ONE OF A KIND Eastonmade Axis Wood Splitter__vs__Huge Green White Oak Rounds!

[@tripacer8259]

You are SO LUCKY to have your dear ole Dad around,! I sure wish I could "hang out" with my Dad again....

[@digdrivediy]

Yes for sure. It is not lost on me how fortunate I am to be hanging out with him so much and working on projects together. It's always good to have the reminder too. Thanks so much for watching.

[@skipman8yard]

Great vidj good old dad 💪🤘💯😎🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@blackdogexcavator21]

I knew the ol farmer ingenuity would come through!!! Good job Pop.

[@BigFarles]

Neil, does your dad have any interest in adopting a 44 year old man with a wonderful wife and two kids? Same question to your father in law? Your family is amazing and I’m glad that your girls will videos like this to show their grandkids. I miss my dads and grandfathers. I wish I would have made videos of them.

[@digdrivediy]

Haha! Thanks so much Marcus. It is not lost on me how fortunate I am to have both of them always willing and able to help me out. That goes for all of my family. And that's why, like you said, I've been motivated to make some videos showcasing them. Thanks for taking note and I really appreciate you watching. As always.

[@KingsOutdoorLife]

Now that is a great idea!!!! The girls can add "rent-a-pop" to their website and merch store. How many of us would spend a few hundred bucks to come hang out with the Koch Clan and learn a few things about life and how to do it right!

[@aaronburford5701]

I swear I can NOT get enough of your channel and knowledge! It literally blows my mind how much equipment you have a your home! I love it!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Aaron!

[@aaronburford5701]

@@digdrivediy Great.commentaty, I always learn something, entertaining and a warm presentation!

[@donflack3778]

I love your Dad! 😉

[@digdrivediy]

Likewise :)

[@donaldpereira2652]

Watching you relate with your Dad tugs at my heart. I lost my Dad to pneumonia in 2018 at 94. In fishing camp one evening, I told my dad that everything I know, that defines who I am as a man I learned from him. His response was, "Thats a really nice compliment, could you pour me another whiskey? "

[@ponypwr]

Great Job POPS! Experience always wins! Thanks for the shout out on my idea comment!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks for all the great comments my friend!

[@machzel08]

A+ solution. Nice job. I was so happy to see my comment on screen. So nice that you read them.

[@digdrivediy]

Oh yeah! Thanks for the comments. I read them all still.

[@utubota5522]

Great relationship with your dad. One of the things I lake about your channel is the demonstration of good family relationships.

[@digdrivediy]

Thank you kindly. I'm very grateful to hear those kind of comments.

[@dave007565]

Neil, you had plenty of options to make a dolly for the wood splitter. You chose your dads build which is priceless. His excitement was worth it! Congrats

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much.

[@samgentile7494]

Hi Neil, I loved your comment on saving on gym membership since 1985. I know many people who pay a lawn service to mow their lawns and to rake their leaves in the Fall and then also pay for a gym membership to get some exercise.

[@berkoskilandscaping4247]

Man I gotta say your pops is awesome!

[@digdrivediy]

Agreed

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

That new dolly worked out swimmingly

[@digdrivediy]

Yessir. I've made good use of it already too! Really appreciate you watching Hank!

[@EastonmadeWoodSplitters]

Love the dolly....tell dad im already cutting the steel lol. Interested to see the moisture content in the future

[@digdrivediy]

Ha! He'd be excited if you were :) Might need to hit you up for the right color of orange! Thanks for the support Andrew!

[@snoozieq4584]

Ah, the ending bloopers... Target practice anyone? Let me see if I have any 12g shotgun shells loaded with rock salt... OOh, I have daddy's 10g and 8g, but I'm out of shells for those. Oh well. Loved the video. Dad for the win with his dolly. Great job. I wouldn't worry about the moisture content for the same reasons you mentioned. It's not like you have 30 to 40 feet of chimney to worry about creosote build up. Okay, the fans can get gunked up. That is going to happen anyway. Your preventative maintenance schedule that you have shown in previous videos will help to lessen that. Thank you for another great video. See you next time.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Susan!

[@michaelmcguire3983]

Your dad came up with a great fix! We’re lucky we have them around 😉 take care my friend

[@digdrivediy]

I'm certainly lucky. Thanks so much Mike!

[@MyClutteredGarage]

Biggest rounds ever, Neil! Nicely done! Love seeing your dad on the show too.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much Ed! Those were some monsters for sure.

