Take a look at the Ryobi electric splitter at Home Depot. It has 4 ot 5 tons of ram force and might be able to split most of your logs. Any that it can't handle you could use your sledge and wedge on.

MM

I doubt the Ryobi will have much impact on oak. It will be very slow if it has enough power

For oak you'll neeed a heavy duty splitter. You might consider renting one.

Dmullen,

I agree with the others that oak is tough to split and that cheap splitters are likely to have trouble. You will also find it tough going manually splitting it. The "10-ton" manual hydraulic splitter would be slow, tiring work at best, and some people have had problems with leaking hydraulic seals with those cheap manual units.

If you have an ongoing supply of this "free" oak, it might be worth your while to purchase a more capable splitter than the Ryobi. I mentioned the Home Depot Ryobi merely because you mentioned the low price of $200, which I took to mean as low a price as possible.

A good electric splitter will cost $869 for the 12-ton electric Ramsplitter or $899 for the 16-ton electric model, and if you want the four-way splitting wedge accessory (take a look at the movies of it in action on the RamSplitter website), that would be another $100. I'm planning on getting the H16 electric 16-ton model for myself, and I'll probably get the 4-way accessory wedge as well.

If this free oak wood was a one-time only thing, you might consider renting a splitter, gas or electric.

MM

Thanks for the responses.

Looks like I should just rent a splitter because I have no guaranteed supply of wood. Just seem to always find "free wood" signs in front of houses and get it that way. This wood came from a friend who had a very large oak tree and many others cut down. I didn't have room for all of it so it went to the landfill. I took all the oak though.

Last week, I inquired about renting a splitter. It is $98 per day.

At that rate, it might pay to buy one if I get more wood over the next few years. So far, I seem to come by a large load of free wood every year.

After I looking at log splitters over the last several days and saw two nice ones at Lowes.

One was a 22 ton "Brave" brand discounted for clearance at $900 (Down from $1200) and a 27 ton Troy-Bilt that looks even better at $1300. It looks better because it has metal hydraulic lines instead of rubber. The engines are similar.

I have heard a lot of people who aren't too impressed with the Troy Bilt brand name so there may be something I cannot see about this splitter.

Dmullen,

It would be quite a chunk of wood that required 27 tons of force to split it. I'm choosing the 16-ton electric splitter that I mentioned in the message above because electric splitters are relatively quiet, vibration-free, and they don't make gas fumes so we can operate it inside the garage during the winter and keep the garage door closed for comfort. Since it is electric you could even bring it inside and put it near the fireplace if there was room there. Well, the wife might not go for that. (grin)

We'll keep the splitter handy right beside our indoor wood pile in the garage. We can do some splitting there and, when we need some more kindling or smaller pieces of wood, we could just split a bigger piece into several smaller pieces at the touch of a switch. The sound of the electric splitter won't wake anybody up. The 16-ton electric RamSplitter is priced the same as the 22-ton Brave at Lowes. Here is a picture of it.

{{gwi:314046}}

MM

maineman

Thanks for the response and the photo. Our local Lowes does not stock those but I will ask if they can order one.

The wood I will be splitting has been cut into pieces that are each less than a foot thick. The tree diameter was about 24".

The tree service cut them into thinner pieces so I could lift them into my truck.

We have the Brave 34 ton model. I have nothing but good things to say about it. One thing I would look for is horizontal/vertical setup. If you swing the beam in an upright position, it's much easier to split larger logs.

Andy

Electric is nice if you have a place to plug it in. If you're ever gonna be in woods splitting, an electric splitter is gonna need a heckuva long extension cord. I'd be hesitant to use one in the snow or on wet ground as well due to shock risk. You can load the split wood without having to cut into pieces smaller than 16 inches if you split the wood on-site. The smaller the pieces are cut, the more the waste in sawdust

A gasoline engine powered splitter can go pretty much anywhere. As to cost, if you rent one once a year like you were saying, it'd take 15-20 years to pay the same as buying one of the quality you'd be renting and have no maintenance or storage costs.

