I need a small log splitter for occasional use. I can’t justify a larger gas powered rig for very limited uses. No young kids around (grandsons are too far away) to help and my heart doesn’t work the way it used to.
I’ve been looking at the small electric powered 4 or 5 ton capacity rigs. Even a couple that run from an air compressor. I have a Thomas twin stack that could power one easily.
Any idea as to their worthiness or experience with them. Or should I forget it and spend a little more for a gas powered unit?
I was liking the fact that they are compact and can stand in a corner of the garage out of the way and weather.
…The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain…Be kind to your children….they will choose your nursing home.…aim low boys, they’re ridin’ shetland ponies !!
Replies
i have not used it... but i did look at the small electric over hyd unit that harbor freight sells...
looked simple... see no reason it wouldn't work well... i think the main thing you pay for is cycle time... so... slow costs alot less... if you needed production then i can see pay'n the $$$ for one that has a very fast cycle time...
everything goes on sale at harbor freight... so might be worth it to watch for
p
I agree.And I, for one would not mind trading the cycle time. I can't work that fast anyway. Same reason as old beach bum. Bum ticker.Slow cycle time might give me enough time to get another log ready. LOL And/or to kick the first one out of the way.Probably take me a week to split and stack a quarter cord of wood. (Unless I hire some kid to do the stacking for me. ;o) )One suggestion though, is to get a cheapo electric chainsaw at the same time, and a couple of sacrificial chains for it. If your heart can't handle much of the splitting and stacking, then you don't want to be giving yourself a heart attack the first time a log gets stuck on there.Get out the sacrificial saw, and surgically finish the "split" to get it off of there.
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
Yes, you do understand. I already have a small electric chainsaw and a nice Stihl 20" I've used for years. Not to mention the wedges, mauls and axes. It's just I can't do a lot of that anymore.
We have a small fireplace that we use more for aesthetic reasons than heat, although it does heat 1/2 the house in just a couple hours burning.
I get my firewood cut to length and split but it seems that half the pieces are just a bit too big for the small firebox. This would help and if electric or air powered I could do it in the garage, out of the weather. You know here on the coast it's with sideways rain when you want to use the fireplace.
I was thinking of the 12 ton air powered one here:http://www.westcoastminisplitter.com/
or this:http://www.amazon.com
I was just wondering if anyone has had anything like these and are they even worth it. I've never purchased any powered stuff from Harbor Freight. Only inexpensive hand tools for specific jobs when needed....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
As I said, I like the looks of the mccullogh.The mantis looks imminently more useful on my property.Left to my own means, though, I'd rather make my own, and failing that, would probably end up just getting a cheapo from HF.
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
Thanks, good points...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
I like screw splitters. No extra engine to buy or maintain. Mine's PTO, but I've used a wheel mounted one. Guys who were watching me recently opined it faster than hydraulic.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
"No extra engine to buy or maintain."-=IF=- you already have something with a PTO, or don't mind the dangers of the wheel mounted one...
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
or... :) look on the mother earth news site... i saw once where a guy used an old electric motor... an automotive power steering pump... and some junk yard stuff and said he built a log splitter for under $20 (junkhoud is say'n "yeah if you didn't already have the hose & fittings i can see have'n to spend that much if you were in a hurry")
p
LOLThat is EXACTLY what has been rolling around in my head since the beginning of winter.Seriously.Been trying to figure out where I can get the steel, to build the thing. I've got the electric motor and the steering pump.Then of course, there's the hoses, the fittings, the valves, etc... I've got no idea where I would come up with all that.But I'm a tellin ya, if I could get ahold of the parts, I'd hop up my high-tech-redneck brains and do the best job of hillbilly engineering I could. Pure heaven right there, figuring something like that out, as a frankenstein. And making it work !!
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
Luka, I don't know how dangerous they are but I know my dad used one until he was 80 and his heart wasn't very good. (quad bypass, open heart once for valve problems) I think it was both more work and dangerous for him to get it mounted on his car's rear wheel then the splitting was.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
A while ago I saw a video on You Tube, were a guy was using one of these cone splitters. It looked like a firewood processing plant. The guy that was actually putting the logs on the cone had only one hand, the other one was a hook. I wonder if he lost his hand during the splitting of wood.Martin
That "danger" is a kneejerk reaction. I presume you've never used one.
The guys watching certainly didn't think anything of the sort. Careful, controlled split. Jamb a sleeve into it and it'll do the same thing as a lathe or drill press or portable drill, for that matter. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I have one of these small electric splitters, I really like it. I bought it about 2 weeks ago and used it on New Years day to split close to 1/2 cord of fir and cedar(the wood was free on craigslist). My back is not good, a couple of disc's are herniated, that stops me from chopping with a splitting maul. This is a offshoe brand that I bought at Busy Bee Tools, which is like Harborfreight in the US.
