Bought a Fiskars splitter

[Philbert]

. . . I have a ton or two of Western Red cedar from the neighbor's logging and I'm looking for some kind of machine that takes a small block of cedar and turns it into multiple pieces of kindling in one stroke. . . Maybe I have to find someone (inventive engineer) to create something that goes on the ram of the log splitter?

First off: Welcome to A.S.!

If you do a search on this site for 'Firewood Processor' you will find several threads such as this one, that share members experiences:
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=87916&highlight=firewood+processors

You can also do a similar search on Google for product information.

This level of automation was new to me (hence the thread above). While looking through the vendor info, some of the processors had multi-section wings that split rounds into 4, 6, 8 pieces, etc. Some had concentric dies that split up the rounds concentrically as well as radially.

I don't know what size wood you are splitting, or how much you are willing to invest. But these threads and vendor links should at least give you some ideas of what is commercially available, and provide some good ideas if you are looking to design something to work with your existing splitter.

Let us know what you come up with!

Philbert

 

[The Discoverer]

Kindling maker

Here is what I have found so far. It looks as if other folks are solving the same problem but the cost is way, way too high. And they're mostly located in Britain or New Zealand. Nobody in the USA yet that I've found. I'll have to create something simpler that uses my splitter and does less, I think.

How do you make URL links live on this site?

http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/forestry.pl?read=401661

http://mcmtb.fotopic.net/c523779.html

http://www.mymodelengines.co.uk/kindling/index.htm

http://www.fuelwood.co.uk/kindlet.html

http://www.fuelwood.co.uk/kindla_range.html

http://www.ytmag.com/toolt/messages/127715.html

 

[The Discoverer]

Live links

Belay the question, I see they come out life automatically. That's a very nice feature.

 

[The Discoverer]

Erratum

that's "live automatically."

 

[Northland]

Based on all the great reviews on this site I just ordered the Fiskars Super Splitter from an Ace EBay store.

Last year I cut down several very old yellow birch trees. The fibre was like meat and seems to run in every direction. Splitting those big old trees with my 6 and 8 lb mauls was time consuming, exhausting and frustrating. I borrowed an old gas powered splitter from a friend to take care of most of the them.

Before I buy a 3 pt splitter that will run off my tractor I wanted to try the Fiskars axe. I heat much of my home with a Vermont made Hearthstone woodstove and go through up to ten cords per year.

I use a Kubota B7800 30HP tractor with a bucket grapple along with slingchokers and now 100ft of Amsteel Blue 1/4" rope with snatch blocks to get my wood out of the forest. I use a Husky 365 to cut and buck my wood.

This week I am starting to cut down my dead maples. Beside being easy to split the maple burns much hotter.

I now use this method to minimize the picking up of the pieces of my splits. It-it really works well.

http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/splittingblocksandtires.htm

 

[The Discoverer]

Northland---using tires

Great pictures!! Thanks so much. It is almost exactly what I did for many years. Sure does save the back!! However, your idea of cutting the side walls and nailing them to the block is a great improvement. And the still water/mosquito's issue was good to bring up because it is too true.

As I said, shoulders won't take manual splitting any more. (I'm 71, almost 72, and they ache if used badly). My 25-ton Yardman splitter does the splitting work. Wish I had your tractor to get the logs out. You sound like a very, very self-sufficient lady. I heard that winters in your area are a full time job.

Sincerely,

The Discoverer

 

[AKKAMAAN]

Are you saying they have the Fiskars super splitter for $90? If so, that is an incredible rip off and I sure would hate to buy a saw off them or something more expensive.

The highest price I have seen is about $55 at some hardware stores, but it can be found online for much cheaper $35ish.

That is a rip off even if the Fiskars Super Splitter is worth many times more.
32" 4 1/4 lbs 49$ plus change at any ACE Hardware store....and sometimes they are on sale too.

 

[Northland]

You sound like a very, very self-sufficient lady. I heard that winters in your area are a full time job.

Thanks Discoverer, but that was just a link I pasted from the woodheat.org site-I didn't write the article. I am a happily married 49 year old man that likes women

I am very self-sufficient. I take after my father, who was from Finland and a real backwoodsman.

Your also right about the winters. The snow came this year on Nov 9 and stayed all winter. I remember the day since we went to a Bob Dylan concert in town that night. We are heading to Cuba for spring break-sun, warmth and cigars!

 

[peterc38]

Based on all the great reviews on this site I just ordered the Fiskars Super Splitter from an Ace EBay store.

Last year I cut down several very old yellow birch trees. The fibre was like meat and seems to run in every direction. Splitting those big old trees with my 6 and 8 lb mauls was time consuming, exhausting and frustrating. I borrowed an old gas powered splitter from a friend to take care of most of the them.

Before I buy a 3 pt splitter that will run off my tractor I wanted to try the Fiskars axe. I heat much of my home with a Vermont made Hearthstone woodstove and go through up to ten cords per year.

I use a Kubota B7800 30HP tractor with a bucket grapple along with slingchokers and now 100ft of Amsteel Blue 1/4" rope with snatch blocks to get my wood out of the forest. I use a Husky 365 to cut and buck my wood.

This week I am starting to cut down my dead maples. Beside being easy to split the maple burns much hotter.

I now use this method to minimize the picking up of the pieces of my splits. It-it really works well.

http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/splittingblocksandtires.htm

Northland,

Was it just the great reviews on this site or that guy on TBN that recommended it?

 

[stan v]

I received my Fiskars SS last week from on line Ebay store out of Minn.....$40 shipped to the door. Will use it to split red oak for my BBQ pit tomorrow.....

82 degrees here today!

 

[Northland]

Northland,

Was it just the great reviews on this site or that guy on TBN that recommended it?

You got it Peter! The guy from TBN with the big dogs seems to be very smart so I took your, er his, lead

 

[Laird]

There must be something to this Fiskars splitter for there to be two active threads going at the same time with 5+ pages each!!:jawdrop: