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A garden gate is what, 30 to 36 inches across? And that’s exactly where most branch piles end up — behind it. Hauling the stuff out armful by armful eats a whole Saturday, and half the neighborhoods out there won’t let you burn anyway. A compact wood chipper shortcuts the whole mess. The 4-inch petrol class weighs roughly 205 pounds, one person can roll it through a gate on air-filled tires, and it chips branches right where they dropped. You feed, it cuts, the pile disappears. What follows is the capacity question, the moving-and-storing question, and the checks I’d run before handing over money for one. What Counts as a Compact Wood Chipper The class is easy to spot once you know the shape of it. Walk-behind frame, petrol engine in the 196 cc neighborhood (4.1 kW on this one), chipping rating sitting near 4 inches, wheels with air in them instead of a tow hitch for your tractor. Petrol, corded electric, or PTO — that choice decides where you can actually run the machine, and I’d settle it first. We put the three power types side by side in an earlier post, so I’ll skip repeating it here. Mechanically, nothing exotic happens inside. Branch goes in the hopper, twin hardened steel blades cut at it, chips fly out the discharge and land where you aimed. Blade speed in this class runs about 2,400 rpm. What actually separates a machine you’ll like from one you’ll cuss at? Blade steel, blade condition, and how much pushing the machine makes you do. That’s it. What a 4-Inch Branch Capacity Covers Four inches. Call it 100 mm if you think in metric. That rating decides everything about what you can feed, so let’s be concrete about it. Pruning cuts? Fine. Hedge trimmings, the twiggy stuff after you fell a small tree, storm branches off the lawn? All fine. Dry hardwood feeds slower than green softwood — a knotty oak limb wants patience, a fresh pine branch basically feeds itself. What it won’t take is the other end of the log. Trunk sections, limb bases thicker than the rating, anything you have to stand on to break. That’s bigger-machine territory, and I mean that literally: 6- and 8-inch PTO machines, or the 150 mm towable sort. There’s a whole post on when the 150 mm class starts making sense, with the money math included. But if your branch piles are the usual suburban sort — under 4 inches, annoying, endless — the compact class isn’t a compromise. It’s just the right size. One more thing worth knowing: the twin blades are reversible. When an edge wears, you flip the blade over and you’ve got a fresh cutting edge. Two blades, two edges each — that’s four working edges before anybody touches a grinder. Through the Gate and Into the Shed Now the part nobody puts on a billboard. Can you actually get the thing to the branches? The CS-100 ships at roughly 35 by 30 by 48 inches packed, 93 kg all in — 205 pounds, give or take. Nobody deadlifts that comfortably, but you don’t have to. Tip it back onto its pneumatic tires and it rolls: through the gate, down the side path, over lawn and gravel, right up to the pile. Try that with a towable machine. You can’t, and dragging branches out to the driveway instead is exactly the work you bought a chipper to quit doing. Chips land where you want them too. The discharge chute swings a full 360 degrees, so the wheelbarrow, the compost corner, or the bed you’re mulching — your call, and you re-aim as the pile grows. Storage is the same story in miniature: it tucks into a shed corner and the tarpaulin that comes in the box goes over it. Your garden stays a garden. A Short Checklist Before You Buy Five checks. That’s the whole list, and none of them need a manual. Check this first Why bother The usual small-yard answer The narrowest gap on the route The machine goes to the branches. Not the reverse. A compact chipper clears a standard garden gate How thick your branches get The rating is what the engine chews without complaint Pruning and storm debris mostly stays under 4 inches Engine and starter Petrol runs anywhere. A pull start means no battery to die on you 4.1 kW / 196 cc petrol, pull start Where the chips can go Aimed chips are tidy. Unaimed ones are a chore 360-degree swivel discharge What’s actually in the box Saves a second trip to the store Goggles, ear defenders, tarpaulin, toolbox About the maker, since it matters here. RIMA builds the whole family — firewood processors, sawmills, chippers, stump grinders — and ships them all over; their main site lists the range. The CS-100 is the portable end of that line, and it’s aimed squarely at landscapers, tree surgeons, and homeowners whose gardens have gates in them. If 4 inches sounds tight for your place, the bigger CS models sit on the same category page. So where’s the line? Honestly, it’s not complicated. Suburban lot, branch piles that come back every season, storage measured in spare corners — get the compact petrol machine. You’ll use it, and it won’t swallow the yard. Got trunks to process, or a tractor sitting there with PTO hours to burn? Step up a class. The money turns into saved time fast enough. Buy for the branches you actually