4 Ways of Cutting Firewood the Same Length, All the Time

Being as consistent as possible with the length of firewood you cut comes with many benefits.

Problem is, doing so by “eyeballin'” only works so much. That’s why you have to apply some technique to the whole deal to make it work all the time…

The chainsaw itself

Yes, you heard me right, the chainsaw you use on the spot can be used for the same measuring purposes, without needing to buy anything.

If the bar on the thing is exactly 16 inches long, use that as a tape for your needs.

To make a mark, hit the throttle and make an indentation with the tip.

In case the bar on the saw is longer, take a marker and note where you see fit on the bar.

*The length of the wood doesn’t have to be exactly 16 inches long. The optimal length depends on your burner.

Now even though this solution costs nothing, it is slow. Just imagine doing the same thing every single time you want to cut up a log!

All that repositioning, going back to the stance and getting the chainsaw going will wear you down quicker.

Spray marker

A roll-type firewood marker is probably the best solution for most of the people.

All you have to do is roll the wheel along the length of the log; this makes it dispense just the right amount of paint at each point. Put the tool away, grab the chainsaw and go to work!

The main advantage of using this specific device instead of the bar is speed. You’ll be able to process a lot more wood this way.

The only reliable option of this kind that’s available is the Mingo (get it on Amazon).

Bar attachment

You can get a measuring rod which attaches right to the saw.

It lets you easily gauge the actual length of the upcoming cut without premeasuring anything – just find the spot, position and cut away.

The only issue I find about these kinds of products is that the rod can end up being in the way.

Specifically speaking, moving around the log pile whilst such an accessory is attached to the chainsaw can be rather annoying.

Other than that, it is a great tool that may fit someone’s needs better than the others. The ARC stick can also be bought from Amazon.

Tape measure

A regular measuring tape works wonders for the task this post is about.

If you have one of the logging kind, even better.

Actual markings can be done with everything from a piece of chalk to an axe. The goal here is to have a reference point on where the bucking should be done.

Biggest con about measuring every single cut with a tape is that it will take significantly more time, than other alternatives.

Why do you want to be consistent with the firewood length

The biggest benefit, apart from actually being able to fit the wood into the stove, about preparing it at the same length is ease of stacking.

Because every piece is of the same size, the stack you’re going to build is going to be more solid, sound.

You won’t need to spend as much time finding just the right piece to fit into. In the end, the whole deal will end up looking better.

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Sure, you might think that all of this additional preparation is only a waste of time, but then again, being more precise with the wood we process can save us a lot of frustration in the future, particularly so if you’re new at this.