A couple of times I had to reposition the logs, the splitter got stuck in it. But if that happens you turn the log around and try to split from the other side which most of the time works. The only thing I don't like about it is: it only sits 16-18 inches off the ground. I will make a collapsible stand for it in the future, I don't like to kneel down.
Martin
Before I forget, the largest logs were about 18" in diameter and the trees were felled about one month ago.
Thanks for the info. I was thinking about a stand, etc., also.
I have one of those small step stool like platforms that drywallers use with folding legs. It could be just the right item fitted with a piece of 3/4 ply as a "mounting plate" with a piece of 2 x 4 clamped across the legs to stabilize it then take it apart again for storage....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
This one is just plain ridiculous.http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42696I don't see why something like this couldn't be put on a cart, and cheaply converted to either electric or air. Air, being easiest.http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=33956And then there is this one that is beefier constructed than the others we've looked at in this thread, probably about as easy to move around my property as the mantis, and already all there... LOL No construction or kludging needed.http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97113
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
Yeah. Notice the first one is just sitting there in the pix. It looks too flimsy & light to even scratch the wood at the crotch....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Check Craigslist. The one shown would require minimum lifting which might be attractive for you. When I was considering an electric the Mantis was on my list. Their other tools have a solid rep.
Thank you for the prompt response. I went to the Mantis website and they have a video showing the unit in operation. Looks very nice...must compare prices now.
I also thought about doing what Luka mentioned in making my own from "stuff". However, I got rid of a lot of that "stuff" a couple years ago when we moved. Dang !! Anyway, the cost of scrounging the parts and fittings now would be almost as much as buying one of these plus the time and 'finetuning'.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Edited 1/9/2008 2:20 am by oldbeachbum
I have know idea if these tools are good or if they're ####. That said I did see a commercial the other night for a mini DR Spliter.
http://www.drpower.com/
I've heard nothing but good of the DR company. Might give'em a look/see....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
We had a demo unit of the Mantis splitter in our equipment division. I was really skeptical that it would work but one of my co-workers took it home for a test run, and found it worked quite well. He liked it because it was quiet and could spilt wood after the kids were in bed at night.
It certainly isn't going to split wet yellow birch or really large pieces of maple, but for medium sized stuff with reasonably stright grain they work.
A.
I didn't really wish to work any really heavy stuff so this may do just fine. Most of what I'll use it for is just re-sizing something that's on the large size but already partially done.
BTW. Beautiful country, where you are. Been there long? I've always loved the Maine coast and the Maritimes. Stunning scenery and really nice folks. I have a BIL that lives in N.B. and a SIL from N.S....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
The Mantis lokks really great and the DR, too. Just wondering about the air powered one, also.
Where I live shipping is a given on almost anything so it's just how much I'm willing to pry out of my wallet.
Thanks for everyone's input. I'll post later and let you know which one I get and how satisfied I am....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Now THAT is perfect.I couldn't have hillbilly engineered it any better, myself.I mean, for the terrain conditions, plus the heart and back... This is exactly the -kind- of portability I would have hoped for."Portable" in one person's eye may be klunky, heavy and unmanageable in another's. The mantis looks to be perfect for manageability, even around and between the trees, and up and down and across at all angles of the slopes and mud...I like the looks of that mc culloch up above. But it would have to sit, and all the wood come to it. At least at my house, it would.If I were closer and had the bucks, I would buy the mantis in a flash...
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
For only occasional use, re-splitting firewood, you may want to consider simply using a manual slide splitter. They are a lot less physically demanding than a wedge & sledge. A lot cheaper than a power unit and easier to store to boot.
http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5EM-1162&source=nextag&kw=5EM-1162
or
http://www.spitjack.com/page/SJ/PROD/SPLITTER
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
My friend has one that I've used a bit in the past. Since my quad by-pass I don't think I could make a go of it if it got stuck. I'd just be 'rasslin' it loose and be completely down & out for the day after a bout with one or two stubborn ones....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
"I'd just be 'rasslin' it loose and be completely down & out for the day after a bout with one or two stubborn ones."EXACTLY !!!!It's not the lack of being able to do something. It's how long you are able to do it, and what it takes out of you just to get it done.I haven't had any surgerys. Hopefully I'll never have to have.Doc says I have a huge heart. Ok, he sez I have a big heart.Ok, ok, so he says I have a really enlarged heart. So sue me for taking artistic lisence...Bottom line, it don't take much to wear me out. After wrassling one or two of those, I'd be shot for the day as well, if the day were as short as they are right now. During the summer, I'd do that wrassling in the morning, and by 4 or 5 in the evening, I'd be ready to wrassle a couple more.I am still learning, every day that I can't just be getting down and dirty with something like this, and wrassling those dang chunks off'n there. I have to take my time, do it slowly, and find some way to get that chunk off of there without all the wrassling. You know... Like using the small chainsaw at that point. LOLBetter to risk ruining a chain, than drastically cutting short what I am going to get done for the day... Then I'm stuck with all the angst caused by the 'protestant work ethic' nagging me about how little I got done, etc. Better I still only get a little done, but I at least spent the day trying, instead of having to give up because of exhaustion and weakness.That said... I'd probably have to waste a couple days, wrassling, before I remembered to look for an easier way to do it. LOL Must be in the genes. Or maybe in a lifetime of learned "get-r-done" work behaviour...
