At what point did you buy a splitter?

[genesis5521]

I can't decide whether or not to take the plunge. I split only to sell. I sell about 12 cords a year, mostly split by hand and some from borrowed splitters. I could get more done if I had a splitter... not sure how to justify the $1300 or whatever to get one.

What convinced you?

You don't have to spend $1300. There are alternatives.

The first year I heated with wood, I split 5 full cords by hand. Then I bought a little Ryobi electric log splitter for $299 from Home Depot. Don't believe anyone badmouthing this nice little splitter. I split 10 cords a year with it now. Aside from a few really gnarly pieces, it's split everything I've thrown at it. And it's as reliable as dirt.

I built a table for it and a bench to hold the rounds. With my "system" I can split a face cord an hour, and the splits go right in to my trailer.

Here's a video of it splitting a 25" Maple round: 25" Maple log split by Ryobi log splitter...WOW! - YouTube

From another angle: Ryobi electric log splitter from Home Depot - YouTube

I have mine on a table, something like this: Ryobi Electric Log Splitter - YouTube

But I have another table opposite me to stack the rounds on and catch the splits. Without a table, the splits just fall on the ground like in this video: Ryobi Electric Log Splitter - YouTube

The table for my splitter looks more like this, but I have a second table that comes up to and is even with the yellow log cradle bars. I stack the rounds on this second table. This way I can just roll the rounds towards me and right on to the splitter, and this second table also catches the splits so I can re-split without bending over to pick up the splits. (I should post a video of me splitting.) RYOBI ELECTRIC LOGSPLITTER DEMO - YouTube

I work alone and can split about a face cord an hour. I figure a face cord is approximately 275 pieces. I can just look at a round and quickly determine how many pieces I'll get from it, which is generally 4. So I load enough rounds on the table to get 92 pieces. I do this 3 times to get a face cord (92 X 3 = 276). I figure a 15 second cycle time on the splitter. So 92 rounds split twice = 184 cycles X 15 seconds = 2760 seconds = 46 minutes. This is just the actual time spent splitting. Add around 15 minutes to load the table 3 time and I'm up to any hour. And it's not back breaking work.

If I were ever to get another splitter, I'd seriously consider the 20 ton PowerHorse dual action splitter for $949. Click here. Powerhorse Log Splitter Splits Logs In Both Directions - YouTube

This guy makes and sells a 4 way wedge for the 20 ton PowerHorse. Now this setup is pretty slick, and doesn't break the bank. Powerhorse log splitter with custom made dual 4-way wedge - YouTube

So, I've tried to give you a few relatively inexpensive options. And there are many more. Kinetic splitters are fast, but cost more.

Don <><

 

[wudpirat]

Let the machine do the work

At my age (77) I don't do anymore work then I have to.
I purchased a NT 20 ton splitter for $999 plus shipping back when I had only two chainsaws.
Since then I bought a Honda 4x4 ATV , a Wood chipper, a bigger trailer,( tanden axel) and an assortment of axes, Mauls, Peveys and wood related items. OH, I now have eleven (11) chainsaws.
Am I saving money heating with wood? Electric heat @ 10 cents a KWH says you betcha.
Burning close to eight cord a year, I couldn't do it without the splitter.
On the big stuff, I set up vertical and find a nice soft round to park my butt on and pull the rounds to me with my pickeroon. Split and toss the splits into the trailer to haul away to the stacking area. Small stuff I run horizontal.
Did I spend too much money? It's mine and I'll spend it the way I want, my kids will just pizz it away after I'm gone.
At what point did I decide to get a splitter? After a day with a #8 maul and a #13 sledge plus iron wedges, I said to myself "Self, your killing yourself".
If this splitter goes belly up, I get another in a heartbeat, maybe two. :biggrin:

FREDM, the old wood pirate

Happyness is scoring a load of FREE wood or a FREE chainsaw.
Working on a MAC 15 now. 19lbs plus the bar and chain. uttahere2:

 

[hoosier daddy]

year before...

