Log Splitter Recommendation

I’m thinking about buying a log splitter.

Can these generally be stored outdoors? With a cover? Anything specific I should look for when buying?

Unless you do very large volumes of firewood for home heating, I’d suggest renting one. Make storage and maintenance somebody else’s problem.

I fix one of these every once in awhile for people. The overwhelming problem is lack of use. They sit with bad fuel in them, outside, under a cover with the entire families of mice chewing on everything.

I suggest a strong teen, preferably smart enough to not hit himself with the maul.

I bought a Harbor Freight manual off market place for $90. It works great for small jobs. I am splitting apple wood for my smoker. For splitting heating amounts of wood I would look for motorized.

I have had the same off brand log splitter for years and years stored under my deck under a tarp. Never any issues. Treat it like any small motor and treat the fuel or drain it and keep fresh fuel in it. I would buy one again over renting any day of the week especially if I use it a handful of times a year

I would say to look for one that has a name brand motor over one that has a motor you have never heard of

Mine has Briggs on it and I have seen others with Kohler and Honda. Cheaper ones may have a no-name motor

1 nice feature is having a side cradle on it so when you make the 1st split, that half can rest on the cradle rather than on the ground, it makes things go faster and saves on your back

Have any of you ever tried a kindling splitter where you use a sledge hammer?

I’ll echo Grouse on this. Take a serious look at how often you will use it. If you’re heating home/shop thats different and yes, you’ll use it more. But if its for a firepit and just misc, you can split a years worth in a weekend. A property I manage just went through this a few years ago. I won’t haul mine down there and we rent one from a guy on F/B Market place for $65/day or $125 per weekend. In two days, well more than a years worth is split and stacked. So for the remaining 360+ days a year, no storage, no maintenance, no headaches. At $125/weekend (a year in this case) it would take almost 15 years to recover the cost plus all the added expenses of oil change, parts, fluid…. Just something to think about

I absolutely, positively HATE borrowing things.

With that said, I call up the neighbor a couple properties down and have him run his over twice a year. For a case of beer and my time to split him maybe a half pickup load, I never have to buy or maintain one. He’s a retired tinker-er who loves to spend his days pulling everything out of his immaculate shed, doing subtle maintenance on stuff that’s barely used, then put it back in the same spot while telling me “how busy he is”.

Sounds like my neighbor.

buckybadger wrote:

spend his days pulling everything out of his immaculate shed, doing subtle maintenance on stuff that’s barely used, then put it back in the same spot while telling me “how busy he is”.

One of life’s goals right there.

“I got busier once I retired”
“Next year I’m going to slow down”
“Been so busy that I forgot about that”

…all typical lines for someone who isn’t that busy at all – but has life figured out!

When I retired I didn’t know what I’d do with myself.

Then got busy wondering how I got anything done when I was working! now I just have way more time to do things I wanna do

Bavkbto the woodsplitter. My dad had one wh when he dead 20 plus years ago. We said sell it, of course back then we where young and feisty.now in our close to golden years we ate rethinking that decision w we use all our wood for campfires and I bring a bunch home.

I’ve had an electric splitter for a few years now. No complaints. Obviously it’s not splitting a 20 inch log but does fine with up to 16-18 inches.

I’m much more about the convenience than having to run 20 miles into town to rent one and I’m not much on borrowing things either since I don’t really like borrowing my stuff out…

I agree with the Grouse…consider need vs want. I live rural but keep a good 2-3 full cords split and stacked. I’m about due to rent a splitter to process another cord or so in the next week or two. We burn but only a few days/week and we do not heat by wood, just like a fire every few days. I’m a lover of machinery and tools but a splitter just doesn’t make sense for me. I can rent a top notch unit for under $100 and split at least a years worth of wood in a few hours. If you need one or it makes sense, by all means but machinery sitting outside that isn’t used very often is silly to me. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with most all that’s been said. I don’t really NEED one. But if I was ever going to buy one now is the time. I just had 6 big oak trees taken down at my place.

I have a wood burner in my shop and generally like fires both outdoor at home and at the cabin. I also kinda like the idea of letting my uncle borrow it.

Maybe I’ll price some out, just to see

Any thoughts if a 28 ton is big enough for most homeowners?

I am splitting mostly oak.

Match Tonnage to Your Needs:

4-7 tons: Optimal for small diameter, softwood logs (less than 12 inches).
8-20 tons: Suitable for medium-sized logs (12-24 inches) and a mix of softwood and hardwood.
20+ tons: Recommended for large diameter hardwood logs (24 inches and above) or when dealing with tough, knotty logs.

If you mainly split soft, straight-grain, or dry, seasoned wood, 22-ton to 28 tons of power will suffice. If slow-burning hardwood will be in your wood stove this winter, then how many tons of force your log splitter can produce is much more of a factor.

Thank you Kraig

1 last thing-Get a horizontal/vertical splitter whether you rent or buy, those 20″ + plus trunks get heavy. Elm is the toughest to split-everything else easy.

Mine is a 25 Ton Speeco splitter, it has never not split anything I put on there. Most of the wood I split is oak and ash (which can be stringy and tougher to split)

It does have the option to tilt up if there is something too heavy to lift

My grandpa would be who I recommend. I just spent the afternoon with him on Sunday splitting wood with a sledge hammer and a wedge. He’s 82 and can outwork me, those old farmer muscles are hard to wear out.

Thanks B Storm. Good to know.

And yeah Steven that is impressive. I actually do like splitting wood by hand. It’s satisfying and good exercise. But then splitting wood with knots can get old too.

Just saw this one on Facebook, 27ton with a Honda engine. Description shows says it was used twice. Can’t say I know that is a good price but seems descent?

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I am not sold on the splitters that push the blade into a flat stop… How many times, especially a gnarly wood.. do you load the next piece to finish the previous split through the fixed blade ? Not sure you can do that with the Stop being the fixed position. Anybody have experience with both ?

big_g wrote:

I am not sold on the splitters that push the blade into a flat stop… How many times, especially a gnarly wood.. do you load the next piece to finish the previous split through the fixed blade ? Not sure you can do that with the Stop being the fixed position. Anybody have experience with both ?

They both will work, the fixed blade is best in my opinion if all your splitting is going to be horizontal. Vertical splitting has to be a fixed stop and movable blade. Yes I do have experience.

Ah gotcha… I never thought about the vertical splitting… haven’t done that yet ! Thanks !

big_g wrote:

I am not sold on the splitters that push the blade into a flat stop… How many times, especially a gnarly wood.. do you load the next piece to finish the previous split through the fixed blade ? Not sure you can do that with the Stop being the fixed position. Anybody have experience with both ?

It hasnt happened to me in 15+ years, but the gnarliest wood I split is ash. Its stringy sometimes but manageable

The splitter in the pic above is pretty close to mine, and $800 is a great deal