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
I hear you.
I've always been able to figure out how to "do" something. I've always taken pride in that ability and the fact that I have successfully approached and accomplished many tasks that would normally require two or three bodies.
The old addage of working smarter and not harder is now a way of life and not just a "saying". It's now time to put the ego away and fess up to the fact that I'm no longer immortal and indestructible.
The by-pass made me look at things with a completely new perspective.
Besides, I'm too selfish & stubborn to give up and just sit. Too many enjoyable challenges yet to face. Still lots of kite designs I haven't tried yet, books to read, photos to take, wood to work, paintings to paint and wines & brews to try.
Women? The DW won't let me go there.....;0)...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
For a couple of years now, I have figured that if I "went there", I'd probably die there...;o)
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
if I "went there", I'd probably die there...
thats exactly how i want to go... prefer to be somewhere around 100 when it happens... would hope at the very least someone would write a song about it...
"he was push'n one hundred
when he finally went......
sixty year old sally says....
the old boy was spent.....
like an old buick on it's final ride...
old craig took the wheel...
then he died......
he had a grin on his face
was heaven sent....
in just one day....
he $%^& and he went....
p
I have a DR 6 ton electric. I like it just fine. It is horizontal so you have to lift the logs into place but my trees are generally 14" or smaller. I split mostly oak and the splitter can get the majority of it. Occassionally I get a piece with a twist or a crotch that it can" handle but thats rare. I was also really impressed by the company. THe First unit they sent me had a problem but they sent me a new one at great expense ( due to the special shipping needs - rural , dirt road etc) to themselves. They even sent me a free extension cord. I've used the new one for two seasons now. Put three or four cords of oak and ash through it and its doing fine. THey also have a 6 month trial period. good luck!
Thanks for that input. It kind of answers the previous post. ...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
http://www.amazon.com/Swisher-Manual-Hydraulic-Splitter-12428/dp/B000AMFFV2
Dad has one of these.
You'd be surprised at how much you can do in a day!!!
Do you operate both levers in unison? How many strokes, on average, to split one log/piece?
Where does Manuel stand?........................oh manual ! (sorry, cheap shot...my bad)...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
I don't see much difference between that and the grizzly.http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-H6239-Ton-Log-Splitter/dp/B0007D2YLI/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t/104-0460522-2545527Well, except that the grizzly costs half of what the swisher does...;o)Matter of fact, I am going to keep my eye on that grizzly. That thing could be the very cheapest way to get the log splitter I really want.(Put big wheels on it. And fold down legs. Convert it to use an auto steering pump, and electric motor.... See where I'm going ???)
A man, convinced against his will... Is of his own opinion, still. ~Anne McCaffrey
Well guys, I ordered a DR 5 ton model electric/hydraulic. It was delivered two days ago, UPS. The unit is 105# plus packaging. The packaging took a beating but the unit came through OK with just a minor bend on the base/stand. Straightened it out. Read the directions. (Yes, I do that ! ) Plugged it in and started working.
Better than I expected. In no time I had a large pile of properly sized wood stashed away. It was raining sideways and I was smilingall the while in my nice dry new garage. Quiet enough to speak over or listen to some tunes if you wish.
I bought their "discontinued" model and they made me a deal on shipping to match another manufacturer. The warranty is 2 years with a 6 month return if dissatisfied. Onle time will tell on that part but so far I'm happy with the product, price and service. The storage footprint is about 8" X 8".
Will advise further if there is any change in my satisfaction index....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
about 10 years ago i bought a cosco gas splitter for 9oo bucks, just a 3.5 hp motor but it goes upright to and still starts right up, You can split spruce with knots in it and people give wood away like spruce and shorepine they dont want to split, Theres nothing like firing that puppy up and splitting a cord of wood, Great fun, Now i have no more woodstove under orders from my first mate and alas gave it to my son. i split his wood under orders from his mommy, The first mate of which i have spoken of. dont listen to these girlie men get yourself a gas splitter and be the envy of your neighbors, I promise you all the neighbors will come over and be impressed and you will be the Belle of the Ball, You aiant gonna impress anyone wit one of these sissy jobs. your wife will see you out there in a plaid shirt splitting wood for the cookfire and she will swoon over her hunk of man, thats when you gotta worry bout the old ticker when she chases you around.I still fire mine up just to get the old Sea hag excited, Now yam i getting through to you????;}
soytenly !...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!