Log Splitters

Garry H

Anyone recommend a decent, compact log splitter. Has to be electric powered.

team47b

Garry H wrote:

Anyone recommend a decent, compact log splitter. Has to be electric powered.

You'll be asking for an electric mountain bike next :shock:

Place your first log on the chopping block. ...
Examine the wood before splitting it. ...
Aim. ...
Bring the maul up and down. ...
Pull the axe bit out of the log if the wood fails to split on the first swing. ...
Repeat your swing into the wood until the wood splits. ...
Split and stack

Zendog1

A hand axe with a lump hammer to help it through knots works.

briantrumpet

I'm a bit of a whizz with a proper, very sharp axe. The trick is to get the axe solidly in the log on the first swing - if it doesn't split, when you raise the axe over your shoulder, let the log swing back, so when you bring the axe back down onto the block, the back of the axe hits the block, and the weight/momentum of the log propels the logs down on the axe blade (which is pointing up, obviously).

Don't ever try to split elm though (if you get it) - for that you need a wood grenade and a sledge hammer.

Or I could read the OP and realise he's asking for an electric one... but doing it by hand is much more fun, and you get warm even before your burn the logs...

capt_slog

Can't recommend one because I've never used one, like the above, I find an axe does okay.

Even better if you have some kind and brave soul who will 'spot' the logs for you, putting the log onto the chopping block and letting you concentrate on doing the chop. Saves theback no end.

Stevo_666

Garry H wrote:

Anyone recommend a decent, compact log splitter. Has to be electric powered.

A mate of mine who liveson Forestry Commission land and has some chunky trees to deal with has one that he says works really well - I'll need to ask him what make it is.

Garry H

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

I need a quicker way of splitting badly knotted wood. I already have a decent axe (A Gransfors, for any axe enthusiasts out there) and a splitting wedge.

pinno

Is there no one near you with a hydraulic splitter? They are not too difficult to set up.

Wheelspinner

1. Laughingly suggest to the missus she have a go
2. Hand her the axe. Stand well back.
3. Whisper *just* loud enough for her to hear "might help shift some of that fat off your lardy ar$e".
4. Watch as logs become matchsticks in seconds.
5. Time your run for the hills well.

briantrumpet

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

I need a quicker way of splitting badly knotted wood. I already have a decent axe (A Gransfors, for any axe enthusiasts out there) and a splitting wedge.

That's a nice chopper you've got.

You'll notice that I did comprehend... but then answered another question entirely.

Stevo_666

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

I need a quicker way of splitting badly knotted wood. I already have a decent axe (A Gransfors, for any axe enthusiasts out there) and a splitting wedge.

Its like a lot of the threads in here then

Text sent - let's see if the lazy git replies.

mamba80

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

I need a quicker way of splitting badly knotted wood. I already have a decent axe (A Gransfors, for any axe enthusiasts out there) and a splitting wedge.

you need to spend a lot of money for anything man enough for the job if it can't be split by hand, the guy who i get my chains from, recommends Lawnflite 5.5 or 7 tonne vertical ones around the £450 mark as the cheapest you can go for (but he also sells them!!!)
even heavily knotted wood splits best when green or just saw it smaller?

veronese68

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

The others understood, they were just telling you to MTFU. :P

Garry H

mamba80 wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

I need a quicker way of splitting badly knotted wood. I already have a decent axe (A Gransfors, for any axe enthusiasts out there) and a splitting wedge.

you need to spend a lot of money for anything man enough for the job if it can't be split by hand, the guy who i get my chains from, recommends Lawnflite 5.5 or 7 tonne vertical ones around the £450 mark as the cheapest you can go for (but he also sells them!!!)
even heavily knotted wood splits best when green or just saw it smaller?

That's what I feared.

I can split them by hand, it's just that I'd rather not have to spend all day doing it. It's another weapon in the chopper's arsenal

Garry H

Veronese68 wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

The others understood, they were just telling you to MTFU. :P

Give me a break, I already mine my own coal.