[@curtwhite876]

I would say this is EXACTLY why Easton Made is a sponsor of this channel. Great job, guys! What a simple and elegant solution.

[@digdrivediy]

Hey, thanks a lot Curt!

[@RockhillfarmYT]

The dolly worked great

[@farrenmason8166]

Your dad just might be a genius.

[@leovogelgesang4398]

Men of your dad’s generation are a gem, they will be sorely missed when they are gone.

[@digdrivediy]

For sure.

[@KingsOutdoorLife]

Our farm is small and on a fairly busy road now so we have lots of neighbors. Every time I try to make a video it seems there is either shots fired, motorcycles revved, or some other nonsense in the background. Nice video and I love the ingenuity.

[@digdrivediy]

Never fails eh?!

[@jimoconnor6850]

GREAT job Dad!!!!

[@unclealansyard5176]

You Dad did a great job! It amazes me the amount of knowledge I got from my dad, grandfather, Uncle's as well other older people in church in community. There's something about the older generation the the vast knowledge and experience they have to share. Sadly I think that trend is slowing down in my generation. For any young folks that might be reading this.. always take the time to listen to your elders and put what they share with you in your mind.

[@digdrivediy]

Very well said! I'm trying to document all they've taught me with video!

[@DirtBrute]

Dad fixed that problem 👍. I just told my sons we need to start spitting our piles real soon to let it dry . Our shack is built for air flow so it don’t take long but we gotta get it to the shack first.

[@digdrivediy]

I wish I had some better airflow. It seems to dry in there pretty good though regardless, I guess. I got to ask, did you watch this video from England? That's cool If you did.

[@DirtBrute]

@@digdrivediy I watched when I got home. the small town I was in had horrible phone service and videos would freeze after a couple minutes . 😂

[@southlakelife]

😄Well done Neil and your father!!! That's awesome!

[@bobpurs]

You knew Dad would come threw 👍. Nice dolly and works great.

[@richardclifton4120]

Try putting a little wax on that splitter table and the wood should slide easier. Even some good silicone spray would help. I know how hard it is to slide big pieces around on a splitter. It does build muscle though.

[@digdrivediy]

I do need to look into that. Great idea!

[@fricknjeep]

hi there hats off to your dad well done . john

[@WatchWesWork]

I'm surprised that it won't split some of the pieces on the first try. My craptacular 25 ton splitter will cut through Oak cross grain.

[@digdrivediy]

Ha! They don't build 'em like they used to!

[@Oklahoman-in6ph]

Ahhh nice splitter, Buckin Billie Ray received the same splitter from Easton. Works good eh? My old channel was Mowerman 0007, so he/I are still watching your channel I love I. Your dad is sure the Fabricator...

[@digdrivediy]

Glad to know that! I was appreciate your comments. I'll remember that 0007!

[@terryrogers1025]

Nice job on your front wheel adapter for the splitter, dad is a pretty handy guy to have around. Splitter works well also. Thanks for the ride along sir. I never worried about burning wet wood in my outside wood burner, but I was for the most part a season ahead but not always.

[@TimothysTractors]

Really enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing!

[@digdrivediy]

Thank you so much! Really appreciate that little bonus as well! Glad to have you watching.

[@gordonbrown6616]

Everyone should have a common sense engineer in their family. Your dad is a great example. Also the power of hydraulics the grapple and the splitter are certainly back savers. Great video!! I enjoy all of them.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much Gordon! I'm certainly glad to have the influence of my dad all these years.

[@steveo7265]

Props to your dad for the mobility solution. I discovered this channel not long ago, but I'm loving it.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much Steve O. Glad to have you watching!

[@TheHobbyShop1]

Dad to the rescue! That works pretty slick!

[@Sellarmusic]

Your Dad's custom heavy duty homemade trailer dolly was the perfect solution. He did a great job! It is amazing how much weight you can control with a trailer dolly. As for the dryness of firewood it depends on a lot of factors. Wood species, size of the split wood, air circulation, stacking off the ground, and time all play a part. I shoot for 15% in my modern airtight wood-stove. Your boiler can definitely handle wood wetter than that but you always give up some heat drying wood in your stove. I've found oak to be about the slowest drying wood. I split it small and it still takes about 2 years for green oak to dry enough to burn well.

[@digdrivediy]

Yeah that is certainly true. I'm sure this will be wetter than most would like to burn but I'll probably be out of wood by then. It'll be interesting to see how wet it is.

