Tools for cutting firewood

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Wood heat is becoming increasingly popular, but you're guaranteed to work up a sweat when cutting your own firewood. Dress for the job by wearing a hard hat, safety goggles, steel-toed work boots, and heavy gloves to protect your hands. Invest in a sharp axe with a handle weight and shape that feels most comfortable. A maul, a tool that looks like a heavy hammer with a dull blade, helps you finish the job by splitting wood chunks into quarter-rounds of firewood. Never use a splitting maul as a sledgehammer, however. If you're not careful, slivers of metal can shear off and cause serious injury.

Radio interview source: Craig McKinley, extension forestry specialist, Oklahoma State University

To learn more about heating your home with firewood, we suggest these helpful resources:

Managing Your Woodlot: Guidelines for harvesting trees for firewood.

Cutting Firewood Safely: Learn how to avoid accidents and injuries when collecting wood for your stove or fireplace.

Forestry Hand and Power Tools: Tips for selecting the right tools to cut your firewood.