4 way wedge or not?

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bob gresko

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Does a 4-way wedge decrease time spent splitting very much? I think it would if all the chunks you ran through it were about the same diameter. However, if you run all sizes through it I think it may be more of a hassel than it is worth. What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Bob
 
We bought one with the new 16-ton splitter some years ago, used it one season. It's been hanging on a hook in the garage ever since.

As you mention they're great with rounds 12" or so and straight-grained. But little of what we work up is in that category. Have been dropping a sweetgum every year, the 4-way won't bust gum. And, in our experience it won't go through a crotch or burl in red maple.

When we did use it, it reduced some splitting time on the straight stuff and oak rounds.
 
I use one on my machine for as much as I can. Wedge is attached to the beam and it slides over the top. The thing I found is keeping it sharp is critical for my 20 ton machine. Huge difference from the stock blunt edge VS a sharp profile. What doesn't split is cut for the most part. If I have some chunks that need to go back through but dont want split in 4 pieces I use the wing of the 4way that is closer to me to halve the piece. For the nasty stuff I pull the 4way and use the single wedge.
I wouldn't be without mine. My cousin has a huskee splitter and the 4 way for that machine is about useless.
 
I use one on my machine for as much as I can. Wedge is attached to the beam and it slides over the top. The thing I found is keeping it sharp is critical for my 20 ton machine. Huge difference from the stock blunt edge VS a sharp profile. What doesn't split is cut for the most part. If I have some chunks that need to go back through but dont want split in 4 pieces I use the wing of the 4way that is closer to me to halve the piece. For the nasty stuff I pull the 4way and use the single wedge.
I wouldn't be without mine. My cousin has a huskee splitter and the 4 way for that machine is about useless.
Im running one on a 30 ton with 13 hp Honda.
 
I don't want to split without my 4 way. On the right sized wood, it splits 3x as fast. If you have a log you want in 4 pieces, you run it through once and you're done. With a single wedge, this takes 3 strokes of the ram to get you your 4 pieces. Now how much wood is actually that size varies from person to person. I find many of my logs get split into 6-8 pieces. For the 6 piece logs, I slide the log to my side of the wedge and hit it so the 2 pieces away from me are the right size. I then just slide the remaining chunk back to the ram and push it through centered as best I can 1 time. 2 strokes and I have 6 pieces of wood. As Fred mentioned, gum is too nasty for the 4 way and it's really just a pain in the arse type of wood to split. I would be hesitant to even let someone drop it off next to my splitter for free. For knotty pieces and crotches, I just slip the 4 way off.
I run and Iron and Oak and love their 4 way design. I have seen some others that can't compare.
 
I have one for my homebuilt and do use it occasionally. Mainly do bigger stuff so I tend to sort as I'm bringing the smaller stuff that just needs to be 1/4'd and do them all at once. To leave it on to run most everything would make too many smalls for me. My opinion would also be different if I was doing consumer wood or pushing into a conveyor. Again, a situational thing.
 
I can't even imagine having to go back to "just the wedge"!! I push EVERYTHING through my 4-way and I haven't found anything that I can't push through, knotty, stringy or any kind of crotch wood, it all goes right through! It REALLY shortens my time splitting a wagon load of tough wood!

That's the reason I spent more $ to get a heavy duty splitter with a STRONG built 4-way, it was money well spent!

Check out this chunk of red oak, extremely tough crotch wood I was splitting today,

standard.jpg


Nothing I have found stops this beast!!

SR
 
I use my 4 way as much as possible. It just slips on so it only takes a second to remove or install it. I know the limits of my machine and I don't want to break anything so I am choosy about what I run through the 4 way. I also have a 6 way and the wood has to be almost perfect for me to use that. I have used it when splitting other peoples wood that is only 16" long or so. My wood is also longer than most of you probably use, I like it anywhere from 24" to 30", splitter has a 31" capability.
 
I use the wedge to get to manageable 10-12" chunks, vertical if need be for big stuff. The switch to horizontal with the 4 way and blow through the pieces. 16gpm on 4" cylinder with 11hp Honda. Doing the prep work up front saves time on the backside.


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Sawyer Rob, in my experience you are running that piece thru backwards. I always try to split crotches with the wedge in the direction that they grow, seem to pop easier. I have a very straight pointy wedge though. They seem to pop right in half all the way thru the crotch. Try it both ways on some smaller stuff and see if you can tell the difference. On a really big piece I will then split a couple of straight pieces off of it and the crotch ends up being smaller and seems to stack in the pile better too. An old guy that I used to buy wood told me that's the way he did it for years even when he used to use a splitting axe. He logged the bush and then sold only the tops as firewood so he was always splitting crotches. (pun intended)
 
I can honestly say, it hasn't mattered how I put them on the splitter, they just go right through the 4-way......none of this "read the wood stuff", like they have to with the "bam bams", just throw them (or slide them lol) on the beam and split them! lol

SR
 

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