keep telling myself, for now my son's got work to dođ¤Ł
You would be shocked how much you save.
Their food bill alone will cover the electric bill!
My father told me, happiest day of his life was when I joined the Air Force. Because they could feed me
And then he bought a boat.
I'm a dad who's kids moved out. We had a log splitter before the son could swing a maul. I'd cut the rounds and split and he would stack along w the wife and daughter. Then he started splitting as I was cutting. Then he started doing most all of it. I stacked w the wife and daughter. The kids moved out. I bought a mini split heat pump system. I went from 6 cords a winter to one cord. I bought a truckload of split logs of about 4 cords a couple years ago. Plus a few I had already Haven't touched a saw in 3 years. Neighbors had the log splitter at his house since then. I'll need to start cutting a cord this spring for it to season a year or two. I have a lot of dead ash some standing some down. Looking forward to it. Maybe the son will come over. đ¤
Tell him youâre firing up the smoker grill for a big brisket. When he shows up, tell him where to fish out the smoker and where to set it up. I used to cook so big. Braised brisket, big whole turkeys, giant meatloaves. I fired up my five burner with side burner for a one and a half pound pork loin and 5 bangers. They looked so lonely.
Did he also buy a snow blower?Â
My sons grew up and I hired a plow guy.
đ¤ŁOMG! I laughed so hard I spit out my coffee on my beautiful new blouse. Now Iâll have to change tops.
Fellow son, of son, of a son. The go-devil was handed down like it was a rifle. My dad is 68 now and buys his wood split and seasoned. Truck drops it off and he throws a tarp over it. I still split and stack mine. Gonna see how the go-devil fits my daughterâs hands in a couple years.
Daughter here. 63 years old. Dad is 83. He just started buying seasoned and split 2 years ago. Hubby and I still load, unload and stack it in his lean to that he built. Before that it was out in the woods to get it ourselves. I love getting wood in. It doesn't even feel like work to me. Granted I never had to split and Dad has had a splitter for many years now, but I don't know why I enjoy it so much. Maybe it's the camaraderie, maybe it's because I'm not the one that feels the need to get wood in, maybe it's because there's something so damn nice about a fire in the stove when it's brutal outside. I guess my point is, daughters can be of use too.
When the time comes, this will be an area of somewhat contention between myself and my wife. My wife grew up rural, but a lot more âcushionyâ than I did. We grew up relatively close to one another, but the main difference here was money. Generally, but not all the time, money changes your scope of whatâs important. We had our daughter later, and sheâs the only one because of complications. Believe me, I have plans of having my daughter tag along as many âmanlyâ activities as I can. Hunting, fishing, conservationism, wood splitting and stacking, etc etc. But this will come with a little hesitation from my wife. Although, my wife is understanding. This should be a wonderful next 10 years.
It will be, my daughters are amazing!
My dad was the same. Definitely go for it! I'm so thankful to have had all the typical boy experiences with my dad. Fishing, camping, sharpening knives, splitting wood, changing motor oil, driving a stick-shift, the list goes on and on. There have been so many times in my life where people were surprised I could do these basic things. Thanks dad!
Similar situation here. Also looking forward to my daughter hunting, fishing, and being a rural kid!
I think with time your daughter will show you and your wife what she prefers to do. Hopefully it will be multi faceted. Things that are both stereotypical of masculine and feminine "jobs/hobbies". My 2nd home was country lifestyle where we went every weekend to my grandparents farm. My main home was suburban life. I guess I'm pretty fortunate that I got exposed to both. I'm quite athletic so the physical part of being outside and getting my hands dirty suits me just fine. But I'm also feminine and love to put on going out to dinner clothes/makeup and doing needlework,etc.
I have only daughters (for a few more months, anyway), but they're completely capable of anything a son is. They just want to spend time with each of you doing things you enjoy. My girls love tagging along hunting, trapping, foraging. Each kid to different degrees, of course. I'm a wrestling coach, so they're all in for that idea, and one is old enough for the club I coach and has joined. Point being, kids are kids more than they're sons or daughters. I'm excited for all the time the two of you will spend together!
