Wood Splitter advice

[RNeumann]

I've been reading and watching a lot about wood splitters here on TBN and YT. I have always had a bit of firewood around and would use a wood stove while on vacations. However, my move to a cooler climate has me looking at wood as a "required" task instead of a novelty. I went to a box store and purchased maul and have been enjoying splitting by hand. I've also been looking at splitters including the electric flywheel type, hydraulic 3 point models and the traditional hydraulic with small engine models. I could also rent one once or twice a year.

I'm in north Idaho with mostly pine, cedar and fur type trees that are 12"-18" at the base. Not the big stuff like oak trees etc.

Are their better mauls? What are they?
What's the nice splitter if I end up purchasing one? I'm liking the electric style just from the standpoint of no motor maintenance. Plus I can split within a few hundred feet of power.

 

[turnkey4099]

Try to rent the electric one for a trial. I like the idea of no gas engine maintenance. I have the Troybilt 27 ton model (gas) but only use it on the tough stuff and when my "to be split" pile gets to big.

For manual splitting I recommend the Fiskars Splitting Axe. That thing is amazing, It has almosst replaced the use of a splitting maul for me. I do 10+ cord/yr, sell some burn 6. Try to do as much manual work processing as possible. Keeps me 'keeping on' as I'm getting up there in years to the point that 'use it or lose it' is in play.

 

[RNeumann]

Just looked up the Fiskars splitting axe- hard to find anyone who says bad things about it!

 

[JRobyn]

I have the Fiskars X27 and also have a Swisher LS22E electric splitter. Swisher Electric Log Splitters @ Log Splitters Direct

Wife loves using them both! You will need to be CLOSE (25ft) to a 20A outlet or a generator to get good service for the Swisher. I have used it on a 100ft 12g extension, but you will likely have occasional breaker trips with that setup. She splits mostly tough hickory, so YMMV somewhat.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

I've never used a Fiskars, but I've heard nothing but good about them from the owners.

For that wood, you don't need a beast. In the gas-engine type, a 22 ton would do you just fine.

That Swisher looks sweet, and I like your thinking on the engine maintenance. If you are going to make this a permanent thing, consider running an underground circuit out where you are splitting. I'd go that route if I could.

OTOH, I have the Huskee 35 ton with a 12 horse Briggs, and the only maintenance it has needed is oil changes. I'm still on the original spark plug after 10 years.

 

[RNeumann]

The Swisher looks like a nice American made product. The the Troy Built is also a good option. The electric style I was also wondering about is the flywheel style instead of a hydraulic pump.

 

[4570Man]

I bought a swisher 30 ton 3 point hitch model for cheap before I had a tractor. I converted it to a horizontal/vertical unit with its own power source. It was a well made unit and served flawlessly splitting several hundred ricks of wood before it got stolen. I originally had it electric which had its benefits mostly quite, but it was far too much work for a non tractor owner. I put a gas Honda motor and wore earplugs. It would have worked better had I had a tractor to move wood to it. I keep hearing about having another engine to maintain. I put gas in mine and changed the oil every other year which only took a few minutes. Rolling up a cord would have honestly been more effort.

 

[Deere Dude]

A small to medium gas one would be my choice any day of the week.

After splitting three or four hours it is time to cal it quits until the next day. Renting would be problematic unless you want to pound all day to maximize your time. I am assuming in N. Idaho you will burn a lot of wood so you would need one around much of the time.

Splitting by hand is not for the woosies. I hate to swing an 8 pound splitter 6 times to get through a log when it is just a matter of putting it in front of a wedge and push a handle. I bought a new 22 ton splitter in 1990 and I change the oil once in a while and the spark plug every 5 or ten years otherwise no maintenance. They work great using it as a press for straightening stuff out.

I would maybe forgo a splitter if I only had to split 6 rounds a year, but other than that I would have one. So ot all depends on how much wood you need to split. I split maybe 3-4 cords a year now, but enjoy it.

 

[bcp]

I split about 2 cords of fir a year on a Homelite 5 ton electric, for about 5-6 years. I've stalled it once, on about a 4 inch knot. Usually the wedge goes in about 2 inches and it pops apart. Pieces have been up to about 2ft diameter. I lift the big ones up to the splitter with the loader bucket and slide them off.

The best thing I did was put it on a table about 24 inches high. I wonder who designed them to be used from a kneeling position???

Sometimes a string, twisted piece doesn't pop apart and needs to be pushed through. Since the opening is about 6 inches longer than the cylnder stroke, you need a short pushed piece to push a stubborn piece through unless you are cutting your rounds short. Then just use another one.

On mine you can stop the retraction before full retraction and save time on the next split, if you can load it with one hand.

I have a piece of 1 5/8 tubing held on the side rails with a pair of kennel panel clamps for a wider work area. It catches most of the splits. The table lets me place some there, too, while awaiting splitting

Bruce

 

[oosik]

When I use to split wood I had a 25 ton Didier. I tried just about everything available that was manual but my big - 26" to 34" - 'ol knotty Ponderosa pine was just too much for manual. I burned around 5 full cords per year. There were a lot of times I wish I would have had a 35 ton splitter. The butt ends were very stringy and massive knots could bring the one I had to a full stop.

