It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => TEOTWAWKI => Topic started by: Weisshaupt on April 24, 2011, 12:37:25 AM
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Looking at various log splitters -- Michelle O wants an electric, so seriously considereing the Pow-R-Craft 7 ton (http://powrkraft.com/prod02.htm) and the Ramsplitter (http://www.ramsplitter.com/Electric%20Splitters.htm)
Anyone have experience with either of these machines? Recommendations for something else? Our firewood is all Aspen and Pine- however the Pine is coming from a property that burned a few years ago in a fire - enough to kill the trees but not consume them. Many of the logs are 20-30 inch diameter, so I think I need something. I can't split them with an axe. I haven't tried a Maul. But it seems that if I am going to harvest what I have it make make sense to use a machine to do the work..
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
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Rent and try some different ones before buying.
I'd be skeptical of electric, low torque could be a problem.
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Rent and try some different ones before buying.
I'd be skeptical of electric, low torque could be a problem.
I agree ... I doubt that electric would have the oompf to easily get through pine that size and a sledge & wedges , though fine for oak and other stuff with a good grain , would present a hell of a chore . Unless you plan to go into the firewood business , I'd suggest renting (gasoline) rather than investing in a splitter .
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I have used 16 ton gasoline powered hydraulic splitters and even those will occasionally choke on a particularly knotty log. I imagine a 7 ton splitter would be useful for light duty on wood that's dry and easy to split. You might find it struggling with oak, and you could forget about gum.
There's nothing inherently wrong with electric though. Electric motors produce a lot of torque at low speed (theoretically an electric induction motor produces maximum torque at 0 RPM). Anything that runs off a standard wall outlet, however, is going to be limited in power.
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I got one of THESE (http://www.lowes.com/pd_116418-270-24BF572B711_0__?productId=1005417&Ntt=log+splitter&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dlog%2Bsplitter) 27ton splitters. Has a Honda engine and starts first pull every time in the 2 years I've had it. It is garage kept.......a neighbor down the road has the same model, keeps it outside, and uses it 5 times more than I use mine, and his starts on the second pull......every time.....
Only thing it won't split is some stuff called "Gum" wood (I think).......it sort of shred's and isn't worth the effort nor can it be split with an axe.....so when we do run across some.....it fills in the low ground I am trying to build up, or goes out to the back yard fire pit as my personal contribution to earf ::USA:: day.
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I don't have a mature tree on my property.
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I've cut and split a hell of a lot of wood over the years and I can tell you this the electrics are as slow as they are weak in the knees. You will be adding triple the time you a hard job to start with. 20 ton is a minimum for power and if you start talking about 30 inch diameter logs you want one that works vertical and horizontal so you don't have to lift those thing into splitting position.
You can also get a 4 way wedge attachment so that you make one pass and get four pieces out of it.
(http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/1143_med.gif)
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(http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326288_200326288)
Vid at link:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326288_200326288 (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326288_200326288)
I'm not pushing brands just getting ideas.
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Yeah, I am seriously looking at this one now..
http://www.logsplittersdirect.com/Earthquake-W2700B-Log-Splitter/p5271.html#reviews (http://www.logsplittersdirect.com/Earthquake-W2700B-Log-Splitter/p5271.html#reviews)
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That's the type we rented the two times we needed to do so. The hydraulics began leaking like a sieve the last time (we had a lot of wood to split) and, even so, worked very well.
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That's the type we rented the two times we needed to do so. The hydraulics began leaking like a sieve the last time (we had a lot of wood to split) and, even so, worked very well.
Was it the same brand/model, or something similar?
Thats the problems with rentals.. for all you know the last guy who had it had a teenage boy, and he and his friends decided to play "what else will split?" with old car engine parts. Might be a fine machine that would never leak in a million years if not abused.. or it may be a problem with the build quality. Having a hard time finding reviews for it..
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That's the type we rented the two times we needed to do so. The hydraulics began leaking like a sieve the last time (we had a lot of wood to split) and, even so, worked very well.
Was it the same brand/model, or something similar?
Thats the problems with rentals.. for all you know the last guy who had it had a teenage boy, and he and his friends decided to play "what else will split?" with old car engine parts. Might be a fine machine that would never leak in a million years if not abused.. or it may be a problem with the build quality. Having a hard time finding reviews for it..
As I recall, something similar; I didn't make careful note of the model at the time.
Don't get me wrong; I made note of the leaking hydraulics precisely because it was a rental, which obviously had taken a lickin' but kept on tickin' nevertheless.