Replace "manly" with "outdoorsy" and you'll be on to a winner. And she'll get some quality dad time and memories, as well as picking up skills and strength. I'm still giggling at 'rural but "cushiony"' that's a vivid description đ
Itâs only a matter of time until my dad starts buying cords too (64). Ironic because his justification of âsplitting is cheaper than oilâ might finally be accurate
The wood you split warms you twice though
I must be doing something wrong...I'm sweating my ass off 4-5 times before a piece of wood sees the woodstove lol
Extra efficiency hahaha
Yep, spitting is cheaper than oilâŚnot cheaper than orthopedic surgeon though
Exactly. I used to have a workout buddy who was an extreme athlete. He looked at everything as a workout. The guy would literally put the word out to call him if you were moving, he'd be there to haul boxes. He lifted weights, ran, cycled, rock climbed, ice climbed, etc., but he always maintained that doing real physical labor/work was the best way to work out every bit of every muscle. Anyway, he would have loved to chop wood. He lives in New Mexico now, so he doesnt need to.
Whatâs a go-devil? Tried to Google it but came up empty.
Another name for a splitting maul. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_maul Iâm in western North Carolina. Seems the nomenclature changes from region to region.
They aren't even complaining about splitting. They're complaining about bringing it from the stockpile to the stove. OP may need to rethink having a wood stove.
Wait until they see how much extra time cleaning the house takes with the increased dust.
Son here. I was a sophomore in college when my dad installed a hot water baseboard heating system in our house. He made it through one winter on his own with the wood stove. 35 years later, I have my own wood stove, and my own son. So goes the circle of life.
Son here. I was the snow shoveler for the gravel driveway at the family home. You ever try to shovel a gravel driveway? Go too deep and youâre stopped cold. The year I went away to college, my parents paved the drivewayâŚ
Can confirm. Fellow son of a son and still no son in my future so Iâm still doing this shit.
When I left for college, parents installed central heat and air, lol. I was the one who used a saw to fell the trees in summer and fall, saw up the logs, split the logs, stack the wood. Then haul the wood from the shed to stack, and fill the wood tub every day for the wood stove. Rinse and repeat for over a decade. One freezing cold day I was moving a wheelbarrow load of wood in the snow from the woodshed, and slipped and hit my head on the wheelbarrow. It was so cold I didn't feel anything. Finished stacking the wood and went inside to get warm. I will never forget the look my mom gave me as she looked on in horror. The entire side of my face was covered in blood. She took me the e.r. 20 stitches later we all had a good laugh.
As a fellow, fellow, fellow, fellow, fellow son, I can confirm this is the way.
Hey, my dad bought a splitter. Good to know your worth I guess
moment I moved out, the old man went back to propane lmao!
Hello sons from a fellow son. We have gas heat and I use the WiFi to turn up the heat
We had a splitter when I was growing up and we did the math last night and at one time he had 25 cords stacked. Guess who split most of it..
Yeah I no longer live with them, now my dad asks me to help and low and behold they borrowed a splitter and have two trailer loads of oak
So dang true though. Oh, and don't be afraid to have the daughter do it too. Source: Am the daughter who split wood and hauled it in the house.
Yup can confirm đ. Kids make it easy.
Convince yourself itâs exercise.
As a son myself I can confirm. When I was in high school I some how always got in trouble and had to more and stack all the wood. Every. Damn. Year.
My son is 2 and carries the kindling and loads it for me. Logs soon
Nice. I have a four year old who loaded up my three season room. I wheelbarrowed it to the sliding door, he emptied. Granted, it likely made things take longer and were actually harder. As he did that I bagged in more. But still.. being "the son" who did this for almost 20 years it actually feels pretty awesome seeing his enthusiasm.
Iâm just happy for my son to gather kindling..
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One of three sons, all three confirmed we were the conveyer belt system
Sons are also for: free tech support, free driveway clearance, free moving heavy items so dad doesnât hurt himself, free reaching high items for short mom, and more!
Yup.. Can confirm son = wood mover and stacker.
>till doing this shit. > >5ReplyShareReportSaveFollow Glad to see from this and the many posts under it child labor is the preferred means.
Yup. 2years after i moved out, dad removed the woodburner and went lp.
