Actually had the opportunity to try one out at a hardware store with real wood and all and I was very pleasantly surprised by how well it worked on an approximately 8 inch dia. log.

Hey tahclep & turnkey, are you talking about DR elec. splitter or the "Smart Splitter" ie. chopstick seperator :)

I was referring to the "Smart (very dumb) splitter".

Harry K

Ed I was talking about the Smart Splitter, people who knock it probably have never even tried it. They also a had one of those small electric powered splitters like the DR but that one was sold by Delta the power tool maker and it was far more useless then the Smart Splitter. You can probably see it on Delta tools web site, several brands sell these electric splitters and they are pretty well all the same and may well all come from the same supplier.

thanks

Tahclep: I am surprised that you think that thing works well. From the pictures it is obvious that a an ax or mall would split it faster and probably easier without all the fooling around getting the billet and the moveable wedge into position.

Harry K

It works well enough for me to consider purchasing one as a gift for my brother who is afflicted with MS and is slowly loosing his motor control. What i noted from the demoes was that it is very easy to use for anyone, it is safe, it is faitrly fast, its real easy on the back, very little danger of injuring any part of your anatomy, uses no power such as gas or electricity, is not noisy, it can be used in a basement, a garage, on a floor, inside or outside. Obviously it has its limitations like anything else, there are some logs you could not split open in one blow as you would with an 8lb maul, but in most cases a few repititions and the job is done. IMHO i is superior to any electric splitter I have seen operate. They are not designed to split 18 inch rounds of course but neither are the electric units. If you have the chance to demo one somewhere do so, you will be pleasantly surprised.

I guess I am coming off a bit too strong. Yes, they obviously do work. From your experience, from the pictures, and from past discussions on other boards they are useful in situations as you describe. Not practical for physically able people outdoors.

Harry K

So no one has any experience w/ the DR electric splitter?
Or any other electric splitter.

EdsAcre, I went to Home Depot and I bought a RYOBI #RY49701 electric log splitter. I have been using a 8 lbs.maul and a wedge to split about 3 cords of oak each year. Compared to the maul and wedge, using the RYOBI splitter sure is easy! I can't compare the electric splitter to a gas splitter because I never used a gas splitter. The electric splitter is quiet, it will split logs 10" in diameter and up to 20.5" in lenght.The only negative that I have found so far is that it's too low. I will build a table to put it on so that it's at a more comfortable working height. I recommend it! Oh year, it was $299. Bobcat.

Thanks bobcat, I'll let father in law know.
You can really split some wood w/ a gas splitter when a couple people are helping. Part of that is because we're renting it & want to get as much wood split in a day as possible.
The less expensive electric that he owns would allow him to split wood when he feels like it.

If the splitter is properly designed to resist the bending and binding forces present when splitting wood and a sufficient electric supply is available, there is no reason an electric splitter wouldn`t work well. I'm even considering converting my gas machine to electric because I hate the noise.

I know that in applications like air compressors, a two horse electric motor is roughly equivalent to a 5 hp gas engine, so I would expect to find a similar relationship on a splitter. I would of course want to use the highest voltage motor practical in my area.

I need to go motor shopping.......

I've used the DR Electric Woodsplitter for 2 years -- and have probably split over 4 cords. It's worked flawlessly, and splits 99% of what I put into it on the first pass (mostly northern hardwoods). On really stringy stuff is can be slow going, but it sure beats the he** out of the old axe and maul. The best part is that my wife can join in the fun, while she was not easily able to split by hand, and was intimidated when I rented the gas monster. I have other DR stuff (the Brush mower) and their service is tops.

Anyone have any experience with pneumatic splitters? Just curious. It seems like it would be more efficient. Norm

I cut and split at least 10 cords a year. After going through several "toy" splitters, I bought a tractor and a PTO driven Hydrolic splitter. I can sit and split for hours ... splits everything with ease ... :-)

"Anyone have any experience with pneumatic splitters? Just curious. It seems like it would be more efficient. Norm"

Never heard of one. Doesn't sound workable to me as air driving a piston won't develop anywhere near the pressure a hydraulic pump will. A splitter (cylinder type) requires pressures in the 10 ton and up range to be efficient. Air works on volume at (normally) low pressure, i.e., 100 psi would be on the high end of the range for a home compressor. While I suppose you could build a big enough cylinder to develop 10 ton operating pressure it would be huge and very slow operating.

