advice pls - electric log splitter for up to 18 inch diameter logs

Hi

I live in the Pacific North West. We have lots of Douglas Fir and Arbutus (very hard wood - also called Madrone?).

Anyways, we've cut a bunch of trees and need to split them. The Douglas Fir is very large diameter - up to 20" across - and the arbutus is mostly smaller diameter - maybe up to 12" in diameter.

I'm pretty keen on using an electric log splitter if I can get away with it. I've read on this forum that the Ryobi is recommended in the $350-400 category, but it will only split logs up to 12" in diameter. That won't work for most of our Douglas Fir.

I've also read the Ramsplitter is very recommended, but it's really pretty expensive.

I figure we would only split a couple or three cords per year.


Any advice from the group as to some good electric splitters that would meet these needs?


Thanks!

Richard

PS: I guess if there isn't a good option besides the Ryobi or the Ramsplitter, then maybe we could cut those 18" guys somehow with a chainsaw and then split them....?

You cannot expect 4 ton splitter to split an 18" dia log. My 16 ton ram splitter will. If not electric than why not gas splitter.
Another suggestion, since 18" rounds require multi splits, Why not lop of 4" splits around the permineter of the log working it into
something you can handle? here is an auction on Ebay for a 7 ton electric splitter if used the way I explained it might work. Forget the 4 ton Ryobi it is not heavy duty enough for what you are doing. I know I can split 20" oak rounds 20" long with my ram splitter I will post pictures soon of my opperation including some sizeable oak rounds not yet split and piles of them that are.

http://cgi.ebay.com/7-TON-ELECTRIC-...767617040QQcategoryZ29520QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem