Time to seek out the winter duvet and make sure the chimney has been swept, chillier weather is on its way.
And nothing makes the winter easier to endure than the thought of a blazing log fire, especially if it’s your own wood and has cost nothing.
So here are ten top pieces of gardening machinery to help you convert the old pile of logs into wood cut to the correct length for the fire.
It may sound common sense, but make sure when you cut the wood you do so to the correct length.
Many have been caught out with logs just too long for the grate, and if you want to be certain cut a stick to the correct length as a guide and keep it handy when you go to work with the chain saw.
If you want a small chainsaw for cutting logs to size this one from the States could be the answer.
Neat and safe: MTD GCS38oo/35 chainsaw
The MTD GCS3800/35 Petrol Chainsaw is a safe and easy to use machine, one to consider if you’ve never used one before.
It has a 378.2 cc 2-stroke engine with a manual primer for an easier start and produces enough power for simple cutting and trimming jobs.
With this you can cut logs for the fire, trim away overhanging branches and fell small trees.
The blade is automatically lubricated and it has a chain brake should the saw kick back when you hit a particularly tough knot in the branch.
It weighs 4.3kg and has a lateral chain tensioner which is easily adjusted.
Cost is £129, £20 less than the maker’s recommended retail price and has a two year warranty. We deliver it free the next working day.
The Husqvarna 236 Petrol Chainsaw (35cm Guide Bar) is from a Swedish company often the choice of the professional and has a 38.2 cc engine giving 1.9 hp.
The manufacturers claim that the X-Torq engine cuts fuel consumption by 20 per cent and emissions by 60 per cent.
It has an air cleaning system to give it a longer life and weighs just 4.7 kg.
The chain lubrication automatically cuts out when the engine idles and the chain brake kicks in should the machine kick back.
The recommended retail price is £180 but we have it for sale for £159.There is a two year warranty and free next working day delivery.
The Oleo-Mac GS-370 Pro Petrol Chainsaw with Free Starter-Pack is on exclusive special offer and has a safety kit included in the price as a special offer.
It has a 35.2 cc engine producing 2.1 hp and is simple to start with both chain oil yank and fuel tank transparent so it is simple to check the levels.
With a 35 cm chain bar it is suitable for small scale felling as well as cutting most logs and trimming back overhanging branches.
With this saw chain you get free chainsaw gloves, safety helmet with ear muffs and visor, two-stroke oil, chain oil and a fuel mixing bottle.
It has a three year warranty and is delivered free the next working day. And it costs £199.95 compared with the recommended retail price of £319.95.
We’ll stay with the same manufacturer for the Oleo-Mac GS44 Pro Petrol Chainsaw with Free Starter-Pack, also exclusive to us and on special offer.
The longer guide bar on this one makes it suitable for thicker logs and means you can also fell medium sized trees.
The engine on this one is 42.9 cc developing 2.8 hp and is also very efficient and easy to start and will produce fewer vibrations making it more comfortable to use.
The oil feed to the chain is both automatic and adjustable so you can adjust it depending on the toughness of the wood being cut.
It also is designed so that the heat from the engine is used to prevent ice in the carburettor so the saw can be used in sub-zero temperatures.
It costs £329.95 compared with the recommended retail price of £479.95, has a three year warranty and free next working day delivery.
With this saw you receive free helmet, air muffs and visor, chainsaw gloves, two-stroke and chain oil, mixing bottle and can but spare chains, a log horse and a petrol can at special prices.
Now if you are nervous about using a chain saw this little device could be the answer.
The MD Saw Horse with Chainsaw Attachment allows you to fix the chain saw into a sheath so that to cut the logs you just tilt the device.
Logs lay in a Y-shaped cradle and is adjustable so you can decide the length of logs you need to cut and can take logs up to 20 cm diameter.
When not needed it folds flat thus taking less room in the garden shed.
It costs just £49.95 and has a two year warranty. We deliver it free the next working day.
Well that’s the wood cut to size, but you will need to split the thicker pieces so they fit the hearth or burner and also burn better.
The MD 4-Ton Electric Horizontal Log-Splitter is amazing value for money exerting enough pressure to split most woods.
It works when the wood is forced against a triangular wedge by hydraulic power generated by the electric motor.
It can take logs 25 cm in diameter and 37 cm long and needs both hands to operate it, a useful safety feature. Transport wheels make it easy to move around.
It costs just £149.95, £100 off the maker’s recommended retail price and has a two year warranty. We deliver it free the next working day.
If you need a slightly larger domestic machine but the MD 5-Ton Electric Log-Splitter might be the one.
This is a similar machine but exerts more splitting force and so is capable of tackling closer grained, knotty woods. It can deal with wood 25 cm in diameter and 52 cm long.
It costs £179.95 compared with the recommended price of £299.95 and has a two year warranty. We deliver it free the next working day.
Now a more serious machine, the Lawnflite LS2300 7-Ton Electric Log-Splitter.
More power: Lawnflite LS2300 log splitter
This has a 2300 Watt motor and produces enough power to split harder logs like fruit
Multi-split wedge: Mitox log splitter
woods. It has two speeds with the faster suited to smaller and wood which split more easily like ash and the slower to woods like oak or apple.
It can handle logs up to 52 cm long and has wheels and a transport handle to make moving it around easier.
You can buy a stand so that you can work at waist height should you choose.
It costs £379 compared with the recommended price of £429, has a one year warranty and we deliver it free the next working day.
This next one from the same company is a vertical machine which many people prefer.
The Lawnflite LS2800E Electric Vertical Log-Splitter exerts 5.5 tons of pressure and has a base plate which can be adjusted to three positions up to a length of 105 cm.
The maximum diameter is 32 cm.
The machine weighs 97 kg and has transport wheels and a handle to make it easy to move around.
It costs £419, £60 off the manufacturer’s recommended price and has a one year warranty.
We deliver it free within three to five working days.
And the final one is petrol power producing seven tons of splitting pressure.
The Mitox LS700BS Multisplit Petrol Log-Splitter has a 6.5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine to produce the hydraulic power and has a 4-way splitting wedge.
And you can adjust the distance of travel depending on the length of the long thus speeding up the operation. It can take logs up to 104 cm long.
It costs £899 and is delivered free within two to three working days. There is a two year warranty from Mitox.
We have a large selection on splitters on our site and remember you can always give us a ring if you would like personal advice.
