Wood Splitters

[Griff]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good, inexpensive wood splitter? I don't cut wood that often, but... I've got about a good 3-4 cords on the ground, ready to cut to length and split... I'm not much for hand splitting with a maul any more!

[octagon]

An old bottlejack might be persuaded towards a new career in woodsplitting.

[AJMD429]

If you don’t cut much would I just have about to do over a weekend you might consider renting a wood splitter instead of buying one. The one I have is a 30-year-old Northern Tool one that’s about a 26 ton; does a great job.

[earlmck]

I always liked to split with the maul and sledge (and wedges if the going got tough), but after the shoulder replacement the doc said I should avoid jarring the shoulder in the manner that splitting wood would do (but he didn't seem to think shooting would be a problem ). So I got a 26Ton splitter from Lowe's that came in around $900 with vet discount and it has been pretty dang fine. It'll do either the most common horizontal position or go to a vertical. I like the vertical because I can just slide the big rounds into position without lifting them, which is nicer for my old tricky back.

For the occasional few cords of wood I'd rent a splitter. 4 cords would be a long day for me with the splitter. When I do the pickup load it is around a cord and takes about an hour and a half and I generally feel like I've had enough fun for the time being. But the way I'm situated I need to load the wood back in the pickup as it is split so that adds quite a lot of work to my splitting process.

[piller]

There are hydraulic splitters that you pump manually. https://www.harborfreight.com/10-ton-hy ... ajEALw_wcB
Then there are electric and gas powered. For wood about 10 to 12 inches diameter, the manual ones work. Larger logs you want an electric or gas powered one. The manual ones are still some work. How fast do you want to work and how much time are you wanting to put in?

[Sixgun]

I split 140 full cords of wood by hand using wedges, sledgehammers and splitting mauls. And no easy wood either....all Eastern hardwoods of red and white oak, locust, hickory, Norway, red, silver and rock maple, wild cherry, walnut, poplar which is easy, and gum. Gum is fun as you will bury a wedge clear to the top then you have to put another wedge in to get the first one out.

I can "read" a log and know exactly where to put the wedge.....I'm still "wearing" a piece of metal 2.5 cm x 1 cm in my lower leg from a wedge that broke off and flew through my jeans into my calf. Docs decided to leave it in there and it sets off the metal detectors at airports and courthouses.

I must have replaced 20 handles most of which I make myself from oak and use half a roll of heavy duct tape and rubber towards the head.

I always considered it forced exercise during the winter months as I split weekly according to the weather...In cold weather I split larger and so forth......it always kept me in shape.

At 60 I had enough and bought a splitter...a 25 ton with a dual stage pump that will split wood sideways if so need be....$1500 out the door.

If you split wood on a regular basis it pays to have your own......when renting you have to work like crazy to get it done in one day and your NOT going to split 4 cords in day. A cord of wood is 4 x 4 x 8. If you have a pick up you will fill the bed TWO times even with the top of the bed or one time that's even with the roof if you have sides....with your own splitter you can split when you feel like it. $1500 is no money when you consider what we pay for car insurance or real estate taxes that you get nothing for except lies and aggravation from those who wear suits and ties.----006

[GunnyMack]

A cord is figured as Six says, 4x4x8 BUT that is in rounds, not split. I use one of the best maul/axe combos ever designed, the Chopper 2. Ax type leading edge but it has spring loaded wedges that give more shock. No longer made. But I have had 3 splitters over the years. My latest is from Tractor Supply, 20 or 25 ton, vertical/horizontal and cost about $1500. All I normally cut & split is oak, I don't cut green trees, just standing dead, they dry out on the stump requiring less time to season.

[gcs]

I used to split all wood by hand, bought a "monster Maul" back in the 70's and that thing could split some wood, if you can lift it, lol
Pretty much any hydraulic splitter will split pretty much everything, I had one from Lowes that was good, around 7-800 bucks, ?

If you're only splitting a small amount, cord or so, the electric hydraulics actually work pretty good, They're slower, and some rounds give you some trouble, but if you can read the logs, you can get most of it split, and they are relatively cheap, just need a power source near your work area.

[Griff]

Thanks guys, that's what I needed... some 1st hand knowledge. I've only ever split by hand... broke enough handles, that my last maul has a fiberglass handle. the HUGE triangular head my son bought has a STEEL handle...

I probably won't need to buy a splitter, my local rent-it-all place has a 25-Ton hydraulic, gas powered splitter for $300/wk! Although now my son told me that somehow the largest pile of wood I have cut, somehow got contaminated with the oil from my tractor! So, I probably have around a cord to cut to length and then split... already on the ground.

[GunnyMack]

Just burn the oily wood, light easier too !

[piller]

Ought to get someone's attention.