Harry K

There are a few companies who manufacturer air actuated hydraulic cylinder splitters. Check on the net.

I'm gonna have to check that out. Sounds interesting.

Harry K

Here is one model of air activated hydraulic 12 ton log splitter. It does require 4 cfm @ 90 psi to activate the hydraulic cylinder.

Here is a link that might be useful: East coast mini splitter

Kinda hard to see the operating principle. No descriptive text, from the picture plus the picture on the 'upgrade' it looks like they hook the air up for rapid extension of the cylinder until splitting begins and then you have to use the jack handle to complete it.

There is no way that a 90psi air supply is going to produce 12 ton splitting force using that jack.

Hardly what I would call an air operated splitter. Even the name has "manual" included.

Harry K

I and my wife have been using a DR electric log splitter for 2 or 3 years. It is actually electric hydraulic and is very powerfull and easy to use. We have five acres of trees, mostly fir and western hemlock. The DR has never failed us. Once in a while a big not will hang us up but we just use a prybar to loosen it and try again at a different angle. We have it on the front floor of the wood shed which is elevated about 2ft so the splitter is at a comfortable height for use. We love it and always recommend it to others. We are in our late seventies so an axe is out of the question for us.

Anyone using the Ryobi electric log splitter at Home Depot?

mktsurf, I am. Bobcat.

armeg,

Your recommendation is very solid, my interest rises, I am 66 and can still swing a maul, but who wants too? My big concern is I'll miss the log and end up hitting myself.

I also see less expensive electric splitters at places like "Harbor Freight". These units all come from China, but I bet the DR does as well, don't know, maybe DR still builds in the USA, I hope so, that would be another incentive to buy the DR. I think the unit at Harbor Frieght is under $200.

Jerry NJ; If you have a Home Depot close by, you can get the RYOBI for $299. The DR, RYOBI, and the one from Harbor Freight all look like they came from the same factory in China. The only difference between them is the wheel and handle setups, and they are different colors. The RYOBI is a very well made unit, so I guess anyone of the brands would be a good choice. Bobcat.

Bobcat,

Thanks, this could be the affordable log splitter I've been looking for, I did have doubts that it would work at all.

I owned an electric log spliter > It was the best I ever used including gas models > I have not owned it for about 12 years now but used it for 8 years before it was sold > Bad thing here is I do not recall the brand but it was mostly blue with yellow trim and writing > This unit split in both directions And had power that was unreal > I also had to build a stand for it as was to close to the ground > I split around 7 cords a year and some of this was a good 2 foot thick > Some bigger > It was capable of pushing a 4 inch nought? sidewas through the log > Thats power > never once did it blow a 20 amp breaker > This spliter worked so well I could keep my tean aged son sweating > Sorry I can not recall the name but i do recall the big word was (flow) something in big yellow words > I became handycaped or I would still own it >

Hi all,

Well, I see that this old message thread got revived by the above post. Incidentally, I was intrigued by several of the Chinese splitters, including the diesel-powered one. A diesel splitter was a new one on me.

There's no doubt that, bang-for-buck, the Ryobi electric 4-ton splitter is a good deal, but its 4-ton force is a limitation for some people, including myself. I have some logs larger than 16 inches in diameter and 16 to 18 inches long and I suspect that the Ryobi might have some trouble with them. However, I suspect that the Ryobi could handle maybe 80% of my logs just fine. It's the remaining 20% that caused me to look for more splitting force.

I like the idea of an electric splitter because we could operate it in our closed garage during the winter. I have pretty much settled on the RamSplitter H16 electric version for its 16-ton capacity. The electric option on the H16 isn't on RamSplitter's website yet, but a picture of the very similar 12-ton H12 electric splitter appears in the second picture on that webpage. The RamSplitter H12 electric differs from the H16 electric only in the diameter of the hydraulic cylinder, with a reasonable difference in the price ($869 vs $899).

I haven't decided yet whether to choose the 110-volt or 220-volt wiring option on the H16's electric motor. It's the same physical motor either way. The 220-volt option is more powerful and presumably operates the splitter a bit faster, but we would have to pay to get an electrician to run a 220-volt line to the garage. We're still considering that option. However, I'm leaning toward 110v for now because we can always rewire the motor later to 220v and I already have a 10-gauge 3-wire extension cord for 110v.

