manual hydraulic splitters

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Does anyone have experience with those manual hydraulic splitters? I think Harbor Freight sells them for under $150. Looks like a hydraulic bottle jack laid sideways on a splitter frame. They're usually about 10-tons.

If these things are built well, I might be interested. I have no desire to fork out the cash for a gas-powered splitter. And an extension cord won't reach my work area to capitalize on an electric splitter.

For the most part my son and I are content swinging a pair of 8-lb mauls. Quite pleasant work actually. However we do run into the occasional bugger that discourages us. In those instances a slower operating hydraulic splitter would be faster than repeatedly whacking away at the round with a maul. It would be nice to have a splitter with more muscle to hand those buggers. Or I'm thinking a hand-operated hydraulic splitter could keep my daughters occupied while my son and I are busy cutting and hauling.

However, if these things are just flimsey pieces of junk that cannot be relied on when you need it - I'd rather not waste my money.

 

[thinkxingu]

Black Jaque Janaviac (great username),
Everything I've heard about the manual splitters is this: powerful to split most anything reasonable (18" limit, etc.) but they take a while to move those danged levers. Here's a posting in my area that gives a bit o' feedback from the owner: http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/2032689656.html. Looks like you could find one used for cheap, and there doesn't seem to be much to break.

Good luck,

S

 

[DanCorcoran]

I don't have the flyer in front of me, but I think HF has theirs on sale this month (in store, not catalog). Maybe someone else can confirm.

 

[dave360up]

I also mainly split by hand. Two years ago I bought a Cummins 10-ton manual splitter with the 2 handles for $99 at one of their truckload tool sales. My intent was like yours to work through some oddball pieces that are difficult to split by hand, not necessarily because of their size but because of something else like an oddball shape, a particular species with a lot of branches or knots or stringiness, and so forth. I can report that it does work well for this purpose. The main drawback is that it is slow. If you are into "processing" cords of wood at a time, this is not for you. If you enjoy watching a gnarly piece yield to incremental pressure that you apply by getting your back and arms into it, and hearing that satisfying "Crack!" when it does, you will probably enjoy using the 10-ton manual splitter from time to time.

My wife was splitting some pieces with it last spring during maple season after I showed her how to use it, and she enjoyed using it. In fact, some neighbors walked by while she was splitting wood and I was hanging out laundry. It made for a fun conversation. . I showed a friend's 4 year old child how to use it and he was able to split small pieces with it and loved doing it, but didn't have the strength to do larger ones.

In terms of operation, I use a block of wood to take up the gap on shorter pieces so that there is less travel of the ram but more travel of the log through the wedge. Long pieces are a problem because they don't fit. I don't remember the length, but I think it is limited to 19" or so. I use both handles in one hand until there is resistance, then push with the "high gear" handle, then switch to the "low gear" handle when the resistance is high. Once the piece cracks, I can usually switch back to high gear to finish it.

I added the 5 ton electric splitter a few weeks ago because of the quantity of PITA pieces that I needed to "process". Its 18 second cycle time makes it many times faster than the manual one, but when there is a piece that the 5-ton won't handle, the 10-ton will. In general, if you can get the small wedge and small ram end of the 10-ton to "bite" on the piece, it will be able to split it, which is not always the case with the 5-ton electric. (I intend to write a review of the electric when I have a little more time with it).

 

[CarbonNeutral]

If your gnarly bits are few and far between, I'd just throw them down the garden and move on...

 

[dave360up]

"If your gnarly bits are few and far between, I’d just throw them down the garden and move on… "

Never! I refuse to be defeated by a hunk of wood! To me it is a battle to the death and so far I have always won, but someday maybe the hunk of wood will win. (One deviously popped out of the electric a few days ago and wanted to kill me, but missed because I was keeping my distance.)

 

[Backwoods Savage]

All one has to do is take a 10 ton jack and see how many pumps it takes to move a foot. Figure from there.

Along with this (splitting can too) you should consider that all that repetitive motion in time wrecks havoc with the joints. In this case it would be wrists, elbows and shoulders. Because I have a couple years of repetitive motion on some of my joints, I will say it is not much fun at all. So any time something like this takes so much repetitive action, I would definitely question it. I know this is difficult for the younger folks to understand but better to understand now rather than wait until you get a few more years on your body to find out the hard way.

btw, I just read yeterday that it takes $100,000 just for a knee replacement and that does not consider hospital or therapy afterwards or any other medications or braces. The article did not state what shoulders and elbows and wrists etc,. take. How about backs and necks? In the end, I'd get a hydraulic splitter but don't wait as long as I did to get it.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Backwoods,

If a couple months from a 40th birthday qualifies one as young, then you're right I don't understaond. Name one form of excersize that doesn't involve repetitive motion. And then weigh the risks of repetitive motions against the health risks of sedintary lifestyles.

