Electric Splitter

[Labfriend]

I have always split with an ax, maul and sledge hammer. That said, I am getting older and tireder. I am have looked into electric splitters and was wondering if anybody has used them and what their thoughts are.

Thanks in advance.

I know someone will say get a gas powered one but I am not really interested in that.

 

[Montanalocal]

I have owned two electric splitters and have done a lot of research on them. This is by far the best I have found, and the price is comparable to an equivalent gas splitter.

(broken image removed)
22 Ton Timber Brute Eco Split 120 Volt Electric Full Frame Log Splitter LS22E - FREE SHIPPING
120V Electric Motor 22 Ton Horizontal & Vertical Splitting Positions provides ample splitting force for all wood species 25

www.swisherinc.com

 

[DodgyNomad]

That looks like a nice unit, Swisher makes solid splitters.

 

[GadDummit]

I've owned two and neither would split my wood so I went back to gas.

 

[DodgyNomad]

I've owned two and neither would split my wood so I went back to gas.

I'm not surprised. I know I couldn't give up the gas powered units.

 

[orlkc]

I got one of these a couple weeks ago: https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200737543_200737543

I like it so far, though still figuring out whether it's only useful for smaller stuff. Certainly is nice to able to resplit just one ugly piece right in the garage.

 

[jimcrook]

I just got a 5-ton Yardmax electric splitter from HD and am happy with it. Been splitting large (20") softwood rounds on it. Only bogs down when it hits a large knot. Otherwise it's great. I've never used a gas-powered splitter though, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing.

 

[WiscWoody]

My first powered splitter was a 5 ton electric model and it was ok for the first two years I burnt wood since I was patient with my time and I split easy woods back then Like poplar and some maples but then I found a Black Friday deal on a gas 22 ton splitter For $600 and I was in love but then I found another Black Friday deal on a 37 ton model for $900 and that’s where I’m at now. Now if Menards would get a kinetic splitter on a Black Friday deal I might be talked into one of those. BTW, I sold the 22 ton splitter after two years for what I paid for it and it sold in 10 minutes On Craigslist.
Electric is ok if you split east to split woods and you don’t need to split a lot of wood But you could, it’d just make more sense with a faster gas splitter.

 

[Labfriend]

I got one of these a couple weeks ago: https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200737543_200737543

I like it so far, though still figuring out whether it's only useful for smaller stuff. Certainly is nice to able to resplit just one ugly piece right in the garage.

I was looking at this but it is back ordered.

How do you like it so far? Have you used it in the vertical position?

 

[orlkc]

I was looking at this but it is back ordered.

How do you like it so far? Have you used it in the vertical position?

I do like it quite a bit, but it does have limitations. I don't have space for a full size splitter, nor long stretches of free time to make renting a full size splitter make sense. So my frame of reference is to fully manual splitting.

I have tried it vertically a couple times, but mostly to get a feel for how it behaves there. The biggest limitation there is that it's top-heavy. If the wheel axle were just a couple inches wider it would be a lot more stable. I expect that means that I'll either use it vertically on the driveway or in the garage (bring rounds to the machine), or I'll rig up some sort of stabilizers so that I can use it on less than perfect footing. Perhaps both. I'll get a better handle on this in a couple weeks when I finish the shed build.

The manual leaves a much to be desired, almost like someone wrote it before they designed the shipping crate. I ended up comparing the pictures online to what I had in order to assemble.

It's slow, but plenty fast enough if splitting rounds that pop apart rather than needing the full length of travel. Or for a knotty piece that would take forever with an axe/maul.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

Here is mine after converting it to electric. It has a real low "1st gear" to get 21 tons from the 3hp motor.
It has no problem shearing even hard wood.

Electric splitter with 4 way

 

[orlkc]

I do like it quite a bit, but it does have limitations. I don't have space for a full size splitter, nor long stretches of free time to make renting a full size splitter make sense. So my frame of reference is to fully manual splitting.

I have tried it vertically a couple times, but mostly to get a feel for how it behaves there. The biggest limitation there is that it's top-heavy. If the wheel axle were just a couple inches wider it would be a lot more stable. I expect that means that I'll either use it vertically on the driveway or in the garage (bring rounds to the machine), or I'll rig up some sort of stabilizers so that I can use it on less than perfect footing. Perhaps both. I'll get a better handle on this in a couple weeks when I finish the shed build.

The manual leaves a much to be desired, almost like someone wrote it before they designed the shipping crate. I ended up comparing the pictures online to what I had in order to assemble.

It's slow, but plenty fast enough if splitting rounds that pop apart rather than needing the full length of travel. Or for a knotty piece that would take forever with an axe/maul.

