Electric wood splitter - Yard Machines $199

[newbie 08]

Just bought a new buck stove 51 insert and having it installed later this week for next year. I cut and stack my own wood and I am thinking about getting a splitter. Previously I have just stacked the wood not split and then tried to avoid using the big pieces unless needed. Since I am planning on burning 24/7 next year as primary heat I need to have all the wood I can ready. Rural king has a electric splitter 4.5 ton yard machines that will spit up to 14 inch diameter and 20 inches long which should cover most my needs. Does anyone have any experiancing with one of these or similar? https://www.ruralking.com/Store/detail.aspx?ID=19680
The price is 200. That I can afford but 1200 for a gas powered I cannot after dropping 3000 for the new insert, liner, and install. Also how small do you usually split pieces down to? Is it better to split now instead of later? Thanks for the help.

 

[BotetourtSteve]

Needs to be over in "The Gear" section... ;-)

 

[newbie 08]

Sorry. Just figgured wood section. I have never even scrolled down enough to realize there was a gear section. I will repost there and this can be deleted if so desired by a moderater.

 

[begreen]

Moved the thread. $199 is pretty cheap. I don't have any experience with this splitter, but often the Yard Machines brand is sold at Home Depot or Lowes. You might want to look at this unit in person. If they have other brands like Ryobi to compare it to take a look at how each is constructed. You'll want the toughest unit. Big rounds of wood are heavy. You'll want something that can stand up to them. There are many threads in this section about electric splitters. Search for them here and you will get a lot of information.

Yes, by all means start splitting now. Some wood even takes a couple years to dry out (white oak for example). It's good to split in a variety of thicknesses so that you can govern the fire burning by the size of the splits. Little splits are good for starting and quick hot fires and thicker splits are better for longer burning.

 

[downeast]

Yes, by all means start splitting now. Some wood even takes a couple years to dry out (white oak for example). It's good to split in a variety of thicknesses so that you can govern the fire burning by the size of the splits. Little splits are good for starting and quick hot fires and thicker splits are better for longer burning.

Not by a long shot BG. Most of us cut green in winter, split and stack in an open, sunny woodshed or uncovered stacks, then burn with no sizzle that winter. No creosote, no sizzling sticks of oak. Some myths die hard online.
Yes, oak needs more seasoning than many other less dense, high BTU firewoods, but there's no need for a two year seasoning. That's from real time burning over years. Besides, there are not many oaks in the PNW anyhow. :lol:

 

[biggins08]

Oh Slap!!

 

[loneeagle15]

I do not have any experience with the splitter you are talking about but I just bought the task force from Lowes it's a 5ton electric and started splitting some really green elm (moisture actually oozes out when splitting and cutting) all bucked out to about 16-20" 1'-3' diameters (the big stuff I have been ripping in half before splitting) done about 1/2 a cord and has split everything I have put in it granted not as fast as a big gas powered 1 and I have to work the wood around to get it done but it's worked so far.

 

[Gooserider]

Yes, by all means start splitting now. Some wood even takes a couple years to dry out (white oak for example). It's good to split in a variety of thicknesses so that you can govern the fire burning by the size of the splits. Little splits are good for starting and quick hot fires and thicker splits are better for longer burning.

Not by a long shot BG. Most of us cut green in winter, split and stack in an open, sunny woodshed or uncovered stacks, then burn with no sizzle that winter. No creosote, no sizzling sticks of oak. Some myths die hard online.
Yes, oak needs more seasoning than many other less dense, high BTU firewoods, but there's no need for a two year seasoning. That's from real time burning over years. Besides, there are not many oaks in the PNW anyhow. :lol:

Plenty of oak in MA, and I will say that while the less than one year stuff might burn, the 2-3 year wood burns MUCH better... I've run out of my year plus stuff, and am currently burning the stuff that I split and stacked in a well ventilated wood shed last spring, and while it doesn't sizzle, it is NOT as clean burning as my older wood... One of my objectives this season is to get enough wood cut and split so that I'll be working on 2-3 seasons out wood from now on...

Gooserider