Question: What wood splits easiest?
Answer: In many cases you will have to split firewood logs to usable burning sizes. That obviously depends on the size of your wood burning unit. Remember, you pay a premium for split firewood but in many cases it is worth the cost and eliminates much work.
If you decide to split firewood, it would be advised that you buck your firewood log as short as possible and pick wood species that have straight grains like pine and cottonwood. Hickory and oaks have similar straight grain and can be easily split.
Two important points here: You generally can split a log more easily when it is green. Softwoods tend to split easier than hardwoods.
There are woods I would advise you stay away from if you are splitting by hand. I actually lost a wedge in a blackgum as the grains are interlocking and stringy and cling to the splitting blade. Other hard species to split are the elms and sycamores.
If you decide to split firewood, it would be advised that you buck your firewood log as short as possible and pick wood species that have straight grains like pine and cottonwood. Hickory and oaks have similar straight grain and can be easily split.
Two important points here: You generally can split a log more easily when it is green. Softwoods tend to split easier than hardwoods.
There are woods I would advise you stay away from if you are splitting by hand. I actually lost a wedge in a blackgum as the grains are interlocking and stringy and cling to the splitting blade. Other hard species to split are the elms and sycamores.
