I am looking at investing in a log splitter. Nothing for commercial use, just for my house. Should I go with a gas one or electric? Does anyone have any good recomendations for a specific model/manufacturer. Cost is also something that I have no idea on, what should I be looking at for price?
Log Splitters
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Ditto.... 20 ton is a quite capable machine for home use, and they are pretty much "commodity" items for the most part. HF makes a 20 ton that they were selling for $999 (plus about $80 freight, and you'd need 5 gallons of hydraulic oil) that I like the design on. I just got the 30ton version, for $1299 and love it, (do a search for the thread that I've been writing up about it...) but I would probably have been almost as happy with the 20 ton... (but aren't bigger tools more fun? ;-P )
Goosrider
Goosrider
There's been some discussion on renting vs. buying. I think that if you get all your wood at once and could split all at once (like getting a grapple load), renting is a good option. Otherwise, 20-24 ton gas powered seems to be the range of quite capable machines, and they run $1000 - $1400.
Yep, to all of the above. I would also suggest to you that you review your most likely prey. Is it gonna be big old growth oak? Grapple loads of 16" and below? Scrounge wood??
This may also provoke additional thinking and new requirements. Horizontal/vertical or maybe a log lifter. Work table, et al.
Log splitters are typically a once in a lifetime purchase. Knowing that, think about your long term needs and get whats gonna work long and hard for ya!
This may also provoke additional thinking and new requirements. Horizontal/vertical or maybe a log lifter. Work table, et al.
Log splitters are typically a once in a lifetime purchase. Knowing that, think about your long term needs and get whats gonna work long and hard for ya!
My feeling on the rental vs. purchase debate, and I gave it serious thought, was that splitters around here are about $80 / day, plus delivery if you don't have a trailer hitch. I can either try to set up 100% by getting all the logs that I have cut to stove length rounds and then do a dawn-to-dusk rush on the rental splitter and ending up with a mountain of splits to deal with - both of which can be problematic space wise, or purchase a splitter and be able to space out the work w/o needing to play "beat the clock" games or beating oneself to death...
I figure it's better to be able to do the splitting on my schedule as I get wood in, or even if I get a grapple load, cut a bunch of rounds off the pile, then split them to clear out the area, etc... Less hassles all the way around. Plus assuming 2-3 days of splitter rental a year, your break-even on purchasing new is only around 5 years - which isn't bad considering... Figuring in the extra convenience it seemed purchasing was well worth it.
Gooserider
I figure it's better to be able to do the splitting on my schedule as I get wood in, or even if I get a grapple load, cut a bunch of rounds off the pile, then split them to clear out the area, etc... Less hassles all the way around. Plus assuming 2-3 days of splitter rental a year, your break-even on purchasing new is only around 5 years - which isn't bad considering... Figuring in the extra convenience it seemed purchasing was well worth it.
Gooserider
Goose- you could be right, except that a grapple load is more like 7-8 cord- or 2 years worth for most people, so you would not be renting one every year. You are spot on about the convenience of having it around to space out the work. I just know that it's a huge investment for a lot of folks to outright buy one.
Well last year with the Encore I burned about 5-6 cords, and about 7.5 the year before with smoke dragon, (and I'm south of you) - and our local grapple loads seem closer to 6 cords than 8... I guess it depends on your assumptions...
Gooserider
Gooserider
One advantage to having a splitter is you can just go out and split for an hour or so when you get the time. I have a rather crazy schedule and I don't know when I could dedicate a whole weekend to splitting which I would have to do to get my rental money out of a unit.
Running around like crazy to get in all the splitting possible not only makes the work feel more like work it also makes it less safe. I ended up with a crushed finger because I was working too fast and wanted to get the most out of my rental day. I lost half a day down at the hospital, the $700 bill was mostly covered by my insurance. After that I bought a splitter and find the more relaxed pace and split when you want ability that owning a splitter affords to be well worth the cost of buying one. I bought mine, a hf for $860, no shipping cost at that time. From an economic stand point buying has proved to be much cheaper than renting as I could sell the splitter today for little less than what I paid for it and my total loss would be far less than what I would have spent on rentals. If storage space isn't a problem buy. Also try and find a friend or relative to split the cost of the splitter. My $.02
about 4 years back I bought a used NorthStar splitter. I believe that is the Northern Tool brand. MIne was 18 years old when I bought it and it splts like a demon. The only thing I would do differently is get one that tilted up vertical. picking up the pieces to put on there gets kind of old. The next time I go get wood and I only have one load I think I might start rolling the rounds to the back of the truck, putting them right on splitter and saving my back. (of course, I would have had to pick the rounds up to get them on the truck to start with.)