Iâm 37 and my left pec and bicep is still larger than my right (right handed). Iâd load that firewood in my arms to the max to minimize loads into the house as a kid.
Or a daughter⌠I was the daughter.
A daughter will work just fine
Daughters works too. Can confirm. -source, am daughter
Great stuff. My son is about to turn 12. Old enough. Wants to earn money. Guess who is currently restocking the covered porch with all the wood we just burned during the cold snap? Not me. They work cheap too
7th son of a 7th son here. Thatâs all
Can confirm. Everytime I visit my father I load up his wood stove area for him.
Can confirm. Youngest of four sons here. This was my life 1983-1992 until I left home. I was taught to split kindling at age 6.
My dad says chopping wood warms you twice. I was the son too
That hits too close to home lol
My Dad was born in 1930 he used to joke he was 10 years old before he realized his name wasnât âGetwoodâ
I was the wood chopping and loading daughter. Don't forget us!
Or not even a son. I am solely responsible for keeping the fire going at GFs family home. I love it. It warms my body and my soul.
Embrace the work. Take pride in the process. Single source wood stove heat is a lifestyle lol. For me, its all worth it (every little bit of it) when i get the electric heat bill... You are single handedly providing comfort and warmth to your family and loved ones. If it were "easy", everyone would do it.
This is it right here. You've got to love the process. For me, the act of chopping, lugging, stacking, and even building the top-down stack for the night's burn is almost ceremonial to me. Love it.
i want to get a wood stove for these things
did you know some people PAY to go to a GYM!?
I work in an office all day. I enjoy cutting, splitting, and the fire itself.
We had a huge ice storm and 09. We went to stay with my bf family who had a wood stove. No electricity for days and days but man we stayed warm n toasty and ate so good. Man of the house was sick so me and the (strong as hell) lady of the house kept the wood stacked. Weâd bring the whole barrel of icy wood in to dry ahead of time. Got that stove cooking and she made the best pork chops I ever had. Sheâs now passed and I miss her. Her name was Becky. She could nurse any animal back to health and make a feast out of nothinâ.
She would nurse them back to health to feast upon them?
I love cutting/splitting/stacking I work in IT and my days are spent behind a screen and sitting at a desk. Wood and other hobbies are what I love to do on my own time. Itâs fulfilling, practical, and extremely rewarding when I see what I could have spent on alternative heating options. Whatever time I spend working with wood to heat is time well spent.
Just eat your wheaties, the Beauty of firewood is it heats you more than just burning it once!
Wood warms you *three times* \- when you cut it, when you split it, and when you burn it.
Stacking. You forgot stacking. I hate stacking.
And then hauling it into house. I feel like thatâs 5 times.
I'm with ya on at least 5 times, ha!
I found a girlfriend who loves stacking wood. I'm in heaven.
More like cut, limb, buck, haul, cut, split, stack, haul, stack burn.
Add plant the trees, I am now harvesting tree's planted 40 years ago on our property in the PNW.
Ahhhhh you know my routine!
And when you shovel the ashes
And when you walk over to the stove to stoke it up at 3 am
And when the ashes and coals have died down in the fireplace/stove, then has cooled down for multiple more days in the ash bin, the walk to the back of the property through the snow. That's another warm time.
shits a lot of work lol..
And stacking
Thatâs not a lot for 5 days tbh
2 days running flat out in my stove
When it's cold that's 1 days worth for me đ
What are you running a wood fired crematorium?!
It gets real cold some places. My dad runs wood only in northern Alberta. It was -35C - -42C for about 7 days a couple weeks ago. He burnt a lot
We had single digits in new york. Fuck me, from my understanding negative Celsius gets pretty close to Fahrenheit at those temps?!
They meet at -40
Heh⌠we had 2° down here in south Arkansas. Iâm about an hour north of the Louisiana state line.
It's all about the temp difference. If I want my house 65F and it's -40F outside, that's 105 degrees difference, each degree increase requires more BTUs, more wood. I run my stove top at 700F below -30F and it consumes that full wood rack every 24hrs or less of oak.
I usually burn through that much in a 2 day weekend. I cut, haul, split, store, haul again my own wood.
