Firewood size

[dcast99]

After 2 years of having someone else having the fun of cooking down the sap I am finally getting a Leader 2x8 Revolution evaporator. What is the best size firewood to feed it (length x width)?

[spencer11]

as long as your firebox and wrist dia.

spencer

[western mainer]

You should keep it at least 2 or 3" shorter than your fire box. You don't want it against your door and so the air can flow around it.
Brian

[dcast99]

Problem is that I don't have the firebox yet. I have a couple of nice oak trees that came down in last years storms that need to be cut up.

[maple flats]

I cut mine shorter. I have a 3x8, the firebox is 32" deep. I cut mine 21" and split it to wrist size. I like to leave 5-6" in front and the reast open in back. I've tried cutting longer but find when I do I get a large pile of hot, glowing coals that builds up and starts forcing the wood I add closer to the front. Besides that, my wife likes 21" wood better than 24 or longer. She fuels the evaporator while I go pick up another load. If I made the wood too heavy I'd lose the help.

[spencer11]

i would just go 16" then, it should be short enough

[dcast99]

I have a lot of wood cut to 24" since that is what my woodburner takes. Sounds like I should be ok then. I'll check with Leader this week to get the firebox size.

Thanks for the info.

[Maplehobbyist]

It seems the diameter is more important than the length. Mine ranged from 1-1/2 to 3" in diameter. Smaller burns faster than larger and you want a hot, fast fire. My fire box was only about 12" deep by 16" wide, so my lengths varied from 9" to 14". I laid the shorter ones front to back and the longer ones side to side and was able to construct a 'log cabin' fire, which allows air to get everywhere. I was firing about every 5-6 minutes. It's kind of a PITA to use wood that small but it was all stuff that was too small for the wood stove anyway.