eucalyptus cuttability

[injun joe]

is eucalyptus easy/hard to cut ? how does it compare to other hardwoods in cuttability?

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I've heard it takes up sand in the wood . Very much of that and a chain won't last long till it needs resharpened. It doesn't grow around here so... somebody with experience cutting it might chime in to give their 2 pence worth.

 

[injun joe]

i was just curious because i got some semi dry and i cut it(partially) with my 390 but i used my 075 instead just to make sure it worked. so i was just curious to see if i ever had to cut hardwood how my 390 would match up?

 

[myzamboni]

all i know is splitting it by hand is not a joy

 

[woodbooga]

Excuse my ignorance, but...

Is this the same stuff that koala bears eat? Not joking. A serious question.

 

[injun joe]

i believe it is what koalas eat in australia i think i could be wrong or i am and yeah every time i try to hit it with an axe it wont even stay in the wood just bounces out every time but anybody cut any??

 

[Henry G.]

I have been cutting a huge euc log now on and off for the last few months. Some pics here:
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=108400&page=5

This tree was about 6' at the base, then widened to over 7' as it split into 2 main trunks. Euc is HARD stuff, and unsplittable with an axe IMO. It is also one of the highest BTU firewoods around, around 32K BTU I recall, higher even than oak, which makes it worth the work as long as you have a splitter.
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/firewood.html

The sap hardens onto the chains and can only be removed with lye or oven cleaner. If seasoned, it is even harder. This stuff is heavy when green, and takes around 6 months to a year to season. Ripping it (noodling) is easier than cutting cross grain believe it or not. When cutting it, the steam is acrid and burns your nose when you breathe the fumes. Its very aromatic, not un pleasant but strong.
Cutting this big stuff will tax your saws. I should have got some skip chain, but my 394 will still pull a 36" bar with full comp, but you have to go easy and let the saw rev, not an easy task sometimes. I have got about 4-5 cords out of this one tree, and there was only 1/3 of it left. It was probably 200 years old.
Some more pics when I first started cutting: The log on the left in the last pic was not another tree, it was a branch of the big tree!
One of the aussies here will post more info, there are many species of euc, they call them red gum, yellow box etc, they originated in Australia and are used here alot at windbreaks for orchards. And yes Woodbooga I believe the Koala eat the tender young leaves of certain types of euc.

 

[injun joe]

I have been cutting a huge euc log now on and off for the last few months. Some pics here:
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=108400&page=5

This tree was about 6' at the base, then widened to over 7' as it split into 2 main trunks. Euc is HARD stuff, and unsplittable with an axe IMO. It is also one of the highest BTU firewoods around, around 32K BTU I recall, higher even than oak, which makes it worth the work as long as you have a splitter.
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/firewood.html

The sap hardens onto the chains and can only be removed with lye or oven cleaner. If seasoned, it is even harder. This stuff is heavy when green, and takes around 6 months to a year to season. Ripping it (noodling) is easier than cutting cross grain believe it or not. When cutting it, the steam is acrid and burns your nose when you breathe the fumes. Its very aromatic, not un pleasant but strong.
Cutting this big stuff will tax your saws. I should have got some skip chain, but my 394 will still pull a 36" bar with full comp, but you have to go easy and let the saw rev, not an easy task sometimes. I have got about 4-5 cords out of this one tree, and there was only 1/3 of it left. It was probably 200 years old.
Some more pics when I first started cutting: The log on the left in the last pic was not another tree, it was a branch of the big tree!
One of the aussies here will post more info, there are many species of euc, they call them red gum, yellow box etc, they originated in Australia and are used here alot at windbreaks for orchards. And yes Woodbooga I believe the Koala eat the tender young leaves of certain types of euc.

yea when i got some euc i was trying to use my 390 with a 28'' bar was slow but did it so after the first round i just got my old torque monster out (075) had a 30'' bar lets just say that euc log didnt stand a chance.

 

[Henry G.]

Shootin noodles 10 feet is a blast! Going out tomorrow to finish off that beast.
Been using a spade to scrape off the dirt inbedded in the bark to lessen chain dulling, even rubbing old noodles back and forth to scrub the rest off the surface.
We have a fire burning here (again) in So Cal, so I might score some red oak that has burned once the crews get it off the roads and out of our transmission lines, woo hoo! This one was not arsonist started for once, spontaneous combustion of manure left in an orchard believe it or not!

 

[Henry G.]

I went to finish off the beast and it almost finished me off

Last piece of that log. Went thru 3 chains hitting hidden dirt, and it almost didnt all fit in the truck, I wasnt leaving anything behind for others to take.

Did I cut myself? Nope, hit a patch of that red pitch looks just like blood....guess thats why the Aussies call this species red gum

Logs gone!

Man the truck rides nice with a bunch of wood in the back...

Next is some oak from this Filmore fire I'm trying to dial in......maybe Sat, bunch of red oak, burned on the outside, perfect on the inside.

