logsplitter question

[EddieWalker]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have never changed the oil, or done any maintenance on my log splitter. I should do the same for my Honda generator. I doubt that either have 100 hours on them in the ten years that I've owned them, but after ten years, I'm sure that the would appreciate some fresh oil, a spark plug and air filter.

 

[PILOON]

On oil changes, one small engine maker actually advertised an engine that never needed an oil change. Guess they had a short life engine.
But then many lawn mowers rot apart long B4 the engines quit. Also if you are not a DIY type the labor costs to have a mower professionally serviced on an annual basis might just justify a 'throw away' mower.

LOL, many, many years ago I made nice $$'s performing annual mower tune ups @ $25. per unit.
(I did specify plugs/points and blade sharpening with all else extra.)
It was surprising how few folks were mechanically inclined in suburbia.

 

[KennyG]

Do you use a second tractor to haul wood to and from the splinter or do you do all that work by hand ?

I have a 3 point splitter. I haul the rounds to my woodshed and split into the shed. Works for me.

 

[shooterdon]

The OP needs to handle one or two trees a year.....Size...or lack of it...matters. I doubt he needs to own a splitter.

Now maybe those trees are 30" DBH and all tough hardwoods...then size matters...LOL

BTW, I learned a lot from Sawyer Rob...both what to do and what can be done better. His system is worth study if you burn a reasonable quantity of wood. It costs me $250 a year to process 6 full cords of wood and my fiancé and I can cut and split it in under 8 hours. It takes longer to stack than process.

Here is 15 hours of "work" the first time we used a processor. There are four stacks total...cost us $450 to process two years of wood (12 cords)...no engines to maintain, no chains to sharpen/replace, no rounds to pickup, no splits to move off the splitter table. She did the cutting and splitting and all I did was sit in an A/C cab and move logs.

My way is better (for me) than Sawyer Rob's but the student should always be better than the teacher....LOL

 

[KenEtch]

Stand alone with vertical capability. Buddy & I bought 26 ton with Honda engine 10 years ago, $400 each. Can be easily transported & used multiple locations, his house or mine, or somewhere else. Very little engine maintenance, stays inside out of weather, powerful. Most importantly either of us can split a few hours at a time on either schedule, AND we're getting older, me 75 & my buddy in mid 60s, so renting for a day & killing ourselves is no longer happening. The convenience of splitting on your time schedule is priceless. Lastly, I didn't have a tractor 40+ years ago when I started cutting splitting firewood so 3ph wasn't an option. When I rented a splitter years ago I killed myself trying to get everything done in a short time, splitter was unfamiliar, not always reliable, weather turned bad on rental day, .... Your situation and age are all factors in decision making. Remember ethanol free gasoline along with fuel stabilizer makes your engine perform excellent year after year. No need to drain fuel between uses even for months on end.