Hydraulic log lifter vs. gorrila bac?

[Soundchasm]

This is not completely germane to the discussion, but I had a true epiphany when I took a hand truck to a scrounge. Working alone, I had to get creative in terms of (sometimes) strapping a round to the hand truck, but since I had a 4x6 trailer with a ramp, the giants that were unlift-able were then certainly coming home with me for future resolution!! ;-)

Future resolution includes an introduction to a 55cc saw with a 20"bar... Along with several wedges and mauls.

 

[Woodsman69]

set of tongs and a small jib crane from various sources does the same thing Boat winch or a powered one on jib unit or a com-a- long. course depends on your abilities to rig it up.
I agree that the screw is a weak link- a 16" x30dia chunk of green Oak in no small feat to move around. Bad back here also -grovelling around on my knees trying to move big chunks under/ onto the foot plate of a splitter in vertical mode didn't work for me.
Ya I know noodle them down to people size - that does get messy though A scissors jack table rig works also to lift up. lots of different ways to skin a cat.

Course the absolute best way is someone else doing the heavy part!

Blade, we tried our own lift many years ago and used tongs. After having problems my wife got me the Gorillabac. The Screw wheel that they have can stay in the log while splitting. After three years use, it has not come out of any big green oak log that you describe. I had not been on this blog for a long time. Gorillabac is really a good tool that will save your back.

 

[bholler]

Personally I don't see that it is worth the money. But I also don't deal with much large stuff at all. The little bit i do I simply go vertical or break it down by hand a little first.

 

[The.Devo]

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I think a better option might be a decent used treadmill and an inverter.....

 

[chris5150]

I basically built my own gorilla back. Works great. Made it after a back injury. No more vertical splitting or wrestling with large logs.