Advice on a log splitter.

[LeeB]

Years of self abuse is starting to catch up with me and my backis really giving me problems these days. I still want to use wood heat but am ready to give up the hand splitting. Looking for recomendations for a value priced splitter. Only need to split about 3 cords a year.

[pineywoods]

Lee, just about any of the home owner type splitters would do a respectable job. Most of them are actually built by MTD and relabeled . Around christmas or new years, most of the box stores will have 2 or 3 left over they need to get rid of. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used one if it runs. Not really much to go wrong. At our age, you definitely need one that will stand vertical, them ozark oaks can get heavy. That way you can roll the blocks into place and sit on a plastic milk crate while mr briggs does the hard work...

[wood monger]

Hey Lee, Three cords, face or full, is not that much. Don't you know anyone who has a splitter you could borrow? Or maybe rent one. It seems like investing in a splitter that you are only going to use a couple of hours a year isn't cost effective. I have a splitter and I split 10 to 15 face cords a year, and mine is sitting around most of the time.  It probobly gets run 10 to 15 hours a year. I do agree that one you can swing into a vertical position is a big plus. I usually get some big oak rounds that are way too heavy to lift. They either have to be blocked up with a saw, or split smaller, to be lifted onto the splitter. With the vertical option, I just roll them over and flop them down on the anvil and split away, I usually sit on a log instead of a milk crate.good luck with you search and decision.
Bill

[StephenRice]

I happen to really like the Honda GX series engines for, not only splitters, but just about anything.  Other engines that sit around I usually have to clean out the carburetor and work on just to get them running, but the Honda GX's (that are often on log splitters) are almost impossible to kill and always start on the first pull as long as you have not forgotten to turn on the kill switch, put on the choke, or put gas in it.

One word of caution, though...  The little non-commercial Honda engines that they put on a lot of the lawnmowers and now even log splitter...  they really stink.  Their carburetors are really susceptible to condensation issues and they are not nearly as reliable as the commercial GX series engines.  The GX series do NOT have plastic engine covers like a lot of the non-commercial ones do.  So, make sure if you get a Honda powered splitter to get one with a GX series engine.  It will last many many years.  I think that the 5.5 hp is a GX 180 model.

Another important thing to check on...  How long of wood does your wood stove take?  A lot of people use 16" logs, but often your wood or log chunks end up a bit longer.  A lot of the caper splitters use hydraulic rams that are pretty short.  I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to split a log and realized the ram would just not quite go back far enough to fit the log in the splitter.  Spending a little bit extra for a splitter with a little longer ram is probably worth it in my book.

Good luck shopping!

[Norm]

I have one of those Piney's talking about with a Honda on it. It sits for a year and then fires up on the 2nd pull, even with that evil ethanol gas in it. ;D

[sawguy21]

Log splitters are pretty simple machines. An engine, a pump, a control valve, a cylinder, and a reservoir. Look for one with a horizontal shaft engine, a lot easier and cheaper to upgrade the engine if needed. Stay away from the low priced non repairable imports. Pumps, cylinders and valves are usually rebuildable. Speeco and others make good units.

[LeeB]

I asked my nieghbor about his and told him I was thinking about getting one. He wanted to know why. Said he only used his twice last. Plenty enough setting time for both of us to get what we need out of. Sounds like a pretty good deal for now.

[StephenRice]

It sure does, Lee.  Get to use your neighbor's splitter and not have to buy one?

[LeeB]

We trade back and forth between us all the time. He takes care of my stuff and I take care of his. We have about twenty pigs between us at his place right now. I just wasn't wanting to ask about the splitter because I know he uses it to make a part of his living or at least I thought so.

[Larry]

No colder than it gets here its pretty easy to split all the wood you need for two or three years in a few days.  I have a tractor mounted splitter and didn't use it at all last year.  Still have enough wood for this winter and part of next.

[Magicman]

Lee, so far I've had good service from this one.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,41952.0.html

[clww]

If that's all you intend to split each year, then if it were me, I'd rent one. This way you don't have to keep it around or pay for maintenance and upkeep costs. Or find someone that has a "travelling splitter" business. They'll usually charge by the hour to split your firewood.

[LeeB]

I ended up just buying fire wood. It's really just too cheap around my area not to.