[@Steve_Wojo]

Kudo's to your Dad. What great design and fabrication. Hope Eastonmade is paying attention ! 😁

[@BG-vq9fd]

Nice job Dad.

[@KNLFirewood]

Bang up job Dad! You’ve got a pretty nice set up with the splitter under roof…can split rain or shine. I’ve cut some BIG rounds on our Axis. It’s a lot of work but you get a ton of wood! I’ll bet it’s dry “enough”, whatever the moisture content ends up. Keep us updated!

[@digdrivediy]

Appreciate it!

[@MTTRANSPORTTX]

Great job on the dolly Pops!

[@kevndo]

Nice job. Easton made is gonna owe you some money when they start building that attachment.

[@darcyscott2406]

Nice job DAD! Hey Neil I really enjoy your videos, it’s nice to see you get your entire family involved. You have a great family! Have a good week. From Northwestern Vermont

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much Darcy! I'm always thankful to hear folks that enjoy seeing the family side of things In the videos.

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

Dad…. You done good! If you get a call from Eastomade… raise your price!!!! Neil, I was thinking you should use the backhoe splitter to halve or quarter those biguns… but, certainly understand why you didn’t. I too will sometimes avoid an implement change if I can make what I have work! Moisture content of my wood matters quite a bit on my fireplace. It is prone to creosoting when I bank the fire overnight. I don’t know what the moisture level is but… I’ve burned wood for so many years…. I can just ‘feel’ when it is too wet. One of the methods that I use for burning wet wood is to put dryer wood on the bottom where they contact the coals. The green wood above will heat up and steam a bunch of the moisture out. By the time I come back to look at it the green wood will be ready to burn. If I open the vents and throw in some seasoned wood it doesn’t creosote the fireplace walls or chimney too badly. It is far easier to revive a fire than it is to start one… and, residual heat is a blessing on those cold mornings! So, I usually keep a separate stack of gnarled, knotty and dense wood for that ‘overnighter’ piece to top the fire. But, once it is used up, I resort to a poorly seasoned chunk. I hate building a fire from scratch before morning coffee. I think our heat wave is supposed to break this week. We are going to have highs below 100f. Frankensplitter is all tuned up. The chainsaws are sharpened and serviced… wood cutting season has arrived!!!! 🤞 (I hope) 🤞

[@digdrivediy]

Boy I hear you Dave. We cut some more wood this past weekend at a temperature of 90° and I was reminded why we try to wait until the fall to cut wood! I really feel your points on not wanting to restart the fire as well. In the six months that I keep a fire going, I bet you I don't restart it more than two or three times. Every once in a while on those mild temperature days I forget about it and it goes out cold. But I generally don't have any shortage of those overnighters either. By the time I'm ready to start burning, I'll have nearly a whole trailer full of stuff that is too big and gnarly to get split! Usually I can't wait to get them burned up though. It'll be very interesting to see what the moisture is on those that I put in the back. I've never really even worried about it before, so this may be an eye opener for me. I can tell when the wood is too wet though. Like you said. The creosote builds up and I know I was getting a little hasty. Thanks as always. Hope Frankensplitter gets a good workout this fall!

[@mainerdiy8399]

Great video. So great to have your wise father helping out.

[@johnwoody4905]

your dad did a great job. in an out door boiler you can burn wood on green side if it has a fan draft. dry wood is better i never tested any . wished i had a eastonmade axis checked price they cost way to much for me. take care, be safe and well

[@tonieveritt7045]

Morning neil that eastonmade will go through that wood no problem it is a beast of a machine as you no.

[@digdrivediy]

Oh yeah! It's been fun to put it through the paces!

[@Tdale85]

I have to say your stone driveway is one of the nicest I have ever seen. Very clean lines on your grass, and no weeds or vegetation anywhere. Nice job

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks!

[@TonysCoolTools]

Niel, your dad did a great job on the dolly attachment. Regarding your moisture content, if you have an older OWB it shouldn't matter but if you have the newer gasification models they really need wood under 20%. Will be interesting to see how much it dries in the shed with no air movement. Typically wood the size you’re splitting takes about 2 years to dry when it’s stacked and in an open area exposed to sun and wind.

[@paulgraves5634]

Congrats Dad

[@sealboysfarmtonyanddebbies8806]

Great job. Add a elbow to the handle so it can stay on. I love stuff like that

[@nickwallace9955]

Hey Neil, Great video! I just bought my first dump truck. It's a great starter truck 1999 Chevy K3500 1 ton, 5 yard dump. You were right it'll change your life! Once you have one you won't go without one! 👍

[@digdrivediy]

Oh man, you're going to love it! Congratulations Nick!

