Log Splitter....had to pre-order for May 2022

[Rob41]

I got a wood stove for my barn/workshop and will likely put one in my house to cut down on winter heating too. I have plenty of free wood on my land so that's not an issue.

I really don't want yet another engine to maintain so I decided to go with am electric log splitter. Most of what I've seen doesn't seem particularly robust but I did find the Boss 16-ton, 2-way electric splitter. It seems very well regarded and is always on back order. I went ahead and got mine ordered so I'll have it for next summer. I also got the 4-way cross wedge to help speed things up.

Does anyone here have any experience with this or it's smaller 2-way 10 ton model?

Here is a picture and a video:

 

[Oaktree]

No experience with that model, but given how much my 25 ton strains against some of the knotty wood I split, I wonder if a 16 wouldn't be a tad underpowered.

While an electric one would be nice and quiet, the area I cut/split my wood is quite a ways from a source of AC, I'd imagine there'd be a noticeable voltage drop in an extension cord that long so it's not for me.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The 4 way will really be a joke, in anything but really easy to split wood...

SR

 

[Rob41]

I'll find out. The largest I'll be splitting from my property will be about 15-16" and not usually too tough. If it's too much for the 4-way I'll go back to the standard wedge.

 

[Rob41]

No experience with that model, but given how much my 25 ton strains against some of the knotty wood I split, I wonder if a 16 wouldn't be a tad underpowered.

While an electric one would be nice and quiet, the area I cut/split my wood is quite a ways from a source of AC, I'd imagine there'd be a noticeable voltage drop in an extension cord that long so it's not for me.

What I have on my property shouldn't be too bad to split. I am closing in a few bays of the lean to of my barn for wood storage and will only be splitting adjacent to that area so a very short cord for me.

I can see this wouldn't be the splitter for you.

 

[ericm979]

You may want to put that splitter on a platform to get it at a comfortable working height.

I have no idea how well it works but Swisher has a 22 ton electric model. Supposedly it will work on 120v but need a 20a outlet.

I've needed the full 28 tons of my Oregon splitter at times. Some of our wood is pretty difficult to split. I've only had a couple pieces that it could not split.

 

[shooterdon]

Not electronic but I had a 14 ton DR 2 way, and split oak, maple, birch, ash, etc. I never had the need for anything with more force.

Used it for 8 years. If I could lift the round, it would split it. Rounds from one large maple were so large I had to use a tractor to lift them.

It seems the cycle time on the unit in the video is slow...you may regret that down the road.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I'll find out. The largest I'll be splitting from my property will be about 15-16" and not usually too tough. If it's too much for the 4-way I'll go back to the standard wedge.

I'm fine with my 18 ton two way splitter with the round size (15"-16") you will be splitting, so I don't believe you will have any problems splitting those rounds with the Boss 16 ton splitter either.

 

[3Ts]

I have a 22 ton that I use to split 22" oak rounds that have large knots in them. Mostly does fine and has cut thru some of the knots so you should be ok on most stuff. If not, there's always the chain saw to cut them up smaller.

 

[Rob41]

Not electronic but I had a 14 ton DR 2 way, and split oak, maple, birch, ash, etc. I never had the need for anything with more force.

Used it for 8 years. If I could lift the round, it would split it. Rounds from one large maple were so large I had to use a tractor to lift them.

It seems the cycle time on the unit in the video is slow...you may regret that down the road.

I just ordered enough split wood to last me a good three years in my shop so I'll have time to do splitting a bit at a time throughout the year to start adding to the stacks.

I may regret the cycle time down the road but I'll work with it.

 

[dodge man]

I have a 15 ton gas powered splitter. It will split anything, it might slow down aNd grunt a little, but it will split it. They seem to make the wedge a little smaller which I wish the wedge was a little taller.

 

[oosik]

Back in the original days here - I fell my pines and split them for firewood. I had a two stage - 28 ton - Didier splitter. It handled all but the most knotty rounds. Experience will show you which rounds will split and which rounds need the chain saw.

Now is the time to start cutting your timber to length. You will have stacks of rounds ready to split when the splitter arrives.

 

[John_Mc]

I had a 16 ton Ramsplitter electric splitter. It had a 2 HP electric motor. It used exactly the same frame and components as their 16 ton, 5HP gas splitter. I had the model that would operate either horizontally or vertically. I never used in in vertical mode. I only bought that model because when in horizontal mode, it had a higher work level than their horizontal-only splitter.