get. Not the fantasy firewood empire. Still torn on the sizing? RIMA’s service team will match the machine to your gate, your branches, and your shed. Free of drama. FAQ Will a compact wood chipper handle hardwood branches? Within the rating? Yes. The CS-100 runs twin reversible hardened steel blades, and hardwood or softwood both come out clean so long as the branch stays under 4 inches. Seasoned oak wants slow, steady feeding — a green pine branch practically feeds itself. Don’t shove. Let the blades take bites. That’s the whole technique, honestly. Can one person move a 205-pound chipper around a yard? Roll it? Yes. Lift it? No. The pneumatic tires carry the 93 kg frame over grass and gravel without drama, and tip the machine back onto its wheels and one operator can steer it through gates, down paths, around the rose bed. Two people only if there’s a step to heave it over. Day to day you’re just rolling it. One-person job. What comes included with the CS-100? Goggles, hearing protection, a tarpaulin, a toolbox. Small stuff — but think about it. Ear and eye protection belong on every session anyway. The tarp covers the machine between uses. The toolbox gives the spanners a home right next to the machine, so nobody hunts through the garage at 9 a.m. on a Saturday. Nice not to buy that kit after the fact. How noisy is a petrol wood chipper? Loud. Petrol engines swinging steel blades always are, which is why ear defenders ship in the box — use them, every session. Two habits keep the annoyance down: work in the open where the sound spreads instead of bouncing off walls, and pick your hours with the neighbors in mind. It’s a Saturday-afternoon noise, not a 7 a.m. one. Where should the wood chips end up? Wherever you point the chute, which is the fun part. Fresh chips work as mulch on beds and paths, they bulk out a compost pile, or they ride off in the wheelbarrow. Swing the discharge around as each pile grows so nothing spills over your boots — and if you lay a tarp down first, cleanup takes about ten seconds.  

Cutting and splitting firewood over a weekend, I had visualized an orderly pile of logs, ready for storage or transport. But the reality of moving a few of them into a basket to take indoors reveals all the sawdust, loose bark, splinters and small chips of wood that I had not seen when I thought the work was done. Some debris is inevitable when splitting firewood. The debris that collects at the bottom of every bag or on the floor of every trailer is not inevitable and becomes very bothersome. Whether you’re using firewood for your own home during the winter months or selling loads of wood from your property, screening the wood can make a big difference. It allows you to sort out the good logs from the debris before it leaves your property. Why Clean Firewood Needs More Than Proper Splitting Even after splitting your firewood into logs of convenient size, much that fell during cutting will remain between the logs until you move them. Remove Loose Bark and Sawdust Before Delivery Recently split firewood often contains pieces of bark, sawdust, and broken wood fibers. Rougher hardwoods can generate lots of small chips, many of which will be already detached from the logs by the loose bark. Pieces like these get left in the spaces between the logs. A clean looking pile of firewood can have quite a bit of debris down at the bottom. The loose material in your firewood is removed by a firewood screener before it is placed in bags, bins or trailers. The process does not alter the firewood. The screener simply removes the unwanted fragments that would normally travel with the firewood. Keep the Finished Load Focused on Usable Firewood When you are bringing in a basket of logs to put in the living room for the stove you want to bring enough and not a trail of sawdust behind you. It makes no difference if you are giving a pile of firewood to a neighbor or delivering a small load of firewood to a customer, the loose debris makes unloading a mess and adds to the after cleaning up. Our rough screened wood products still have their natural bark and uneven surfaces. We don’t try to make them look polished. Removing loose debris makes them easier to move around and store. How Screening Changes the Value of a Firewood Load A clean load doesn’t necessarily mean more money for you, although for home users it can mean a cleaner woodshed. For those selling firewood, presentation is also worth something. Present a Cleaner and More Consistent Product Imagine two bags containing the same amount of split hardwood. One of them has a thick layer of bark flakes and sawdust at the bottom, the other is made up of mostly clean logs. This bag is more desirable than the previous one, even if it contains the same amount of dry wood. Screening firewood helps to create a consistent product that customers can easily recognize when purchasing. It also prevents you from delivering loads of loose debris mixed in with firewood. Customers typically unload wood at their homes, and want to see what they are getting before they spread it out. Make Better Use of Wood Debris Not everything removed during screening needs