Garry H

briantrumpet wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

I need a quicker way of splitting badly knotted wood. I already have a decent axe (A Gransfors, for any axe enthusiasts out there) and a splitting wedge.

That's a nice chopper you've got.

You'll notice that I did comprehend... but then answered another question entirely.

Why thank you sir.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt Brian, with you being one of the more intelligent people that frequent this place

Stevo_666

Veronese68 wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

The others understood, they were just telling you to MTFU. :P

They're all lumberjacks and they're OK?

bbrap

An axe is not ideal for splitting logs, what you need is a splitting maul. It looks like an axe but the angles are different. I can stack 3 logs on top of each other and split all with one swing (12" logs). Helps if you can swing an axe properly though. regarding electric splitters, whilst they will do the job some are quite slow in operation, might not seem too bad but if you are doing much wood it is far quicker using a maul. Decent hydraulic or petrol splitters are quite expensive and require a lot of storage space.

Stevo_666

Garry H wrote:

I can split them by hand, it's just that I'd rather not have to spend all day doing it. It's another weapon in the chopper's arsenal

There do seem to be a lot of choppers on here

haydenm

bbrap wrote:

An axe is not ideal for splitting logs, what you need is a splitting maul. It looks like an axe but the angles are different.

Unless it's a splitting axe (it probably is). Splitting axes and splitting mauls are different.

veronese68

Stevo 666 wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Cheers Stevo. You also win the comprehension test

The others understood, they were just telling you to MTFU. :P

They're all lumberjacks and they're OK?

... just like their dear papas.

bbrap

HaydenM wrote:

bbrap wrote:

An axe is not ideal for splitting logs, what you need is a splitting maul. It looks like an axe but the angles are different.

Unless it's a splitting axe (it probably is). Splitting axes and splitting mauls are different.

Fair enough, what I meant was one of these http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p97427?table=no :P

haydenm

bbrap wrote:

HaydenM wrote:

bbrap wrote:

An axe is not ideal for splitting logs, what you need is a splitting maul. It looks like an axe but the angles are different.

Unless it's a splitting axe (it probably is). Splitting axes and splitting mauls are different.

Fair enough, what I meant was one of these http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p97427?table=no :P

I was just being pedantic, if OP is happy with his gransfor (pressumably their rather lovely 'large splitting axe') for general splitting duties then a maul would fit the bill for heavily knotted wood.

homers_double

My electric log splitter isn't man enough for knotted logs, I do need to invest in a maul though at some point.

pinno

homers double wrote:

My electric log splitter isn't man enough for knotted logs, I do need to invest in a maul though at some point.

Do you have buttered scones for tea?

Pross

I eat loads of fibre so I don't need help breaking my logs up.

pinno

Pross wrote:

I eat loads of fibre so I don't need help breaking my logs up.

Do you go shopping on Wednesday's?

sprinter2012

The company I work for are dealers for Oxdale among other things. British made agricultural equipment, an E300 will split anything up to 12" tall.

You're looking at about a grand for one of those, but that's a 'proper' log splitter, not a B&Q special that will last 1 winter and then break itself in half. haha

http://www.oxdaleproducts.co.uk/log-spl ... g-splitter

Pross

Pinno wrote:

Pross wrote:

I eat loads of fibre so I don't need help breaking my logs up.

Do you go shopping on Wednesday's?

I just felt a draught through my hair as something went over my head!

pinno

Pross wrote:

Pinno wrote:

Pross wrote:

I eat loads of fibre so I don't need help breaking my logs up.

Do you go shopping on Wednesday's?

I just felt a draught through my hair as something went over my head!

Maybe you should think about it when you're on the lavatory.

Garry H

Sprinter2012 wrote:

The company I work for are dealers for Oxdale among other things. British made agricultural equipment, an E300 will split anything up to 12" tall.

You're looking at about a grand for one of those, but that's a 'proper' log splitter, not a B&Q special that will last 1 winter and then break itself in half. haha

http://www.oxdaleproducts.co.uk/log-spl ... g-splitter

Short of hiring a skivvy to do it for me, that would be the ideal solution.