Hydraulic Wood Splitter Guidance...

[islandlogger]

Well, it was only a matter of time....my darling wife wants to get in on the business and "get the &^# outa the house and git in the woods"....she comes from the UK and other then what she hears me she has no experience in the woods, so where to start her out?? Well, lately I've been into alot of thinning and stand improvement projects where the wood is mainly firewood grade...so I ask her "do you wanta try your hand at the cord wood side of things" and she says "what like swing a bloody axe all bloody day??" and so I ease her tensions and introduce her to the concept of Hydraulics applicated to said wood and she says "now that's something I can get on with..."
SO, I'm mostly a logging fool, got that all figured out (well, I like to think I do  smiley_bandana) but I really havn't messed much with the wood splitters and am looking for advice on a good unit: something in the $1,500 range, good production output etc. I've looked around the net a bit but thought I would put the shout out here for any advice to help keep the lil lady happy with a quality unit....

Thanks and as ever work safe out there today eh?

islandlogger

[logman81]

Take a look at Timberwolf. That is what I have and it a good quality unit.

[thecfarm]

I just have a home owners one,6 hp 28 ton. Get one that will tip up and split vertical or get a log lift that will pick the big ones up for you,but probably the log lift type will be out of your price range.Get her some steel boots too.

[BBTom]

I think I would go with one of the kinetic energy splitters. 
http://www.tractorsupply.com/outdoor-power-equipment/log-splitters/speedpro-kinetic-log-splitter-1022655

They are so much faster and quieter.  If I had the money, I would junk my hydraulic and get one myself.

[g_man]

I would get her a 22 ton Husky at Tractor Supply or Home Depot. They are a good splitter for the money you quoted. If she can wear one of those  out you will need to spend more. But you will already be burried in wood.

[beenthere]

Get one you like, as sounds like you may end up using it. ;)

[zopi]

More and more I am finding that I want a splitter with big tables...and one which pushes the log through the blade rather than vice, versa...handling and juggling the larger rounds is a pain...current splitter is a 28 or 30 ton from northern (yeah, I know) and it works well. Their four ways suck swamp water though..crush the wood too much..
I guess I will start scavenging parts to build something like the big split rites...but not as pretty...

[John Mc]

More and more I am finding that I want a splitter with big tables...and one which pushes the log through the blade rather than vice, versa...

If you are pushing the log through a stationary blade, that generally means a horizontal-only unit. The ones that can tip up vertically push the blade through the log (no place for the log to go when vertical if you were pushing the log through a stationary blade).

I have a horizontal/vertical unit. If I were doing it over, I'd probably get a horizontal-only model. I never use it in vertical position (but then I only occasionally split anything much more than 16" diameter). My reason for going with the horizontal/vertical unit was that I liked the working height of it better when in horizontal mode (the horizontal only unit sat too close to the ground).

[islandlogger]

Thanks for all the input folks...I espec liked been theres comment on "get one you like as you will likely end up using it yourself" or something along those lines....I guess been there has BEEN THERE....

[zopi]

Yeah...horizontal unit is what I want...probably wind up building it...anything too big to lift gets noodled anyhow...ir if I am pithed at the neighbors I work it off with wedge and maul..
I realize you can buy a splitter for less than you can buy the parts...but I am looking at something along the lines of splitrite...albeit without the bling or the price tag...I also want a higher working height...waist level with foot controls...I made those makeshift pedals the other night...will refine that, and soon...me likey...

[John Mc]

I'd really love to own one of the flywheel-based splitters like the SuperSplit. You can split a lot of wood quickly with those things. I just can't justify the $$ when I already own a hydraulic splitter.

They do scare me a bit though... I always thought I'd never be the one "dumb enough" to get injured by a log splitter. I am always careful about where I put my hands when splitting... Well, I used to be able to say "always". Last June I caught my left index finger between the log and the anvil. Burst it right open down the side. 14 stitches and a slightly cracked bone. I stopped the ram just in time. I've still got limited range of motion in that finger (a bummer, since I'm left handed).

If I'd been using one of those impact splitters, I'd be minus one finger right now - they're ust too fast for me to have reacted in time. I'd like to think it wouldn't happen to me, since I'm "always" careful... but that's what I thought 4 or 5 months ago.

[edkemper]

John,

If you'd been using one of the SplitPros (was that the name) you'd have saved the trip to the doctor. It requires two hands to operate. Since I don't have one yet, that model looks real nice.

[paul case]

I saw a new  splitter for sale at atwoods yesterday that had a 2 sided wedge that the ram pushes and it had an anvil on the far end and the cylinder side too. it would split on the return stroke as well. PC

[John Mc]

If you'd been using one of the SplitPros (was that the name) you'd have saved the trip to the doctor. It requires two hands to operate. Since I don't have one yet, that model looks real nice.

If you're talking about the TSC units, I think they are called SpeedPro. I looked at one of them at a local TSC. I don't really like the design of the cradle and exit table as two separate pieces. This requires either picking up or flipping any pieces that you want to bring back to resplit. (I've had forearm and "tennis elbow" problems from gripping and tossing firewood. It took a lot of physical therapy, and a good bit of not using that arm to get over it.)

IMO, the SuperSplit's worktable (or DR Product's clone of it) is a better layout. You can just slide the pieces back to resplit.

John Mc

[John Mc]

I saw a new  splitter for sale at atwoods yesterday that had a 2 sided wedge that the ram pushes and it had an anvil on the far end and the cylinder side too. it would split on the return stroke as well. PC

Was that a "Splitfire"?

[paul case]

Na that wan't it but I can't remember what it was.PC

[Holmes]

The reviews on the TSC speed pro splitter are interesting. A few people were concerned with quality of build, assembly, and teeth breaking off the rack assembly.  Holmes