to be discarded. Clean dry bark and suitable sized wood chips can on occasions be saved up as kindling. These should be stored separately from fine sawdust, dirty material and any soiled material such as with soil on it etc. Screening out materials as you gather them allows you to sort them before they end up under your finished firewood pile instead. The available firewood screener range offers options for different wood-processing setups. How the Electric Firewood Screener 251018 Works Handling large quantities of firewood on a seasonal basis can make hand sorting of each log quickly become impractical. A dedicated screener will provide a more consistent method of separating loose debris from sound wood. Separate Wood Debris With a Dedicated Screening System The Electric Firewood Screener 251018 uses an electrically powered screening system to remove items like loose bark, sawdust, dirt and small pieces of wood from split firewood. This section of the firewood processor measures 100.8″ long x 21.5″ wide, and contains 16 screening discs. As the firewood moves through the processing system, smaller loose pieces will separate from the larger logs. The equipment is particularly suited to firewood shorter than approximately 19.7 inches. That makes it relevant to many common stove-length logs, although you should check your actual wood dimensions before choosing the machine. Use Electric Power for Screening and Outfeed 251018 is equipped with separate 0.55 kW electric motors for screening and outfeed conveying. These parts are designed to complete their individual tasks. Power is supplied in 2 configurations: 220V and 380V 3-phase 50Hz electricity. As opposed to a normal household socket, most household outlets do not have the required power to connect a screener. Thus, you must check for power capability prior to purchasing a screener. For the average property with fixed power and a regular wood-processing area, the electric option can provide an acceptable solution. No hydraulics required on the tractor for this model. Where Screening Fits Into Everyday Firewood Production Screening debris does not necessarily have to become a major aspect of your firewood collection efforts. Identify the point in the process where removing debris will be of greatest value to you. Screen Firewood After Splitting or Before Storage Screening immediately after splitting the wood is a good idea, if you intend to keep fresh wood chips and bark out of your drying area. The cleaned-up logs can then be stacked in a covered, well-ventilated area. The bark can come loose as the wood dries. So if you have stored firewood for several months, there may be more debris to cart around when you put it in baskets or bags. Additional screening can be beneficial in this case. Firewood can be fed to the screening equipment from processing lines or from stored material which is transferred to the machine with suitable handling equipment. Dry firewood screening can still help remove bark and small fragments loosened during storage. Remember, screening does not replace seasoning. Wood still requires sufficient time to dry, good airflow, and protection from the rain. Move Screened Firewood With an Adjustable Conveyor Once all the loose debris has been cleared from the logs, there has to be somewhere for the cleaned logs to go. The 251018 has an outfeed conveyor. The outfeed conveyor is approximately 9.8 feet long and 16.5 inches wide. The outfeed conveyor can be set at an angle of 15 degrees in either direction. The outfeed conveyor also has an adjustable speed. Outlets are typically positioned to direct discharge into suitable containers or storage areas. Consider the discharge height and surroundings prior to installation. Placing a wood screener before the firewood conveyor can help keep loose debris out of the next handling stage. What Makes a Firewood Screener Worth Adding to Your Yard? You should select a machine to process the amount of firewood you prepare, and have space to put it. There is little need for a powered screener to process small quantities of wood which are split once a year. Match the Machine to Your Firewood Size and Space This is a large piece of equipment. Measuring 18.7 feet long by 4.9 feet wide with a conveyor the 251018 weighs in at approximately 2,150 lbs. Measuring the space where the machine will be used, and how logs will enter the screening section, is essential prior to purchasing. Space must also be allowed for the receiving container for logs, for the resulting debris, for access and for maintenance. The adjustable stand height allows for considerable flexibility in how the unit is configured but a solid floor and sufficient clearance are still required. You may consider investing in a powered screener if you have a large household wood supply, use equipment on various properties, or produce firewood for local customers and regularly process it. Choose Equipment That Fits Your Existing Setup Perhaps you already own a log splitter and have a method in place for drying and storing logs. A screener can help to enhance the existing system rather than cause problems. RIMA produces machinery