If you do buy one, rest assured the value really doesn't go down. I've been to auctions where 10 yr old splitters bring as much as new. I know 'cause I've been lookin' for a steal at an auction for about 5 years.

Good luck whichever way you go

I went to Home Depot today and they had one of their rentals in the lot. It is towed behind a car and very heavy.

The employee said that he could lift it and move it around on level ground but I have to take it down a long slope and cannot get a vehicle around the house to get it down there.

I don't want to haul all that wood up to the front yard again just to split it and at the speed that the ram runs on that machine, I think it might take a couple of days to split all this wood.

It is a pile about 3 ft. high, 3 ft. wide, and 40 feet long. Don't know how many cords that is but it looks like something that might take a while to split.

It was way heavier than the Brave or Troy-Bilt.

Do you have a decent size lawn mower? Pull it with that.

I just have two reel type mowers. One is a 20 inch and the other a 27 inch and neither one would pull that splitter.

Maybe a regular rental lot would have a lighter weight machine or it might even pay to buy something since I have so much wood and seem to get more wood every year.

Dmullen,

"Our local Lowes does not stock those but I will ask if they can order one."

Lowes might be able to order one, but RamSplitter normally sells direct. Their prices include shipping, except there is a $45 charge to ship to Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, Maine, or Washington. Since I live in Maine, I will be paying that $45 shipping charge. I will order directly from the RamSplitter online store.

The electric version of the H16 is not listed on their website yet, but RamSplitter's Doug Davidson says it is available and its price is the same as the H16-1 at $899. It is identical to the $869 H12 electric except the H16 has a 3½" diameter hydraulic cylinder instead of the 3" cylinder on the H12. I think an extra 4 tons of ram force for $30 is a good deal. You can get the H16 electric with either a 110-volt 1.5hp motor or a 220-volt 2hp motor. It's the same physical motor, but is wired differently for the 220-volt version. The cost is the same for either 110v or 220v.

You can order it by phone at 1-866-967-1965 and speak to Doug Davidson or order it online and just specify 110v electric or 220v electric in the Comments area of the online order form.

I plan to get the 110-volt version because that's what we have in the garage at the present time. But it is my understanding that if I need to at some later time, the owner can change the wiring connections on the motor to upgrade its performance to a 220-volt 2hp configuration. If the 110-volt 1.5hp version performs adequately for me, I will leave it in that configuration. I have a 10-gauge 100-foot extension cord that I can use to split wood "out in the woods."

"The wood I will be splitting has been cut into pieces that are each less than a foot thick. The tree diameter was about 24". The tree service cut them into thinner pieces so I could lift them into my truck."

If I understand this correctly, you might have use for the optional four-way add-on wedge to cut your 12-inch logs that are 24 inches in diameter into four pieces at a time. The four-way wedge is shown in action in the movies on the RamSplitter page that I linked to above. Its price is $100 extra. If you have questions about the 4-way wedge, you can ask Doug Davidson by phone or by email at the address given on the RamSplitter website.

MM

100' of 10-guage must be a brute to drag around. Even with that, I suspect the motor might overheat or trip the breaker if wired for 110. Do you have room on your panel to install a 220 circuit?

I couldn't find the 4 way video on the Ramsplitter site.

Also was wondering why an electric powered splitter costs the same as a gas powered one.

Seems like an electric motor would be a lot cheaper than a gas one if we were buying a motor.

Canguy,

The 10-gauge electric cord is about equivalent to a garden hose to pull around. I don't consider it a problem, but I probably should get a reel for it. I probably should also get a reel for our garden hose.

The 1.5hp 110v motor draws 17 amps. RamSplitter said they have not had problems with theirs on a 20-amp circuit. But that wasn't with a 10-gauge extension cord. The garage currently has a 20-amp circuit. I don't know if our panel has room for another 220 circuit.

There is a 220 circuit in the wash room, for the electric dryer, and another in the kitchen, for the electric stove. It would be handy to have 220 in the garage. Maybe I'll ask an electrician about that. It would be even handier if the garage had 220 on an indoor/outdoor box.

MM

Is there a difference between an extension cord for a 110 volt line and one for a 220 circuit?