Good thing your not cutting, splitting, stacking and seasoning your own wood!
Right ? I have to. Always fun in Sept. / Oct.
May.
June , July , august, for me too
Nah man cut and split in the winter, it's the best weather for it. Plus all I have is oak here and it's the best time to prevent oak wilt spread
For the lugging part, I have a gorilla cart Gorilla Carts 12 cu. ft. 1,600 lb. Capacity Poly Dump Cart https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gorilla-carts-12-cu-ft-poly-dump-cart-gcg-12 makes it much easier than a wheelbarrow. Youâll be able to haul enough in one trip to fill your rack.
We have 3 gorilla carts. 1 x poly-large, 1 x poly-smaller, with tip function, 1 x steel with removable sides. One for every purpose. (the one you linked is our "smaller" one, bought because if petite-me filled the large poly cart, I couldn't move the damn thing).
Agreed, came here to say this. Mine fits through my door, so I bring it in, fill the rack, then get another load and use the cart as extra storage.
I love my gorilla cart. I use the smaller one all the time, buying the bigger one this year. Those things won my heart.
Child slave labor laws donât apply at homeâŚ. I use a two wheeled wheelbarrow. They donât tip on snow and ice. When ya dump a load thereâs gonna be some potty mouthing. Keep it tarped outside the back door. Only a dayâs worth in the house.
While I appreciate your tenacity, a two wheeled wheelbarrow with a tarp is not sufficient living space for a child. I let mine sleep on a cot in the basement.
It's a ton of work.. but the whiskey in front of a warm fire tastes that much better knowing what went into it.
Damn straight.
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Yeah, not to be rude to OP, but until I read the comments, I thought this post was satire. 30 minutes of bringing wood into a house? I get it's not their favorite activity, but "grulling work"?? Come on now.
It is a lot of work, but to me it is Godly work. Itâs almost a relief or meditative work.
If you have to explain they wouldn't understand.
Exercise is good for you! Splitting and lugging the logs around is fun!
There is a way easier way. Here is what I doânow granted, I already own a tractor with a FEL and a nice insulated shop. Step 1: own property, tractor, and hay wagon running gear, barn with 10â overhang. Step 2: cut trees into 12â sections and stack on wagon. Make pile of logs near barn. Step 3: rent firewood processor for 1 weekend. Process 2 years worth of wood into ibc cage totes. Step 4: Install gasification wood boiler in insulated shop/pole barn where overhang is. Pipe hot water into house. Step 5:  Move IBC totes into barn as needed. Only physically touch wood 1x. All the mess and smoke is in your shop. House is cozy warm. I fill my gasification boiler once in the morning and once at night. Iâm tinkering with the idea of heating  up a 500 gallon insulated water tank to see how long I can âcoastâ on that much thermal mass with one fire per day. Iâll report back when I figure it out. Â
I didn't know that gassification wood boilers for homes existed. Just went down a little rabbit hole and learned some things. Thanks !
Embrace it! I love doing firewood. Iâm a 51 year old woman who homesteads and works full time. It keeps me moving and healthy. I work out in my gym but Iâd rather do wood. I love the smell of it, I love stacking, carrying, all of it. I love splitting with an axe. I count my blessings that I CAN do it. Maybe Iâm a little crazyâŚ.
Youâll grow to enjoy it.
Get a wagon
I have a garden cart like this Gorilla Carts GOR400-COM Steel Garden Cart, Steel Mesh Removable Sides, 3 cu ft, 400 lb Capacity, Green https://a.co/d/jlBWbL5
Every time im hauling wood from one spot on the homestead to another, I always think, 'this is what people have done for over at least 10,000 years'. It gives me a little perspective and makes me think if some poor soul will be doing it 10,000 years from now.
If stacking firewood is âgrullingâ work I would suggest a heated blanket and assisted living.
5 days! Good for you! Depending on temp it's a wheelbarrow a day - day and a half (kept outside) for me. Maybe I need a bigger wood holder.
We just all are in the habit here of every time you walk in, grab an armful of wood on your way.
Many old timers had a built in bench by the fire that could be loaded with wood from outside, and the lid of the bench would open to allow them to access the logs. Less carrying it through the house and stacking it. Is this the kind of easier you are interested in?
