Need a recommendation: log splitters

[MAX-24-Dean]

Splitfire

The Splitfire I use has about a 4 second cycle time. makes for some fast splitting if the wood grain is straight, which most is. The only problem is to keeping up with the splitter it takes two people to move the wood.

 

[Farmer495]

The Splitfire I use has about a 4 second cycle time. makes for some fast splitting if the wood grain is straight, which most is. The only problem is to keeping up with the splitter it takes two people to move the wood.

15.4 GPM pump on tractor running wide open will keep three men busy and the wedge never stops

 

[terraformer]

Our biggest pieces are sometimes 20-24" diameter and are too heavy to lift so vertical mode is a must.

This is a typical pile of wood by fall.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I just have a cheap "homeowner grade" splitter myself. It will go vertical or horizontal, but I've never tried it in the vertical mode. Like others have said, I need to work while standing and not bending over and wrestling rounds on the ground to split. Picking a round up off the ground to set on the table isn't near as bad as long term bending over to work the splits on the ground. Most of the time I have the pre cut rounds sitting in my fel bucket at a comfortable height next to me while I'm splitting on the small table. Then I toss the splits into either my garden cart, or hopefully into an IBC tote frame. If I'm lucky and have access to an empty IBC tote, then that will be the last time I have to handle the wood until it's time to carry it from the garage into the house to burn it (I'm fortunate enough to be able to bring a tote all the way into my garage and stage it inside to pick wood from).

My splitter. Nothing to get excited about, but it works...

 

[EddieWalker]

Found another picture of my splitter. I bolted on some plywood to the sides to hold the wood that I'm not splitting. I split it in half, put one half on the plywood, work the other half, then work that first half.

If it's a really big round, I might drop the half to the ground, and then split the other half and put that quarter on the plywood. I try to avoid messing with really big rounds, they wear me out.

 

[ultrarunner]

I can’t lift but have a long reach so bringing the rounds to the splitter with the loader and then reach and roll with splitter vertical works well for me…

A few are so big I could never lift and it’s all I can do to roll but the 22ton spitter takes all the Coast Oak I can get under the wedge.

 

[terraformer]

We have a round about 10" high that we squat on and work the machine vertical. Have a foam pad. My wife and I tag team. One person throws the wood and keeps unsplit close at hand for the other who is doing the splitting.

Repeated lifting of 100 pound (or even 50 pound) rounds are not a good solution for us.

 

[dodge man]

I also sit on a round when splitting vertical. I also keep an axe handy if you have one that is a little stringy. It seems easier to roll a large round to the splitter and the flip it on end and rock it into position than noodling or lifting a heavy one up with the end loader.