Shopping for Log Splitter suggestions

[Jedthro]

One thing to check for is that at full extension there's not a big gap between the point of the wedge and the plate or pusher. On my Oregon it's about 2". Many of the wood species I burn don't spit all the way on my splitter. Sometimes I can separate them by hand or by retracting the wedge a bit and pulling the split away. Sometimes I have to reverse the round in the splitter to try to split it from the other side. It slows down the splitting quite a bit. I need to make a spacer that will eliminate the gap. The species I have that are a problem this way are tan oak, bay, coast live oak. Bay is the worst. Eucalyptus is not so bad when it's green. Madrone and doug fir are fine.

I run into that also. I just drop a split piece in front of the foot.

Mine says troy bilt on it. 27 ton and I have yet to stall it out in the about 7-8 years I've had it.

I did this just to see if I could. It sucked. Took awhile to chunk it down.

What I've figured out when handling big pieces, I use 3 4 ft chunks of 1 1/2 or 2" pvc pipe with 2x6 boards n between. Makes it a LOT easier to move into postion. I roll the round in front of the splitter and flop it down. If you measure the diameter and position the round that distance in front of the splitter, the first split is easy.

 

[sb47]

One thing to check for is that at full extension there's not a big gap between the point of the wedge and the plate or pusher. On my Oregon it's about 2". Many of the wood species I burn don't spit all the way on my splitter. Sometimes I can separate them by hand or by retracting the wedge a bit and pulling the split away. Sometimes I have to reverse the round in the splitter to try to split it from the other side. It slows down the splitting quite a bit. I need to make a spacer that will eliminate the gap. The species I have that are a problem this way are tan oak, bay, coast live oak. Bay is the worst. Eucalyptus is not so bad when it's green. Madrone and doug fir are fine.

I keep a few thin slabs just for that reason. The gap in my splitter is about 1 1/2'' but I rarely have to use a spacer.

 

[unclemoustache]

I can’t believe nobody has mentioned the Supersplit yet!
Hydraulic gives you a 12 second cycle time.
Supersplit takes 2 seconds.
granted, it struggles on knots and stringy elm, but you just give it multiple hits and you’re through. I only get the good parts of the wood anyway and don’t use the knots or elm.

 

[sb47]

I can’t believe nobody has mentioned the Supersplit yet!
Hydraulic gives you a 12 second cycle time.
Supersplit takes 2 seconds.
granted, it struggles on knots and stringy elm, but you just give it multiple hits and you’re through. I only get the good parts of the wood anyway and don’t use the knots or elm.

When comparing tools, it comes down to how and what your going to use them for. When it comes to wood splitters, It all comes down to the wood you are feeding them. My Countyline 40 has 9.5 sec cycle times. The supper split has more maintenance and wear parts. Supper split only has one speed. Hydraulic speeds are variable for more control.
If the wood you are splitting a mix of both hard to split and the easy stuff then go hydraulic, if the wood is easy strait smaller wood a supper split may fit better.

 

[pdelosh]

Full beam vs half beam is something to consider also. I had first had a Woods full beam (great unit) and found out it was to heavy for me to move around in the grass alone. I ended up selling it and getting a Cub Cadet half beam with the Honda engine. If you never move by hand no big deal I guess. But I often need to move the splitter once I get to the wood pile. Just something to consider if your getting up there in age like me.

 

[Fatherwheels]

Friendly and fun,