If you actually need a splitter, then you need a gas splitter. If you just want a splitter, then you should be fine with whatever sort you desire.

In gas, I'd aim for 9+hp, 16+gpm pump, 4.5" cylinder unless you're going for cycle speed at the expense of tonnage, in which case a 4" cylinder would be OK. Something along these lines should be able to split whatever needs splitting. If you're primarily working with pieces you can lift, a horizonatal model is the better choice. But if you will be rolling huge chunks over to the splitter, then a horizontal/vertical model is the way to go.

Timberwolf and Iron&Oak are two of the top-of-the-line splitters out there, but they come with a pricetag. The splitters from Tractor Supply Company are very decent and economical splitters capable of homeowner and even light commercial use. They run 1000-1500 this time of year.

Woodwoodjim,

"The biggest log I would split would probably be 2 feet."

Is that 2 feet in diameter or two feet long?

MM

If you're in good physical condition, a splitting maul and/or a hammer and wedges is very good exercise with much lower up-front cost, and with none of the hassle of another gasoline engine in a complex piece of equipment.

2 feet in diameter, and i already use a wedge and sledge and maul

Learned long ago when I was tossing oak/hickory from on a truck to a drive below at -15 and watching in amazement as some of the pieces split --- green wood splits very easily with a maul when the temperature is real low --even the gnarly stuff.

By green, I don't mean real green--just not dried for a season after splitting.

Manual, the way pirates and lumberjacks split their firewood.

Also depends on the variety of wood you're splitting- ash, cherry and red maple, all split easily by hand. Beech, hard maple and oak may require a gasoline fueled woodsplitter.

When I get a log splitter, it will be electric, so I can keep it and use it in the garage. If I need to split or re-split some wood early some morning to start a fire, I can run the splitter without waking up the whole household, raising the garage door, or filling the garage with fumes.

MM

I cannot physically split wood with a maul. However does anyone know if you need a lot of strength to operate the hydraulic splitters....I have looked and looked and cannot find this answer. Thanks

You need strength to move the blocks onto the splitter and then stack the wood. The only other part that could maybe be hard if you don't have much strength is starting the engine. But if starting is tough, moving the blocks onto the splitter is probably out of the question. At that point you would probably do best to buy the wood split and stacked. Pulling the lever to make the splitter do the work could be done by pretty much anyone.

I disagree with Computeruser's statement that you need a 9+ horsepower splitter with a 16gpm pump and 4.5" cyclinder, this is way overkill in machine and money for splitting firewood unless you are consistently splitting something very hard and dense like madrone. It will cost more to buy the machine and operate it than a smaller machine and it will be noisier, but the wood won`t be any more split.

Modern splitters use a two stage pump. The first stage is the high flow/lower pressure stage which quickly moves the cylinder and splits most wood, including most of the beech and hard maple that I commonly split.

On occassion the pump kicks down in speed(flow)but jacks up the pressure to split the gnarly stuff and there are extremely few pieces of wood that a 5hp 4" ram machine won`t split. A friend of mine put a pressure gauge on his splitter and found that most hardwood will split with only 600 psi output pressure from the pump. Those pieces that my machine can`t split get ripped in half with a chainsaw.

My splitter has literally split hundreds of face cord between my kids and I with hardly any that it won`t split. It`s a lowly old MTD with a 5hp Briggs and a 4" ram and initially I felt like I was cheaping out when I bought it but it was all I could afford, now I realize that I purchased an extremely capable machine.

I've owned one of the Huskee splitters since Oct 98. 25 ton, 6 hp tecumseh, 4.5 inch ram. Had to replace the carb primer bulb about 3 years ago and in january of this year the hydraulic pump finally gave up. That's about $200 of non-routine maintenance for an average of 4 face cords of splitting every year.

It ain't real fast but it splits anything I've run across.

Vertical is the only way to go with 24 inch diameter blocks.

Sorry for the stupid question, but is it possible to split green wood with a hydraulic splitter like the ones at Tractor Supply, 25 ton model?

I talking about cutting down an oak tree today and then tonight splitting the wood with the splitter.

Is that possible or must the wood be seasoned for 6-12 mopnths first?

Thanks,

Tim

1" drill bit and a stick of dynomite.

I have split a lot of wood that is freshly cut and other wood that is seasoned. Could not tell much difference with a sledge and wedge or with a gas powered splitter.

I did split a huge load of fresh wood once with a 27 ton splitter because it was dumped in my driveway and had to be moved that day. Rented a splitter from Home Depot and got rid of it in a few hours. It would have taken days or weeks with the sledge, maul, and wedge.

Forgot to mention. After viewing the DR Splitter DVD advertising their 5 and 6 HP splitters, I got excited when I saw a used one advertised on Craigslist. Rushed right over to look at it and luckily took along a log about 12 inches in diameter and 16 inches long. The electric splitter moved in on the wood, dented the end about 1/8 inch deep and stalled. Tried several times and never got any kind of a split.

If you are thinking about one of those, try it first from a friend or neighbor or someone before buying. About all it might split would be kindling (maybe).