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wood splitter

Started by 4430jd, December 20, 2012, 08:37:51 PM

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4430jd

Thinking about buying a hydraulic firewood splitter. Any information would be appreciated.

thecfarm

One with a motor? Not one for a tractor? The only thing i would look for is that it's spilts vertical too. Comes in handy when I get the big ones. I have a 6hp B and S. Suppose to have 27 ton.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

beenthere

If I were in the market, I'd go for the LogRite splitter for some enjoyable splitting.
http://www.logrite.com/store/Category/Firewood-Machines

Although popular, I don't care for the convertible horizontal/vertical ones as I find them too cumbersome to work around. Wheels etc are in the way of my feet for comfortable horizontal splitting. For large pieces, out comes the chainsaw to quickly break them down or lift them to the splitter in the FEL bucket.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

drobertson

I am a fan of the verticle option ones, mainly for the big ones! and I have chain sawed them down but man, a killer for me,  I just pull up a log to sit on, line up a group, roll em up and let her split. The horizontal one are nice for mid size logs, just allot of bending over for me.  I like the log to sit on. 27 ton is adequate for everything I have split.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

thecfarm

I need to take a picture of my large pieces. I'm only guessing at the cord,but I think 4-5 would not be too far off.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Al_Smith

A vertical option is nice if you get into some large stuff .Every so often we get some huge oak like 4 feet across .You certainly can't pick it up by hand but you can get it under a vertical splitter to carve it down .

3 feet pieces you can roll by hand but 4 footers it either takes several people or one skid loader .A lot of people avoid large rounds but they contain a lot of wood in each piece .Doesn't take very many to make a cord  .

jdonovan

I opted for one with a log lifter. 500lbs of lift. That will get the big ones onto the beam, and I keep working at waist level.

The timberwolf has a splitter table which is VERY nice. When working with larger rounds, you have to resplit nearly every piece, sometimes twice. With a standard splitter it all goes to ground after splitting, so you handle each piece 2-3 times.

If your splitter has the power, a 4-way wedge makes a big time difference on larger logs.

york

I agree with the guys here that say,both horizontal and vertical,type splitters,because when in the Hor.position it is higher off the ground-at the end of the day,your back will thank you.....albert 
Albert

stumper

I stay away from the vertical ones.  I find the I have to watch my feet and handle the wood once more.  With my horizontal I simply split  it pushes the wood into a pile and asthe pile grows at some point the split wood pushes on the pile and pushes the splitter back.  That way I end up with a pile of wood about 24 feet in length adjacent to my long wood, and I do not have to carry my rounds as far.  I just astart at one end and split till I reach the end of my pile of rounds.  I then either pile the splits in the shed or spin the spilter moving it closer to the my rounds and split till I reach then end agian.  My back and available space limits my plitting to two rows. ;D :christmas:

When i helped a freind split with his H/V splitter we had to toss the splits out of the was or they built up at your feet.  Sorry but I handle wood too much now. 

Al_Smith

No doubt a Timber Wolf brand is a nice splitter but it should be for what it costs .

If you are only splitting stuff about 12 inchs in diameter a horizontal would work well .You get up to about two feet and see how that works out for the poor old back .

Everybody has their favorite methods though so it's just what suites you best .I try to split and stack as I go but the last go around because my trimmer bud had my splitter I've got a pretty fair amount piled up. I think around 8 cords in 3-4 piles .May get to it this winter ,may just sit by the fire and drink beer . I'm not retired quite yet but I figure I'd kinda ease into to it so the shock didn't overload my system . ;)

firechief

The wife surprised me 5 years ago for Christmas with a 27 ton 6.5 h.p.Troy Bilt from Lowes.  I believe it was around $1200, have never had a problem with it, have never met a log it wouldn't go through.  It's the only splitter I've ever used so I have nothing to compare it to and have been happy with it so far.  Happy Holidays to all.

thurlow

Could just build your own; this is not quite as economical to run as when I built it in the mid-'70s, but the old 4020s that I mount it on only take a sip of diesel every-once-in-a-while.  I back a trailer.....barely.....up under the rear of the splitter and the wood never hits the ground after being split.  The hoist will pick up ANYTHING I want to split.  Picture is of my little brother running the thing a few years ago...........



 



 



 
Here's to us and those like us; DanG few of us left!

Al_Smith

Well one thing about it that 4020 certainly has enough power for the job .

