Hydraulic log splitter

[Dave and Verity]

Nothing doing on here at the moment so thought I'd share my experiences.

Bought a handy 5 ton splitter from a local hardware shop. Absolutely fantastic piece of kit, so far nothing we've put in it has even made it groan. Have now decided to chainsaw lengths to fit and have bought the same make of circular log saw, will use this to saw the spilt lengths into 3 for our living room burner and 4 for our little squirrel in the dining room.

Logging has just beome a doddle, especially as number one son enjoys using the splitter.

Dave

[Dexter's Shed]

you do realise we want video and pictures

[SimonFisher]

you do realise we want video and pictures

Yep - there's nothing like good quality interesting videos...

[Wendelspanswick]

Avoid seasoned Elm rounds with your splitter at all costs! I have a homemade hydraulic splitter that goes on the back of the tractor that is made from a length of 200mm by 100mm heavy section RSJ and a 4 inch ram. It would split most things without pausing until someone offered me a pile of Elm rounds that had been sat at the back of their wood store for about 10 years. First one I tried put a massive kink in the RSJ!
Had to replace the RSJ and develop a technique of 'nibbling' round the edges of the rounds to break chunks off the outside of the ring.
The noise when splitting Elm still makes be jump, you tentatively feed the wedge into the log until suddenly there is an loud 'bang' and the chunk will fly off.

[Andy & Heather]

We have been considering buying a small log splitter so any recommendations would be welcome. We will be using it for preparing firewood for our two woodburners.

[SimonFisher]

We have been considering buying a small log splitter so any recommendations would be welcome.

We bought an AL-KO 5200L Horizontal Log Splitter (http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/Log_Splitters_and_Saw_Horses/Log_Splitters/AL-KO_KHS_5200_Horizontal_Log_Splitter_.html) three years ago. I've been very impressed - its capability is far in excess of what's advertised.

I've two complaints with it. The first is that it's too low. I'm just over five feet seven tall but I need the splitter raising by about 6 inches. I've done that using a platform that the whole unit sits on. That makes it far more comfortable if using it for any length of time.

The second complaint is that it needs two hands to operate the controls. For safety reasons I assume, with one hand on the power button and the other operating the lever for the ram, both at one end of the machine, your hands are well away from the splitting wedge at the other end. Most of the time that's all very well, but sometimes I want to hold or stabilise a log that I'm about to split. Maybe I want to make the first split off-centre but without holding it, it'll move. I've 'modified' the unit so the power button can be permanently engaged and power controlled instead by a foot-operated pedal switch. That arrangement leaves one hand free to steady a log as the ram moved in.

I've a couple of other enhancements that increase productivity when using it. Maybe next time I have it running I'll shoot some video.

Although I suspect somewhat beyond the intended capacity of the machine, I've recently been using it to split 250mm thick oak rounds of 400mm diameter.

[Dexter's Shed]

found on you tube

http://youtu.be/-OYkkRjIbw8

[SimonFisher]

found on you tube

http://youtu.be/-OYkkRjIbw8

A good demonstration of the point I made about it being too low - see him stooping over! Also notice both his hands go to his left when he wants to activate the ram - one for the power button and one for the hydraullic control lever. Also see that for short-length stuff he keeps a piece of wood in front of the ram. That's because otherwise it takes longer for the ram to get to the piece you're splitting as it retracts back to the start automatically after each split.

[Dave and Verity]

Using it again next weekend, will get pics up.

I think the two handed control thing is universal, mine is the same.

Dave

[Andy M]

re two-handed:-
Usually one controls the hydraulic motor and one controls the return spring. If you are working with an assistant, you can stop the return spring going back to "zero" and so the "spacer" log is not needed. With two people working, splitting can be more than twice as fast and the operator does not have to keep bending over and jobs can be rotated. The most tiring bit is pressing on the hydraulic motor button for several hours - makes my thumb/finger sore!