Newbie Splitting questions- manual and electric/hydraulic

[ruserious2008]

OK winding down my first year of burning and I'm starting to make some nice scores for wood for the coming years. I've got about 10 cords of pine I'm hauling home that are about 18" long and averaging say 12 to 20 inch in diameter. I don't have any equipment yet but plan to go start with a maul and sledge from Home Cheapo but I think between my back, my tennis elbows etc I'll be looking at buying a splitter some time soon. Also have some ash trees of similar and larger diameter I'll be taking down soon. So questions are:
1) with something this size do you split them as is or do they need a slice or two from a chain saw to make them "splitable" with a maul?
2) If I get a hydraulic or electric splitter (considering renting one also for a weekend) can they handle these pieces or again what is manageable size for such?
3) I'm sure they vary but what "speed" can I expect to get using a electric or hydraulic splitter? Am I looking at splitting one say every 15 secs or so or do they move slower? Just trying to figure out if renting one even makes sense?
Any other thoughts on the subject welcome.
Thanks

 

[smokinj]

hydraulic splitter gas splitter...

 

[RNLA]

As all will probably tell you gas power/ hydraulic is the preferred style. If you are just getting going many rental splitters are more than enough at 20-27 ton rating. This is the size most rental companies have. If you are still burning and have increased need to split several times in a year then it is time to get one of your own. I have my own and it gets used 1-2 times a month, if I can split by hand that's what I do. I would not go out and buy one unless you are totally committed to burning enough to make it pay for it's self. I paid 3k for mine 9 years ago and it may have broken even but it really does not have many hours on it. A rental is about $70-$80/ day. How many rentals can you get for 2-3k? How much wood can you split by hand? Keep all the splitter wood aside until you have a cord or so then rent one for a day.

 

[smokinj]

As all will probably tell you gas power/ hydraulic is the preferred style. If you are just getting going many rental splitters are more than enough at 20-27 ton rating. This is the size most rental companies have. If you are still burning and have increased need to split several times in a year then it is time to get one of your own. I have my own and it gets used 1-2 times a month, if I can split by hand that's what I do. I would not go out and buy one unless you are totally committed to burning enough to make it pay for it's self. I paid 3k for mine 9 years ago and it may have broken even but it really does not have many hours on it. A rental is about $70-$80/ day. How many rentals can you get for 2-3k? How much wood can you split by hand? Keep all the splitter wood aside until you have a cord or so then rent one for a day.

1200.00 will buy a very nice splitter.

 

[bogydave]

Try a rental, some pine is tough to hand split .
Then you'll have an idea of your needs.
Most 22 ton ones will split 99% of wood to 30" or more.
You'll split allot of wood on rental day, then you can do a, "cost/benefit" analysis.
And have time to research if you want to buy one, while the split wood is seasoning.

 

[remkel]

If doing it by hand, have wedges available for the larger pieces. A nice maul and some back/elbow/arm/neck/head/leg grease will send the head of that splitting edge through there. Be certain to carbo load prior to the activity

As for a splitter- gas and hydraulic- there is no substitute. If you are going to buy a splitter, you may want to consider going with one that has a four way attachment. Makes for a great time saver.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I'm quite happy with electric and hydraulic.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

OK winding down my first year of burning and I'm starting to make some nice scores for wood for the coming years. I've got about 10 cords of pine I'm hauling home that are about 18" long and averaging say 12 to 20 inch in diameter. I don't have any equipment yet but plan to go start with a maul and sledge from Home Cheapo but I think between my back, my tennis elbows etc I'll be looking at buying a splitter some time soon. Also have some ash trees of similar and larger diameter I'll be taking down soon. So questions are:
1) with something this size do you split them as is or do they need a slice or two from a chain saw to make them "splitable" with a maul?
2) If I get a hydraulic or electric splitter (considering renting one also for a weekend) can they handle these pieces or again what is manageable size for such?
3) I'm sure they vary but what "speed" can I expect to get using a electric or hydraulic splitter? Am I looking at splitting one say every 15 secs or so or do they move slower? Just trying to figure out if renting one even makes sense?
Any other thoughts on the subject welcome.
Thanks

10 cord of pine is a lot! Do you know what type of pine it is?

Yes, some pine can split quite hard and most of us would choose the hydraulic splitter. The speed of splitting with one is great (at least for most splitters; I've seen some that are awfully slow) and it really saves a lot of hard work. So with your bad back, tennis elbows, etc, a hydraulic splitter should definitely considered. Renting one is not a bad way to go at first as you may decide to try a couple different machines. Ours is over 20 years old and it has been trouble free and splits quite fast.

Someone mentioned the 4-way wedge and those can be okay but it depends upon what size wood you are splitting. Most of the time I think it would not be so good for our use but others do like them.