for the Forestry and Agricultural industries. Cut, split, convey or move wood with our wide range of equipment. RIMA’s Forestry Equipment can be used at any stage of wood preparation. The range can also be used to improve or complete an existing setup. In addition to designing and manufacturing equipment, we conduct quality control and provide technical assistance. Our background in manufacturing and examples of applications for equipment at various properties can help you compare options. When done correctly, screening can become a part of the normal firewood management process, between splitting and stacking. Conclusion A few flakes of bark in a load of firewood is no problem but every load brings a load of sawdust, dirt and small wood bits. A little extra cleaning up is required. The Electric Firewood Screener 251018 allows you to remove loose debris from the firewood as it is being moved to store or collect. Ideal for large properties with plenty of split wood, it features an electric screening system and adjustable outfeed conveyor. Screening still needs to be done to properly dry and store firewood, but this helps to keep loose debris out of the final pile of firewood. We can help you choose the correct configuration, please refer to our equipment service and support page or contact our team to discuss your requirements in relation to firewood size, space available and electrical supply. FAQ What Does an Electric Firewood Screener Remove From Firewood? An electric firewood screener removes loose bark, sawdust, small wood chips, dirt, etc. It removes much of the debris from your firewood load, but there will always be some small particles and some pieces of bark that are attached to the wood. Can You Screen Firewood After It Has Already Dried? Yes. Further bark and wood debris can become loose when firewood is dried and moved. Screening stored firewood can help to remove excess debris. It’s especially useful to do this before moving logs into newly cleaned firewood storage bins or when getting ready to deliver logs. Does the Electric Firewood Screener 251018 Need a Tractor to Operate? The 251018 uses electric motors to drive the screen and to convey product. It requires a three phase electrical supply and you must check the capability of the electrical supply at your property before ordering. What Size Firewood Is Suitable for the 251018 Screener? The Screening System is designed for splitting firewood that is shorter than approximately 19.7 inches in length. Check the typical length of your firewood and compare it with the equipment’s feed length to confirm suitability. Does Screening Firewood Help It Dry Faster? Clearing loose debris from a drying stack can keep it clean and help prevent small fragments getting lodged between logs. However, screening does not remove moisture from wood. As with any drying method, a correctly stacked, well ventilated, weather protected pile of wood needs to be allowed time to dry.  

While cutting and splitting firewood can be very time consuming, moving the material between stages of processing can take up almost as much time. A round log may roll out of place, and split wood may fall to the ground. You then have to move the same wood again and again before you can put it onto a trailer, into a bag, or into storage. A well-planned firewood processing setup allows you to keep moving material toward its final destination. Why Repeated Lifting Breaks the Rhythm of Firewood Work While processing firewood at home does not have to look like a production line, the work follows a sequence: receiving and staging logs, cutting and splitting individual pieces, and then moving the prepared firewood into dry storage. When work areas are spread out, repeated turning, bending, and clearing space around the machine make the process less efficient. Follow the Log from the Feed Area to the Finished Pile Before you set up the machine, walk the route. Identify where unprocessed logs will be staged, mark out a working area, and choose a storage point for processed logs. The shortest route is not always a straight line. You will also need to allow enough space to drive up to the feed area and then pull a loaded trailer away from the pile without backing up through the logs. With a little planning, you can make good use of a conveyor. Split pieces can be carried past the work area of the processor, instead of being dumped there, and you can prepare the next log while the finished wood is being carried to its destination. Put the Drop Point Where the Wood Needs to Go The ideal location for the end of the conveyor depends on where you intend to store your finished firewood. If this firewood is to be loaded onto a trailer, leave enough room to reposition the trailer if needed. If you are filling bags or containers, position them so full ones can be removed and empty ones placed in the discharge area without obstructing operations. For a loose storage pile of firewood, make sure the growing pile will not interfere with machine operation. How Firewood Processing Equipment Keeps Material Moving Firewood processing equipment should cut and split logs while moving