After splitting with a maul for several seasons, I have been using my cousin's 20 ton woodsplitter for our house wood and also for the maple syrup operation. I cant believe I didnt use one before. Splitting with the maul always hurt my back no matter what.
I'm never going back!
- Thread starter heus
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Beer Belly
Minister of Fire
nothin as nice as Hydraulics....especially if your banging out a lot of wood
osagebow
Minister of Fire
12 cords a year with a maul? Holy cow!
I'm looking to upgrade to handle about 6-8 a year for my neighbor and I.
I think your boys smell blood in the water this Sunday - take it easy on my 37 year old clipboard QB.
I'm looking to upgrade to handle about 6-8 a year for my neighbor and I.
I think your boys smell blood in the water this Sunday - take it easy on my 37 year old clipboard QB.
Cross Cut Saw
Feeling the Heat
bogydave
Minister of Fire
Same happened for me a few years back.
Got a Speeco 22T few months later.
Nice to split lots at a time, split it more uniform size, split the gnarly's in 1 stroke, split vertical, split spruce easily
Love my Hydraulics! 
The Wife is a Steelers Fan (Grew up in Y-town/Boardman area) my 11 yr old son is a Steelers fan too.
Me and my 18 month old daughter are Browns Fans.
Gonna be a good day for Football.. Its 35° now and dropping Fast
Cold temps all week. Here comes Winter.
The Wife is a Steelers Fan (Grew up in Y-town/Boardman area) my 11 yr old son is a Steelers fan too.
Me and my 18 month old daughter are Browns Fans.
Gonna be a good day for Football.. Its 35° now and dropping Fast
Cold temps all week. Here comes Winter.
wishlist
Minister of Fire
Same happened for me a few years back.
Got a Speeco 22T few months later.
Nice to split lots at a time, split it more uniform size, split the gnarly's in 1 stroke, split vertical, split spruce easily
Must be getting cold up in north country and Dave tried to sneek it by us! Ignore his " vertical " part heus and you'll be in good shape! :D
weatherguy
Minister of Fire
I like splitting by hand now and then but when that was all I had (fiskars) my shoulder were flare up, then my elbow and it would take a good week for the inflammation to go down enough not to bother me, now I do 90% with my hydaulic, when I only have a small load Ill split it by hand, not enough to flare up the shoulder or elbow.
bogydave
Minister of Fire
Not getting "Is" (6°f last night, 17° at noon today)
Using the vertical splitting method is only for those who like to work efficiently & have figured out that "gravity" thing
LOL
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Your story is very easy to relate to. I always loved splitting wood until an injury put the skids on that. So I really went into the hydraulics sort of blind as the only ones I had seen were the cheap things guys put on the back of a tractor; usually home made and extremely slow. But one day, actually almost quitting time in the stove, my wife and were looking at the splitters that were on sale at the time. Store manager came over and making a long story short, we bought one on the condition if it did not suit us we could return it for a full refund.
I had to put the thing together as it was in a box but that was part of the deal we agreed on. I'll never forget when I finally got the oil and gas in and fired it up to see how it worked. Wow
I was smiling all the way and have been ever since. And ours is also a 20 ton. We've had it over 20 years now and split well over 200 cord of wood. Oh I do get the urge every now and then to split some by hand but usually one or two swings is all I get in. lolDon't pay much attention to all the banter about vertically splitting. Some like to chide me because I've sort of preached about splitting vertically for a long time because I can not see the sense in lifting a log up onto the splitter; every log. I simply sit and split; no lifting. Why work any harder than necessary?
Using wood for making syrup just means you need that much more wood. Now for sure you have no excuse to not be several years ahead on your wood supply because you save so much on the time needed for splitting. lol Enjoy it.
DBoon
Minister of Fire
I love splitting by hand, and still split some of my wood that way (usually re-splitting larger pieces after they have dried). But the hydraulic splitter makes a big difference. My father-in-law's 20 ton splitter handles everything I've ever thrown at it (tough hickory crotches, elm stumpwood, forked cherry, hard maple, etc.).
Oh yeah, go Browns!
Oh yeah, go Browns!
wishlist
Minister of Fire
Not getting "Is" (6°f last night, 17° at noon today)
Using the vertical splitting method is only for those who like to work efficiently & have figured out that "gravity" thing
LOL
That's cold Dave. Finally snowing and in the lower 30's here which makes burning the stove more easier and enjoyable. No windows open!
I'm sure all THREE of you vertical splitting guys on Hearth, ( zap, backwoods savage, and bogydave) have the "gravity" sore waffle butt milkcrate thing figured out!
On another note, I've seen some good free scrounges on craiglist near our friend Pallet Pete ( free elm already cut and down ) and have contacted him so hopefully he can " get it while its good".
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