I bought the splitter (used for $600) from a friend after borrowing it from him for two weeks. This all took place the year before I started to heat with wood. I also have the fiskars ss axe and use it quite a bit. For me it was about a long term investment of heating with wood. I HATE to borrow tools because I always somehow seem to break them, if i own it, it's ususally good. Case point (sorry off topic), last winter i wanted to see how well a polaris ranger would push snow...borrowed my buddies and we plowed snow quite well...got done and my son wanted to take it for a run down the field...guess what...5o some dollars and two hours later we bought my new buddy a new drive belt...just happens to me.

For me...10 cords of firewood a year without a hyd splitter...nope not me...

HD

 

[kd460]

Last year I had a combination of 36" american elm and old knotty apple. Tendonitis kicked in while working on those. So it was time for a splitter. Used the elm as an excuse to get it by the wife (the tree came from her mothers house) and I have to say best $$ I ever spent. Nothing special, just a 22 tone Huskee, but it makes life alot easier.

I do miss the buff chest and arms. It don't take long for those to go flabby. Lately I have pulled out the maul to split some of the easier stuff like ash, red and white oak, maple, etc. Trying to at least get the arms to look presentable again. KD

 

[JeffHK454]

The first winter I moved out of my parents house as a young 20-something guy I swore I would never split another round by hand again. When I started burning for myself I bought a splitter and never looked back.. exercises hugh!

You don't need to spend $1,300 on a serviceable splitter ether .. I think I've got maybe half that in the old ass Speeco I own and it will handle whatever I toss under it..

 

[discounthunter]

I can't decide whether or not to take the plunge. I split only to sell. I sell about 12 cords a year, mostly split by hand and some from borrowed splitters. I could get more done if I had a splitter... not sure how to justify the $1300 or whatever to get one.

What convinced you?

how good is your back.once you go slitter ,you never go back.

 

[nixon]

I bought my first splitter when I moved to Pa. It was something that had always been on my wish list,but not practicle . I sold it a few years ago and got a Splitter with a better cycle time, 4 way,log table,and log lift . There's no way that I'd go back to hand splitting . In fact,if there was a fairly reasonably priced firewood stacking machine ,I'd be saving my $$$ to buy one .

 

[reaperman]

I know why three people I know bought a splitter. Because I stopped being a nice guy and loaning mine out. Within a year, the three people who borrowed mine the most went out and bought thier own :msp_tongue:

 

[Mosby]

I broke my right thumb and screwed my hand up a couple of months ago. Tried to use my Fiskars to split some wood and it hurt. Wife felt sorry for me and told me to go buy my christmas gift....hello splitter.

 

[Oliver1655]

When My kids moved off to college. Before that splitting & hauling wood was a family thing which also helped to build good work habits. If you didn't split & haul in the wood, you got cold!

Having decided to get a splitter, I read through a lot of threads on this forum an the TractorByNet forum & decided to build instead of buying To be able to have the features I wanted: (I have less than $1,200 in it).
- Dedicated horizontal splitter that was at waist height.
- Out feed table so once I pick it off the ground, it stayed off the ground until it was unloaded.
- A log lift / staging table to save my back, time & fuel. (With the smaller round which are easy to lift I set the lift horizontal & pile it full of wood then start the splitter & just roll the rounds into place to split off the lift. When it is empty I turn the engine off & reload the lift.)
- I use a 2 wheel dolly / hand cart to move the larger rounds to the lift. ( a pick-a-roo comes in handy to hold the round in place while tilting the dolly back).
- A 4" x 24" cylinder, 16gpm 2 stage pump, oil cooler so I can split during the heat of summer - 100's. (I found it much handier & easier on the back to cut, split then load & haul.)

We collect fire wood year round & split everything 2" or larger. It drys much faster, decreases creosote, & when we only need a small fire to take the chill off the small split piece work great. We burn 10 - 12 cords a year we generally keep a 2 year supply on hand.

 

[kd460]

"When My kids moved off to college. Before that splitting & hauling wood was a family thing which also helped to build good work habits. If you didn't split & haul in the wood, you got cold!"

