Wood splitter?

Thinking about buying a 27 ton or larger splitter, might even participate in Black Friday madness to do so. Any recommendations or definitely do not buy?

With 27 tons, you should be able to split most anything. Stroke, cylinder length is another consideration. Do you need to split 30" boiler wood, or never need anything over 18"? Do you need a log lift? Do you want it to work both horiontally and vertically? Consider a log table, and multiple splitting blades. It all has a bearing on your cost.

I bought the components and supplied the parts to my Hutterite friend and they built me one I’ve been using it for years now. Like said 30 inch gap for the boiler length but only a 24 inch stroke ram so I just add a piece of wood under the logs that won’t split all the way the first time easy peasy.

I took a straight axle and wheels off a smaller Buick, the engine off a old riding mower bought the auto splitter valve and pump they supplied the rest.

It’s not pretty from sitting outside but it splits everything I ask it to.

I have a 27 ton and my dad has the 37 ton. There is nothing I can’t spilt that I would need the 37.

My son borrowed a splitter that was made with a small one-cylinder Diesel engine. The engine and trailer were one part of a generator used to power a spotlight for a highway paving project. That little Diesel was strong. Run all day on a quart of fuel.

Make sure it has a decent working area. I've seen some where the wheels are right where you would normally stand, or move wood into the machine. You don't want to be leaning over the wheels all the time. Some logs are heavy enough.

I would also get one that will pivot vertical so you can still split those monsters without having to lift them up.

If you can, grab the tongue and roll it. Some are balanced better than others if you want to move it by hand.

Some of the small units are just lawnwmower motors. One step up is normally a heavier duty engine. Get one with a Kohler or Honda engine if possible.

I have the Northstar 37 from Northern Tool and been very happy with it. I had a part go out on it right away and The Northern Tool service dept replaced it promptly. I haven't had any issues since (5 yrs or so) and I use it alot. It's balanced very well so you can roll it around by hand, Has a Honda engine and good working space where you want it.

I wouldn't bother with the 4 way splitting heads. I got the bigger unit so I could use that head...but I found those heads are more of a pain than they were worth unless you are splitting exactly the same size logs every time. Just a thought.

27 ton is plenty.

I have a lift on mine which doubles as a table.

WS

definitely don't buy one that isn't made in America.

I've never used a splitter; I have a question or two.
I cut mostly Douglas fir and Alaska yellow cedar for firewood, most of it splits really easy with a maul.
Do you guys use a splitter because your wood is tough to split, or because it is faster.
It seems like I could move from round to round faster with a maul than I could haul each piece to a splitter. Maybe I'm missing out on something good?

Lots of my wood is not only tough; but impossible to split by hand or by machine. The fibers are so twisted in stuff like elm, that even in a splitter it tears, rather than splits.
You are correct.
That is a reasonable assumption. But, if you are the "John Henry" type I could challenge you to a contest!

Much of the hardwoods are harder to split, Elm and Ironwood as 2 examples. I'd bet that a decent guy with a maul could split a cord of softwood in the time it takes to split a face cord of elm.

Don't forget also hardwoods are alot heavier, your doug fir weighs about 33lb/cu ft and the Hickory I burn weights 48lb/cu ft. So when moving the stuff I'm moving a good 50% more weight. But on the flip side I burn 50% less (volume) than for the same amount of heat.

When I'm splitting I'm taking 16" pcs out of the yard trailer and put right on the splitter. The splits fall off the end of the splitter right up against the pile where they get stacked for the next couple of years. If I was splitting with a maul on the ground I'd have to dump the load, split them, toss them over to the stack. More work than the splitter.

My splitter is a kinetic, very fast, less than 2 seconds cycle time. I have run hydraulic splitters that a decent guy with a maul could beat in a speed race as long as they are splitting easy stuff.

So on both accounts, at least for me, there is less moving of wood with the splitter and the splitter is very fast. Plus a splitter will split tough chunks with crotches and big knots easily.

If all I split was easy stuff like you I don't know if I'd bother with a splitter.

I use a logsplitter for the same reason I drive a vechile instead of walking.

Depending upon the circumstances I'd bet a maul can beat a hydraulic splitter.
Say 6-8" fir rounds that require one split and maybe something like 2 dozen lengths laying in a pile on the ground.

I have a kinetic splitter as well. a super split made in Maine usa. It will make 3 guys sweat. if you are in a rush. I operate myself , so get done what , I am comfortable , with . They have a u tube video's you can watch.. Good machine.

Maybe, Probably, but, where is the fun, or challenge without putting it to the test.

In fact if the goal is a couple dozen swift blows with a maul, opposing a hydraulic cylinder moving at a few feet per minute John Henry is a guaranteed winner.

Let's try it with at least a full cord. "A man ain't nothin' but a man."

I get some bigger rounds from a buddy in the tree cutting business he brings me some that are 3 feet plus across, impossible to lift up to a horizontal beam. If I tip it vertically I can move those pieces with iron pokers to get them under the wedge/ cylinder.

With the hardwoods here we don’t burn softwoods with all the dead elm and ash we have here no reason to. No way to split our stuff by hand and live to see the sun go down. LOL Some stuff is so tough the wedge will stick then reverse lifting the whole round into the air until the wedge pulls itself out I need to hold the lever down and sometimes rock it to get it to split the huge ones.

The plus to the big stuff is nobody wants it they know they can’t move it or split it but I just roll up and split it on the spot and haul it out then clean up the mess. This year I picked up about 10 cords within a few miles of the house just a lucky year most years it’s a 15-20 mile haul.

My situation exactly. I cut them to 24-30" lengths, noodle them down to semi manageable, say 100-150 lb, blocks and lift them onto the splitter rail with forks on the front end loader.

The biggest advantage with the wood splitter is it doesn't get tired , doesn't miss a stroke all day as long as somebody can run the lever.

I run a TW -6 with hydraulic log lift and 4 way wedge .... it dumps wood directly on a conveyor and into my wood shed ...

I have a woods 27 ton . Made in the USA , I like it . Only thing I don’t like the engines mounted in a stupid spot so it can get hit by logs easy

I like my 27 ton Dirty Hand tools vertical horizontal

it has split everything

if I get a 4 inch in diameter chunk that is too long I just put a round on the splitter and turn the too long piece side ways and just let it push right through it cross grain , faster than starting the saw.

I am probably younger than you and got a lot more time I just got 4 tools axe, sledge-axe, wedges, and my biceps.

I think of Kinetic as the most of your wood is fairly strait and not bigger than about 16 inches in diamiter 8-12 being ideal

Hydraulic I think of as better for the twisted , and big

I get some that I have to quarter just to lift the 1/4s stuff better than 3 foot in diameter

I Noodle these big ones with the chain saw Noodling is cutting with the grain it makes the long stringy chips aka noodles

Checkout some of these processors and splitters some are downright dangerous and others are pretty ingenious.

I think Ill stick with propane if I had to use some of those.