Answer first: to turn a pile of logs into firewood, most households need a 14 to 18 inch gas chainsaw to cut the logs into rounds and a hydraulic log splitter to split them. On LEND-IT.CA, gas chainsaws rent for about $36 to $50 a day and a 25-ton gas splitter rents for $70 a day or $130 for a weekend. Rent both for one weekend and neither one sits in your garage for the other fifty.
Late fall is when the storm-damaged tree, the logs a neighbour dropped off and last year's rounds finally get dealt with.
What size chainsaw do you need for firewood?
Match the bar to the wood. A good rule is a bar a couple of inches longer than the thickest log you will cut.
14 inch bar - branches and logs up to about 12 inches across. Light and easy to control, the best choice if you have not run a saw in a while.16 inch bar - the all-round firewood size. Handles most backyard trees and logs up to about 14 inches.18 inch bar - thicker hardwood and bigger storm cleanup. Heavier, so it tires you out faster.Pole saw - for trimming overhead limbs from the ground, not for logs.Live listings right now:
Stihl 14 inch chainsaw - Burlington, $36 a day . Listed for firewood, trimming and small tree removal.Echo CS-370 16 inch gas chainsaw - Carp, west of Ottawa, $40 on weekdays, $50 on weekends . Runs on a 50:1 gas and oil mix.Stihl MS 170 - Georgetown, $45 a day , listed as coming with a full tank.Poulan 18 inch gas chainsaw - London, $50 a day , listed with a full fuel tank and bar and chain oil.Echo chainsaw - southwestern Ontario, $40 on weekdays, $30 on weekends , listed as sharpened and ready to cut.8 inch cordless pole saw - Guelph, $15 a day , reaches about 9.5 feet with all extensions.
Rates are set by each lender. See more in the tools category .
Do you need a log splitter, or will an axe do?
For kindling, an axe or maul is fine. For a full cord (a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long) of knotty hardwood, a hydraulic splitter is the difference between a weekend and a sore back that lasts a week.
The 25-ton gas-powered wood splitter in Nepean rents for $70 a day, $130 for a two-day weekend or $265 a week , and the lender lists delivery as an option. It works horizontally and vertically, so heavy rounds can be split standing up instead of lifted onto the beam. Twenty-five tons is plenty for most household firewood.
Book the chainsaw and the splitter for the same weekend. Cut everything into rounds on day one, split on day two.
Is it too late to cut firewood for this winter?
Freshly cut wood is full of water. It needs roughly six to twelve months of drying, split and stacked off the ground with the top covered, before it burns cleanly. Wet wood smokes, gives off little heat and builds up creosote in the chimney.
So think of it this way:
Logs that have been sitting since last year or longer - cut and split them now and they are close to ready.A tree that came down this summer or fall - cut and split it now, stack it in the sun and wind, and it will be ready for next winter.
Splitting speeds up drying either way, because it exposes the wet inside of the log.
How do you use a rented chainsaw safely?
Wear the gear. Chainsaw chaps or cut-resistant pants, a helmet with a face screen or safety glasses, hearing protection, work gloves and steel-toed boots.Start it with the chain brake on, on the ground, never by dropping it. Keep both hands on the saw whenever it is running.Watch the tip. Kickback happens when the upper tip of the bar touches wood. Cut with the lower part of the bar and never cut above shoulder height.Cut logs on a sawbuck or another log, not on the ground, so the chain stays out of the dirt and the log does not pinch the bar.Do not work alone, and felling a standing tree near a house, a fence or wires is a job for an arborist, not a rental.
Ask the lender to walk you through starting and stopping that model at pickup, and ask which fuel mix and bar oil it takes.
How do you use a log splitter safely?
One operator only. The person working the lever is the only one near the wedge.Hands off the log while the ram moves. Position the round, step back, then work the lever.Gloves, safety glasses and boots, and run it outside on level ground.Let it cool before refuelling.
How do you get the wood and the splitter home?
A cord of wood does not fit in a hatchback. Utility trailers are listed too: a 5 by 10 foot trailer with side walls in Carp for $35 a day and a 5 by 10 heavy-duty utility trailer in Nepean for $45 a day . Check the hitch ball size on the listing.
Have a splitter that works two weekends a year?
If yours sits idle most of the year, you can list it on LEND-IT.CA , set your own rates and share the link with neighbours. Here is how renting out items you already own works.
FAQ
How much does it cost to rent a chainsaw in Ontario?
Gas chainsaws on LEND-IT.CA run from about $36 to $50 a day. A cordless pole saw for trimming rents for about $15 a day.
How much does it cost to rent a log splitter?
The 25-ton gas splitter listed in Nepean is $70 a day, $130 for a weekend or $265 a week.
What size chainsaw do I need to cut firewood?
A 16 inch bar handles most firewood. Choose a bar a couple of inches longer than the thickest log you plan to cut.
How long does firewood need to dry?
Roughly six to twelve months once it is split and stacked off the ground with the top covered. Hardwoods like oak take the longest.
Related reading: renting a generator for a power outage .