I've now split just over a cord of oak, mostly standing dead, but some green as well. Some of the smaller rounds horizontal, but all of the larger stuff vertical. My conclusion is that if I can get the round to the splitter, I can split it. I just have it set up in the barn where the concrete floor is nice and level, and have been doing an hour or so before work in the mornings. No speed demon, but works pretty well. Notches take some planning to cleave off smaller pieces, but that's not too hard. As I said earlier, I don't have experience with a full-size 20T+ splitter to compare to, but versus hand splitting I like it a lot. This is the powerhorse 8T from northern tool.

 

[Labfriend]

Thanks for the update. I think I will be purchasing one once it is no longer back orderes

 

[Seasoned Oak]

After getting a 30 ton gas splitter stuck several times is in big oak knots i would not try anything lighter. I rent. I only need a splitter every 3 to 5 yrs but ill split all day sometimes 2. No need to own and have it sit around that long.

 

[blades]

Ram splitters out of Rockford Ill makes an electric 15ton? ( likely others) in that price range maybe the small Super Split ( kinitic unit) it is the same as their small gas unit for both companies. It isn't all that hard to convert a gas unit to electric . Rough ratio is 1.5 to 1 or if a gas motor is 5hp you need an electric in apx 3-3.5 hp range. The real problem comes in for most folks that the outlets they try to use are under power amperage wise and then they make it worse by using too small and too long extension cords. A 3hp electric motor on 220v single phase is going to need apx 15 amps or more circuit , double that if it is a 110v single phase. Generally these would also be totally enclosed and continuous duty- fan cooled optional. ( not that it needs to be run continuous- duty cycle rating ) A 12 gauge extension cord would be the minimum. for say apx 20 ft. and a minimum of a 20 amp outlet. Idea being to split wood not burn home or whatever down due to an electrical over load. Too small power supply lines will cause early failure of an electric motor basically starving it which leads to over heating of the windings.

 

[WES999]

I have one of the small 4 ton or so electric splitters, got it used for $65 on CL.
Needed some work to get running right, but works well now.
Works surprisingly well for what it is. You can split some good size rounds if you work
around the outside. The are a bit slow, but improve cycle time quite a bit, by using spacer blocks behind
the ram, you need to have a few different size blocks to match the length of the rounds.

 

[Sean in the woods]

I have a SuperSplit HD 110V electric kinetic. It has split everything that I have put on it.
It is fast. The split and return time is about 2 seconds. It sometimes needs a second try to split through an oak knot, but at that speed it is not to much of an issue.
I am getting old too and have found ways around the fact that the splitter is horizontal only. I load up a rolling hydraulic cart/lift table and pump it up to the splitter. Since it has a work table attached, I can quickly split a large round down to stove size without having to lift each large section back onto the splitter. Just slide it over.
It does sometimes get a large round stuck on the wedge, but I learned where to hit them with what.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have always split with an ax, maul and sledge hammer. That said, I am getting older and tireder. I am have looked into electric splitters and was wondering if anybody has used them and what their thoughts are.

Thanks in advance.

I know someone will say get a gas powered one but I am not really interested in that.

I have a harbor freight electric splitter, it was about $225. It's slow as all get out, and doesn't split the real tough stuff, but it's a great tool for what it is, and has lifted the burden considerably after 35 years using the same tools you are using.

Where it really shines is stringy stuff. I ran into a 4' diameter tulip poplar that hung on until the last inch, every piece was incredibly stringy (not characteristic of the many tps I've split over the years). Finally after many hours wrestling with the stuff, I gave in and got the electric splitter. It just pushed through the strings, and I was sold.

 

[bunfoolio]

I have both gas and electric splitters. Those 5 ton splitters are great for the money. I have the homelite version.

 

[MoDoug]

My neighbor had a DR 5 ton, it did a nice job for a couple years but it kept breaking down on him. He went with a gas one. DR makes nice stuff but that one had issues.

 

[cheapheatnow]

I have a boss industrial 10 ton electric. A big plus is it stands waist high... better on the back for sure When moving rounds off the truck bed.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I have a boss industrial 10 ton electric. A big plus is it stands waist high... better on the back for sure When moving rounds off the truck bed.

Mine sits pretty even with my truck bed so I can just roll them right on.

 

[Sean in the woods]

I have a boss industrial 10 ton electric. A big plus is it stands waist high... better on the back for sure When moving rounds off the truck bed.

My SuperSplit also is waist level, horizontal only. I thought it would be the one major disadvantage over conventional splitters that can go vertical. Since I normally process my rounds from a pile next to a paved area, I solved the issue with a hydraulic rolling cart. I can load it up with a few hundred pounds, roll it to the splitter then raise it to splitter hight. Let’s me do a load of rounds in a batch.

 

[salecker]

My rounds never hit the ground after they are cut.
Right from the back of the truck to the splitter table, then to the stacked rows

 

[Isaac Carlson]

My rounds never hit the ground after they are cut.
Right from the back of the truck to the splitter table, then to the stacked rows

That's how we try to do it now too. It's just as fast as a processor.