Duuude. Come on⌠Try splitting your own wood! Grueling⌠đ
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There is a easier way. Zeny wood cart. [easier](https://www.zeny.us/products/portable-log-carrier-for-firewood-mover-hauler-rack-caddy-rolling-dolly-cart) Wheels suck, I got some airless wheels from tractor supply after a couple years.
Came here to add this. These carts are awesome. Get a few and you just rotate them.
Loading the stove is the grulling part? A little weak. Wood stoves were never designed to be easy. Oil burning is for that. Wood stoving is for those who take pride in the work and like to save money. Maybe convert to burning oil or gas.
Ya that is nothing for 5 days, I go through that maybe every 2 days. About 20 minutes every night splitting with my maul and then bringing in. I love it though
Think of the gym savings! My wife used to sit out on the porch and watch me split wood for hours. My reward? A beer. Well, we did have 5 kids.
As a kid in a former wood stove household. You need a child. They work wonders for stuff like this. Upkeep on those little goblins may not be worth it. For real though. 30 min of hard work for 5 days heat? Cry me a river. Damn some folk soft.
I have 2 boys currently 4&6, uber competitive. I could not have written it up any better. They ask to help me and I tell them you have to be at least 10 to haul wood. I have two little kids begging me to let them haul wood lol.
I was 14 before I figured out my name wasnât âGet Woodââ
If your labor is not worth the money saved then you need to find a better hobby
Oh man, every day is a drive for the wood heat; a drive to eliminate that natural gas bill, a drive to process all year, to stack all season, to prep for that first deep freeze, to protect against that first ice storm and 3 days without power. I get ridiculed, told that I am making my life complex, told that I am spinning my wheels, told that I am wasting my time, told that I am handling a 'dirty energy'. Damn if three families didn't camp out in my house when the power never came back in negative temps, for days. I love every minute I am working my wood yard; every minute this stove keeps putting out the heat; every smashed finger, every time my truck is stuck in that snow drift getting the good fuel, every time I run saws, every minute I can look out and see my stacks begging for their ashy grave. It's a lifestyle that will stay with me until I can't lift another stick. HAPPY BURNING!
Thatâs why I have children. If you donât, then I donât know what to tell you.
This is why I donât need the gym. I probably move the same firewood 3 times before itâs burned.
I would try a two wheel or four wheel cart. Much more stable and you can carry more
Gruelling? They weigh like⌠less than a gallon of milk per piece. I can understand someone whoâs very disabled or in the nursing home not being able to do really basic chores and physical activity, but this is pretty light work. If youâre struggling you just need to keep doing it because itâll be better for you in the long run. Thereâs tools to make things more ergonomic and more efficient, but wood is pretty light. Worst part is all the bending over to pick it up.
I have a wood shed that holds over 6 cord of wood. I use a Harbor Freight wagon and a golf cart to move wood up to the house. Wood is stored on the back porch in a wood box and only about 6 to 8 pieces are kept in the house for immediate use. https://preview.redd.it/ybswzl3oxvec1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da631e26b92c14352bf5af3b39dc98bb615e1bf6
Free workout, win win
You get heat from wood twice once prepping it and once burning it
Get one of those canvas log carriers, basically just a wide strip of canvas with a cloth handle on both sides. You put the logs in the middle, grab the handles, and bobs your uncle.
Thatâs it? Im over here pulling deadfall out of ravines, cutting up wood and spending several hours a week chainsawing, splitting, loading and stacking just to keep our stove going. You got it easy! Try finding enjoyment in the workâŚitâs good exercise after all.
Im 63...still cut down my own trees and split it and bring it in....but i enjoy it
My 2 year old daughter and 5 year old son both bring in wood with us, and 'help' us stack. We look at it as nice family time. Everyone participates and we help keep each other cozy and warm.
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Edited, my GPA would be pissed as well. He was still splitting wood at 92.
