Cutting firewood on your own feels great! It’s a soul-soothing task that can suppress all your stress and worries for a while, at least. Also, it saves your hard-earned money. Another exciting matter is you can also get your family members in and turn it into a great family time.
Every member of your family will find something to do as it has a wide range of skills and requirements.
For instance, if you have young kids, you can get them to do loading and storing wood in the truck when seniors’ members will be bucking and felling. But you know, “first things first” before bringing all these pleasant moments into reality, you need to learn how to cut firewood efficiently. So, in this piece, we will learn how.
Contents
ย Best Equipment for Cutting Firewood
The tools used for woodcutting have developed a lot since the bronze age. Nowadays, we have automatic tools that can cut any type of wood almost without requiring any physical labor.
They are also time-efficient and effective in cutting. In this section, we will have a detailed discussion about firewood cutting equipment. Let’s get started:
1.ย Manual Saw
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This is such a classic woodcutting tool that still exists and is used widely around the world. It comes under a very low price and can handle your small woodworking jobs. This saw can be used to cut firewood but it will require heavy manual labor.
2.ย Circular Saw
Truth be told, this is one of the best saw you can find to cut your firewood with precise shape. The advanced control manual helps you to get your desired size and shape. It comes with a lightweight design and moves fast to cut bigger pieces. A circular saw can easily slice through hard or softwood without requiring much physical effort.
3. Chainsaw
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The chainsaw has been able to replace those traditional saws through their excellent performance in cutting firewood.
When it comes to cut logs, they always deliver a top-notch performance. You can do pruning, felling trees, and cutting firewood easily using a chainsaw.
4.ย Reciprocating Saw
A reciprocating saw is one of the most all-around power tools anyone can own. It can cut through your firewood pretty smoothly. It can cut building materials. When cutting tree branches, we would suggest you use a standard reciprocating saw.
The best thing about this saw is its all-around performance. We have some of the best reciprocating saw blades for you here. you can check out https://sawfeatures.com/best-reciprocating-saw-blades-for-pruning/
How to Split Firewood with A Chainsaw?
When you cut firewood using an ax, it would be a very laborious and time-consuming job. As people say, “time is money.” Therefore, we have to find a way to do our job much efficiently with greater quality.
And when it comes to split firewood, a chainsaw would be the best weapon you could ever find. Let’s get to know how to cut firewood efficiently using a chainsaw:
Step 1
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As soon as you have the chainsaw ready and done wearing the required safety gear, it’s time to get the saw rolling on the wood. For example, if you want to chop a tree trunk equally, we would suggest you cut it into four-foot-pieces. That’s a piece of cake as you can get it done without using a measuring tape.
ย Step 2
Well, now you have got a large four-foot length trunk which you need to make into smaller pieces near about 16 inches each. Yeah, you can get it even if the pieces of wood are lying on the ground and, you are allowed to apply the same technique in step one. Let’s cut them into thirds.
ย Step 3
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In this part, we will get the firewood. Garb that 16″ piece of timber and put it on the ground or, you could also use a flat tree stump. After that, put some blockage on both sides to keep it steady and farm. Now, it’s time to take the chainsaw and run it directly through the log straight down the center of its whole length.
During the cutting process, leaving just one inch left on the foot of the log. Otherwise, you may dull the chain by hitting the ground or crushing it with the tree stump. Now, hold the chainsaw on the ground and use your hands to rip the log in half. It won’t be that hard.
Now you are supposed to have just halves. Lastly, you got to repeat the procedure by slicing the halves into quarters. And you have got some delicate thin pieces of wood which you can toss into the fireplace quite effortlessly. Congratulations! You have done it.
ย Safety Tips
A chainsaw is quite an efficient and safe tool out there. Still, it’s just a machine, you know. It doesn’t have any consciousness as you do. That’s why you need to be a bit careful when using it. Here are some common safety tips you need to follow when using the chainsaw:
1. Chain Tension
Before turning on the chainsaw, you need to make sure its chain has been accurately tensioned on the guide bar. A loosen chain can turn out to be fatal as it may draw materials towards it. On the other hand, when it’s tightened more than needed, it might just stop running.
2.ย Careful with Kickback
img source: epicsawguy.com
Kickback is a common issue with a chainsaw. However, if you could be a bit careful, you can easily avoid it. Here are some quick tips:
- Ensure there are no light objects near the chainsaw when it’s running.
- Use a chainsaw with a smaller guide bar.
- Avoid cutting any tree branch whose diameter is comparatively wider than the chainsaw.
- Never touch the front end of your chainsaw.
3. Protection for Your Eyes and Ears
When running the chainsaw, it’s a must to make sure your eyes and ears are well-protected. Most typical gas-powered chainsaws generate around 120 dB of sound, which is extremely harmful to your ears. So, you need to wear noise-reduction earmuffs when using the chainsaw.
On the other hand, a running chainsaw might draw debris and dust to your face, so you must have protective goggles when working with the chainsaw.
Final Words
So, how to cut firewood efficiently? Do you think it is the toughest job in the world? Trust me, your 10-years old child can deal with it, though we wouldn’t recommend so.
With a good chainsaw, cutting firewood is like slicing cheesecake with a katana. You can cut any large trunk of wood using a chainsaw.
Still, we would highly recommend you to wear protective gear when using the chainsaw. Your safety should be the first priority. It would be great if you just read the manual given with the chainsaw before getting started.
