The Hearth Almanac · Est. for the UK

Burn drier wood.
Stay warmer for less.

Straight-talking UK guidance on seasoning firewood, choosing a log splitter and running a clean, efficient wood-burning stove. Tested kit, real numbers, no nonsense.

Start with the featured guide Browse the almanac

Target moisture: <20%
Good hardwood: 4.0 kWh/kg
Season time: 12 mths+

01 Featured this season

Our firewood expert beside a stacked log store

Field notes · Verified by our team

Buying Guides

Best Electric Log Splitter UK: Tested Picks for Every Job

The best electric log splitters in the UK, picked by job: seasoned softwood, hardwood rounds and stove-length logs. Real models, honest limits.

Read the full guide 8 min read · Updated 2026

02 The almanac

Everything for a hotter, cleaner, cheaper fire.

From moisture meters to multi-fuel stoves, here is what we test, recommend and warn you about.

Buying Guides

Best Electric Log Splitter UK: Tested Picks for Every Job

The best electric log splitters in the UK, picked by job: seasoned softwood, hardwood rounds and stove-length logs. Real models, honest limits.

Read guide

How-To

What Tonnage Log Splitter Do I Need?

A UK sizing guide for log splitter tonnage: match wood type and log diameter to the right force, and see which households need 8 tonnes or more.

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Troubleshooting

Log Splitter Won't Start or the Ram Won't Return: Fixes

Find your symptom and fix it: bleed screw, low oil, thermal cutout and the extension lead trap, for UK electric log splitters. Unplug first.

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Tools

Firewood Calculator: How Much Firewood Do I Need for Winter?

Free firewood calculator: work out how much firewood you need for the winter in cubic metres and bulk bags from how often you burn and how hard you run the stove.

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Tools

Firewood Price Comparison Calculator: Which Load Is Actually Cheapest?

Compare firewood prices fairly: this calculator turns bulk bags, crates, nets and loose loads into a single firewood price per cubic metre so you can see which deal is truly cheapest.

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Tools

Log Store Size Calculator: What Size Log Store Do I Need?

Free log store size calculator: find out what size log store you need to hold your firewood, allowing for stacking gaps, or check whether a store you are buying will fit a season of logs.

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Tools

Firewood Seasoning Time Calculator: How Long Until Logs Are Ready to Burn?

Work out how long to season firewood: this calculator estimates the months your logs need to dry to under 20% moisture by species, split size and how they are stored.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Best Log Splitters UK 2026: Electric, Manual and Kinetic Tested

Best log splitters in the UK for 2026, with the real force figures, log capacities and the Forest Master tonnage badging trap explained.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Best Log Splitting Axes UK 2026: Fiskars and Beyond

The best log splitting axes for UK wood burners in 2026: Fiskars X25 (now X32), X27 (now X36), plus budget and premium picks.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Best Splitting Mauls UK: Budget to Premium for Stubborn Logs

The best splitting mauls and axes for UK firewood in 2026, segmented by job, with an honest take on maul vs axe and 6lb vs 8lb.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Best Kindling Splitters UK: Safe Cast-Iron Tools for Easy Kindling

Six kindling splitters verified in stock on Amazon UK: Kindling Cracker vs Forest Master vs Stikkan, which hammer to pair, and how to bolt one down.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Forest Master FM5 5 Ton Log Splitter Review: Best for Most Homes?

Honest review of the Forest Master FM5 5 ton electric log splitter: real specs, what it splits, FM5 vs FM8 vs FM10, and who should size up.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Forest Master FM10D 7 Ton Log Splitter Review (DuoCut Blade)

Forest Master FM10D-7-TC review: a 7 ton DuoCut electric log splitter for UK firewood, with the model maze decoded, real specs and honest limits.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Handy THLS-6G 6 Ton Log Splitter Review: Honest UK Verdict

An honest, specs-verified review of The Handy THLS-6G 6 ton electric log splitter: log capacity, the no-stand catch, real-world power and rivals.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Logmaster 7 Ton Kinetic Log Splitter Review: Faster Than Hydraulic?

Honest Logmaster log splitter review: the real UK 7 tonne model is hydraulic, not kinetic. What that means, plus genuine kinetic rivals tested for speed.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Forest Master Smart Splitter Review: Is It Worth Buying?

An honest Forest Master Smart Splitter review: how the slide-hammer FMSS really performs on log size, durability and whether it's worth it.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe Review: The Default UK Pick Tested

Our Fiskars X25 review: how the long-handled splitting axe handles medium to large logs, where it shines, where it struggles, and who should buy it.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Fiskars X27 Review: Super Splitting Axe Power for Big Rounds

Our Fiskars X27 review: how the long-handled super splitting axe handles big, knotty rounds, how it compares to the X25, and who should actually buy it.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Kindling Cracker Review: Tested on Wet and Dry Wood

An honest Kindling Cracker review covering how the cast iron splitter works, performance on wet and dry wood, the Original vs King XL, and who it suits.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Fiskars X25 vs X27: Which Splitting Axe Should You Buy?