With winter behind us, we have some time to make up our minds on this. We considered the DR, the Omega, and the Bachtold 12-ton electric as upgrades to the Ryobi, but settled on the RamSplitter H16 as a capable 16-ton electric that costs "only" $899.

MM

Here is the website for the mini splitter. I just ordered a big wood stove from Hearth Stone the soapstone Mansfield 3.2 cubic ft firebox, 80,000 Btu output. I will need to buy a splitter still not sure if I should go with the Ryobi or one of these hand powered splitters.

Here is a link that might be useful: mini splitter

FYI I own one of the Smart Splitter from AGMA, it works very well on seasoned wood, even large logs 12'' to 20'' in diameter. Green wood takes more work to split. With seasoned wood only two to three hits will split the wood. Lest face it nothing splits wood like a Monster Maul or an elictric or gas powered splitter but it does work well. I have a bad sholder and neck so the smart splitter works well for me. I would recommend it to anyone with back, sholder or neck issues.

Hi all,

Since my post last April, troubling information about Ramsplitter has appeared, and I am very uncertain about ordering one in view of that. We have a nearby Ramsplitter "dealer", but he doesn't have any in stock and wants 50% down to order one in. I may order a Bachtold electric model instead.

MM

We considered the DR electric splitter but since we already own a large air compressor we ended up ordering the 12 ton air/manual minisplitter. It's about half the cost and twice as powerful -- faster cycle time too.

In fact, with the money you'd save you could buy a compressor!

It should arrive later this week.

Morning all, I recently took the plunge and got the 5 ton DR electric Log Splitter, free shipping, 2 year warranty, 6 months "no questions asked" return policy... too good to pass up! Well, I recieved it late in Febuary, and I am sending it back in now, mid march! It seems as though I "blew a seal", at least thats what the tech-support guy said. At first I was blown away with the whole "Hello, this is tech-support... yest you do have a problem, we will get you a new one out monday" kind-a thing! That was a very refreshing change from what most of us have come to expect from tech/customer support! But now that I am waiting for my replacement, I am wondering if I'm going to run into the same problem later on?!

I have a small wood stove, the wood that I purchase (scub oak, mesquite, pinion) is already split (typically in halves) I just split the wood smaller for better heat control! I only purchase small quantities (1/2 cord at a time) due to my limited storage facility, so I make several purchases during "the season".

Again, I am beginning to wonder if perhaps I will have the same problem with my "replacement" splitter when it shows up.... I only got about 1.5 cords cut before it stopped working.... I will follow up when the new machine arrives, and I split another cord or so.

seaz_don,

"It seems as though I "blew a seal"..."

You blew a seal? Does that mean you did something wrong, or that the DR Electric Log Splitter was defective? Just out of curiosity, are you paying for shipping it back, or is DR paying for the shipping? Also, how much trouble was it to get it ready for shipping?

MM

Someone could make an electric splitter pretty easily out of a heavy-duty reveraible motor, some gear reduction and a long screw driving a ram into a wedge. If the gearing is low enough and the motor is big wnough it should split almost anything.

Sherman33

How do you like your 12 ton air/manual minisplitter. Is it a DR or Ramsplitter brand?

I cannot find an ad for it.

Thanks

Shermann33

I found the link to that splitter. It is

http://www.westcoastminisplitter.com/

Thanks

Anyone here tried one of the air compressor powered splitters?

Reply to maineman:

"Did I do something wrong, or was it defective"... you know, thats a damned good question!

Originally I posted that I got the machine in late Feb, that was incorrect... I got it in late January... after getting it, and going over all of the documentation supplied, I put it to work right away. I split the remains of a 1/2 cord, mostly mesquite, no problems! About 2 week's later I got another 1/2 cord of Pinion and Scrub Oak mix... cut that stuff up wonderfully! And last weekend another load of older Oak was deleivered... got half way through the 1/2 cord (about 2 hours running) and the damned thing stopped pushing the wood through the wedge!

I didnt even think to ask the tech support guy if I did something wrong, or was this a "defective unit"... the entire phone call was so quick, and again I was so positively overwhelmed by thier response..."stand-by sir, we'll verify your address & get you another one" taht I hung up the phone and that was it!

You asked about shipping.... they are picking up the tab, they issued a Fed-Ex call tag, the Fed-Ex dude came by Tuesday and now I'm waiting for my new one... probably late next week... they will ship me the new one when the old one arrives at their facility... Absoultly no cost to me at all!