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If I may suggest that you check out a few more before you jump into anything. The spects on that said it was not made in America which bothers me. I would need to know where the hell it came from,even though the engine is a brigs.
You can check in to this one too if you like.
(http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/1109_lg.jpg)
And ask where this one is from also.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326290_200326290 (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326290_200326290)
And check the freight cost it make make up the difference in buying a 27 ton ot a 30 ton machine.
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Reviewing old threads, came across this guy. Like the Northern Tool stuff, having a good motor like a Honda is critical, bad motor would shut the whole operation down. But even Honda's (my BIL uses lots in his contracting biz) can have problems with wearing out the pulley rope, so a spare assembly and spare rope is a must. Right now we rent or borrow a splitter at the lake, would like to get something of our own (if we in fact keep the property in the family), as right now all we have to ourselves is the Timber Blaster I got from Duluth Trading that requires old school brute human force.
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Bought this one made in Canada when in Michigan 5 years ago-then it was yellow, but works[ha] the same and has the same engine. Purchased from a 'large' do it yourself store that brought them in, had it shipped to me [we don't have any that small or electric down here at locale Lowe's].
Set it up to start using - didn't work. Sent it back after 'arguement' - supposedly fixed and shipped back to me. Worked once while spliting about 15 logs, broke down second time after 3 logs. Of course warrenty was up, and haven't found anywhere down here to replace small electric engine. Absolutely a piece of sh*t - save your money unless you need a big paper weight.
King Canada Electric Log Splitter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdPjsrnUx-0#)
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I absolutely agree with an earlier comment about rental...I can't imagine buying one of these things unless I was in the firewood business.
And, that said, I can't imagine being in the firewood business. Sure seems like a lot of hard work* for a small profit. The firewood business is low overhead with almost zero technical ability so anyone can do it and lots of people do. So lots of competition with the resultant low price bidding war. Plus you are competing against all kinds of homeowners who do their own. Well, not directly competing since they aren't selling but indirectly competing since they aren't buying.
Anyone can rent a splitter, hitch it up to the truck and in a few minutes you are in business. Where I live anyone can go out to the forest and in a day haul back as much firewood as your truck/trailer will take. Just need a dependable chain saw.
I will need to do a serious reload of my firewood stock after this winter because I will be down to less than one winter's worth of wood. I like to have two winter's worth of wood on hand at the beginning of each winter and this last fall I just didn't have the time to deal with it.
*Which begs the question: Why do it yourself? In a word (or two): Quality control. If you want good wood at a reasonable cost you pretty much have to get it yourself. I have also had problems with being short changed. Some clod sells you a cord of wood and simply dumps a truck load in your driveway. After you stack it you will frequently find that it is something less than what you paid for. Plus, I have had problems with getting mixed loads...pay for oak and sometimes end up with some crappy stuff thrown in. Or end up with some really sappy pine. Pine is okay (I'd rather have aspen) but frequently the sap content is high enough to result in a heavy creosote buildup in the fireplace/stove flue.
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I agree Trap. Thiniking long-term it would be nice to have our own splitter, but renting is easy. And we have found a couple guys up by the lake we can get good quality oak from to burn in the wood stove. We will put only oak in that, all other "junk" wood (pine, birch, maple, etc) will be burned in the firepit. The storm of a couple years ago gave us a supply of both so we have not had to buy much, but we still will get a couple cords of oak just to stay where we are which is about enough for one really long nasty winter like this one or 1 1/2 of a normal winter. Once you find somebody you can rely on for quality wood and not get shorted on quantity you hang onto to 'em and part of that is buying 2-3 cords at least each year so they don't forget you!
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Weisshaupt, if you're determined to buy a splitter, why don't you check with a local welding shop to see if they will build one for you? I did that about 20 years ago, and the product was just what I needed. It had a Briggs engine that I supplied. A few years ago I sold it and it's still running like a champ.
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Bought this one made in Canada when in Michigan 5 years ago-then it was yellow, but works[ha] the same and has the same engine.
Three years ago, since my heavy duty log splitting days are over, I bought a 5-ton Speeco electric log splitter. It was all I really needed; my neighbors will cut logs for me into any length I choose. It's worked fine every time I use it.
I got it from Tractor Supply.
http://www.speeco.com/products.aspx?id=95&prod=291 (http://www.speeco.com/products.aspx?id=95&prod=291)
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I had one from Tractor Supply. 22 or 27 Ton, don't recall. Honda engine. $1,600
Very reliable. I split 10 - 12 face cords per year without a hiccup.
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There's also the option of getting one driven by your tractor's PTO. Since you're running the mini-farm it might be one more useful implement for a tractor.