never thought i'd own a log splitter

[onetracker]

greetings gang -

haven't posted in a while but still check in often and enjoy reading about your adventures. still learning and fine tuning the process.

ordered a 22 ton oregon with a kohler engine/ s/b here tuesday.(not an advertisement plug...time will tell how it holds up). bought it from a fine young lad who owns the power eqip shop 1 mile from home. feels good to support my local business and know when i need service i can count on him.

been burning wood for 40 years...always split by hand. borrowed a buddy's splitter once and of course loved it but i was reluctant to spend the cheddar on my own. with my son going off to college and tons of projects going on at home, i figgered it would be a good time to invest. plus, i get free hardwood rounds from the logging yard next door so the splitter is going to pay for itself. some big'uns in there (30+"....and green) and its worth having a splitter just to save the work of noodling and wedging 'em. i've got tons of white pine from storm damage and i'm PSYCHED to burn it next year in the shoulder season. i was pi$$ed to be burning seasoned hardwood during the mild parts of this last winter. even now, i'm burning 2 year seasoned oak. next year it will be pine and the splitter will allow me to get it all processed.

plus: now i can finally get more than 2 years ahead. which i've NEVER been able (or willing) to splitting by hand.

i'll let you know how this puppy tears 'em up.

btw - haven't turned on our central heat in 5 years.

best

OT

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, I split with an axe all my life and only bought my splitter after I turned 50. It does make it easier to get and stay ahead.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome back onetracker.

My guess is that you will love that splitter and it is great you can support someone local. Our situation was a little like yours in that I had split by hand for many, many moons. Then our two sons struck out on their own and then an injury sidelined me. We got a splitter and within 2 minutes I had fell in love with it! Really saves a lot of work and I enjoy splitting yet even though I still wish I could do it by hand.

Just take it easy with those big rounds. Don't strain yourself getting them to the splitter. I will also advise you split vertically, the way God meant wood to be split. I also sit while splitting and sitting height does make a difference. Sit too high and you work much harder. The old milk crate still works for me.

 

[gzecc]

I too didn't expect to get a splitter any time soon. However a deal came up I took advantage of. I will still split most by hand. The splitter is too slow for most stuff. I also just turned 50 and do have some pains.

 

[Duetech]

I have a 20 ton hyd. splitter (20+ years) and have had to replace the motor once (neighbor locked it up in some 90* deg heat) and the pump twice watch the hyd fluid levels or you might have to replace yours too. I prefer to split by hand and have been for 30+ years but some stuff just respond well to the wedge and maul.

 

[LLigetfa]

My splitter all but put and end to my hand splitting. About the only hand splitting I do now is resplits if I need something smaller than what there is at the time of burning.

The lack of practice has really put off my aim.

 

[tfdchief]

onetracker. Your story sounds exactly like mine. I split by hand for 35 years. Even though my son went to college, got married and had kids of his own, he always helped me. The last couple of years without a splitter, it was more him splitting and me setting them up. So I purchased a 5 ton electric from the local hardware store. I used it about 2 weeks and didn't like it. It just baulked on to many rounds. I took it back and he took it on a trade for the 22 Brave I have now. Wow, I enjoyed splitting again. Then last summer I broke my back, and if I had not had my splitter, I would not have been doing any wood splitting this winter. Glad you got one and it sounds like you already know how much fun they are.

 

[MarkinNC]

It sounds like this a good point in your life to get one of these tools. I, too, have considered it just because of the sheer amount of work one can do in a day with one. Our joints are not getting less arthritic the older we get! And that white pine is not any fun! My avatar pic is white pine with 2 wedges buried in it and it still was barely splitting.

 

[BrotherBart]

Went to find my maul for something the other day and don't remember where I left it. Splitters rule.

 

[weatherguy]

It sounds like this a good point in your life to get one of these tools. I, too, have considered it just because of the sheer amount of work one can do in a day with one. Our joints are not getting less arthritic the older we get! And that white pine is not any fun! My avatar pic is white pine with 2 wedges buried in it and it still was barely splitting.

I had two pallets of October snow storm wood, half maple and half pine, I split all the maple with my Fiskars, took one pine round about 14 inches in diameter and hit it 6-7 times with my Fiskars and it bounced off everytime, some of the maple I split were 26 inch rounds, no problems by hand but the pine was impossible.

 

[Jags]

Splitters rule.

'Nuff said.

 

[firefighterjake]

If I had to split the wood I burn with a maul, ax, etc. I probably wouldn't burn wood. I love my hydraulic splitter . . . it will make you believe in American Elm again . . . or any other knotty, twisted up wood.

Every once in a while for fun I'll dig out my ax and start splitting some wood . . . which is fun when I've got some nice, straight, no knots wood that splits easily . . . but after a few "bad" pieces I put away the ax and figure the rest of the wood can wait until I haul out my splitter.

And yes . . . if you've got some big boy wood and you have the option, definitely go vertical . . . Backwoods and I disagree on the best way to split wood, but on this we agree . . . going with a log lifter or going vertical is easier for just about everyone when it comes to the big wood. Sadly, some folks (well a couple of my friends) never even realized their splitter could go vertical until I showed them.

 

[LLigetfa]

If I had to split the wood I burn with a maul, ax, etc. I probably wouldn't burn wood...

...or burn a lot less of it. Having natural gas, it is more of a lifestyle than a necessity. Mind you, it (NG pricing) can turn on a dime.

 

[firefighterjake]

...or burn a lot less of it. Having natural gas, it is more of a lifestyle than a necessity. Mind you, it (NG pricing) can turn on a dime.

Good point . . . with heating oil and propane my only real options here and prices running close to $4 a gallon, heating with wood is less and less a life style choice than necessity.

