I just started burning wood in the house this year and have been burning in the garage for a couple years. I am really getting tired of hand splitting wood and tired of renting a splitter. I would say between the house and the garage I burn around 12 cords a year the garage using about 8. Most of the wood I get is about 8 inches that needs split once maybe twice and that is it. Alot of it does not ever have to even be split being smaller branch stuff. It is locost and oak. Were I split and stack wood is about 100 feet from the garage. I have a 100 foot 12/3 extension cord if I can use it. I also have a 5500 watt gen but really don't want to have to use it unless splitting out in the woods somewere before hauling it out. I would just like to hear how well this sounds like it will work for me or not.
electric splitter task force yes or no
- Thread starter badbowtie
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I just looked on lowes site here is the link it says 15
http://www.lowes.com/pd_355723-3058...g+splitter&N=0&langId=-1&storeId=10151&rpp=24
http://www.lowes.com/pd_355723-3058...g+splitter&N=0&langId=-1&storeId=10151&rpp=24
badbowtie said:
I have one and it would work well on the small stuff...manual says nothing over 10" and that is about all it can take...I have put something larger on there but it struggles...honestly i should have just saved my money and bought something bigger...it is $300 plus tax
As far as the cord goes it will work using the 10% voltage drop formula with only a little over 4% drop, here is the link so you can type in the numbers if you like.
http://genuinedealz.com/voltage-drop.html
http://genuinedealz.com/voltage-drop.html
I would like bigger but being they have it for 269.00 and I have a 10% coupon I just dont have 4-5 times that to spend on a big gas one.
jimbom
Combustion Analyzer
I have had one for going on four years. Draws 15amps @ 120volts. Takes 21" long rounds. Works great. I only have oak and hickory. Split the same day I cut. I have sharpened the wedge a couple of times and topped off the fluid once. It works great and will split larger than the listed 10" diameter. I try to take care of it. I would buy another one if this one ever gives it up.
Stax
Minister of Fire
Stax
Minister of Fire
My bad...was reading too fast. Sounds like a good idea, but keep in mind that is a lot of wear and tear on a small electrical unit.
Hogwildz
Minister of Fire
I have a 4ton Ryobi that split almost anything I put on it.
Sure there were gnarly pcs I had to work at, but they got done.
I used it on a 50, and separately on a 100' 12/3 cord, ran fine.
I had some really big stuff on it, larger than 24" diameter, and even some pine in the 3' range. Gotta chip away at the edges with the larger rounds, but it did a pretty good job for a lil splitter.
Was nice it is lower to the ground to get those jumbos up there.
Now that I have a hydraulic though, I don't use the Ryobi. Its on standby for now.
If that is your budget, then go for it. I think I paid $399.00 for mine at HD back about 5 or 6 yrs ago. So your price is a great deal!
Sure there were gnarly pcs I had to work at, but they got done.
I used it on a 50, and separately on a 100' 12/3 cord, ran fine.
I had some really big stuff on it, larger than 24" diameter, and even some pine in the 3' range. Gotta chip away at the edges with the larger rounds, but it did a pretty good job for a lil splitter.
Was nice it is lower to the ground to get those jumbos up there.
Now that I have a hydraulic though, I don't use the Ryobi. Its on standby for now.
If that is your budget, then go for it. I think I paid $399.00 for mine at HD back about 5 or 6 yrs ago. So your price is a great deal!
Hogwildz said:
+1 I have the 4 ton Ryobi its a little monster I have been very surprised at what it can split. Homelite is what I see at home depot now though. Shoot Fredo a private message he bought one and could answer a lot about it I am sure. He is a real nice guy too.
Pete
What type of wood are you splitting most of the time. The reason I ask is that I found that I could split much faster with a new Fiskars than with our splitter. But this depends on the wood. If it's elm or a lot of gnarly knotted stuff, then I power split it.
Stax
Minister of Fire
Most is locust and oak and some misc stuff I am not a very good with being able to tell the difference between most wood if you are talking about the really string stuff being elm I have got one truck last year but from were I normally cut I never get any. I have read and seen Fiskars axe name around here allot but do not have one or have never tried one. I use a maul to split with and I hate it. I have thought about for 50.00 dollars buy one but are they truely that good. I also see they make a couple different ones are we talking about the common one Fiskars 28 in. Pro Splitting Ax I also see that they make a x25 that looks the same as the pro, but the head is wider. Which is going to the best way go go, no one stocks the x25. Or am I looking for a different one I am heading to the city tomorrow and am going to buy something just can't decide on what.
Stax
Minister of Fire
The Fiskars is an excellent hand tool and easier to swing then the maul. However, if you truly hate swinging the maul I don't know if you'll like swinging any handtool.
The maul just wears me out and can't believe how many times I have to swing at a 10" log sometimes to get it to split.