I have both but to use an electric tool of any kind in my yard, have to use my 10/3 100 ft. cord.

Dmullen,

"I couldn't find the 4 way video on the Ramsplitter site."

Scroll down on this page to where it says in red, "To see this model in action click on the images below."

There are two movie files there, a WMV and an MPG. Clicking on the WMV runs the movie in the Windows Media Player and clicking on the MPG runs the movie in a smaller QuickTime screen. That presumes that you have Windows Media Player and Apple QuickTime on your system. If you view much online video, you probably have both.

"Seems like an electric motor would be a lot cheaper than a gas one if we were buying a motor."

Umm. I dunno. A big high quality continuous duty 2hp electric motor can cost a bit. You might want to ask RamSplitter about that and see what they have to say. Apparently they think the electric motor that they use is about equal in value to the 5.5 HP Briggs that they use.

MM

Dmullen,

"Is there a difference between an extension cord for a 110 volt line and one for a 220 circuit?"

I think the 220-volt cord has an appliance-style connector that is different from the grounded connector on the 110-volt cord.

You might be able to convert the 110/3 100-foot cord to 220 by changing out the end connectors, but I think I would just go to an electrical supply place to get a premade outdoor 220-volt extension cord. You wouldn't want any sloppy wiring if the cord was lying in damp grass.

MM

Dmullen,

It's possible that an electrical supply place could supply you with converters to plug onto your 110/3 100-foot cord to enable it to function as a 220v 3-wire cord.

I'm planning on starting with 110 volts on my H16 electric RamSplitter and, if I run into problems, convert it to 220 volts. I think the motor comes with instructions for doing that, or RamSplitter can supply the instructions.

MM

maineman

Thanks for the link to the 4 way splitter video. Looks like that would be worth getting because it should save a lot of time.

Dmullen,

I plan to spend the extra $100 to get the 4-way splitting wedge. I have a lot of work for it. And it's easily removed for when you want to do a 2-way split. I've got several large trees on the ground now that I haven't bucked into logs yet and a few more large trees that need to be felled. I've got some chainsaw work to do.

I have been cutting our downed trees into 16-inch logs, because that's kind of a standard length, but since both our upstairs stove and our downstairs stove will accept 18-inch sticks easily, I have started cutting off 18-inch logs. I use a dolly to help move them around because they can be a bit hefty to wrestle with, but when I get them split up, they will fill our stoves better.

MM

To each is own, but for me spending $1,000 - $1,500 on a new log spilter in order to save money by burning wood seemed counterintuitive, and a foolish waste of MY money.

So I started looking in my local bargin finder paper for months for a used one. I found this one for $200 years ago and it has preformed flawless.

Yes, it takes a little longer the other models, but it enjoyable being outside with money in your pockets.

{{gwi:314047}}

Drafted72

That type of splitter is what I have in mind. What brand is it?

I don't want to spend $1000 plus either unless I have to because I am too old to get that much use out of it.

dmullen,

Sorry I do not know the manufacturer and the id tag has worn off.

But please remember, I purchased it USED. It also only has a 5 hp engine on it. But for me that was fine. These things do not get much use from the average homeowner and you barely ever have such a big piece of log that needs more then a 5 hp. If I do, I do not want to lift it.....

For me it is NOT the power that makes a splitter valuable, but the ability to accurately being able to split the log in the exact spot you want to.

I tried looking on ebay, but people bid up the prices too high for log splitters for my taste. So I just kept looking in my local weekly bargain finder newspaper for more then a year until I found something which I would be happy using and thought it was worth it.

Good luck.....

While they are not cheap to rent, you and a helper can split a heck of a lot of wood in a day.

I don't mind the cost of renting as much as the weight of the splitter. It is so heavy that I could only pull it manually on level or near level ground. My wood is in my back yard and there is a slope to get in an out of there.

The used on bought by draft72 looks like a machine that would do the job for me. I am in no particular hurry but would not want to pay $98 a day for several days because at some point, it becomes cheaper just to go buy one.