Piston

I also have a tractor mounted hydraulic splitter, and I really don't like it.  One of the best parts about having a tractor, is being able to load up the front end loader with rounds, and park them right at waist height to easily maneuver on the splitter, and I can't do that with my splitter. 
However, at $200 dollars for it used, I can't beat the price.  If I had my way, I'd have a 4 way wedge Split-Fire self contained model. 
I've never wished for the vertical ability of some, but then again I've never used one so I can't say that I wouldn't like that option if I had it. 

If your not the type that wants top of the line, name brand equipment, and just wants a hydraulic splitter to split some small and medium sized rounds, then there are many many options to choose from.  Pretty much all of them will be a welcome upgrade from the hand held maul.  :)



  

  

 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

UN Hooker

Years ago I built one on the back of the tractor,but that was to split 4' pieces. The older I get, the heavier the wood gets,so I only split 18" to 20" long now.



  

 
Retired Toolmaker/Moldmaker
C-4 & C5D TF - 5500 Iron Mule - Restored 4400 Ford Ind. FEL ex Backhoe w/custom built boom w/Valby 360* grapple w/18' reach - 920 Cat w/bucket & forks w/clamp - Peterson 10" WPF - LT-15 - Cooks Catsclaw & Dual tooth setter - many Husky saws

thecfarm

unhooker,he knows split wood.  ;D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

thecfarm

This is why I prefer a splitter that can split vertical,note yardstick and hat for size.These are all cut offs from sawlogs to make better saw logs. Mostly white pine with some hemlock too.



 

I myself would not want to load each one of these pieces up on my splitter. I would have to build a good size table on each side to catch the pieces that would try to fall off and fall on me.  ;D  Probaly the wood splitter would tip over if only one of the halves stayed on one side.   :o  Most of the time I kinda quarter the big ones and put the splitter back to horizontal mode and split them that way. I just can't take bent over.
I need a unhooker splitter.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Keith B

I heat a 620 sq cabin addition with a small wood stove.  Small being that the logs must be shorter than 14".
I don't have the big logs that others are showing.  Most of my logs have only a 12" diameter.
Therefore, my splitting is much different than some of the larger operations shown.
I use a 15 ton RD dual-action splitter.
It has worked very well for me.  It is only a horizontal splitter. 
The dual action allows me to quickly split a log in one direction, and split the next piece on the ram's return.
It has a table on each side of the ram which adds efficiency of effort.
It has split every log I've given it, but occasionally have to hit it the 2nd time if the piece is knotted at both ends (remember, I only have smaller-sized logs).
If it is knotted at only one end, that is the end I put against the ram, so it takes care of it right away.
Keith B

beenthere

Welcome to the Forestry Forum

Enjoyed your story about splitting. The dual splitter is a nice feature.

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

thecfarm

Keith B.welcome to the forum.I've looked at some kind of splitter like that. A real nice feature. You said it was a 15 ton RD splitter. Never heard of that kind. When I first started to use mine,I don't think I split much any wood that I could not easily pick up. A few years later I tired to burn some softwood in the basement stove,which did not work out.Than a few more years later I brought a OWB. Now I had a way to burn the softwood. Probably I might of brought a different splitter,if I knew I was going to buy an OWB and try to split big wood.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

justallan1

I bought mine from Home Depot and am quite impressed. It went for about a grand and is either horizontal or vertical. I use it in the vertical position. I push it up to a pile of rounds, sit on one and flip the wood into the truck as I split it. It paid for itself in no time and gives me something to do.

r.man

I talk about big wood but a 4 ft round or even a 3 foot is beyond anything I handle. All well and good to get it onto the horizontal splitter somehow but how would you handle the pieces coming out without extra help. For wood that size a vertical or a clam would be a must. Little 200 lb pieces like I sometimes get are bad enough but they are certainly not the norm for most piles. Mine is horizontal only and should be higher for my back but it works well for what it is. My main advice is given after you answer a question about finances. If the price of a good combination splitter doesn't hurt you then pick one that you can get serviced. It should be a comfortable height when horizontal but most are. If money is a problem, look used. If money is a real problem look used and cheap and don't worry about anything else. Any splitter is better than none and once you learn the limitations of something it doesn't tend to bother you.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

thecfarm

It's all about the money.  ;D  Ain't that the truth.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Al_Smith

Well one thing about an outside burner is they'll fire on anything that will fit through the door .Good oak,old railroad ties ,rubber boots ,the  cat that peed on the carpet and the carpet as well .Ashes to ashes .

beenthere

r.man
QuoteMine is horizontal only and should be higher for my back but it works well for what it is

I've a horizontal, on wheels. I just run it up on a couple steel car ramps to get a better height for my back. That was the one thing I like about the convertible (vert/horiz) splitters but the ramps work well (along with an extended third wheel under the hitch end).
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

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