[@derek3815]

So much cooler and better then a wheel jack on the tung. Lol 👍 very nice

[@marilynwitherell186]

Your dad is amazing, and another great video, thanks.

[@DustinOhioState7431]

Nice Video Neil!

[@fricknjeep]

hi ment to say 75% of the water is out in the first 3-4 months , winters low humidity makes it dry the fastest . put some on a old platform scale it will amaze you . got to have one somewhere on the farm . john

[@ritterjon]

💥 Your dad for the WIN!! That will be a perfect tool for moving that Axis around. 👍 *Keep on tractoring!*

[@digdrivediy]

Thank you so much sir! It has come in so handy so far!

[@davidshay4773]

If I was in need of a wood splitter it would definitely be the axis like yours, nice rig 👍

[@minutemanmac]

What a great solution!

[@wittepm]

Yay for dad's engineering!

[@tedk2166]

Hope you realize how lucky you are to have a father like you have!

[@digdrivediy]

Oh yes. Well aware and very thankful. He knows it too.

[@andrewhoggett8148]

what a cool dolly your dad made looks like a accessory could buy straight from Eastonmade in Australia we burn gumtrees a hard wood similar to white oak when burning in a wood heater i use to aim for around 15 % would take two years to dry so had to be a season it front , awesome channel keep up great content

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks for the kind words Andrew!

[@hollandduck79]

Hello🙋‍♂️ from the Netherlands🇳🇱 Koch Family . beautiful dolly your father made . if you split woodshad into two halves with a dividing wall then you can first stack one half full of firewood and then the fresher firewood that you have shorn in the other half then you will always have the oldest and driest wood first. it just depends on what works for you . thanks for the video Neil . Sincerely, Hollandduck🇳🇱🦆

[@digdrivediy]

I like that dividing wall idea! Thanks Hollanduck!

[@hollandduck79]

@@digdrivediy you're welcome Neil

[@martijnheeroma5492]

Dutch guy living in Sweden. I have a 25m3 woodshed using 15m3 each year, one year I take wood from the left side, next year from the right side, dividing works and it is free

[@shanerajotte]

So the only thing i would do now with your splitter is build a short extension table for those large rounds you were splitting. You could use the forklift pockets for the extension.

[@adrianspies2788]

Nice work mate!

[@russorpcom]

Your Dad's solution to move the processor is fantastic. The handle was a great addition, making perfect for the task. I look forward to later videos on moisture content as well. Do you burn and or store what was in the trash can as well?

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks so much Richard! No, I don't save too much of that bark and debris that was in the trash can. I've got a few barrels of it to start fires but I produce way more than that that I can't store for that long.

[@jasonmoncrieff7449]

Hope you're paying your dad for that one Neil!! He has a great head on his shoulders

[@digdrivediy]

Dad doesn't seem to ever wanna take any payment for anything! :)

[@GrampysTractor]

After Andrew loans me an Axis to use I'll call and get one of your dad's dollies. Looks like the perfect combination.

[@koryleague8833]

I'm with you I've never really checked moisture. I mainly get wood that is down. I just go by eye and how it splits. Love the dolly, tell your dad to patent it lol

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Those were certainly some massive rounds!

[@digdrivediy]

Definitely!

[@jdhogyellowhelmetproductio358]

I knew your dad would come up with something ...Got a bang out of that last part of the video ! sorry couldn't help it...

[@digdrivediy]

Haha! Glad to hear you liked that last "shot"! :)

[@jackson2uk]

Great work dad!

[@lhr1701]

Now it is time to make an extension for the table .

[@allaboutoutdoors5083]

That definitely worked for moving the axis around but they do make them already prefabbed just like what you have. It’s called a trailer dolly and they are like $70 at harbor freight for anybody else looking for something like this.

[@scottsoper]

Vary good solution to moving the splitter! I will be interested to see the outcome of the moisture test.

[@digdrivediy]

I'm very interested as well.

[@gregprince2523]

Neil .... with your wood burner right there at the woodshed, could you have a heat tube ran into the storage area and fan to have a kiln like area to expedite the drying process?? Maybe insulate the walls?

[@digdrivediy]

Probably could. That's not a bad idea. Too bad I couldn't route the chimney heat through there.

[@casycasy5199]

your dad did a great job.the splitter looks like it can really split.it looks like a foot switch to raise the wing would work better then the hand one so high up.

