Vertical or Horizontal Splitting?

[indiansprings]

Horizontal 95% or more. Vertical seems much slower and harder on the lower back, we have welded trays on ours to set the sticks of wood on.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Log Splitters Also Split Hands

And get up/down every few ones to get the next couple rounds.

Harry K

Harry, they all want to split faster--until they get their hand in between the ram or toe plate and the log.

It's rather amazing what that 20-ton hydraulic force can do to logs (and human flesh).

 

[stihl_in_texas]

Only time mine is in horizontal mode is for transport. I use a foam pad so I don't kill my knees.

Steve

 

[turnkey4099]

Harry, they all want to split faster--until they get their hand in between the ram or toe plate and the log.

It's rather amazing what that 20-ton hydraulic force can do to logs (and human flesh).

Heh. In my case, at my age, speed is of no importance. My back is. Just the thought of being done there on my knees trying to wrestle rounds makes it hurt

Harry K

 

[saxman]

100% vertical here, I sit on a round with the unsplit on one side and I throw the split stuff to the other as I work it up. I sit and split, wearing my worktunes earmuffs and have a wonderful time.

 

[Frank Boyer]

I use both. Horizontal for smaller stuf off of the back of the trailer and verticle for the bigger rounds. The cradle makes it much easier to split off of the trailer.

 

[Wife'nHubby]

There are firm believers in both vertical & horizontal splitting.

However, if you have a horizontal splitter with a log lift any difference between v/h should lessen.

To me having a splitter with a lift and a splitter tall enough to drop the splits into a trailer is what would save my back all day long as our splitting area is not necessarily our stacking area.

Plans are underway to 'lift' my Didier splitter and add a log lift to accomplish the above.

 

[pws]

big stuff vertical (pile up about a cubic metre's worth next to me and sit on a bucket)
smaller stuff horizontal

 

[cornbread]

Vertical 100% of the time.

I split by myself a lot.

It allot easier on me and faster.

Why pick up the wood when you can roll it, and I keep my back start while splitting.

 

[Boike]

I used my 22T brave in the verticale a few times, but I was always chucking the wood out of the way. In the horizontal mode I can just pull the splitter forward 5 feet and let the splits drop on down. Seems like being down on my knees all day was not much fun especially on the cold days.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Use a Chair

I used my 22T brave in the verticale a few times, but I was always chucking the wood out of the way. In the horizontal mode I can just pull the splitter forward 5 feet and let the splits drop on down. Seems like being down on my knees all day was not much fun especially on the cold days.

I seldom kneel. Just get a 16" to 18" long round that's 14" or more dia. and sit on it. Even better, find an old steel folding card table chair and sit on that. The only time I kneel is when I split a monster that I can't spin while sitting down. I can split monsters in vertical, but forget it in horizontal.

BTW, Brave makes a good spliiter. opcorn:

 

[pacman]

98% horizonal the other 2% is if I find some good large rounds worth the work like (oak or hickory)

 

[gandrimp]

I split by myself 98% of the time. Horizontal.

Proof: YouTube - ‪White oak on the wood splitter‬‏

 

[Suz]

Since I built the log lifting boom for the splitter we split horizontal 100% of the time.

 

[AIM]

Verticle most of the time for me but I usually only split rounds that are over 20" or just really heavy. Under that and they just go on the stack. I'd rather roll the piece around than try to lift it.

If you've never tried the 3 person method you should. My wife, daughter and myself could split up a truckload in no time.
I'd be rolling the big stuff to the splitter. Daughter would just run the lever. Wife would be tossing them in the truck. If you hustle, the ram never needs to stop moving.

 

[WidowMaker]

I'm going to venture a guess that those that swear by vertical have never used a horizonal with a hydraulic lift and work table.

I (we) used to use ours 100% verticle til I built a hydraulic lift for it, now it 100% horizonal for me, SIL's will still occasionaly go vertical, but not this 67 yr old back. there just not reason to punish myself that way...

 

[Wood Doctor]

I'm going to venture a guess that those that swear by vertical have never used a horizonal with a hydraulic lift and work table.

I (we) used to use ours 100% verticle til I built a hydraulic lift for it, now it 100% horizonal for me, SIL's will still occasionaly go vertical, but not this 67 yr old back. there just not reason to punish myself that way...

Well, I have (with lift table), and so have have several of my friends. Two of them have mashed left hands to prove that they have split wood in horizontal.

I came close once, and that was the end. The glove on my left hand slipped free and saved my hand. Two of my friends were not as fortunate. :msp_ohmy:

 

[WidowMaker]

Yea, ya gotta remember to never put your hand/fingers on the end of the rounds...SIL forgot that once...still I'll take the horizonal with a lift and work table....

 

[tomtrees58]

about 50 /50

 

[Oliver1655]

I'm in horizontal group! I split by myself 90% of the time. When I built my splitter I browsed dozens of thread on log splitters and decided to make mine a dedicated horizontal splitter. This means the wedge is welded to the beam and the hydraulic cylinder push the wood into the wedge. All working surfaces are at waist height. I decided early on I only wanted to bend over to pickup the wood one time. I have a catch table for the split pieces. I added a log lift which doubles as a staging table. Using the log lift as a staging table has also has saved a lot of time and fuel. I turn the splitter off while I load up the log lift and once I start the engine I can focus on splitting. I debated on using an auto cycle valve, but by not having to chase after another piece each time due to the staging table, I decided it was not needed.

John