Sure, we've split some mighty big ones using maul and wedges but just because a log is big doesn't tell the story. What really tells the story is what type of wood you are splitting and, with some, how you are splitting it. For example, if you split, say, a 48" red oak and then a 12" elm, which did you work the hardest at? Or let's take a maple and put beside it a beech. As most everyone knows, that maple will split nicely through the heart, but, that beech will not split through the heart so good. Better to split beech a slice at a time from the edges.
Have to tell a little story. Many, many moons ago paleface, we bought a splitter (had hurt my back and splitting doesn't set well any longer). A fellow who lives a mile from us had been splitting his wood with a splitter also, but one that was home made and used behind the tractor. He was always cussing that slow thing and the fact that it didn't work all that great. I suggested he should get one like ours. At first he just mumbled something. Some time later we went through that whole scene once again, but this time he mumbled a little louder and said he didn't think so.
This went on from time to time until probably 5 or 6 years later, one day he finally let more of his thoughts out. He was here and said that he wouldn't want one like ours because it would be too much work putting the logs up on the splitter. I said, "What?" Then walked over to the splitter, pulled the pin and stood the beam up vertically. Guess he had no idea it would do that. Well, it must have started him thinking a bit because about a month later he came down again and said he had some big white oak that he couldn't split and wondered if I could split them. No doubt he thought he'd show me a thing or two! lol So I hooked on to the splitter and took it to his place. Started it up and, with his help, rolled the first one on. In no time we had all 10 blocks, or logs, split. I told him any time he wanted to use it he was welcome. That afternoon he went to town and bought his own!
Believe me fellas, if you do much splitting, a good splitter is worth its weight in silver. Ours is only a 20 ton splitter but we've found only one block that it wouldn't split without a little help. Yes, that was elm. We split a lot of elm too so it gets a good workout every year. I can usually split for hours without hardly breaking out in a sweat.
I cut my logs at just over 20" and believe me it definitely makes it harder. Sometimes you cant help but have a round or two be shorter and when I get those 16" rounds its like candy compared to the over 20 crowd.