finished wood away from the work area in order to achieve an optimal process flow. Join Cutting, Splitting, and Discharge in One Flow The RM500 JOY Firewood Processor is equipped with a hydraulic saw, a hydraulic log splitter, and a discharge conveyor. The sequence of processing a log is simple: feed in a log, cut and split it, then move the finished pieces away on the conveyor. The space to the side of the machine is then available for the next log. The stated hydraulic cycle time is 6 seconds; however, this is not the same as the total processing time for each log. The actual processing time per log and, consequently, daily processing output also depend on other factors in addition to this specification, such as the type and quantity of logs, machine setup and the operator’s working speed. Maintaining a continuous workflow is more important than hitting some headline production number. For seasonal work, whether at home, on a farm, or in a private woodlot, working at a steady pace is typically more practical than working in bursts and then cleaning up. Match Conveyor Placement to Trailers, Bags, or Storage Piles The hydraulic swing conveyor can direct finished firewood onto trailers, into bags and containers or onto stockpiles. The standard length of the conveyor is around 3.5 m, and the conveyor belt is approximately 300 mm wide. Note that the discharge height will depend on a number of factors and should be measured at the intended receiving point prior to ordering. RIMA also offers a broader range of forestry and firewood equipment. When comparing options, consider the full route through your yard or shed, not just each processor’s footprint. What the RM500 JOY Adds to Your Setup The selection of firewood processing equipment should be based on the log sizes you handle most often, not on the occasional larger log. Size the Machine Around the Logs You Actually Handle According to the product specifications, the RM500 JOY has a maximum log diameter of about 19.7 inches and a maximum log length of about 19.7 inches. Compare these limits with the logs you typically process. Measure a representative sample from your log pile, including irregularly shaped pieces. If many logs are close to or exceed either limit, plan to trim or handle them separately. Also, consider the size of the finished pieces and how they will fit through your stove opening, on your drying racks, in your bags, and in the storage space you have available. Efficient processing is only one part of the job; you also need to consider how the wood will be stored and handled after it has been processed. Use Joystick Control and the Swing Conveyor as One System The RM500 JOY is equipped with joystick control. Position the swing conveyor so that the operator has a good view of the feed path. From the control area, the operator should be able to see whether the receiving pile or container is full. The machine must be placed on a solid surface, and access to the controls must be kept unobstructed. For more information about the manufacturer, please see the company background information for RIMA. RIMA produces a range of products including forestry, agricultural, small plant and snow equipment. Build a Cleaner, More Predictable Work Area A conveyor can help keep split wood from piling up around the processor, but good site planning is also needed. A sensible layout needs to include space for logs to be fed in, for the operator to work and for the firewood to be stacked once split. Keep Feeding and Discharge Paths from Crossing Stage unprocessed logs at one end of the processing site and discharge finished firewood at the other end when the site allows. Park the trailer or place the bags before startup. Regularly inspect the discharge end of the belt to prevent firewood from building up. These simple steps can help to keep your firewood processing on track. Be sure to leave enough space to move around your work area throughout the day. Loaded trailers need a clear exit route. Full bags must be removed and replaced with empty ones. A loose pile of firewood will spread as it grows. Be sure to adjust your layout to ensure none of these items interfere with the feed route prior to processing the next batch of firewood. Add Screening Only When the Finished Wood Needs It This is not a necessary addition to your home firewood processing setup. If you need to screen your firewood, the Firewood Cleaner-AutoDrum can be installed after the processing line. Firewood can also be loaded into it by hand from a sack or with a front-end loader. It is an optional downstream processing step. It may be worth screening for loose debris in your firewood storage area, for example to prevent debris from getting into bags of firewood or being scattered during transport. Why dry firewood may need a second screening is covered on the RIMA web site. Keep the basic process of getting wood from your machine to your storage area as simple as possible – only add more stages if you need to. Choose a Setup That Fits Your Property Consider the approach to your work area, the amount of space you have for a conveyor and where the finished firewood will be