Electric Log Splitters?

[BillG_in_TX]

<font color="blue">"It's also curious that there is no contact info on their web site" </font>

Ramsplitter Contact info

 

[jeffinsgf]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Upon further 'looking' into the electric 'cheapo' splitters, I come to the conclusion that you have to have both hands on the two controls (green button to activate the electric motor and the 'hyd. control lever' to activate the ram) so one couldn't hold the piece to be split in place. That feature pretty much stopped any more interest in an electric splitter of this kind. )</font>


I have not found that to be an issue at all. In fact, while I think some "safety features" have gotten carried away, I don't mind this one. The cradle holds the log in place until the wedge reaches it.

 

[John_Mc]

Bill -

How the heck did you find that contact info for RamSplitter? I finally found an address, email and phone in the corner of the "Options" page on their website. I was able to open your link, but I still haven't found anything on their site that links you to the page you posted.

Either I'm just beng dense, and not seeing something right in front of my face, or they are not exactly encouraging contact.

John Mc

 

[BillG_in_TX]

<font color="blue">"How the heck did you find that contact info for RamSplitter?" </font>

That's a very well designed website, huh? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I noticed an obscure link at the bottom of the page identified as "DESIGN YOUR OWN SPLITTER". I clicked on it, and it opened up a whole 'nother group of pages, including the "Contacts" page. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[mrutkaus]

I got an air-powered hydraulic 12-ton splitter last year, it works great IMHO. Search ebay/google for it.

MIke

 

[slowrev]

Air over oil system ? How big of a compressor do you need to work it hard ?

Ben

 

[BillG_in_TX]

John,

I'm wondering if you ever found an electric splitter to order. I found one that looks pretty good at Sportsman's Guide for $390 delivered. It's a 5 ton model that takes logs up to 20" long. They also have a manually operated hydraulic splitter for $130 +shipping.

Does anyone have experience with Sportsman's Guide? Appears to be a well-established company with good prices and an unbeatable guaranty: <font color="red"> " If you’re not happy for any reason at any time, just return the merchandise with your invoice, and we’ll promptly refund your merchandise returned total, or make an exchange, whichever YOU prefer." </font>

 

[John_Mc]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( John,

I'm wondering if you ever found an electric splitter to order. I found one that looks pretty good at Sportsman's Guide for $390 delivered. It's a 5 ton model that takes logs up to 20" long. They also have a manually operated hydraulic splitter for $130 +shipping.)</font>

Still looking. I am hoping to find one more in the 9 to 12 ton range. Most of the electric ones I've actually seen are 4 or 5 ton, and built too light for my needs. I thought I'd found what I was looking for with RamSplitter but one of the posters here has had some real problems with the company. When I checked them out with the Better Business Bureau in their area, they also had an unresolved complaint which was very similar to what the poster here experienced. I'm steering clear of them unless/until I see those complaints resolved.

John Mc

 

[John_Mc]

Ramsplitter update:

To date I've sent one email and made two phone calls trying to get a bit more information. The only response so far has been an automated form-letter response to the email basically saying they had received my email and will get back to me soon. That was over a week ago.

Given the lack of response and the problems others have had, I've pretty much given up on these guys.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

John,

I decided to pull the trigger on the 5HP splitter from Sportsman's Guide that I linked to in the post above. Living in Texas, we don't heat with wood, so I'm hoping it gives us years of service. The DR splitters (rated at 4&6HP) are supposed to split a cord of wood in two hours, and that's plenty fast for us.

I'll report back on my experience with it, but it will likely be after Thanksgiving. I'm having it delivered to my f-i-l down in Central Texas to test it out.

 

[mrutkaus]

Works fine with a big 115v compressor, 4 hp I guess. Might be slow for some people but has a great length range and can also be used as a vertical hydraulic press.

http://www.minisplitter.com/page1.htm

Also they can be used manually by pumping the hydraulic jack with a handle when no other power is available. Overall, the combination of features that met my needs.

Mike

 

[hogboy]

Bill,
I have purchased things from Sportman's Guide over the past several
years. Although I have never ordered anything big enough for a truck
shipment, I have been very satisfied with them. Only had to return
one thing that was defective and it was promptly replaced.
My son-in-law has even joined their buyers club because he has purchased
a number of items from them over the past 2 years. Keep us posted
with your results on the splitter when you get it. Good luck with it.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

hogboy,

Yes, I'm now a member of the Buyers Club, too. It costs $30, and saves me 10% an all purchases ($33 on the splitter), so it was a no-brainer. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Spencer]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( John,

I decided to pull the trigger on the 5HP splitter from Sportsman's Guide that I linked to in the post above. Living in Texas, we don't heat with wood, so I'm hoping it gives us years of service. The DR splitters (rated at 4&6HP) are supposed to split a cord of wood in two hours, and that's plenty fast for us.