 

[myzamboni]

That red gum when properly seasoned makes nice crystals that help the wood burn like gasoline. Don't stuff your stove to the gills with Euc. Mix it with other stuff.

 

[redwood logger]

I worked bucking big logs into rounds at a wood lot for a while and cut up some big dry euc logs. Even when the log is clean it will dull your chain instantly. You are sharpening all the time. That wood is not worth the extra work and chainsaw wear in my opinion. Not to mention the wear on your back dealing with that heavy stuff! I would only cut it if it was the only hardwood I could find!

 

[Bushranger1]

i was just curious because i got some semi dry and i cut it(partially) with my 390 but i used my 075 instead just to make sure it worked. so i was just curious to see if i ever had to cut hardwood how my 390 would match up?

I live in the forests of Southern Australia & I only have Eucalyptus trees up to 30" in diameter which to use for heating my home. There are many different types of Eucalyptus so it all depends which variety you are talking about. Some are very easy to split others almost impossible. See this attachment regarding some of the properties of various species.
I use a Stihl 032 (18" bar) & MS390 (20" bar) for felling & cutting these trees with no problem except when I hit some of the glue like sap pockets contained in the Messmate Stringybark species.
I hope the attachment worked as its the first time I have attached one.

 

[myzamboni]

We're mostly Blue Gum out here. If I find it difficult to split (and your chart says fair), I don't want to every try hand-splitting listed as 'Difficult'.

 

[streeter]

is eucalyptus easy/hard to cut ? how does it compare to other hardwoods in cuttability?

The stuff is brutal on chains!! Pain in the arse to split! Tell you this much tho...The stuff is probably the best wood to burn for us desert dwellers.

My father inlaw has a few trees that was cut 2 year ago. It is heavy, eats chains, BUT, the length of burn and the heat (very high on the chart)it puts out is just down right awesome!

I live close to Bullhead AZ/Laughlin NV, in the high desert. With 1 cord of Eucalyptus and a 1 1/2 cord of pine I can get thru the winter very comfortably

 

[tdi-rick]

We're mostly Blue Gum out here. If I find it difficult to split (and your chart says fair), I don't want to every try hand-splitting listed as 'Difficult'.

Old dead Yellow Box is the toughest stuff to cut and split that I know of, much tougher than the harder Iron Bark due to density and grain.

I use a mates splitter that is powered by a Kubota 3 cyl diesel and can stall it out on some of my bigger biscuits (36-42")

If you try using a manual block splitter all that happens is that you end up with tendinitis........

 

[Bushranger1]

The stuff is brutal on chains!! Pain in the arse to split! Tell you this much tho...The stuff is probably the best wood to burn for us desert dwellers.

My father inlaw has a few trees that was cut 2 year ago. It is heavy, eats chains, BUT, the length of burn and the heat (very high on the chart)it puts out is just down right awesome!

I live close to Bullhead AZ/Laughlin NV, in the high desert. With 1 cord of Eucalyptus and a 1 1/2 cord of pine I can get thru the winter very comfortably

Those Eucalyptus species that grow in the more arid areas with poor soils are usually very hard, dense timber but your right they burn great.
The type that grow here in the mountains of Southern Australia where I live are not so bad on your saw but if you cut one that has termites in it look out because the little pests bring all the soil up into the wood. Even worse if you live in a granite soil area. I have had sparks come off my bar when thats happened!
I usually touch up my chain on approx every 2nd tank fill all going well but I have never cut soft wood before so doing this is the norm for me. Dunno how often you guys do it cutting softwoods

 

[Bushranger1]

Excuse my ignorance, but...

Is this the same stuff that koala bears eat? Not joking. A serious question.

Actually there are only a few Eucalypt species that Koalas eat. They are quite fussy eaters. One species is the Mountain Grey gum. I have them in my wet gullies down the the back. Koalas & Mountain Grey gum that is. I dont cut the Grey Gums down generally as I like to leave them for the Koalas. I will ask my wife which ones they eat as she used to work in a wildlife park.

 

[Bushranger1]

yea when i got some euc i was trying to use my 390 with a 28'' bar was slow but did it so after the first round i just got my old torque monster out (075) had a 30'' bar lets just say that euc log didnt stand a chance.

No wonder you went to the 075. No way I would try a 28" bar on my 390 in the wood I cut at home. I tried the 20" bar on my 032 for a while but went back to the 18" because it bogged down too much.

 

[tdi-rick]

[snip]
The type that grow here in the mountains of Southern Australia where I live are not so bad on your saw but if you cut one that has termites in it look out because the little pests bring all the soil up into the wood. Even worse if you live in a granite soil area. I have had sparks come off my bar when thats happened!
[snip]

God I hate termite chimneys.........most of the Box around here has them.
and yes, sparks are pretty regular when cutting around here. You even get them in 'clean' timber too...