discharged. Also note the height of your trailer sides or the top of your pile of processed wood and the power requirements of the machine. Also note the finished firewood length that your stove or storage method can accommodate. No single published dimension can address all of these requirements. Check Access, Storage Height, Power, and Finished Piece Size Create a sketch of the site including the location of gates, shed posts, other obstacles, and the slope of the site. Mark out turning space and the route that the finished wood will take from the processor. Compare the sketch with the processor’s log limits and also the conveyor’s approximate length of 11.5 ft. This will reveal any problems with the site layout before any heavy equipment is delivered. Also, determine where to put those unusual logs and log off-cuts. They should be stored in an area where they will not block the infeed area or interfere with the handling of regular logs. A good system can handle unusual logs and off-cuts without causing problems, but a system designed to handle only straight logs can cause problems with irregular logs. Use RIMA Product Support Before You Commit Take measurements of the area where the splitter will sit, typical log dimensions, required finished length, and method of receiving logs at your property. RIMA can provide OEM and design services, and answer specific questions regarding your configuration and operating requirements, as well as how the conveyor will be positioned on your property, and what you need to do to get ready for delivery. Conclusion Conveyors can save a lot of time by carrying finished firewood to wherever it needs to go next. Rather than building up a pile next to your firewood processor and then shifting it all again, you can send finished wood straight to your trailer, bags, containers or storage area. The RM500 JOY is a powerful piece of kit with hydraulic cutting and splitting, all controlled from a single joystick. And with a swing conveyor that carries split wood away from the splitting section, it’s ideal for home, farm or woodlot use. We’d be happy to check over a proposed layout for you, and our RIMA service options are detailed here. If you are planning a new setup, share your site measurements and intended workflow with RIMA. The team can review the layout, discuss available support, and provide a quote based on your requirements. FAQ What Does a Conveyor Add to Firewood Processing Equipment? A conveyor can transport finished firewood away from the splitting area and place it on a trailer, in a bag, in a container, or in a stockpile, eliminating the need to collect and move the same wood again. What Log Size Can the RM500 JOY Process? Maximum log diameter and length are both given as about 19.7 inches. Can the Conveyor Discharge into a Trailer or Storage Pile? The hydraulic swing conveyor can be set up to discharge firewood into trailers, bags or containers as well as onto existing storage piles.

You’ve split the logs, stacked the firewood and given it time to dry. Everything seems to be in order for your stove. But when you move a few logs to a basket full of them you see flakes of bark, little wood chips and dust at the bottom of the logs. Dry firewood isn’t necessarily clean firewood. Even after wood has lost moisture, it can still hold loose material from splitting and from having been stored. As wood dries, some of the debris will become loose. This extra material can make final handling of firewood for your own home or for storage on your property a real mess. Some batches benefit from an additional screening, but that is not the case with every batch. It is more important to ask when screening again is necessary and how one can do that without disturbing the previously dried wood. Why Does Debris Remain After Firewood Has Dried? Even though wood drying changes the wood greatly, it does not remove everything which is attached to it. After a while, bark, splinters, etc. are left between the split wood pieces when the wood’s moisture content has gone down sufficiently. How Drying Can Loosen Bark and Wood Fragments Drying firewood shrinks and develops cracks. The bark which previously was stuck to the wood starts to come off. When moving pieces of firewood, small pieces may break off. The problem is particularly marked with rough-split hardwoods. Even if you have stacked the wood neatly at the start of the season, when you come to bring it in you may find flakes of bark beneath the pile. Debris is affected by the type of wood, the wood’s condition and how often it has been handled. Simple drying will not remove the loose debris. Why Previously Screened Firewood May Contain Debris Again Even if you thoroughly cleaned your wood immediately after splitting it, the pile will likely contain loose material by the time it is stored for any length of time. Moving firewood from splitting areas to drying racks to sheds to firewood storage bins can cause bark to fall off and small chips to be loosened up. Also, the amount of material left behind after splitting varies greatly between different types of splitters, such as vertical log splitters and horizontal