Electric Log Splitter

[Tractor Seabee]

I use a HF electric 5 ton splitter. The big splitters are over rated and the little ones under rated. Knotty wood it won't handle goes on the burn pile. We have cut and split 3' logs by hand into 6 pieces and finish on the electric. Takes a 10-12 inch log with straight grain no problem, so why do I need a 35 ton splitter. Yes, it is not made for high production. My wife and I can split and stack faster than the young guys can buck and move to the splitter. Two tries with the electric and over to the burn pile. That doesn't happen often. I store split wood in a tent type green house and the splitter sets there next to the power panel.

Ron

 

[4570Man]

My wife and I can split and stack faster than the young guys can buck and move to the splitter.

I'd have to see that to believe it. Maybe if they are hauling 3 miles in a wheel burrow. I can single handily cut and move wood a short distance faster than anyone I have ever seen can split using a single wedge splitter.

 

[JRobyn]

My wife (not me) has a Swisher 22 ton electric and likes it a lot. Quiet and no carb to foul up. It has a 120vac motor (can be wired 240 if desired) and requires a 20A circuit and little or no extension cord to run up to spec. Factory cord is about 20 ft. It can be used with a heavy 12g extension, but may occasionally trip its breaker on thick victims. Cycles fast. Frame and operation is identical to the typical 22 ton gasoline splitter.

LS22E Timber Brute Eco Split - 22 Ton 12 Volt Electric Full Frame Log Splitter - Swisher

Street prices are about $1,500.

 

[moeh1]

I had a large gas splitter, no longer use much wood I need to split, so I gave it to my nephew. THEN I ended up getting an electric one to split very small pieces for our new wood fired oven. If you wood source is consistently small 10-12" max dia, the electric would work well. I don't think mine would handle huge stuff I used to split with my gas one.

 

[LD1]

The old B&S on dads TSC huskee 27t started having issues with a valve sticking open. Put a 3HP - 3phase electric motor on it running off a VFD.

Thats said.....3HP really aint big enough for the 11gpm 2-stage pump. If you dead head the cylinder...(max pressure)....it pulls 10.5-11 amps. Motor is only rated for 9 amps.

Which is one thing to be cautious of if deciding to build or convert a splitter. If you try to overload a gas motor....it just stalls. Overload an electric motor.....it just keeps drawing current until it gets to locked rotor state (which can be double or triple the current its rated for). Over time, thats what burns up an electric motor. A 10 or 13gpm 2-stage pumps should really be paired with a true 5HP motor, and a 16gpm should have a 7.5. You aint gonna find any of them in a 120v.

Some take their chances with 120v and get away with it......because its not often, if ever you are running peak pressure on a logsplitter. And duty cycle is extremely low.

I would avoid the little 5-ton 110v jobs. Get a full sized splitter and run 240v off a range or dryer plug.

There are some nice advantages to electric. No gas, no fumes, no fusing with a small engine to start it. And you can split inside the garage/shop in the winter time where it is nice. And no one asks to borrow it:thumbsup:

 

[roadhunter]

No one asks to borrow it may be the biggest benefit of all.

 

[Garandman]

IF you go to the dedicated splitter sites, you will find guys with all kinds of problems with the DR kinetics... Same with all the other Chinese "copy" kinetics...

SR

Haven't had any problems and don't know anyone who has.

SuperSplit would have had the order if they ever picked up the phone! Business must be very good.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Haven't had any problems and don't know anyone who has.

SuperSplit would have had the order if they ever picked up the phone! Business must be very good.

Like I said, go to "dedicated firewood sites", ask about them there... (like the Arborist site) They blow racks, pinion teeth and bearings, many get fixed under warr. and keep on breaking after warr...

Depends on if you actually use it, or it sits around a lot...

SR

 

[Deere Dude]

Had a neighbor who had a cord or two split in bigger chunks but he used an electrics to split smaller pieces for his smallish wood-burner. He just puttered away splitting and storing in a dog kennel type storage area.

I wouldn't have the patience for it but it would be better than swinging a maul.

 

[Garandman]

Like I said, go to "dedicated firewood sites", ask about them there... (like the Arborist site) They blow racks, pinion teeth and bearings, many get fixed under warr. and keep on breaking after warr...

Depends on if you actually use it, or it sits around a lot...

Here's the mega thread. Introduced in 2011: bought ours in 2014. Not sure what changes were made over time, my model has been discontinued.

Seems to have become a religious argument between the SS and DR owners. Here's a summary:

It's obvious that we've got some SS owners out there that love their machines and there are others, like me, who love their DR machines. We're all biased by our experience and investments. However, these recent posts seem false or misleading to me, so thought I should speak up again, even though this thread is now pretty boring from all this type of noise:

Mine has worked great, only split 5-6 cords of wood. I called SS and left messages twice and no one called me back, so instead of driving down to their shop I drove to the DR store in NH.

Pertinent to this thread SS also makes an electric.