What is a manageable size for splitting? For length that depends upon your splitter but I think all will handle 24" or more in length. As for diameter, that just depends upon how big of a log of wood you can handle. I don't think I've split many 48" diameter rounds but have done plenty of 30+" logs and those usually are not that difficult to handle as long as you split the right way; have the splitter vertical and not horizontal. This also brings up the factors of speed and bad backs. I have a bad back and there is no way I will be lifting each log up onto the splitter and that is why I always split vertically. Look at my avatar to see how I split; sitting down and working very easy. I do not lift a log onto the splitter, I simply roll them onto the splitter so I don't have to lift.

Another factor on the speed is what type of wood you are splitting. The pine will take longer to split than ash or maple. That is because usually you do not have to take the wedge all the way through the log to get it split. Also remember that you do not have to let that wedge go all the way up; you can stop it at the level you need for splitting. So if I'm splitting 16" rounds I can see no need to let the wedge go back up to 27" as that would just be wasted time. Of course, sometimes it isn't bad to waste a little time. lol

There are a few folks on this forum who do have electric splitters and most like them. But usually those are just for splitting small stuff and no knots for sure.

 

[okotoks guy]

Don't waste your time or money renting a gas splitter......just buy one if you can. That way,
you can split when you want and not be rushed. A used hydraulic splitter holds its value very
well if you ever decide you don't use it enough;but I guarantee you will not want to part with a
hydraulic/gas splitter after you buy one.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Try a rental, some pine is tough to hand split .
Then you'll have an idea of your needs.
Most 22 ton ones will split 99% of wood to 30" or more.
You'll split allot of wood on rental day, then you can do a, "cost/benefit" analysis.
And have time to research if you want to buy one, while the split wood is seasoning.

I second Bogy on this one.
I scored some pine a while back, and out of all the wood I had, the pine was a PITA to split by hand. I had maple, oak, beech, birch, etc....the Pine I felt was harder to split than the Beech.
I guess I was really surprised, as I figured a light/softwood like pine would split easy, but I was wrong.
Good luck

 

[Wood Duck]

I split by hand and never use a chainsaw to get started on a round. If it is a big, tough round I will find an edge to work on and separate a slab from one side, then work from there. The length of the rounds makes a big difference in splitting - shorter are easier to split. In general both pine and ash are easy to split, although with any species of wood and within every tree there are exceptions. i would expect that with reasonable effort you can split at least 90% of the rounds by hand with a maul. The other 10% you can cut shorter, 'noodle' in half with a chainsaw, or save and wail on them at your leisure. Eventually they will split, unless you lead a life lacking in stress.

 

[maplewood]

I split by hand. Mostly with the maul, but sometimes with a wedge or two to help out.
The rare times I have a nasty gnarly load, I rent a splitter, usually sharing the cost with a friend. I can get a crew and do 10 cord in less than 24 hours.
The splitter we rent cuts both ways - forward and backward. What a beast!
I probably rent less than once every two years, at $30-75 per rental. You can't buy one that cheap!
Happy burning.

 

[midwestcoast]

OK winding down my first year of burning and I'm starting to make some nice scores for wood for the coming years. I've got about 10 cords of pine I'm hauling home that are about 18" long and averaging say 12 to 20 inch in diameter. I don't have any equipment yet but plan to go start with a maul and sledge from Home Cheapo but I think between my back, my tennis elbows etc I'll be looking at buying a splitter some time soon. Also have some ash trees of similar and larger diameter I'll be taking down soon. So questions are:
1) with something this size do you split them as is or do they need a slice or two from a chain saw to make them "splitable" with a maul?
2) If I get a hydraulic or electric splitter (considering renting one also for a weekend) can they handle these pieces or again what is manageable size for such?
3) I'm sure they vary but what "speed" can I expect to get using a electric or hydraulic splitter? Am I looking at splitting one say every 15 secs or so or do they move slower? Just trying to figure out if renting one even makes sense?
Any other thoughts on the subject welcome.
Thanks

1) Rounds that size are not a problem to split by hand. 80% of what I split is that size or larger. Start by taking slabs of the edges working your way in toward the center. don't try to split a 24" round right down the center with one mighty blow... As stated, the length of the round makes a difference in splitability. I stick with the prefered length for my stove (18-19") unless I suspect a round to be hard to split, then I might make that round shorter.
2) a gas hydraulic splitter 20 ton or over will eat that stuff all day & ask for dessert. I've never used an electric.
3) if you're working by yourself YOUR SPEED will likely be the limiting factor, not the splitter. For production on a rental day/weekend, 2 people per splitter is more like it

I'm with bogeydave here, a splitter is a big investment (that's why I don't have one) so why not rent one to tackle this 10 cord & take it from there.

As for the hand splitting, here's my take. With a bad back & elbow I wouldn't be too excited about using a sledge at all. A 6lb maul is reasonably heavy too. If I were you I'd look at getting a Fiskars Super Splitter axe as it's lighter to swing & does very well splitting easy to kinda tough wood. For the real tough stuff I'd save it for a splitter day & not bother with the sledge & wedges. I can split ~98.5% of what I scrounge with a Fiskars. I borrow a buddies wedges for the rest.
In my case splitting doesn't bother my back at all, in smaller doses (1/2-1 hour a night) I think it really helps it. Sitting on my a$$, driving long distance or using a shovel are things that mess my back up. I imagine Tennis elbow would not like repetative splitting at all.

 

[firefighterjake]

OK winding down my first year of burning and I'm starting to make some nice scores for wood for the coming years. I've got about 10 cords of pine I'm hauling home that are about 18" long and averaging say 12 to 20 inch in diameter. I don't have any equipment yet but plan to go start with a maul and sledge from Home Cheapo but I think between my back, my tennis elbows etc I'll be looking at buying a splitter some time soon. Also have some ash trees of similar and larger diameter I'll be taking down soon. So questions are:

1) with something this size do you split them as is or do they need a slice or two from a chain saw to make them "splitable" with a maul? Pretty much the only time I split by hand is when I'm looking for some "fun exercise" . . . but I will say a hydraulic splitter of 20-30 tons can handle anything of this size without any issues.

2) If I get a hydraulic or electric splitter (considering renting one also for a weekend) can they handle these pieces or again what is manageable size for such? I suspect you'll find most rentals will be gas operated and will be sufficient in size to handle these rounds. If you have a large collection all bucked up I personally would spring for the rental . . . get an idea of whether or not you would prefer to save money by hand splitting . . . or save your body and aggravation and save up to buy a hydraulic splitter . . . but for this first time I would just rent and see if the difference is worth it to you vs. hand splitting.

3) I'm sure they vary but what "speed" can I expect to get using a electric or hydraulic splitter? Am I looking at splitting one say every 15 secs or so or do they move slower? Just trying to figure out if renting one even makes sense? I find that I tend to move faster than most splitters (which is saying something for an overweight, out of shape couch potato . . . but generally they're not moving much slower than me . . . a lot depends on how close to your pile you are and your technique. Again, I think renting one makes a lot of sense . . . try splitting some wood by hand and then rent a splitter and see which you prefer. To me it all came down to money, time and wear and tear (on me and the equipment) . . . I played around with splitting by hand some, but in my own case found that the splitter is faster and physically easier for me and worth the extra expense of paying for one and doing the maintenance.

Any other thoughts on the subject welcome.
Thanks

 

[basswidow]

1) with something this size do you split them as is or do they need a slice or two from a chain saw to make them “splitable†with a maul?

I use a fiskars super splitting axe and work around the edges until I can bust the round. The only time I use a sledge and wedge is when I am scrounging and the rounds are too big to lift into the truck and then I will use the chainsaw to make a starter groove. I haven't used a maul once since I got my fiskars and with the fiskars - I find splitting enjoying and see no need for a hydraulic splitter - unless you have ugly pieces. I did almost ALL of this years wood (9 cords) by hand splitting alittle at a time with the fiskars. I'd cut and drop pickup loads of rounds on the weekends and in the evenings during the week - I'd split alittle before dinner. By the following weekend - everything was split and stacked. Never felt sore and never worked hard. Truly enjoyed it.

2) If I get a hydraulic or electric splitter (considering renting one also for a weekend) can they handle these pieces or again what is manageable size for such? I can't speak for an electric - but of the gas splitters I have used, 20 ton & 35 ton, there was nothing they couldn't handle. I prefer splitters that go vertical for the all splitting (nice to sit down on the job).

3) I’m sure they vary but what “speed†can I expect to get using a electric or hydraulic splitter? Am I looking at splitting one say every 15 secs or so or do they move slower? Just trying to figure out if renting one even makes sense? Don't get caught up on cycle speed. You can stop the wedge at any time. You don't have to let it retract all the way back. If you are doing it right - you know when the split is busted and you stop the wedge return with just enough space to bring it down on to the next round. Working solo - I can split 4 cords - maybe 5-6 in a single day's rental. I'd say rent one for what you have and get a fiskars too.

 

[KarlP]

a splitter is a big investment (that's why I don't have one) so why not rent one to tackle this 10 cord & take it from there.

The reason to own one is quality of life. If you owned your own you'd probably split a little at a time. Maybe do the 10 cord over 6 weekends or a couple hours every day after work during the week. If you're renting you'd probably try to it all in a two day weekend and not be able to stand up straight for a week.

