Wood Splitter

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Looking for a wood splitter. Some years ago, my grandparents used a commercially-made, mechanical woodsplitter which was basically a hydraulic jack mounted sideways in a frame capable of surviving the pressures inherent in splitting wood. My grandmother used this device in her kitchen, close-up to the hearth. I have researched Lehman's, Whole-earth, local 'fleet-farm', and have drawn a blank. Please advise. Many, many THX!!!

-- Joseph Snyder (joe_snyder@nps.gov), October 15, 1999

Answers

It should be easy to weld up one. Most bottle jacks (hydraulic) don't have much stroke/rise to them, and some won't work on their sides, therefore you are limited to length of wood and design of a splitter. Depending on the kind of wood one is splitting, I find wood splitting kind of invigorating myself. If I had much to do, I would want a tractor model. Good luck in locating a splitter. Have you checked with Northern Hydraulics online catalog? Seems that I've seen one in there. I don't have the url, but a search should find it.

-- greenbeanman (greenbeanman@ourtownusa.net), October 16, 1999.

Here you go; http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/taf/DisplayItem.taf?ItemNumber=33956 I've been thinking about buying one myself......let me know if you buy it and how it works please. Thank you.

-- Jason Youngblood (youngblood1@mindspring.com), October 17, 1999.

In the southern Appalachians the rental stores have gas engine and PTO take-off splitter for rent. If you plan your cutting right you can do a winter's worth in a weekend. Vertical splitters are easier on your back, you don't need to lift the logs.

-- Kendy Sawyer (sweetfire@grove.net), October 21, 1999.

Look at www.minisplitter.com, too. Their unit is vertical, but could probably by used in a horizontal position.

-- Kevin Blanc (blancs@us.net), February 27, 2001.

We took a chance on one we saw at Big Lots last fall. It was $99.00. It is kind of a cross between a cross country ski exercise machine and a woodsplitter. Alternately moving the long handles back and forth causes the hydraulic jack to move forward and press the log against the mounted wedge. We are pretty pleased with it. It does the job.

It is not any faster than splitting with an axe, but it is easier and safer, too. If you are back where you can operate the handles, no part of you can be near the wedge end. And it operates kind of in slow motion (a lot like me!).

-- Lori in SE Ohio (klnprice@yahoo.com), February 27, 2001.



I built a splitter using a hydraulic bottle jack, like the products sold on the internet. It works well enough, although it is slow. Sure beats swinging a maul! I welded a pipe to a base plate in the vertical position, drilled holes in the pipe to adjust the wedge height. Welded two pieces of 1/4" angle for the wedge, and the welded that wedge to a larger section pipe that would slide onto the vertical pipe. Placed a 6 ton bottle jack under the log with a plate, and pumped it into the wedge. It works.

-- (lawnrake@yahoo.com), May 25, 2001.

I've been collecting parts to build a 12vdc splitter which I'll power with my truck... got the pump and reservoir off a commercial truck gate, big cylinder for a ram, manual hand switch and an I- Beam/wheels/axle to mount it all on. I've no idea if the pump will be strong enough but it can't hurt to try. Anyone ever build a 12vdc splitter?

cheers,

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), May 25, 2001.


No doubt about it Max, I am sure you can build you 12vdc splitter. The nice thing about hydraulics is that even a little pump will do a big job, it just takes longer. Sounds like you designing your own? I saw a good portable (which was driven by tractor hydraulics) the guy who made it had arranged the wedge to move in a horizontal direction along a beam. He built the thing with the wedge downside of the beam which meant he only had to roll the block of wood into position and split it while it was still on the ground, saved a lot of lifting!

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), May 26, 2001.

We love our hand driven hydrolic splitter. I can split quite a bit in a short time and still hear the birds and other sounds of nature while doing it. I am 57 years old and I believe I will be able to use it as long as I have use of arms and legs. The maul was getting a bit heavy :>).

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), May 26, 2001.

Well, the 12vdc splitter has been designing itself... whatever semi- useful parts which happen to come my way. My designing has been limited to "hey, that might work for a splitter" :)

Cheers and thanks,

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), May 27, 2001.



Just one idea Max, it might be a good idea to make it double-acting so that if the wedge get jammed in a knotty bit you can use the power to pull it out, jut a thought.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), May 27, 2001.

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