Log Splitter / Sledgehammer

[trigger_andy]

Electric hydraulic splitters work ok but honestly, an axe is quicker and a quarter the price.

 

I've done 12-15m3 this year, all with axes.  When I get too old I'll get an electric kinetic splitter.

 

Although come to think of it... With my fleet of axes and mauls I could have bought a splitter twice over! ?

Keeps you fit if nothing else. [emoji3]

Im filling a 1.25m3 bag an hour with my wee petrol Splitter. Thats including clogging up with the Chainsaw and driving the logs over to the bag with the lawn tractor and bogie. A 4 way splitting head, a set of tongs to pick the logs up and im hardly breaking a sweat. Saves my back as im not bending over at all. 

[neiln]

Yeah a petrol powered splitter with umph for a four way will go at a decent speed.

I reckon on about 3 hours to hand split and stack a cube when just going steady.  Handballing the splits across the garden and stacking is half that...I dislike the stacking but it's necessary.  If I raced at just splitting I'd do a cube in an hour on easy stuff.  If it's knotty of twisted that slows a lot though!

[Witterings]

It should be a reasonable supply over time but only enough for us to burn in one stove ... I'm not selling it or anything and have large load I'd like to do at the moment to start it seaonong for next year.

 

Longer term I'll probably get a powered one of sorts but have just had so much expense at the house recently just wanted something to get us through this year and then maybe get one next year.

[trigger_andy]

34 minutes ago, neiln said:

Yeah a petrol powered splitter with umph for a four way will go at a decent speed.

I reckon on about 3 hours to hand split and stack a cube when just going steady.  Handballing the splits across the garden and stacking is half that...I dislike the stacking but it's necessary.  If I raced at just splitting I'd do a cube in an hour on easy stuff.  If it's knotty of twisted that slows a lot though!

Cant beat a good bit of hand splitting to vent some frustration.  

 

Do you use a tyre to hold the rounds in? Was gonna do that but got the Splitter instead as its splits in the horizontal and vertical. So great for the big rounds. What it does not split it just smooshes apart, knotty bits and unions etc. 

[neiln]

1 hour ago, Witterings said:

Cheers for all the cmments and glad I asked rather than just buying one.

 

I do have a standard long handle axe I also have an old fashioned maul like the one in this link

 

Title: Mueller Biber Classic Splitting Maul

WWW.GOOGLE.COM

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Found on Google from highlandwoodworking.com

 

In some of the longer round the axe goes in and just gets stuck and just end up fighting to get it released the maul doen't seem to do much better and almost seems to bounce off.

 

Would something like the Fiskars be any  better than the old fashioned one I have???

 

After watching a video, some of the bigger logs I put the axe at the edge of teh log and use a club hammer which has been pretty effective but is very time consuming so was really hoping to improve on that.

 

There's a few things at play here, technique, tools and wood type.   With experience you learn the techniques, and YouTube is great for learning fast. Don't hit the middle hit near the edge, read the grain and go between the knots, flake the outside from big stuff and do on. Then that's t wood type and that's not just species, no 2 trees are the same and without doubt the hardest stuff I've ever tried to split was some ash, normally thought to be amongst the easiest.  If the tree grows in its own in a windy spot it'll be knotty and twisted or even wavy grained and a bitch to split.  You'll learn what wood to avoid.  Then you also need the tool to suit the wood.  The x27 is brilliant.  But it's not good in every wood.  As Buckin' says, take several axes to the wood pile.  Some woods just swallow a thin profile axe, others need a thin profile, some need more weight to a head.   I do 50% of my splitting with the x27.  Hard rounds get a fatter and heavier maul, easy stuff gets rattled through with an x19. I'm currently splitting a couple of straight oaks up which are easy and after the x27 halves the round I'm using a 3.6 lb True Temper Jersey on 28" haft to finish.... If an axe sticks, change technique or try a fatter or heavier axe.  If a maul bounces, sharpen it, change technique, or try a thinner axe.  Normally green wood splits best but if it's swallowing an axe and fizzing wet around it, try letting it dry, it'll probably harden but get brittle.

 

At the end of the day, I'd say get an x25 and learn the tricks 

 

Btw, you'll ruin the axe using it as a wedge, the poll and the eye will distort.

[Dan Maynard]

Cheers for all the cmments and glad I asked rather than just buying one.
 
I do have a standard long handle axe I also have an old fashioned maul like the one in this link
 

Title: Mueller Biber Classic Splitting Maul

WWW.GOOGLE.COM

---

Found on Google from highlandwoodworking.com  
In some of the longer round the axe goes in and just gets stuck and just end up fighting to get it released the maul doen't seem to do much better and almost seems to bounce off.
 
Would something like the Fiskars be any  better than the old fashioned one I have???
 
After watching a video, some of the bigger logs I put the axe at the edge of teh log and use a club hammer which has been pretty effective but is very time consuming so was really hoping to improve on that.
 

If you hammer the back of an axe you will end up distorting the hole and the handle will loosen, it's not a great practice. Better to get a couple of wedges.

The other tip is split everything as green as possible, for example beech is used for chopping boards once seasoned partly because it's hard as hell but splits quite easy green.

[neiln]

I don't use a tyre no, been meaning to grab one for years!  I did try a bungee and they lasted 3 swings before I cut it with the axe, oops.

 

I ought to use a tyre, park a barrow to the side, splits from block/tyre to barrow then to stack.  Currently it's a pickaroon to fetch them from the ground.

[neiln]

Witterings, what wood is it?  Post a few picks if you don't know, it might help us to offer some tips.

 

 

I just remembered another wood that was almost as bad as the ash I had.  Willow.  I know why it's used for cricket bats now.  It's got a very elastic property.  The axe and maul both bounced off coming back at me with a lot of speed!  It dried eventually and split better then.

[Witterings]

Cheers again ... some really useful info and thanks for the comments about using the club hammer on the axe ... have only really done it to try it so far but won't again!!!

 

I'm pretty sure it's ash that I was having the problem with, I did a load of smaller ones with the axe and it was easy ... went through like butter but these are wider approx 12/14" and probably about the same height .... I may try taking the ends off with the chainsaw to make then a bit shorter as 14" won't fit in my burner anyway.

 

Also whilst the axe is sharp I did have  look at the maul and it's as blunt as so have started filing  although I think it's going to kae a while.

 

The Fiskars again .... is there much difference between the 25 and the 27 ..... I'm 5"7 so the smaller would probably be better although you'd obviously get more momentum with the 27.

[Witterings]

Oh and neiln .... yes it is The Witterings I live .... if you're this way again let us know and nip in for a cuppa (or beer ? )if this Covid bitch is out of the way.