 

[ScotO]

I love my splitter! We usually take it along on the tree jobs we do and split it as we cut it, less work when you get home with it that way. But from time to time, I will split a cord or two in the backyard (wife says she likes to watch me out the back window cause I usually end up with my shirt off, I think she's just watchin and praying that I KEEL OVER!). When it comes to crotches, uglies, and knotty rounds, they all get pitched to the side for the splitter. I ain't killing myself over that stuff when I got a splitter. I really don't think I could go on without that thing!

 

[JrCRXHF]

i use a splitter right now that was home made the last set of ash i got i did not start it up just split about 4 face by hand. I am only 32 but let me tell you splitting elm by hand is a real pain in the butt.


Soon i hope to get a pto driven one for my little BX1850.

 

[Wood Duck]

I will never, NEVER, NEVER own a splitter. At least not in the next couple of years.

 

[onetracker]

Welcome back onetracker.

My guess is that you will love that splitter and it is great you can support someone local. Our situation was a little like yours in that I had split by hand for many, many moons. Then our two sons struck out on their own and then an injury sidelined me. We got a splitter and within 2 minutes I had fell in love with it! Really saves a lot of work and I enjoy splitting yet even though I still wish I could do it by hand.

Just take it easy with those big rounds. Don't strain yourself getting them to the splitter. I will also advise you split vertically, the way God meant wood to be split. I also sit while splitting and sitting height does make a difference. Sit too high and you work much harder. The old milk crate still works for me.

thanks backwoods -

i've split mostly horizontally but i think this machine is gonna help me to see the light, to mend my ways and to find redemption!! besides...tipping 30" green oak rounds onto the horizontal rail, splitting them (oh and watch out for your feet) and then picking up the huge halves, and splitting them again was a lot of extra work. once the splits were smaller then the horizontal was really efficient cuz i could just hold it and split off the stovewood pieces.

still waiting on the machine tho. damn. its been a really dry spring here too and i could have had and extra month of drying time. i wanna get his pine split up and burn it this fall.

best

OT

 

[onetracker]

greetings gang -

haven't posted in a while but still check in often and enjoy reading about your adventures. still learning and fine tuning the process.

ordered a 22 ton oregon with a kohler engine/ s/b here tuesday.(not an advertisement plug...time will tell how it holds up). bought it from a fine young lad who owns the power eqip shop 1 mile from home. feels good to support my local business and know when i need service i can count on him.

been burning wood for 40 years...always split by hand. borrowed a buddy's splitter once and of course loved it but i was reluctant to spend the cheddar on my own. with my son going off to college and tons of projects going on at home, i figgered it would be a good time to invest. plus, i get free hardwood rounds from the logging yard next door so the splitter is going to pay for itself. some big'uns in there (30+"....and green) and its worth having a splitter just to save the work of noodling and wedging 'em. i've got tons of white pine from storm damage and i'm PSYCHED to burn it next year in the shoulder season. i was pi$$ed to be burning seasoned hardwood during the mild parts of this last winter. even now, i'm burning 2 year seasoned oak. next year it will be pine and the splitter will allow me to get it all processed.

plus: now i can finally get more than 2 years ahead. which i've NEVER been able (or willing) to splitting by hand.

i'll let you know how this puppy tears 'em up.

btw - haven't turned on our central heat in 5 years.

best

OT

got the splitter yesterday and fired it up and it works great. the kohler engine runs smooth and quiet. i split up a few big fugly pine rounds at about 1/3 throttle and it blasted thru them fine. after work today i'm gonna split some big hickory rounds and crotches and see how it does. nice cradle for holding the logs in horizontal mode and a great working height too.

backwoods - i didn't tip it up to vertical yet but i'll be doing that today. gotta get a milk crate first

best

OT

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Onetracker, if you weren't so darned far away, I'd bring one to you and even help split some. I'd also run that Kohler at least half throttle because it is air cooled.

 

[LLigetfa]

...gotta get a milk crate first

You could always sit on a round. Just make sure it's not infested with red ants! That's a mistake unlikely to be repeated.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

But proper height is important. I would not want to sit on a 20" round for sure. Even a 16" is too high for me. Reason? If the round is heavy, it is a very simple thing to place the elbows on the legs to give you extra purchase to lift, be it for turning or whatever. This does not have to be done always but if needed, it is just one more trick in the toolbox of life.

 

[onetracker]

But proper height is important. I would not want to sit on a 20" round for sure. Even a 16" is too high for me. Reason? If the round is heavy, it is a very simple thing to place the elbows on the legs to give you extra purchase to lift, be it for turning or whatever. This does not have to be done always but if needed, it is just one more trick in the toolbox of life.

hey backwoods -

thanks for the advice on the kohler.

also: i may have see the light! my son (18 yrs) hates splitting horiz so i set him up with a milk crate (ahem) and a piece of camping foam to sit on so he can split vertically. when i got home yesterday he was already on it for an hour so i took over where he left off and it was...ok i admit it...more efficient. comfortable. after an hour it didn't even feel like i did any work. how sweet it is! as always, its even better to have someone setting you up with rounds (vert or horiz)

best

OT

 

[Backwoods Savage]

One more tool you might want to acquire is a hookaroon or pickaroon. While sitting and splitting you can use that to reach a lot of wood and it makes it easier getting the wood to you. Even if you have large rounds, you can use that tool to stand them up and then roll them onto the splitter. I have the wooden handled hook but they also make an aluminum. I just prefer wood handles. They usually last a lifetime.

 

[Osage]

My dad bought his 1st splitter when he turned 85. When I first saw it I made the comment that he must be getting old. He died 7 years later and I ended up with it. Used it to split about 3 cords of elm. A year ago I loaned it to my sister and split all of my wood by hand this past year. Kinda enjoy splitting by hand.
Probably let my sister keep it.