I’m trying to decide whether I should buy or rent a log splitter. I’m concerned that I will wear out before the logs are all split. Renting a splitter for 10 days will cost me about $1700, so that number is my hope for a decent splitter. I need to have one that I can roll the logs onto. Any thoughts?
While I’m in NZ, (& prices may vary) every 2 years at New Year (our summer) we’ve felled eucalypts, acacias and pines, cut them into rounds, rented a vertical splitter, (with log lift) for 4 days (usually), and split furiously, dawn until dusk, producing a few piles of (usually 14” length) firewood for our Rayburn woodburner. However, after too many years of this, discovering “Outdoors with the Morgans” on YT, & Mike’s unceasing expanding operations, wanting to “branch out” with a new venture, we researched widely to see what was available & recently purchased a new Split-Fire 1165V from the NZ importer (
1165V Vertical Log Splitter - Split-Fire). A word of caution though; as the main column is the hydraulic oil reservoir, raising the centre of gravity, after collecting it from the local freight yard on a tipping trailer, I can advise that it does fall easily. Also, the drawbar is rather short if you don’t have a fixed height towball (I use a MF TEA with TPL), so it can seem unstable when being moved, unless held level.
I’ve yet to cut some rounds again to test it, so may report when I have. If you can get something that you can use easily and whenever you have time/energy, go for it!
I’m trying to decide whether I should buy or rent a log splitter. I’m concerned that I will wear out before the logs are all split. Renting a splitter for 10 days will cost me about $1700, so that number is my hope for a decent splitter. I need to have one that I can roll the logs onto. Any thoughts?