Hi all, I am new here, I have been registered at TBN for a while but just recently started reading here and see that there is a wealth of good informaion here on CBN too! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I am working on preparing my homesite for a future retirement home and have enough oak to split that I think it is worthwhile to purchase a log splitter. The decision to buy instead of rent is further helped by the fact that my brother in law would like to split the cost with me.
Does anyone here own one, or have extensive use of a paticular brand from rental experience.
Any feedback you can provide both positive or negative would be greatly appreciated.
I have a pretty old one that I picked up pretty cheap. It was a choice between that or one of the new ones at one of the big box stores (about $1200 for a decent one from what I've seen). Turned out to be a mistake - should have bought a newer one. But I think the ones you can pick up at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. are pretty good as long as you aren't planning on beating them up with commercial level use.
The ones you rent are a bit pricier. Another option (since I see you post on TBN, figure you might consider) is a PTO driven splitter. Also a bit more than the big box brands, but probably tougher. There are lots of threads on those on TBN if you do a search. Let us know what you go with...I'm going to rent for the next year or so but one of these days I'll get another splitter of my own.
One design item to consider:
You'll note some splitters have the wedge attached at the cylinder end (in other words the wedge pushes into the log) and the flat "stop" is at the end of the beam. The other design you'll see is just the opposite: the log is pushed by the flat face into the fixed "wedge" at the end of the beam.
My personal preference is to have the wedge at the cylinder end....reason is that I find it necessary sometimes to finesse exactly where the wedge will actually make contact and begin to enter the log and split. Since your controls are likely to have you standing at the end of the log where the point of wedge/cylinder contact is, it's alot easier see the wedge's point of contact and jostle the log if necessary.
Hope that all came out clearly [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] . Some might think it's a minor design difference, but it's meant a world of difference in my experience.
Hi
I think there is more chance that the rod will bend and be damaged if the wedge is attached to the rod. I prefer the wedge to be fixed and push the log.
Alternative log splitters
.22 autopistol stud gun, modified to blast a wedge into the wood? ;-)
Det cord? ;-)
Chopper1 axe head mounted on a splitter?[The wedge design of the Chopper1 should allow faster cycle time]. An economical approach would be to use the rack and pinion splitter, less costly than hydraulics, maybe electric motor powered. If the Chopper1 is as efficient as it seems, this might be the better mousetrap for wood splitters.
My brother tried making a wedge gadget to imitate the Chopper1 wedges. He had a homemade PTO splitter with a standard wedge, a slow/weak hyd. pump on a Massey Ferg 35. Wanted to see if he could give the wood a “nuclear wedgie†by mounting two pieces of 3/8†steel cut with a point and wedge design, secured by a bolt on top of the standard wedge, pivoting outward in both directions as they caught in the wood. The whole assembly bent off the top of the wedge. Instead of going back to the drawing board, we gave it up as a Gyro Gearloose idea[I won’t identify the instigator, or take any responsibility.]
Well, of course if we had just bought a Chopper1, mounted it on the tractor splitter, we might have really tested the concept-probably wouldn’t have had to take the handle off, made a bracket so it could be removed for handsplitting.
A while back I bought a Craftsman air hammer with a chisel bit. It’s used mostly for knocking apart brake lining rivets and muffler bearings. It can also be used as a mini-jackhammer for digging postholes. With an 8†chisel it sinks into wood, but won’t split well. I’m not sure what it would take to get this to work-a longer, wider chisel? Maybe the Chopper1 designers can come up with something.
I think this air hammer is a universal whacking tool. With the right bit, you could drive steel posts, dig holes, split firewood-and even use it for the original purpose! Cost was pretty reasonable-about $50 for the tool and a bit. This is assuming you have a good size portable compressor, of course.
It was my best purchase of the year. I bought a new splitter from Big R for $ 650 and I love it. It attaches to my tractor and uses the tractor hydraulics.
Chris and Idaho, I have thought about the PTO (tractor driven option) but I don't really want to put all those hours on my tractor. I also like the idea of being able to use the tractor to haul wood to the splitter or afterwards to the woodpile.
Richard and Lazy, On the location of the wedge, (on the ram or fixed at the base) I noticed that on horizontal splitters the ram is fixed, and if you want one that can split vertically as well it is on the ram. This makes sense if you think about it so you don't have to try and balance the log on the wedge and the log would not be able to split all the way before it was pushing into the ground.
I like the idea of the fixed wedge, but due to the size of some of the wood I need to split will probably benefit more from the ability to split in the vertical postion, (won't have to lift the logs up, just roll them into place and stand them up).
Old Hickory, I saw the cub cadet model and it did look nice, thanks for the good words on it.
Grandpa John, I think I will stick with one of the more standard methods, but thanks for the input.
Thanks to all for your thoughts, I will post when I get one.
Wow, my experience with Cub Cadet was so bad I'll probably never buy another of their products! I liked the height of the splitter, as the ergonomics really seemed tailor made for my size. But problems started with it the first day of use. Turned out the steel beam was twisted, which caused a ripple effect and significant damage to the wedge, the ram, and snapped numerous fasteners. That was day one.
I carted it back to the dealer. We had a long talk about how it was used, and I could tell he was thinking "operator error." But when he got a replacement beam in several weeks later and that was also warped, he changed his tune in a hurry. I see this year they've made several improvements to the wedge and track, but unfortunately the better designed parts are not interchangeable with my two year old splitter.
It splits, but I have to inspect every few minutes of use and keep a can of replacement parts on hand. Worst equipment purchase I ever made! [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]
Reply With Quote