I ran it for 6 or 7 years. It split what I needed it to split. Anything that was too big & gnarly for it got saved for the bonfire pile, or occasionally cut down with a chainsaw. It was not the fastest splitter around, but it was acceptable for the 3 cords/year I was splitting at the time. I did order a 4-way wedge for it, but I did not get much use out of it: basically just Ash or straight-grained pieces of Oak. I ended up never using the 4 way wedge. Putting it on, then taking it off when I ran in to a tough piece really did not save time over just running it with the single wedge.

At the time, the 16 ton was the largest electric splitter they sold that would run on a standard 110VAC outlet (you did need to be on a circuit with a 20A breaker). They've since changed their model line-up a bit. They do also make a 20 ton electric that is available in either 110 or 220V. It has a 4" cylinder with an 11GPM 2 stage pump. (That's the same pump that was on my 16 ton unit with a 3.5" cylinder, so the cycle time will be slower.)

I sold it to a friend when I decided I wanted to do more of my splitting out in the woods, and bought a larger, used, gas-powered splitter with a log lift.

 

[FERLING]

I got a wood stove for my barn/workshop and will likely put one in my house to cut down on winter heating too. I have plenty of free wood on my land so that's not an issue.

I really don't want yet another engine to maintain so I decided to go with am electric log splitter. Most of what I've seen doesn't seem particularly robust but I did find the Boss 16-ton, 2-way electric splitter. It seems very well regarded and is always on back order. I went ahead and got mine ordered so I'll have it for next summer. I also got the 4-way cross wedge to help speed things up.

Does anyone here have any experience with this or it's smaller 2-way 10 ton model?

Here is a picture and a video:

You can live with a splitter that’s too big but one that’s too small ends up being a toy that collects dust. 22 ton with Harbor Freight motor will make you proud. Harbor Freight use to sell spare motors for $99 bucks. So far it’s a tough little engine on mine plus has a gas turn off keeping from having gas left in carburetor for extended times not used.

 

[arizona98tj]

I don't see that cycle time as an issue. I have a gas-powered 30 ton hydraulic and the ram on it moves about the same speed.

 

[turnkey4099]

I'll find out. The largest I'll be splitting from my property will be about 15-16" and not usually too tough. If it's too much for the 4-way I'll go back to the standard wedge.

I have been cutting/splitting/piling/burning for 41 years now. Did a lot of handsplitting at first then hydraulic splitter. I know people who have the really small electrics. I am VERY impressed with how well they work. I didn't even know they had electrics as big as what you ordered but wouldn't hesitate to buy one myself if I needed a new splitter;

 

[oosik]

I don't know if I'd want a splitter much bigger than the 28 ton I had. You could hear the Didier shift down on a really knotty chunk. I always stepped way back when it did that. Many times the "split" was more like an explosion. The two split chunks would come off the splitter with a whole lot of force.

 

[riptides]

.... I always stepped way back when it did that. Many times the "split" was more like an explosion. The two split chunks would come off the splitter with a whole lot of force.

A new neighbor actually complained about me shooting in my back pasture.

It was the log splitter on some chunky wood.

Definitely a city/suburb kind of guy.

 

[oosik]

Since you have a horizontal splitter - like I did - you could find this useful.

Lifting my pine rounds up onto the splitter got to be really OLD. After an hour or so my back began to rebell.

I split all my wood out where the trees fell. So this options presented no problems.

With the bucket on the FEL - dig a shallow trench. Roll the splitter into this trench. If you do it right - the I-beam on the splitter will then be dead level with the ground. No more lifting - just rolling.

In the beginning I fell some of my gigantic ancient Ponderosa pines. Two trees made the five or six cords of wood I needed. Later I had my property selectively logged and went to the "smaller" pines. 18" to 24" on the butt. This made the entire process - felling to burning - a whole lot easier.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Since you have a horizontal splitter - like I did - you could find this useful.

Lifting my pine rounds up onto the splitter got to be really OLD. After an hour or so my back began to rebell.

I split all my wood out where the trees fell. So this options presented no problems.

With the bucket on the FEL - dig a shallow trench. Roll the splitter into this trench. If you do it right - the I-beam on the splitter will then be dead level with the ground. No more lifting - just rolling.

I'm trying to figure out how doing all of that, is easier than using a tractor to lift the logs up over a trailer and cut them into firewood there.

Then it's very easy to roll the rounds onto the splitters beam from the trailer, using a board to the beam, from the trailer.

It takes a LOT of the work out of it all, and you don't have any heavy lifting or crawling around on the ground.

SR