Besides, I would imagine that mixing it up a little between swinging the splitting maul and pumping a hydraulic bottle jack would be just the Rx. Oh, yeah, gotta figure in the repetitive motion of a two-man saw. Actually the two-man sawing seems a lot easier on my body than chainsawing. The chainsaw involves a lot more stooping and holding weight with a bent back. I feel much worse after chainsawing than any of the other activities involved in making wood.

 

[dave360up]

I'm 43 and a little over a year ago I was in a serious aviation accident. I burst my 1st lumbar vertebra, cracked my 2nd cervical vertabra, and broke my humerus right through the ball end. Luckily there was no nerve damage, but I needed rods and screws and a spinal fusion for the L1, 3 months in a halo for the C2, and a plate and screws for the shoulder. In January, six months after the accident I was lifting and splitting big rounds. Limited time at first, then longer and longer until by spring I was strong again. My back isn't quite what it used to be, but it is pretty darn good for what I went through and I believe that the work I did over the winter sped my recovery.

I could have run on a treadmill or lifted weights or some other inside activity, but the combination of walking/jogging two miles to work (and back) each day along with splitting seasoned rounds to heat our new house with was good for the body and the soul.

Maybe down the road things will look different to me, and I certainly don't have 50 years of this behind me. But I'm a believer in hard work making me stronger, not in tearing me down. Mixing it up between the Fiskars, the wedges, and the 10-ton (not to mention cutting and carrying) has been good so far and not injurious in any way (other than some minor Fiskars wounds, but that's a topic for another thread). For me the bigger issue is time. Thus the reason for the electric on the odd pieces, and the occasional temptation to get one of those $999 Speeco 20 tons splitters. But as long as I can make the time, I hope to keep swinging a maul.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

"If your gnarly bits are few and far between, I’d just throw them down the garden and move on… "

Never! I refuse to be defeated by a hunk of wood! To me it is a battle to the death and so far I have always won, but someday maybe the hunk of wood will win. (One deviously popped out of the electric a few days ago and wanted to kill me, but missed because I was keeping my distance.)

I've had a chunk hit my helmet (I was wearing my chainsaw helmet as I couldn't find my normal ear protectors), and I've had a chuck hit my nuts. I put that down to poor placement on my part.... But I do understand your need for the battle..

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Backwoods,

If a couple months from a 40th birthday qualifies one as young, then you're right I don't understaond. Name one form of excersize that doesn't involve repetitive motion. And then weigh the risks of repetitive motions against the health risks of sedintary lifestyles.

Besides, I would imagine that mixing it up a little between swinging the splitting maul and pumping a hydraulic bottle jack would be just the Rx. Oh, yeah, gotta figure in the repetitive motion of a two-man saw. Actually the two-man sawing seems a lot easier on my body than chainsawing. The chainsaw involves a lot more stooping and holding weight with a bent back. I feel much worse after chainsawing than any of the other activities involved in making wood.

Well, you are correct. Even eating involves bending the elbow a lot....and I do like to eat. Also, 40 is not old so it must be young. As for the two man saw vs the chain saw, I've also done both but will take the chain saw any day. I work much better alone.

Sawing does not necessarily involve that much stooping and holding weight with a bent back else I would not do it. This is where my wife used to help me tremendously. After limbing a tree, I would cut the limbs (or even small trees) into buzz length. They would then go onto a sawbuck and I would just stand there and saw away with no bending at all. She would then do the bending to throw the logs into the trailer. Working as a team that way is wonderful.

Also, if one uses a cant hook, that alone is a great back saver. Why cut way down by the ground? Cut part way, roll log and finish cut. Actually, you make many cuts before rolling the log but methinks you get the idea.

Mixing it up as you say is not a bad idea. I only wanted to point out a different way. Some of us are forced into doing things one way. At 40 I was not forced and could choose my way. At 42 things took a drastic turn for me and I had to learn how to live with it.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I’ve had a chunk hit my helmet (I was wearing my chainsaw helmet as I couldn’t find my normal ear protectors), and I’ve had a chuck hit my nuts.

Maybe quit making your helper so mad. Then they won't throw chunks of wood at ya. :coolsmile: