Though winter is still relatively far, alas, summer days are long gone. Knowing Australian winter isn’t as harsh as that in Europe () is enough of a consolation we need, but cold days call for preparation. It won’t be long before they arrive, and it takes taking heating matters into our hands in autumn, having the fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper in mind, to be able to welcome the cold season properly.
One of the main concerns in winter days is of course heating, and while there are many ways to heat up homes, such as use of gas-fired or electric heaters, many people still opt for the good old firewood option. The proof are the numbers of firewood being burned in Australia, between 4.5 and 5.5 million tonnes each year, with the average amount of 3 tonnes per household.
The main sources are the drier south-eastern and south-western regions in Australia, but even so firewood can be wet depending on the weather conditions and where its kept. There’s a difference between good and bad firewood with moisture being at the core. Bad unseasoned wood produces considerably less heat and a great deal more emissions than good seasoned wood, which is why tools such as log splitters and axes are more than necessary in firewood prep. Given you’d find a log splitter sale, it wouldn’t be much of an investment to make, but are you more of a log splitter or axe person?
Cutting logs for stoves, wood furnaces and fireplaces can be a lot of hard labour, requiring a great deal of stamina, especially if you have to do everything by yourself. Then again, there’s also the danger of getting injured, be it by flying wood, accidentally cutting yourself or splitting wood that has nails in it and risking getting hit by a flying nail.
With the vast variety of hydraulic machinery you can find at a log splitter sale, you’d not only get to save on time but money as well because these tools provide the quick and easy way to split logs and start seasoning firewood right on time. Since these tools don’t need installation, thanks to the standard 240V motor and 3-pin plug, and their superior oil filtration making for low maintenance, you’d say bye to dreading firewood prep and winter season altogether. The lack of generating engine fumes means these tools are ideal for inside as much as outside use, including poorly ventilated areas which isn’t the case with fuel powered log splitters.
The axe on the other hand, is a tool that’s been used throughout the centuries and, though it’s one people are accustomed to, it requires more strength and the skills to be able to prepare the wood properly. Unlike the safe to use hydraulic log splitters, that have safety guard for hand protection and auto-return ram, there’s no guarantee when one uses the axe – it’s all up to you and your log splitting expertise. While the axe is suitable for some types of wood, in certain instances a maul would be better, for example when splitting large chunks of wood, yet smaller persons would find mauls are much harder to swing.
Having these things in mind, what’s it going to be? Do you have the muscle enough to pull up the firewood prep on your own, or machinery is the superior option? Choose wisely, winter is coming!