I'll report back on my experience with it, but it will likely be after Thanksgiving. I'm having it delivered to my f-i-l down in Central Texas to test it out. )</font>

I have been wanting to get a little log splitter for a while now. I don't heat with wood, but I do like a have a lot of campfires with my daughter. My campfire wood is either from trees that have fallen on their own or small trees that I have taken down to clear property lines, etc.

MY local Tractor Supply store (TSC) does not seem to stock the 3-point hitch model. I know that Northern Tool sells a couple of different 3-point hitch models, but they don't have any stores in Michigan and the shipping charges would be too high. So that kind of ruled out any kind of real log splitter for the present time. I definately can't justify one of the big engine powered splitters, but I probably would have spent around $500 on a 3-point hitch model if I could have found one locally.

I noticed that Harbor Freight had their little electric splitter on sale last week and that peaked my interest. It was on sale for $199 on their website so I called one of their retail stores that is about 45 minutes away to see if they had any in stock. They had two left, but the price in the store was like $239 or something. I mentioned the online price of $199 and the manager said bring in a printout showing that price and they would honor it. I had a coupon for 20% off any one item purchased at their retail stores which might bring the price down to $160. The only thing that kept me from running down there last week and buying it for $160 was the fact that the splitter only had a capacity for a log that was less than 14.5" long.

So I got on TBN and did some searching and found this thread. I see that Beenthere also found the 14.5" capacity to be good enough reason not to buy the HF model. Then I looked at the link that BillG in TX provided to the splitter that the Sportsman Guide sells. I remember seeing a little yellow splitter like that for sale at Menards so I went over there to check it out. They didn't have anymore in stock, but I did find out that it is the same exact splitter because they had one out back that was prepaid by a customer. They normally sell them for $288 which seemed to be a pretty good deal considering that The Sportsman's Guide is selling it for $329. I even had a store credit from Menards for $30 which I really wanted to put towards the splitter, but I didn't want to waste the gas running 45 minutes each way to the next closest Menards just to buy one. So I figured I would wait until they came back in stock or I was near a different Menards.

Then yesterday when I went back into Menards to get some salt for my water softener I noticed the splitter on sale in their flyer for $249. Even though their computer said they should have two in stock they were nowhere to be found. So I asked for a rain check and after the guy filled it out he said don't hold your breath on these being in stock any time soon. He said that they were only on sale to clear out the remaining stock because they don't normally sell them in the summertime and because the computer showed two in stock they weren't already on order. So I called around to the other Menards in the area and found one location that still had one new in the box, the other location only had a display model left without the owners manual. I had them put my name on the new on in the box and told them I would be down shortly to pick it up. They told me to go directly to the outdoor garden center when I got to the store because that is where they keep them. So as I am walking out to the garden center a man and his son go rushing past me in a hurry. The father said to the son to go look that way and yell out to him if he found the splitter. It turns out they were also on the hunt for one of these new in the box. Luckily mine was sitting right there with my name on it so I picked it up and went on my way.

I'm glad I decided to drive further to get the new one in the box with the manual. If I would have bought the display model without the manual I would not have known to loosen the bleed screw during operation which would eventually ruin the seals. I set the splitter up on the work platform on the back of my golf cart and drove over to out campfire site. There is plenty of wood there ready to be split up and a 75 foot 12 gauge extension cord is all I needed to reach the nearest outlet. The first thing my daughter asked is if it was going to be loud. She knows that most of my tools are loud and I always make here wear hearing protection. She was thrilled at the low noise level and so was I. I cranked up the stereo on the golf cart and started splitting. I started out with smaller logs in the 6" to 8" range, but was soon throwing the biggest stuff I had around at this little splitter (14" to 16"). It only groaned and stopped on me once. I turned the log 90 degress and tried it again with success. I have never split wood before on any kind of splitter, just an axe and a maul. I certainly wasn't expecting much out of the splitter, but I was pleasantly surprised. This wood had been sawed up about 8 or 9 months ago so I am sure that made it easier to split that green wood. It was also about 37 degrees out and I don't know if wood is easier or harder to split when its cold.

I only spent about an hour on the splitter, but so far I would recommend it. The Sortsmans Guide states that the hydraulic ram has approximately 20" of travel and that is not true. The ram travels approximately 12" and I think around 16" would be perfect. I will keep a short block of wood nearby to use when splitting up short logs.

Beenthere if you haven't bought another splitter yet I think you would be happy with this in your garage to re-split your wood. After using my $30 store credit I know I am happy with mine for around $235.

I didn't take any pictures yesterday, but here is a good image of the splitter that I found on the Internet.

 

[iris49truck]

I just purchased a 7 ton (advertised number-no way to prove) electric from Ebay. It handles 20" long logs and has a ram travel of about 16". I tried it on some fresh cut green oak and I was more than satisfied. The wood even had a 3" branch sticking out the side and it split without any trouble at all. I really wasn't sure how an electric splitter would work
but I am more than happy with this one.

Terry