 

[RNeumann]

Well not one person likes the flywheel type....I guess that's out!

 

[Nequasset]

Not so fast I have a Super Split Hd Model- its a flywheel type with a Subaru gas engine on it. If you can lift the wood on the splitter, it will split! Mine has two 75lb. flywheels, the newer Hd's have 2x90lbs I believe. Its less like having a hydraulic splitter and more like having a mechanical sledgehammer and wedge- man is it fast and tough! My Neighbor and I had a "split-off" between his hydraulic and my supersplit- I think we figured I was splitting 4 pieces to his one. I also constructed a "production table" for mine that catches your halves after they come off the wedge so you don't spend all day bent over. Maintaining the unit is wicked simple, ensure the drive belts are tight, keep the surface of the splitter the rack gear rides on clean top of, and that the gear teeth and flywheel bearings are greased up,
When I purchased mine (In 2007 or 2008) I considered the electric option, however could not pass up the portability of the gas engine. The Subaru has been great- the quality of it is heads and shoulders above what you would typically see out of a B-S or Kohler from a big box store, Metal tank, Metal flywheel housing, Robust fuel shutoff etc. I haven't had any problems with the carb gumming up from the crap ethanol fuel either, when I have completed my woodsplitting for the year, with the engine idling, I close the fuel shutoff, run the engine dry, then top the tank off and dose it with marine Stabil-fuel- she starts right up on the 1st-2nd pull the next year!

 

[turnkey4099]

I have heard nothing but good about the Super Split. It might refuse on a real knotty piece but so will a hydralic, BTDT with a 27 ton splitter.

 

[Nequasset]

I have heard nothing but good about the Super Split. It might refuse on a real knotty piece but so will a hydralic, BTDT with a 27 ton splitter.

Yes its is quite the Splitting machine! I have not found a piece of wood it cannot split- (6-7 cord/ year since '07) If i can pick it up and put it on the table it will split it. If the machine does not split the wood on the first attempt you can disengage the pinion gear, allow the rack gear to retract and hit it again! The only time I have had malfunctions is trying to split poor quality (i.E. punky) wood. It ends up leaving a residue that sometimes prevents the rack gear from retracting- solution is simple, touch up the surface with some 00 steel wool and a light coat of gear oil. IMO outside of having a processor setup this is the quickest way to split wood!

 

[MacLawn]

Y'all remember the Stotz Monster Maul that used to be advertised in back of Outdoor Life, etc.? Way back? Well, I bought one about 40 years ago. I will NEVER buy nor have to buy anything else. I'm 68, back pain, fibromyalgia mess, arthritis, etc., but I'll still split with that thing all day, at my pace. I also have the Fiskars X27 splitting axe to split smaller stuff, but the Monster Maul has NEVER been defeated by red oak, white oak, hickory, you name it. No gasoline, no electric, just plain old grits power.

 

[joeyd]

Just looked up the Fiskars splitting axe- hard to find anyone who says bad things about it!

I also have made the transition to the colder climate and here is what I have learned by trial and error. The mauls are a great workout but I always end up getting the head twisted on the handle so I went to the Fiskers X27. What a great tool and is my go to way to split wood when I have the time and still want a workout. I was getting too many rounds that had bad knots etc. that my DR 6hp electric splitter couldn't handle. So after 8 years I finally broke down and purchased an Ariens 22 ton gas splitter. It is so much fun this season my Fiskers got dusty. So now I have a variety of tools for the job. I did decide to pass on a 3pt splitter to keep the hours off my tractor.

 

[Laderbuilt]

I have a Super Split HD. I should have taken some pictures of what I was splitting today it was 2ft or more across 18-20" long. Knotty pine. Out of the whole tree two pieces have me trouble. The size of the knots was as thick as my forearms on those so I just split around those two. It has split pieces that I had to use my tractor to pick up and I rolled onto the table! I do have a old, slow hydro unit as well I only use that a couple times a year now and it's only to make my BIG pieces into sizes that I can handle easier on the S.S

 

[SJay]

This is the way I split - works great:dance1:

 

[groundcover]

Another two thumbs up for the Super Split ! ( still have two of them too !):thumbsup:
I was splitting Oak all day , most of the rounds so big that I picked them with the Ditch Witch mini track loader with a branch manager grapple.
Could count on one hand the number of times I had to 'double tap' , plenty of knots too.
I would sure hate to have to go back to a juice splitter !

 

[Pilot]

When I was young I hand split firewood outside Kalispell. Not a problem on the Doug-fir, larch & lodgepole I split (mostly lodgepole & that was easy to split). Unless your wood has large knots, a power splitter is just a luxury. If you do go for a gas powered splitter, I have only one complaint against the Ariens--no way to tell how full the tank is. It has a screen in the filler neck that can't easily be removed without damaging it and you can't see thru it to check the level. Great machine and you probably don't need the power of the 27 ton unit unless knots exceed 2 1/2 inches.
One other thing: If you run out of gas mid split, fill it with gas, you won't be able to start it until you notice the actuator handle is in the split position. You can pull it 30 times & it won't start. Neutralize the lever and off you go. I know. Otherwise easy to start; mine starts every time the 3rd pull if not the second & that's in cold weather.