A splitter rental around here is $70-75/day for a light duty horizontal and $90-100/day for a normal duty vertical. Two days a year * five years pays for a splitter and you can always sell a five year old splitter for 75% the cost of a new one. Split a splitter with a close friend or family member that heats with wood and the payback is just a few years.

 

[tfdchief]

I had an 6 ton electric for a while but I would not recommend it. They will handle most stuff but balk on the tough stuff. You need at least 20 ton and that will split it all. They do make 20 ton splitters in both gas over hydraulic and electric over hydraulic. I don't know anything about the electric over hydraulic but I am guessing you would need a pretty healthy (probably 240 volt) electrical outlet and cord, so there would be additional expense getting that installed and you are tethered to it. As others have said, if you can swing it $1200 will buy you a good splitter.

 

[ruserious2008]

Thanks all for the great info. Certainly seems like a gas splitter for the $1200 range would be my friend for years to come but for now the budget is not there and I'll have to keep that as a goal.
Bought one of those 10 ton manual splitters from Harbor Freight and except for one log that was so wet water came out of it when we tried to split it its been doing a fine job splitting this pine I have and I tried it on a few pieces of oak and it worked on them also. Thru-put is slow but my younger, healthier and much better looking wife and I knocked off about 1/4 cord in 2 hours today so it may work for us for a while as we have way more time than money these days
I'll make a vid of my 105 lb bride slaying 24" logs in this sucker and make a post later this week. Not a bad little device for the money.
But pls know the advice here is well taken and if this idle real estate agent can sell some houses this year a gas powered splitter will grace my barn before winter. Thanks again

 

[tfdchief]

Thanks all for the great info. Certainly seems like a gas splitter for the $1200 range would be my friend for years to come but for now the budget is not there and I'll have to keep that as a goal.
Bought one of those 10 ton manual splitters from Harbor Freight and except for one log that was so wet water came out of it when we tried to split it its been doing a fine job splitting this pine I have and I tried it on a few pieces of oak and it worked on them also. Thru-put is slow but my younger, healthier and much better looking wife and I knocked off about 1/4 cord in 2 hours today so it may work for us for a while as we have way more time than money these days
I'll make a vid of my 105 lb bride slaying 24" logs in this sucker and make a post later this week. Not a bad little device for the money.
But pls know the advice here is well taken and if this idle real estate agent can sell some houses this year a gas powered splitter will grace my barn before winter. Thanks again

ruserious2008, Nothing wrong with that! I split for over 30 years, all by hand with a maul. Didn't have the money for a hydraulic log splitter. I finally got to where that just hurt too much and I had reached the point in life that I could afford one and deserved it. A wise man once told me "good things come to those who wait!" ;-) Look forward to that video.

 

[fatwoodfirestarters]

We split a pile of pine and it is something that I would not try by hand. Ours is virginia pine and it is tough stuff. With a good splitter and 4way you can do a cord in 1-2 hours. You can get a high quality splitter for 1000-1500 these days. We have several models on our site and sponsor this site with the banner that rotates at the top of this page.

 

[ruserious2008]

TFDchief said "A wise man once told me “good things come to those who wait!â€" - I agree but a wiser man said "good things come to those who wait but only what's left by those who hustle!†Might have been Lincoln that said that- either way I like it Certainly true when scrounging wood posted for free on Craigslist

 

[Woody Stover]

I've got a 22-ton. As others have said, it will handle about anything. It's also easier to move than a larger, heavier splitter. I've been hand-splitting the smaller Ash and Red Oak by hand with a splitting axe; Just stand a few up in a tire to keep them from falling down, and pop 'em in short order with hardly any effort! Any easy-splitting wood from 10" down will split without much effort , with proper technique. As in the golf swing, it's all about "maintaining lag" and letting the release of angular momentum supply the speed. Some grippy gloves make it a lot easier, too. These Towa Activ-grips are awesome!

 

[tfdchief]

TFDchief said "A wise man once told me “good things come to those who wait!â€" - I agree but a wiser man said "good things come to those who wait but only what's left by those who hustle!†Might have been Lincoln that said that- either way I like it Certainly true when scrounging wood posted for free on Craigslist

ruserious2008, I paraphrased my "wise man".....he also said you have to be diligent while you wait

 

[Stax]

Here's how I'll answer your question.

1. Only consider electric if your wood supply is marginal and 10" diameter and smaller. But wait, that's the size of a log that I like to cream by hand! I paid $400 for a 7 ton electric splitter that sits in my shed. It won't touch the larger stuff.

2. If you're not going by hand, go the hydraulic route. 22 tons and around $1,000.00 would be a good choice and investment.

 

[fatwoodfirestarters]

We have a 16 and 20 ton splitter in electric which is doing very well now with high gas prices. These run about the same as a gas model of the same size.