It's a 30 ton unit with a 30 inch stroke. more than enough, and probably too much. Some day I'll decide to get rid of it and get one that tilts up....but for now I can't see enough benifit to get rid of a splitter that is paid for.
It's a 30 ton unit with a 30 inch stroke. more than enough, and probably too much. Some day I'll decide to get rid of it and get one that tilts up....but for now I can't see enough benifit to get rid of a splitter that is paid for.
crazy_dan said:
Tastes vary I guess... I have used a horizontal only Supersplit, and IMHO it was a real pain having to pickup every single peice in order to split it - and the stuff I was splitting didn't include any real heavy rounds either.
OTOH, with my splitter in vertical mode, I line up a small pile of rounds on one side, SIT DOWN in front of the splitter on a bucket or low stool and drag the rounds over to me, split them, and toss the done splits into a pile to be moved later, w/ "chunkwood" going in a different pile, and periodically picking up the "splitter trash" bits w/ a shovel to either put on the garden or compost pile... The only time I have to stand up is when I need to replenish my supply of rounds.
At my friend's place it's even better - he periodically uses the bucket on his tractor to push more rounds over to me, and has a conveyor to carry the done stuff away, so I can split for hours w/o needing to get up.... I see no advantage to splitting horizontal unless you have a truck or something to pull the rounds off of directly onto the splitter.
Gooserider
Well I did several hours on the splitter today, sitting down for most of it. The only chunks I stood up for were a couple of really big super gnarly chunks that I had to stand in order to muscle them onto the spltter base, and then hold in position a bit while splitting... You know it's a nasty log when it makes the 30 ton ram spend a good bit of the cycle in high pressure mode - I ended up getting mostly chunkwood out of it as there weren't any straight grained areas to get full length splits out of....
I am actually re-assessing my opinion on the splitter wedge profile question - A lot of splitters these days, mine among them have a wedge with a fairly long skinny section that then tapers fairly slowly to make a rather narrow wedge. Others use more of a triangular profile that tapers quickly to a wider top edge. I originally thought the latter would be better, but I'm starting to change my mind. I have a lot of gnarly rounds this year, and I'm finding that while the narrow wedge does just about as good on straignt grain as a fat wedge, it also does better at penetrating and cutting through knots as opposed to crushing them.
A shearing action seems better at giving you a straighter split, and fewer rounds that are crushed into chunkwood.
Gooserider
I am actually re-assessing my opinion on the splitter wedge profile question - A lot of splitters these days, mine among them have a wedge with a fairly long skinny section that then tapers fairly slowly to make a rather narrow wedge. Others use more of a triangular profile that tapers quickly to a wider top edge. I originally thought the latter would be better, but I'm starting to change my mind. I have a lot of gnarly rounds this year, and I'm finding that while the narrow wedge does just about as good on straignt grain as a fat wedge, it also does better at penetrating and cutting through knots as opposed to crushing them.
A shearing action seems better at giving you a straighter split, and fewer rounds that are crushed into chunkwood.
Gooserider
My father has a vertical splitter. He backs it up to the pile and sits on a bucket. It works well, espeically for really large wood. If need be we can push really heavy rounds in with another tractor. I have a horizontal which I prefer now.
With the 3pth I can bring it almost to waist level for small and medium wood, and then drop it to the ground and roll on big chunks.
The only disadvantage is I end up dropping a lot of heavy wood on my feet. I guess I have to build a table.
With the 3pth I can bring it almost to waist level for small and medium wood, and then drop it to the ground and roll on big chunks.
The only disadvantage is I end up dropping a lot of heavy wood on my feet. I guess I have to build a table.
Wife went with me today when I cut down a couple trees. Actually only started to cut one but it took out two otthers. We loaded up the truck and when we got home I split right off the tailgate. first time I've done that and I have to say much better than pickign up every piece taht you are gonna split. the large rounds were split with the axe before putting them on the truck so I just pulled them off the tailgate onto the splitter and went to work.we split two truck loads and there are at least 2 more maybe 3 more truck loads all cut up and waiting on me and my boys to go get it. I guess i am very lucky to have access to so much wood within a short drive of the house.
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