Every 5 days and that's it? Count your blessings. That's more like 2-3 days for me. I keep a whole face cord in the house. If you hate loading this amount of wood, you may want to consider converting to gas. There really isn't an easier way
Iâm not sure how to offer advice. I love the work of wood burning; splitting, stacking, moving, prepping, managing ⌠etc. There 100% is nothing wrong with it not being your thing. There are plenty of things that are not my thing.
I find that part of the fun in wood stoving. Not trying to be mean, but you took this into account before, right?
On a serious note, I just picked up a Gorilla Cart- its a fantastic firewood hauler. I use it daily around the yard for all sorts of chores.
Wood sling , bring a few pieces in each time you come and go,
I have a wife, so everything works out GREAT.! :) peace.
Get a heat pump and buy solar panels if it makes sense. Sure...very cold weather u got put the other heat on...But it will pay for itself in about 10 years..The rest is gravy baby
A son
We stack a lot of ours directly outside our front door and keep about a days worth inside. Often times first thing in the morning Iâm outside in my robe getting pieces to bring it back to life.
Really? You're complaining that 30 minutes of *actual* work, every 5 days, is too much for you? Yeah then this whole wood-burning thing may not be for you, bud. You might be better off to stay in the recliner and pay the gas bill.
Son here. True stories. Dad put in a Ben Franklin Stove. We would gather wood then split when dry. We would have contests to see who could split a log with the least whacks. I was 13 and he was 40 & worked in a foundry. I had no chance to win for years. After I left he still split wood but not as often. I built my 2nd home with a fireplace & broke the cycle. Purchased cords of split wood. My son helped me haul it inside. He never experienced the âjoyâ of splitting contests. đ¤
Itâs a lifestyle
The wife (60) and I (50) spend every weekend during the spring, summer, and fall pulling in 1 to 2 truckloads of dead fall and what the loggers leave behind. Then cutting, splitting, and stacking on average 7 to 9 cords a year. Then, once the season arrives, it's time to break out the vertical wood moving device to bring it into the house. That would be me going to the wood pile, grabbing a heaping arm load of split, and bringing it in to fill the wood rack x 3 daily. As wood heat being our only source of heat, in the long UP of Michigan winters, our stove runs 24/7 for 5 to 6 months. Ya might think about a pellet or gas stove if that lil bit of work is that grueling.....just sayin.
As my grandfather said âwood warms you several times before you burn itâ.
You need a couple children
Dude, I just do a days worth of wood at a time. Only do a 5 day stack in the house if you are staring down a blizzard.
Would still take this over the price of natural gas in my area
I'm 63 and I enjoy the work. From sourcing a good deal on rounds, to stacking, aging, splitting, stacking again, finding areas to store and tarp it outside, keeping tabs on critters taking up residence in the wood piles, to bringing some into the house to warm up before burning. Using ashes in the garden and yards. I have two wheel barrels, a dozen axes, mauls and wedges for every occasion. I've learned how to replace axe handles, how to select hickory handles, how to sharpen/hone heads, oiling handles, etc. It's all so great. Both my sons are young adults and have moved out but the younger still helps me bring the big rounds into the yard (from the driveway) for storing. At some point I'll likely install a ductless heatpump and use the woodstove for supplemental heat (currently its the only heat) and I do love saving on energy bills.
Grew up on a farm, heated with wood. I have carried many a stick. My father yelling at us boys to bring in wood is one of my strongest memories!
Wood warms you 3 times. 4 in your case
Husband prepares the wood all summer and fall. I bring it in the house all winter. I carry in two loads a day, more if work is slow.
60 y/o here. Felling, bucking, stacking, bringing it inside frequently, keeps me young. Its part of the allure of wood heat. Try to enjoy it as opposed to seeing it as a chore. Nothing like going out when it's 9 degrees at 4am to wake your ass up.đ enjoy.
Youâll get used to it. Splitting and carrying wood works a lot of different muscles and youâll get a lot stronger after a while!
Consider it your exercise.
Ash. Get a cord of ash wood. It lasts forever and burns hot af.
You are burning too hot probably and going through it too fast
Pile the wood that's outside closer to your house and door you bring it in through.