Thats when my Dad finally broke down and bought a chainsaw! After his kids moved away.:msp_thumbup:

I remember cutting lots and lots of wood with a bow saw! Me and my two brothers would take turns (and always complain), but you know, the old man was the guy on the other end of that saw the whole time. Me and my brothers would take turns on one end and he was always on the other end. He never complained!

Now that I am older, I totally understand...Now I cut his firewood for him, and the pleasure is all mine...

I had an opportunity to go cut up some wood with him a couple weeks ago (his neighbor had a tree come down), it brought back fond memories, I wish that day never ended. KD

 

[Carl Anderson]

I bought one when the pain I felt letting go of my hard earned money (which I don't have a lot of) became less than the pain I felt in my back, shoulders and hands after hand splitting. For me that was when I found a 4 year old 25 ton MTD splitter for $400 on CL. Not the best brand and it smokes but it works great. If I hand split more regularly I would probably be more used to it but doing it occasionally nights and weekends it just makes me sore. I do all my own house renovations, etc so I'm not a total tender foot but hand splitting wood is a different animal.

I suggest looking for used but like someone else already said lots of guys seem to think their used up POS splitter is gold plated and worth almost what a new one costs so you will have to be very patient and act quickly if you see a good one for a reasonable price. I got lucky because I was like the 20th guy out of 50 to respond to the ad for the one I bought but the first two guys blew him off so he picked my name just because it was the same as his.

I heard the Huskee splitter at Tractor Supply for around $1,000 to $1,200 is a good one for the money (25 or 27 ton I think). I would not buy the MTD new due to the way the cylinder is attached, it's a weak point, but for $400 it was a no brainer. I was considering one of the electric splitters too as I have heard they are not bad for personal use but if you are selling wood and want to sell even more I would stick with a gas one at least 20 ton or so.

 

[fields_mj]

I only bought my splitter because my BIL was getting rid of it for free. It's an old didier. I had used it with him once. Not a bad little machine, but one of his buddies borrowed it and left it outside with the ram out, and it ruined the cylinder. I put a new cylinder and hoses on it, and I've used it a few times. It's okay, but its slow. I normally use either my X27 or my 064 instead. Both are much faster, and in the end I think they are less work, but not by much. If I was selling wood, then I WOULD buy a super split or one of its clones. Eventually age will probably drive me to buying one, but right now I'm still young enough to enjoy the excercise. Then again, I only deal with enough to heat my own house.

As far as justifying the purchase goes, my general rule of thumb is that it has to pay for itself in 2 years or less. If you get a splitter, how much will it increase your wood output, and can you increase your customer base enough to sell enough extra wood to pay for them in 2 years? That's what I like about the idea of a super split. It may not be able to split everything, but it will split 90% of what your customers will want to buy, and it's the only thing I've seen that's actually as fast or faster than splitting by hand. It doesn't just save on your back, it actually speeds up your process, and that makes it a lot easier to justify.

Just my 2 bits,
Mark

 

[zogger]

I sell mostly oak, cherry and locust which aren't really all that tough to split with a maul. I'm also 28 and use splitting wood as an excuse not to go to the gym. Also, the 12 cords of wood I split annually is not too tough. I am sure with a splitter I could prob split twice as much and have never had trouble selling out. 180\cord and 100/half. I would come close to making up the amount in extra wood sold after 1 year.

I guess I should turn this thread into what kind of splitter should I get?

Thanks for all your help.

I did a measly half a cord this afternoon in about an hour. I was sluffing it. Split, load the wheelbarrow, once full, take it over to the stack and dump it. Gf builds the stacks, I said I'll split while you go to the store and post office, quit when you get back, and that's exactly what I did. Getting a good splitter is worthwhile. Granted, easy splitting wood today, nothing all that gnarly. Doing a mixed bag of tulip poplar and ash with a few pine chunks thrown in.

that's why I own a fiskars....