I have been watching the want ads for quite a while and have not even seen one for sale. I live in Southern California and there is not much wood available here so the need for a splitter is minimal. Most people seen to just buy their wood already split.

This week, I ran an ad under "want to buy" in the local newspapers and hope that over the next few days. someone will come up with one that is just sitting unused in their shed.

Thanks for all your replies.

dmullen,
May I suggest craigslist.org to find a splitter. Most people have bailed on the newspaper and you are already on the web anyway.

chas045

Thanks for the response. After a week of no responses, I went to craigslist and posted an ad. No response there either but it has only been on there for a few days.

The problem is that in Southern CA, there aren't many trees and most people buy their wood already split.

This is my first craigslist ad so I am curious to see how it works out.

Thanks again

With respect to the Ramsplitter, you may want to look at this before dropping any money on it.. Just something I ran across as I was researching options.

http://www.sellcom.com/ramsplitter.html

you're making waaaay too much of a deal over this. 12" long pieces of green oak should split easily with an 8- 10lb splitting maul. 3x3x40= 360 cubic feet, less than 3 cords total. I hand split 3 cords of 24" long cherry by myself and I'm 55 yrs old. Take your time, quit early. Above all, avoid the trap of wasting too much, time/ energy on a stubborn knot. Slice it up with a chainsaw. Rig up some tunes or a talking book and enjoy yourself. The time and labor spent fooling with a splitter is time you could be spending splitting with your own 20$ maul. I can drive across town and borrow one gratis anytime I wish. I dont wish to any more. Its just not worth the trouble,especially if you have to operate yourself.

"you're making waaaay too much of a deal over this......."

I've done it both ways many times, and I can say, that using a log splitter is a much better way to get accurate and precise cuts from a log. Also you can cut a knot out of a piece of wood using a log splitter. You can NOT do that using a maul.

Guy_in_newhouse,

Thanks for that link. I had become aware of it in another thread. That information about the RamSplitter is quite troubling, so much so that I have changed my mind about buying one. I may still get an electric log splitter, but it will be a different brand.

MM

If other folks are like me, their splitter sits in the shed a lot of the time. I don't want to sell it, however, because when I need it, I need it. Why don't you try putting an ad in the paper to rent someoneÂs personal splitter (rather than a tool rental place). There may be a liability issue, but if you can get around that, somebody that has a splitter sitting in the shed might just help you out.
Skip

Several years ago I owned a screw-type log splitter that consisted of a large screw which mounted onto the shaft of a roto-tiller in place of the tines. It was very inexpensive, but performed very well. I don't know if they are still available, but this would be a cheap alternative if you already own a roto-tiller.

My uncle made a splitter out of a forklift pump and ram, driven by a 4 cyl. car motor. It was mounted on an I-beam over an old millitary axle. That thing would crush anything in it's path, I've never bogged it down. Unfortunetly it seems to have "gone missing" a few years ago.

I got that heavy ramsplitter one time but it was just a pain, so I decided to get the electric one and found a very good one. It was worth the money no matter what.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.omegastores.com/omegasplitters.htm

http://www.thestickler.com/

I saw one of these at the state fair several years ago. I have also seen one at a rental store. You replace a wheel on your vehicle with it and use the engine power to drive it. About $300 was the price at the time.
Probably not advisable on a vehicle with limited-slip differential. No oil or gas to fool with. Just block the other wheels of the vehicle. Split the log from the side so that the length of the piece keeps it from moving around.

I did not think the Stickler was still available. Too easy to get hurt.

I watched a neighbor use one of the screw-type splitters years ago and it didn't look dangerous at all. Properly attached and with the vehicle properly supported, (I know.....that's a lot of "properly"), I'd use one. Then again, I tend to think that once the chainsaw is put away the most potentially dangerous part of the whole wood-gathering and wood-prepping operation is over.

I don't understand where the $300 price tag comes from though. For what it is, something on the order of $100 would be more appropriate.....and that's pushing it.

The Stickler is the best 300 bucks you can spend on any splitter. I have one and would not trade it for ANY hydraulic splitter. It's worth every penny.