Busted up a shoulder this year in a fall and bought a 4 ton electric splitter to sit out in the breezeway for those "Dang I need two smaller pieces shaped just like this for the rest of the night load." moments. That used to send me out in the dark or the rain for the maul and the chopping block.
Best $257 shipping included on Amazon that I ever spent because I split everything for the stacks size XXL. Now I can make little ones out of big ones in a heartbeat out of the weather and the shoulder never knows it happens.
Maul? What's a maul?
Best $257 shipping included on Amazon that I ever spent because I split everything for the stacks size XXL. Now I can make little ones out of big ones in a heartbeat out of the weather and the shoulder never knows it happens.
Maul? What's a maul?
MofoG23
Feeling the Heat
just my opinion on the entire situation....12 cord a year, I'd be looking at a fairly quick gas hydro unit...especially since you do not like using a maul and are probably used to the gas units when you rented them.
Huntindog1
Minister of Fire
I bought the Task Force from Lowes at $269 a couple months ago and they are still at that price.
They work fine, 5 tons is alot of force, heck back in the 80's when I first was cutting wood alot most of the gas splitters were 5 ton. Then they went to 8 ton and we said wow. Now the splitters are up in the 30's ton range and more and Marketing is going strong. But they all split wood even a 3 ton model. Can you deliver 3 tons of force with a maul?
My first log splitter was a used gas one, I paid $300 used. It was a WHOPPING 3TONS. This was back in the mid 80's and the thing was old then but worked fine.
They work fine, 5 tons is alot of force, heck back in the 80's when I first was cutting wood alot most of the gas splitters were 5 ton. Then they went to 8 ton and we said wow. Now the splitters are up in the 30's ton range and more and Marketing is going strong. But they all split wood even a 3 ton model. Can you deliver 3 tons of force with a maul?
My first log splitter was a used gas one, I paid $300 used. It was a WHOPPING 3TONS. This was back in the mid 80's and the thing was old then but worked fine.
I don't think the ratings are exactly honest. They are calculated using max rating of pump and cylinders and you certainly would never run it that high without risking personal injury and or equipment failure.
Look at this splitter:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326290_200326290
4.5" ram, 3500psi max pump. While yes the pump "could" make that pressure, it's got a relief valve set to somewhere around 2500-3000psi.
4.5" ram has an area of 15.9 sq in.
Now if it truly could do 30 tons that means 60000lbs. 60000/15.9 is 3773 psi. That is 273 psi over the MAX of the pump and probably closer to 1000psi over the relief valve.
Realistically that splitter is around 24 tons.
For 30 tons at 3000psi you would need a 5" cylinder.
My Dad has a homebuilt splitter we used for years and years. I don't know the exact specs, but it used a cylinder off an old bulldozer. I want to say 5 or 6". It happened to have a pressure gauge on the valve body. Typically it would barely even read pressure while splitting. The big knarly stuff maybe it would hit 1000psi.
If that was a 5" cylinder that's only about 10 tons.
I know when I first saw the small electric splitters I laughed and figured it was built for "city folk" that split a truck load of wood a year. I still ended up buying one though. I couldn't afford a big gas splitter, plus I didn't want to store something that big either. I figured if it sucked, I would just return it.
In the last ~3 years it has split at least 15 cords, probably closer to 20.
I'm sure it's not as fast and of course not as powerful as a gas splitter, but for $300 something that can split 99% of the wood I cut, I'm happy with it.
Look at this splitter:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326290_200326290
4.5" ram, 3500psi max pump. While yes the pump "could" make that pressure, it's got a relief valve set to somewhere around 2500-3000psi.
4.5" ram has an area of 15.9 sq in.
Now if it truly could do 30 tons that means 60000lbs. 60000/15.9 is 3773 psi. That is 273 psi over the MAX of the pump and probably closer to 1000psi over the relief valve.
Realistically that splitter is around 24 tons.
For 30 tons at 3000psi you would need a 5" cylinder.
My Dad has a homebuilt splitter we used for years and years. I don't know the exact specs, but it used a cylinder off an old bulldozer. I want to say 5 or 6". It happened to have a pressure gauge on the valve body. Typically it would barely even read pressure while splitting. The big knarly stuff maybe it would hit 1000psi.
If that was a 5" cylinder that's only about 10 tons.
I know when I first saw the small electric splitters I laughed and figured it was built for "city folk" that split a truck load of wood a year. I still ended up buying one though. I couldn't afford a big gas splitter, plus I didn't want to store something that big either. I figured if it sucked, I would just return it.
In the last ~3 years it has split at least 15 cords, probably closer to 20.
I'm sure it's not as fast and of course not as powerful as a gas splitter, but for $300 something that can split 99% of the wood I cut, I'm happy with it.
DanCorcoran
Minister of Fire
I really like my electric splitter. If most of your wood is 8" diameter or less (per OP), an electric should be plenty.
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