Getting it read to ship back wasnt too bad... I just did what I could with the original box and packing material... they never go back in the box the same way as when they are delivered!

By all means... SAVE YOUR SHIPPING BOX! including the small pallette it came on...

Seaz_don,

Well, it seems that DR's customer service is good so far. Assuming that you get your replacement splitter within a reasonable time. However, the season for wood splitting is rapidly passing.

We had a relatively mild winter and got through OK with the split wood we had on hand, so I didn't buy a log splitter for this season. I still plan to get an electric splitter and keep in the garage.

MM

Per my original question, my father in law did buy the DR splitter & is happy with it. It handles just about anything you can put in it. Some knarly hickory gave it a problem, but nothing broke. Good to hear customer service is good.

I am on the hunt for a good quality log splitter and have my eye on a DR. As a lifelong veteran of the old maul and wedge style of splitting, I feel somewhat ashamed of going the mechanical route, but the idea about getting older is to work smarter, not harder!

Anyway, I purchased a manual 10 ton splitter from Sears last year. I liked the idea of still getting somewhat of a workout without killing my back. Let me tell you folks, the thing worked like a charm for about a month. I was happy as a Meadow Lark watching my wood pile grow and getting some strength back in my arms. Then it started having trouble
getting through some of the larger logs to the point where it wouldn't work at all. Sent it back. Sears replaced it. Same thing happened on the next one. Sears replaced it again. Broke again. They sent a Sears repair guy to investigate. He said I'm putting too large of
logs, even though it's supposed to split up to 24 inches around. The Sears video shows the splitter doing large logs with ease, but it's all straight grained stuff. Not the real world for me. I'm mostly dealing with a southern species known as Live Oak which is dense and twisted.

Even the DR website glossed over its ability to handle Oak. It listed other "hardwoods" like Maple, Beech and Ash, which to me are marshmallows compared to Live Oak, so I have to wonder if there really is anything out there tough enough for my needs, other than a commercial gas driven model.

The reason I bring up the Sears story is because I did some research on hydraulics and the bottom line is that anything made with seals coming out of China is going to bust quickly. American made hydraulic seals are a must on any log splitter worth buying. So my big wonder at this point, do DR products use American made seals? Anyone have an idea?
Thanks!

And by the way, the Sears splitter now stands useless in my woodshed. What should I do with it?

Hi All:

Let me set the record straight. I have one of the Smart Splitters and also a Home Depot Ryobi 4 Ton electric splitter ($299). They work I am splitting red oak, maple and ash. The smart splitter is best for logs about 13 to 16 inches long and about 10 inches round. If youÂre not splitting a lot of wood the Smart splitter would be fine for small logs. What I really use it for is to make small kindling it is super for that. You can do that with an electric or gas splitter and a hand axe is not as good or as safe. The Ryobi will do logs up to 20 inches long and 12 to 15 inches round with no problems. I myself have done logs much bigger around than that. The only down side to the Ryobi is it is slow compared to a bigger gas splitter but it is very quite. If youÂre only doing a couple of cords of wood it will work fine and it takes up very little room when stored. One recommendation use the proper extension cord that Ryobi recommends wire gauge and lengths. Also I run mine off a 20 amp breaker but it says it will work on a 15 amp. The DR splitter should be as good if not a little better than the Ryobi, but I have never tried one. I know they cost a bit more than the Ryobi.

I will be getting a 6 ton DR next week I hope and will post my results and opinion on this thread when it arrives. I'm currently using the 8 ton mini splitter and though it works well, it is very time consuming so I'm looking forward to thr DR's arrival. Stay tuned...

bryan

I recently purchased a Ryobi 4 ton electric splitter. I have so far only oak to split. That tough stringy type. It is still a bit "green" but the splitter has performed beyond My expectations. I knew it wasn't a 24 or 30 ton gas powered rig and would not do all that I have on the ground (4 trees), But, I only wanted it to do most of it. It has split some that was at least 18" dia. and stalled on some smaller stuff. Depends on the piece. Man, this thing is a work saver. I expect it will do some of the earlier tried pieces after they season awhile in our hot Fla. summer weather. On a few large ones, 24" or so, I sledged in a wedge to crack it and then split it on the Ryobi. Seems after it is at least in 2 parts, it can be further reduced with the electric. I even put some up in My 12 ton H-frame hydraulic press and got it to crack in two so I could then use the Ryobi. That is some excessive moving around of the logs so it won't be My first choice. HD has them now @ 269.00 which is what I paid going the fact. recon. thru CPORyobi.com. Free shipping thru Christmas was the clincher. HD website said none in any local stores at the time and I was there a few days ago and saw one on display at the reduced price. Oh well!!