log splitters. Read more about them to compare. It is worth noting that screening after splitting a dry material will remove any debris that has become loose, whereas screening a dry material after it has been dried may remove material that has become loose since drying. When Is Another Round of Firewood Screening Worth Considering? Before bringing out any of the equipment to split the finished wood take a look at it first. Some bark in the firewood pile is perfectly normal. You are not trying to make each piece of wood perfect. What really matters is how much loose material will travel with the wood to the next storage area or be handled. Checking for Loose Debris Before Packaging Try lifting a few pieces from around the heap. Give them a gentle shake over a suitable container. If there is any noticeable amount of bark and wood fragments falling off then another screening may be required. Loose material such as dust and debris from stored items falls to the bottom of the storage bins. The top of the pile may appear to be in good order but the bottom of the pile, which is in contact with the wood may be in a different state of disrepair. If you bundle firewood or fill storage bags, this quick test will tell you whether it is worth cleaning up any small amount of debris. You don’t need to screen an entire stack of firewood just because you found a few small pieces of debris in the first sample. Deciding Whether Stored Firewood Needs Rescreening Your firewood has been stored in a covered shed for several months. The wood was screened when split, but a lot of loose bark has accumulated on the bottom of the pile as it dried. Instead of treating this wood as a splitting problem, give it a good cleaning before storing it in another location. When screening firewood, the time of year in which the wood is handled before going into the firewood conveyor is critical. If wood is screened too early in the season, the wood can be moved numerous times before it is finally processed and additional fragments could loosen up. For already dried wood, the biggest problem is usually the last move. RIMA’s guide to wood screening covers this in more detail, specifically for handling already dried wood. How Does the AutoDrum Handle Dry Firewood Rescreening? If you need another pass through the wood, you will also need a machine to separate out the loose debris from your cut wood, that does not also cut or split it. The rotary firewood screener is part of this process. Using Drum Rotation to Separate Loose Wood Debris The Firewood Cleaner-AutoDrum made by RIMA uses a rotating drum that gently tumbles the firewood through the screening area. As the drum continues to turn, the pieces of wood roll against each other. Pieces of loose bark, small pieces of wood and other debris fall out from between the larger pieces of wood and drop through the screening openings. This wood splitter does not use water to clean the wood. It does not dry the wood and it does not reduce the size of your split logs. The splitter is only used to remove loose material from the wood so that it can be stored or collected. The difference is obvious when compared with a log splitter. The log splitter is used to split wood to size whereas the woodsplitter is used to clean up the debris around the split logs. Choosing the Right Firewood Size for the Drum The AutoDrum is designed to split wood less than 19.7 inches in length. That’s stove-length wood, but be sure to measure your own firewood before purchasing this model. How long can the pieces be? The aim is for them to tumble around within the drum successfully. Larger pieces won’t be able to do this. RIMA is a manufacturer of forestry and firewood equipment for cutting, splitting, moving and screening wood. With a manufacturing background RIMA also specializes in product development and technical support. Look at the equipment for regular firewood preparation to learn more about RIMA. If a household processes large quantities of seasonal wood and constant removal of loose debris is a problem for them, then the AutoDrum may be of interest. How Can AutoDrum Fit Into Your Firewood Handling Routine? Screening a second time does not have to be immediately after splitting firewood. The AutoDrum can be part of a processing line or it can be located near stored split firewood. This flexibility is particularly valuable when the splitting area and drying area are located in separate areas. Feeding Dry Firewood from Storage Bags or a Front Loader The AutoDrum can be refilled with wood directly from a production line, from a sack of firewood or even from a front-end loader. Thus, there is no need to re-process the split wood through the original splitter or processor. You can screen out winter supplies from a covered storage area like this before moving them in to a clean firewood store or even packing them in bags. Screening at the point where it is most valuable and then transferring the screened wood to a clean storage area is more sensible than screening at every handling stage. Be sure to keep the area around newly screened material clear of this loose material so that you don’t pick it up again with your freshly screened material. Matching the Power Source and Discharge Setup to Your Property The AutoDrum is available with 3 different power options: tractor hydraulics, a 7 HP engine-powered unit, and a range of electric motor options. For customers with existing compatible tractors around the property, the hydraulic version of the slurry spreader is likely to be the most suitable. Alternatively, a self contained, engine powered unit can be supplied. The electric slurry spreader is also available and would be suitable where a power supply is available. Before you buy, check the electrical requirements to ensure that your household power point is compatible with the available motor configurations. An optional discharge conveyor can be supplied to direct the screened firewood to a raised collecting point such as a bin or to move it clear of the cleaning area. RIMA’s application and case examples can be used to consider space requirements for equipment as well as optimal placement of machinery. What Difference Does a Final Screening Pass Make? The firewood is left with less loose debris after screening. It won’t have become better seasoned, but it will make a more pleasant stack, be easier to carry and use. The main benefit of this protective film is for areas where you want the finished surface of the wood to remain relatively clean. Keeping Firewood Baskets and Storage Areas Cleaner Carrying firewood in a basket to the house can result in loads of bark and small splinters of wood falling on the floor. A final screening pass may remove additional loose material from the wood. There will be less material to sweep into your baskets, bins and storage areas. This does not remove all dirt from the wood and does not prevent it from shedding further bark in storage. However, removing loose material before final storage is a practical thing to do. Making Better Use of the Material You Remove There is more to come out of the drum than just waste. Clean bark and wood pieces can be stored separately as kindling. Make sure to check the material before using it. Burn contaminated debris as little as possible. Fine sawdust is not the same as normal kindling. Note also that screening does not replace the need for proper seasoning of firewood. A moisture meter will give you an indication of the firewood’s dryness if you are unsure whether it is ready to burn. We can keep these as separate tasks to dry the wood, to clear loose debris as needed and then store the finished items under cover. Conclusion Even after dry firewood has been split, there is often much loose bark and wood debris left. Some of this is left in the wood after splitting, and some of it simply comes loose as the wood dries, and is then left behind as the wood is moved to its storage area. Screening material again is sometimes useful, for example before filling up clean storage, like bags or bins, or even firewood to put in indoor firewood baskets. It’s not a necessity for every pile of material though. The RIMA Firewood Cleaner-AutoDrum can be an effective solution for the final stages of wood processing and can be fed by hand or by a conveyor, and is available in a number of different power configurations to suit larger volume wood preparers. Check which of our RIMA services would best suit your property. We can review our service support options with you, or talk through the different options available in more detail with our team, using details of the length of firewood you need to move, whether you have power available, and the type of loading method you would like to use. FAQ Does Dry Firewood Always Need to Be Screened Again? No. If the firewood you have collected has little in the way of loose bark or debris once it has dried out then another screening may not be worthwhile. Check your wood before putting it away and screen it again if there is still material in it that you feel is worth cleaning. Can the RIMA AutoDrum Screen Firewood That Has Already Been Dried? Yes. The AutoDrum can re-screen dry firewood stored for a period of time. Material can be re-introduced to the AutoDrum from production lines, stored sacks or even front-end loaders, thus avoiding the need to re-process the wood back through the splitting process. What Size Firewood Can the AutoDrum Handle? This drum splitter is ideal for splitting short firewood less than 19.7 inches long. You should always measure your finished logs prior to splitting to ensure that the logs will fit within the AutoDrum’s operating specifications. Does the AutoDrum Need to Be Connected to a Firewood Processor? No. The separator can be used after a processor or as a separate screening unit. It can be used to clean stored firewood for another pass through the unit. Does Screening Firewood Make It Dry Faster or Burn Better? Screening for debris prior to splitting does not in itself reduce moisture content in logs. Removing debris as it falls can keep a drying pile clean and prevent small fragments from becoming lodged in between the pieces of firewood. But ultimately, the firewood must be properly stacked, have good airflow, and given sufficient time to dry.