Ya, I guess if I was selling mass quantities of wood, cords and cords and cords and more, with bundles on top of that, yep, I'd get a power splitter. Or one of those spiffy automagical processors and a conveyor and dump truck and bobcat, etc.

I am always impressed with the real pro tools I see posted here, the nice commercial operations. Sort of like the difference between a backyard flock and one of the broiler houses here. Same amount of man hours work..results are vastly different. The upfront costs are rather an extreme spread though.

So, if you can afford, go for it man! Skip the maul and pickup and go right for at least a mid size decent flatbed dump and the fastest splitter you can afford. Then really stay up on your maintenance so that expensive stuff pays you, not the other way around. Use, but not abuse.

I believe in this sort of deal with tools, whatever tool that can work, the exact job you have, then go one step better in quality and capacity, and it will last a long time.

 

[camr]

We put a wood furnace in the basement when I was in my late 20's. First full year with it, I bought a 10 cord load of oak. Cutting was no problem. When it came time to split, I was swinging a maul for two straight days and didn't get all the way through the pile. The next week was spent walking around with my knuckles dragging on the ground. Found a used splitter for $400 the following weekend and bought it. Almost 30 years later, it's still the tool of choice for splitting wood. It's been rebuilt, repaired and repowered a number of times but it still ranks near the top of the list for all time best purchases.

It's an investment you'll never regret. Buy one as soon as you can. Your back will thank you for it.

 

[genesis5521]

I can't decide whether or not to take the plunge. I split only to sell. I sell about 12 cords a year, mostly split by hand and some from borrowed splitters. I could get more done if I had a splitter... not sure how to justify the $1300 or whatever to get one.

What convinced you?

OK Groundup. We've shared our little pea pick'n firewood hearts witchya. So what are your inclinations now?

Don <><

 

[trailmaker]

I sell mostly oak, cherry and locust which aren't really all that tough to split with a maul. I'm also 28 and use splitting wood as an excuse not to go to the gym. Also, the 12 cords of wood I split annually is not too tough. I am sure with a splitter I could prob split twice as much and have never had trouble selling out. 180\cord and 100/half. I would come close to making up the amount in extra wood sold after 1 year.

I guess I should turn this thread into what kind of splitter should I get?

Thanks for all your help.

If you're young and fit and only splitting twelve chord I would stick with manual splitting. If the stuff is splitting easily with a maul, try a lighter splitting axe like a Fiskars and you may fly through those twelve chord in no time.

 

[qweesdraw]

When i realized splitting by hand is way too slow and too much work.
I now own 3 splitters. (yes i am commercial)
If you can find a used one do it!,it's hard too loose $ on a splitter they are something that will last and can be rebuilt/fixed cylinder-hoses-spool valves-engines are not much compared too new.
If you can weld borrow and rent a few find design flaws,then plan on spending at least $800 on something decent.
(i put a small one on CL had 80 calls in one day)
Using a splitter vs hand is like going from a bicycle to a truck!
Even if it's broke it can be fixed on used and help is always here ! (Amazing of the knowledge you can get on this site)
Mark

 

[727sunset]

I split by hand at home and we burned to supplement our heat.
A few years ago I installed a couple wood stoves for primary heat and have never looked back. This came after some prompting from my wonderful neighbour who has always burned wood. He and I worked together keeping both our shelters filled. Then it was recognized he had lung cancer. I stepped up to the plate and vowed his widow would continue to be supplied with firewood.
I was now doing her wood plus mine, alone, and recognized the need to look for a splitter.
SuperSplit is what I settled for and it's been excellent.

 

[spike60]

I split by hand until 10 years ago, when I was 45. A customer was moving away and he sold me his garaged and hardly used MTD 20 ton unit for $500. Does everything I've ever asked it to.

Even had that deal not materialized, I'd have bought myself a new one by now for sure. Like Whitespider says, it's all about making your life easier. It's fine to think of how much $ we save when burning the wood, but it's liberating when you get beyond having to think of "payback" and justifying every $ that comes out of your wallet. I still splt some wood by hand when I feel like a little workout, but I'd never go back to not owning a splitter.