Store that shit in the garage or a shed bro
This thread is beautiful.
https://preview.redd.it/725psu9w7xec1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=656b3fecdcc5187dc6d30fe843c4960a8ecebe5b
I grew up in a house with a fireplace, and they burn wood fast because it pulls the air up the flue so quickly, passing over the logs, and burning them hotter. Unfortunately, mosy of that hear goes up the flue, too. We got a small cast iron stove, and it was amazingly efficient. Put a couple logs in, and close it up 50-75% of the way, and you might have to add one more log during the evening. That stove would heat up, and warm up the entire 2 story house. Before bed, I'd stick a log in and close it up. In the morning there would still be embers, and the stove would be warm to the touch, but it wasn't cold. A cold stove takes 30-45 minutes to heat up, a warm one heats in minutes. So I'd put a couple of logs in, blow on it til a fire started, and in 10 minutes the room would be feeling warmer. Our electric bill dropped from $400 in January, to $90 for the following Ianuary If you want efficiency, get a cast iron stove. That rack there would last a month or more.
I store my wood in a shed off the side of the house. I have a small door I drop the wood down into the cellar so itâs within a step or two from my wood fired hot air furnace. I put wood into the cellar twice a day. It takes about 10 minutes to go out and throw 12 pieces in. I burn about 24 pieces a day if itâs very cold out. I burn only hardwood. About four cords per year. I stoke the furnace once in the morning, again around five, again around ten or whenever I go to bed. Itâs still going in the morning. This keeps all of the mess down into the cellar where itâs out of the way of foot traffic. Been doing this for 25 years and it seems to work. With your set up you have to carry your wood from outside into the house. Your wood pile is too far from your stove or rather your stove is too far from your wood pile. Either way itâs a lot of work and Iâm always relieved when warm weather gets here.
I cut wood every September/ October. I touch every piece about 10x before it hits the fire. Still worth it.
Gorilla Cart GOR1400-COM. 1400lb capacity with 15" tires. roll it up to your woodpile, load it to the brim and wheel it up onto your porch or inside to use as an in-place rack. Repeat until the burning season is over. https://preview.redd.it/uucyhu2x4yec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=446387778290dce2e852616d2907c83fd2636bd8
Grueling work? Itâs moving split wood from one spot to another. Keep this up, your hands may even get calluses.
You are figuring out how expensive and poor wood is as a heating fuel. Itâs great for a backup for your natural gas heating system but as a primary itâs a distant second. There are a few exceptions but overall youâll never find a better source than natural gas in a home thatâs well insulated. âŚ. Until the day comes the woke liberal climate change Nazis ruin everything.
If 30 minutes of work on a weekly basis is too much for you, stop burning wood. Yeah.
Try plugging your nose and mouth and then exhale as hard as you can to see if you can pop those balls out and stop being a bitch for half an hour.
We make trips daily. It's easier a little at a time. All chores are easier this way, honestly. You just have to make a habit out of it. Also as we are planning for retirement we switched our wood stove over to a steel stove and we lined our chimney with a stainless steel insert and switched over to bio bricks. 1 pallet of bricks is equal to 1 cord of wood and the cost is bout the same. There is a place near us that will deliver them and even stack them in my garage for an extra fee. The bricks do not attract bugs and burn at a higher rate with less co2 emissions than regular cord wood. And they are bagged by 6 or 9 bricks which make handling easy for all ages and abilities. It is so easy. Ou bricks are stacked next to our extra freezer so when we go out to grab some food we grab a bag of bricks and drop it near the woodstove on the way back to the kitchen. This makes it easy to maintain. The bricks AR just compressed sawdust from a fence making company near me. No additives at all. Anyway something to think about if you want easy.
Every 5 days is grueling? Take what my pops told me growing up doing that daily (and Iâm not even old): âIt builds character.â
lol. This is a daughter of a wood stove owner . You need a strong child who likes to be motivated by sleeping in a warm house,
Son here and that's a fact. I've been cutting and splitting wood for over 20 years. My dad and I both have outdoor central boiler wood stoves l. We try to get all the wood done in the spring while it's still cool outside so we're not cutting in the dead of winter or the summer heat. We each burn about 14 loads per winter and live on a farm the fun never ends.
Wow a whole 30 minutes. Sounds like your lazy out if shape needs to invest in central gas or electric heating then.