Cool Log Splitter...

[rambler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They used to have them for a 3pt mount, driven by the PTO. They look more dangerous than they really are. If not careful, one could get the point started in the wrong place, and it becomes a 'propeller' with maiming possibilities. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

On the other hand, the hyd. ram splitter pushing against a wedge could also have grave consequences. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

But you can pick which you would prefer. I prefer the splitter with the wedge and ram. The screw is too slow, IMO. )</font>

I've got a 3pt model, BarqBuster or something like that. I believe the 3pt models didn't have any safety features.

I find a chainsaw at least as dangerous. Here on the farm I work around a lot of dangerous stuff if you don't know what you are doing. The cattle are more dangerous....

Anyhow, the 3pt models have a pipe you lean the 'far' end of the wood on, and you want to be sure your wood stays on that pipe. Too short wood is the biggest problem, it becomes a propeller as someone said.

A screw splitter is _much_ faster than a hydraulic splitter. I've run both, and must disagree with your last comment.

--->Paul

 

[JerryG]

Here is a three point version that someone posted some time ago.

 

[chucko]

man if that thing could turn 90 deg down it would do a number in a stump. (or suck your tractor right to the ground)

 

[stephan]

Nice looking piece of kit but not for me. I reckon they look far too dangerous. I managed to rip my thumb off on a lathe imagine what I could do with that....

 

[Youare]

Sounds like a lot of fearful advice from unexperienced individuals.

Many mechanical things look dangerous. In the days before chain brakes on chainsaws when holding on to the top handle your hand was inches from the moving chain, that was/is dangerous.

On a tractor one of the most dangerous areas is the PTO shaft. A man next to my brother-in-laws house was killed when he got too close to a spinning shaft and it grabbed his clothes.

Another man I know was using a hydraulic splitter, alone, and still managed to get his hand in the wrong place putting the splitting wedge through the bottom of his palm.

Many times after using a dangerous or not looking mechanical device one hopefully gains respect for the damage it can do if used in a wrong or careless fashion. Read and heed the operators manual and warnings it could prevent an accident.

I have used a screw type splitter and never felt like I was putting myself in danger while using it in the proper manner.
Follow the rules and no one should get hurt.

I have never used one but to me a post hole digger looks like an accident waiting to happen, but I'll reserve final judgment until after I have some experience.

Randy

 

[Scozz]

I own a stickler. Used it for 2 seasons to split wood for my fireplace. Probably split about 12-15 cords of wood with it.
It worked great for me. Was perfect to get me by until I could swing buying a hydraulic splitter. I turned the idle up rather high on my old Chevy to get it spinning pretty fast ... sped up the process! As far a unsafe ... only as unsafe as the user. I'm one to throw caution to the wind in effort to get the job done and still had no problem with it! Now that I'm reminded just might throw that baby on Ebay! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[stephan]

Randy,

Just a couple of comments in return. You mentioned the lack of a chain brake on older chainsaws and how dangerous it was before, also how dangerous a PTO is. Both of these things have had a lot of accidents and their design has been changed extensivly to promote safety, addition of the change brake and shields for the PTO's. These (PTO and chainsaw) cannot really be replaced with a safer option, other then getting someone else to do it, but this splitter can be. There are loads of different designs in splitters that don't involve a spinning screw that may well start the log spinning.

I agree that anything can be dangerous without proper safety precautions and vigilance during use (your friends palm) but why would you expose yourself to this danger when there is an alternative? I also agree about the PHD that's why I don't leave the seat of my tractor when using it.

Yes many things look dangerous and some just are.

Stephan.

 

[Steve_Miller]

Know of an incident where loose clothing got caught and ripped a guy's arm clean off, he was using a PTO driven screw on the back of a tractor. Running it alone and couldn't reach to shut anything off.

Steve

 

[JimR]

As with any type of machinery, if you think you may get injured, you will. If you feel safe using it, your chances of getting hurt are much less. If you work with equipment when tired, you just doubled your chances of getting injured. Just tell someone using a hammer and chisel not to miss and hit their hand. Within seconds they will hit their hand because they are now worried about missing that chisel. I've saw a guy stop a 5hp drill press with his long hair because he bent to far over to see what he was doing. Talked about getting scalped. Most accidents with equipment happen due to lack of thinking and stupidity. I know a guy that was cutting a branch with a chain saw on a ladder. He was holding onto the branch he was cutting off. Needless to say, he almost cut his hand off when the branch fell and he lost his balance. I guess he thought the chain saw was the best thing close by to grab onto. Gloves are a big time No No when operating lathe's. The glove gets caught and you get sucked into it. Loose shirts are a big time problem with lathes also. I know of 2 guys that got pulled into machinery because they got too close to the chuck. One guy got pulled right over a 5 foot high lathe and almost got killed. The lathe tore his side to pieces. The other guy got pulled into the chip tray on a vertical lathe because he had all the shields off the machine. He was much luckier than the other guy. He only lost his shirt and got scraped up pretty bad. I've got a lot more I can write about if anyone wants to know about shop accidents.

 

[Dargo]

True, but some equipment is inherently much more unsafe than other better designed equipment.