Fiskars X25 vs X27 compared: the real differences in length, power and control, and how your height and log size decide which splitting axe to buy.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Electric vs Manual Log Splitter: Which Is Right for Your Wood Pile?

Electric vs manual log splitter compared for UK wood burners: the real pros, cons, costs and effort of each, and how to pick the right one for your wood pile.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Kindling Cracker vs Cheap Clones: Is the Original Worth It?

Is the original Kindling Cracker worth it, or is a cheaper clone just as good? We compare the design, cast iron quality and best Kindling Cracker alternatives.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Splitting Axe vs Splitting Maul: What Each Is Actually For

Splitting axe vs maul explained: the real difference in weight and head shape, which suits knotty or straight-grained wood, and which one you should buy first.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Log Splitter Buying Guide UK: Tonnage, Log Size and Safety

A UK log splitter buying guide covering the tonnage you need, log diameter limits, electric versus petrol, and the safety features that actually matter.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

What Size Log Splitter Do I Need? A UK Tonnage Sizing Guide

What size log splitter do I need? A UK tonnage guide by log diameter and wood type, with a simple formula, plus electric vs petrol picks for home firewood.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

Axe Handle Materials: Hickory vs Fibreglass vs Composite

Hickory vs fibreglass axe handle, plus composite. The real trade-offs on shock, overstrike, weather and rehandling for splitting firewood in the UK.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

How to Split Logs by Hand Safely (Without Wrecking Your Back)

How to split logs by hand safely: the right tool, a proper chopping block, the tyre trick, correct technique and the back-saving mistakes to avoid.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

How to Make Kindling Quickly and Safely at Home

How to make kindling at home safely and fast: the best wood to use, the right tools, safe splitting methods that protect your fingers, and how to store it.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

How to Sharpen and Maintain a Splitting Axe or Maul

How to sharpen an axe or splitting maul the right way: the correct bevel, using a file and stone, and simple maintenance to keep it splitting cleanly.

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Moisture Meters

Best Cheap Wood Moisture Meters Under £20 in the UK

The best cheap wood moisture meter under £20 UK picks for firewood, what you sacrifice versus a pricier meter, and how to get an accurate reading.

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Moisture Meters

Valiant FIR421 Firewood Moisture Meter Review: Is the Colour Display Worth It?

An honest Valiant FIR421 moisture meter review: the traffic-light colour display, real accuracy on firewood, battery and value, and who should buy it.

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Moisture Meters

Stihl Moisture Meter Review: Premium Pick for Log Burners?

An honest Stihl moisture meter review: real specs, the battery annoyance, whether the brand name buys you accuracy, and how it compares to cheap meters.

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Moisture Meters

Brennenstuhl Moisture Detector MD Review: Firewood and Damp

An honest Brennenstuhl Moisture Detector MD review: real specs, the two-in-one wood and damp trick, accuracy limits, and whether it beats a cheap meter.

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Moisture Meters

Proster Moisture Meter Review: Multi-Species Log Readings

Our Proster moisture meter review: a cheap pin-type tester with four wood-group modes for mixed firewood, where it helps and who should buy it.

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Tools

Wood Burning Stove Size Calculator: What kW Stove Do I Need?

Free stove size calculator: enter your room dimensions, insulation and glazing to get the right wood burning stove heat output in kW, with a warning if a stove is oversized.

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News

Wood Heat News: June 2026

ASA bans Brighton's 'cosy killer' wood burner advert, the Doncaster trade show signals where stoves are heading, plus a flue heat-recovery device.

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News

Wood Heat News: June 2026

Norwich votes to go citywide on smoke control despite public opposition, a former HETAS chief gets an OBE, and what owners in new control areas actually have to do.

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News

Wood Heat News: July 2026

Defra's 2025 figures show England closing in on its PM2.5 target early, the ASA revises its stove ruling, and installer competencies become mandatory.

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Tools

Wood Burner Running Cost Calculator: How Much Does It Cost to Run?

Free wood burner running cost calculator: turn what you pay for firewood into a real cost per useful kWh of heat, an evening's cost and a winter total, then compare it against mains gas, electric and oil heating.

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Tools

Wood Burner Air Vent Calculator: What Size Vent Do You Need?

Free wood burner air vent calculator: enter your stove's kW rating and how airtight your home is to get the free air area (in mm) and equivalent vent size your installation needs under Approved Document J.

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Log Splitters, Axes, Mauls & Kindling Splitters

How to Use an Electric Log Splitter Safely: Step by Step

How to use a log splitter safely: step-by-step electric log splitter operation, the PPE to wear, two-hand controls, and the mistakes that cause injuries.

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Tools

Best Wood to Burn: Firewood Heat Comparison Calculator

Free firewood heat comparison calculator: pick a wood species and see the heat it gives off per stacked cubic metre, ranked against ash, oak, birch, pine and more, so you know which logs are best to burn.

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Moisture Meters