Hi everybody, Well as i can see people sharing their experience of buying log splitters. As far as I know , main problem is a difference between electric and gas powered log splitters. Yes Electric Log Splitters mainly very useful for household use, or in garage. For smaller job you can use, manual log splitters. And for splitting big woods you can use, gas powered log splitter with big ram force like 16 ton and up, they have ability to split heavier and larger logs.
I think the good one to have at home for house hold use is electric log splitter, so you can handle whatever job you have regarding your stove, moreover if you have outside job like cutting trees or something relevant you can get help of your electric log splitter.
Regarding working quality check with warranty, refund policy and mainly product features. After determining your main purpose of buying log splitter get something with average specification so that you can use for some smaller or bigger tasks.

Here is a link that might be useful: log splitter

I am on my second DR 5 ton wood splitter. The first one worked about 30 hours then it leaked out all the hydraulic fluid, seal DR replaced as it was under warranty. The replacement just failed again same problem. I have not called them but it prob won't do any good as my 2 years warranty are up. Stay away from these. for $500 bucks I expected a little more than 30-50 hours of use. Absolute Junk!. I do give credit to DR for replacing the machine under warranty but this is ridiculous I use it once a year when I receive my load of logs to cut and split for winter burning other wise it stays inside covered in climate controlled basement. Only splits wood 10-12 inch thick and maybe 16-18 inches long if there are no knots and the wood is straight. Will never buy a DR product again!

I have used a 2 hp electric splitter (not a Dr) for about 6 years. I have used it hard, splitting 5 to 8 cords annually and it just broke - the hydraulic pump went out. It easily split most everything I threw at it - including 24" wide pine, fir and spruce although it was only rated up to 10" diameter. I bought it because of the quiet electric motor, no fumes, ease of use, small size for storage, etc. I knew it wouldn't last many years and believe the 5+ years of use I did get out of it justified the price I paid. I am looking for a new one and that is why I am responding to this post. Not to sure about the 'two handed operation for safety' on the new models I see advertised - I liked using one hand operation and using my other hand for balancing the too large a log! Are there any one hand operation models? Or an easy way to modify for one hand operation?

Yes I have and I'm not too happy! I have a 6 ton 2 speed DR I purchased back in October of '06. Very limited use. This last week I needed to re-split 3 cord I finally found from a cutter for my stove. Chunks were to large for this stove. About a 1/2 cord into this pile my splitter flat lost its best busting pressure. The slower speed is its higher pressure. I go on-line and Chat twice, then called to speak to someone who might assist with knowledge about the problem and a corrective action. Well parts, like seals and gaskets are not even available! And, DR doesn't even have a 6 ton anymore. A small, low sitting 5 or a trailerable 10 ton...yes. Big bucks for the latter ones,
Not to be discouraged I went on-line and spent 12 hours over a 2 days period looking for parts to this model/ design. The closest looking design was a Ryobi where the fluid resevoir is in the main body. The pump and valve are all part of this certain configuration and I could not locate ANYTHING! It's possible one option would be to buy the whole 'Main body' separately. But, this idea, along with horrendous freight charges I'm not considering!
It still works if I fiddle with the faster speed/ lower pressure right close the piece. But that old, once impressive and worth bragging about busting ability is gone! I even spoke with a DR mechanic from a distributor and he admitted DR was terrible about not stocking parts...least wise for splitters.
I went looking for another one splitter but I'm pretty bummed about these electrics if you can't repair the hydraulics with the things. Since '06 Ive purchased a couple skid steers for my snow removal business. I have an order in for a skid steer mounted splitter. I know, not everyone has this option and they still burn expensive fuel. But, it's simpler with just a ram, a valve and the equipments hydraulics. But, I'm staying away from the electrics. They do work, though...for awhile. Then you have nothing but a big piece of iron laying around. Repair stations will tell you the cost to repair a hydraulic issue isn't worth the money! That's what I was told!

I have owned a DR 5 ton electric splitter for about 15 years, split a lot of firewood with it, worked great, but finally needs some seals, just looking for someplace to repair it, or I will take it apart myself and see what I can do, purchased another one this spring ... never hurts to have a spare if I can fix the old one....