[@digdrivediy]

Yeah sometimes there is a long reach if you want to hold on to the wood as you raise it up.

[@rchavez5056]

I miss my dad. 😢 Great video.

[@texasproud3332]

Good job y’all one step closer to labor free wood harvesting

[@danacampbell-vu2ut]

Neil, Chris from In the Woodyard actually sharpened his wedge on his splitter and it split somewhat better. Could try it and see. 🤔🤭👍. Keep it up! 🪵🪵🪵🪵

[@digdrivediy]

Nice idea!

[@jamesjohnson6239]

Im looking forward to seeing how dry th oak is in April. It doesn't seem like you have alot of airflow through the lean to. Best case scenario is a mild winter and you wont have to burn it until next season!

[@digdrivediy]

That would be fantastic!

[@claudethomas8084]

You would need a fold up section to make the table wider when you split those huge rounds so there easer to turn and don't fall off the edge. A foot operated valve to lift them instead of trying to reach up to the control valve would also be nice. Its a very nice splitter and a few modification would make it even better. You and your dad could have those mods done in no time. Your Dad did a great job on the dolly, (that's what dad's are for 😁). Great video and love the loader attachment.

[@digdrivediy]

Really appreciate it Claude!

[@homesteadspirit9209]

My dad and I are actually working on making my wood shed/splitting station more efficient as well!

[@timboyd2385]

Drying is primarily a function of airflow. Anything you can do to promote airflow would help; even if it's just a 20 inch Walmart box fan circulating the dead air in the space.

[@RCPSU4]

Almost looks like one of those dollies with a tow ball attached that I've seen at Harbor Freight. When we cut down this monstrous maple at home, some of those chunks were a real test for my small manual splitter. Still got them cut even though it was a real workout.

[@default9740]

Nice solution Neil’s Dad! I know what you mean about saving on gym memberships Neil. I’m still splitting mine with a maul as I cut it: mind you it’s only green willow, and I’m only 55. Might get a “real” splitter when I retire.

[@digdrivediy]

You're doing way better than me! I'm only 45 and the maul gets to my back quickly!

[@thedelcodave]

I feel honored. My comment from the last video made it into this video.

[@digdrivediy]

Nice! Thanks so much for commenting!

[@thedelcodave]

@@digdrivediy You do such a nice job on your videos. It is awesome when a creator reads/responds to comments.

[@jasone679]

How about dad makes a table extension for the front that attaches through the fork pockets? Another foot would be great for the bigger stuff if you could still reach the foot pedal

[@joshuataylor9791]

Fair play stacking all that wood mine just gets thrown in a heap

[@edsecorr7812]

Great job your Dad is so smart is that how you turned out? Love your videos

[@digdrivediy]

I credit Dad for my tinkering tendencies!

[@dwjr5129]

Maybe dad could fab a fold up table extension for the really large rounds? 😉

[@digdrivediy]

That would be helpful. But I hope I'm not doing anymore that big! lol

[@gidge34]

Amazing is always

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

Build a take down set up with sawhorses and a couple sections wide and long of roller panels they unload trucks with and load that up and slid it down as you need it.

[@digdrivediy]

I like that idea!

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

@@digdrivediy 👍

[@RPike-bq3xm]

Seems like a lot of work.

[@digdrivediy]

Firewood is certainly work :)

[@justinotten6673]

I see those fork slots on the "front" of the machine, what if dad came up with a tray extension that could handle those larger rounds, and then slide back out for the regular sized pieces??? Already have a built in attachment system.

[@digdrivediy]

That's a great idea Justin!

[@justinotten6673]

@@digdrivediy blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.... lol

[@davidbarrett4657]

Hi from New Zealand 😊always enjoy watching your videos great stuff mate David

[@Andyrob323]

That swivel setup works well for your application on concrete, but I’m curious if it could be adapted for a bigger tire to move around on grass, gravel, etc… either way, it’s great to see your dad’s invention work how you wanted it to! I try to get my firewood around 20% moisture content, mostly so I don’t have to fight it to get restarted when it has burned low, and supposedly it is more efficient.

[@digdrivediy]

Yeah being on concrete is definitely a benefit! Not sure how it would work in the grass or stones. Might have to give it a try.

[@stanky7341]

If you had an indoor stove, that oak would not be good this upcoming burn season, but yours is outdoors , it'll be good to go, happy burning.

[@PapaRug.58]

I kinda had the same idea as your dad for the dolly 😊😊