Splitter advice

[Gav73]

I started off on an electric splitter. It was good, but I did find it a little slow and limiting for the arb waste I get - the lack of power was the biggest issue. Fine if the grain was straight, but any knotty stuff slowed me right down, with arb waste you can’t be picky - and knotty stuff makes damn good firewood!

To put it into context, I can do at least a cube an hour with my current splitter and nothing stops it.

[Paul in the woods]

On 03/02/2022 at 12:27, RobInNorfolk said:

 

This one from Rock Machinery splits in both directions which seems an obvious advantage but as this isn’t the commonest design I’d appreciate any views and experiences on the pros and cons. Also any other advice on splitters you like.

 

What length logs do you need? That dual splitter says max 22" log, so that would be 11" when you're doing two logs? My fire takes 20"  logs and they're much easier to stack at that length to season. 

 

I'd also like larger and more robust rails down either side of a splitter to hold the logs on once split so you can split the pieces again.

[FoxWoodAgri]

4 hours ago, Gav73 said:

Now this isn’t a dig at you in the slightest, but for the OP who is looking for a log splitter and suggestions/advice, getting a link to expensive processors wasn’t what the thread was about.

Can we get the thread back on track and help the OP?
 

Hi Gav73,

Thank you for the Feedback - appreciated.

I have now amended my adverts so that the word Log Splitter has been removed.

My last post in this thread (before I found myself in that fire fight) was replying to sandspider and was relevant to the original poster - pointing towards the "Mignon" range of Log Splitters supplied by Davies Implements in Wales. They are great log splitters

[Stere]

By thor in italy being around for yrs

 

THOR di Ricca - Busca (Cuneo)

WWW.THOR-ITALY.COM

---

Thor di Ricca Andrea snc - Busca (Cuneo) - Spaccalegna, verricelli,

 

 

 

 

 

 

[muttley9050]

22t rock road tow here too. Great machine and well priced.

[Gav73]

Hi Gav73,
Thank you for the Feedback - appreciated.
I have now amended my adverts so that the word Log Splitter has been removed.
My last post in this thread (before I found myself in that fire fight) was replying to sandspider and was relevant to the original poster - pointing towards the "Mignon" range of Log Splitters supplied by Davies Implements in Wales. They are great log splitters

I had a look at the mignon range, after I searched and found the website for Davies Implements - adding a picture and not a link seemed a bit strange.

I did a comparison between the Thor trailed Petrol multiuse log splitter and my Rock 22, there’s a huge difference.

Lots of fiddling about with settings, moving parts etc on the Thor and a huge deficit of 5 tons of force as well as the diameter restrictions. The Rock splitter is just fired up and ready to go.

Do you know if they are still supplying splitters as the link to the price list was dated 2019 and doesn’t work anymore?

[Stere]

Why do the thor ones have thoose restrictions on  the max. splitting for EU models?

 

 

 

 

[FoxWoodAgri]

39 minutes ago, Gav73 said:

 

I had a look at the mignon range, after I searched and found the website for Davies Implements - adding a picture and not a link seemed a bit strange.

I did a comparison between the Thor trailed Petrol multiuse log splitter and my Rock 22, there’s a huge difference.

Lots of fiddling about with settings, moving parts etc on the Thor and a huge deficit of 5 tons of force as well as the diameter restrictions. The Rock splitter is just fired up and ready to go.

Do you know if they are still supplying splitters as the link to the price list was dated 2019 and doesn’t work anymore?

 

 

[FoxWoodAgri]

Hi - a few years back I tried a stand up version at one of my friends yards ( much older mignon model-electric ) he could set it to just touch the log ring to split and then return to just above the ring height- this feature made it quite quick…… believe it was a rated as a 7 or 12 ton -we could not find a piece of wood that it could not split during the day - I liked it.

Believe but do not quote me that the Thor brand are Italian.

I would not know about current prices or availability- interested parties would need to call the supplier but imagine they will be comparably more expensive than a Rock one - I Hope this helps a bit 😀

[RobInNorfolk]

6 hours ago, TuscanPhil said:

OP, no one seems to have asked you - how much are you splitting per year?  You've said it's for domestic use, so are you looking at 5m3, 10m3 or 20m3 or more?  Over the course of a year, I probably consume around 15-20m3 as I have a log boiler heating system and also a stove in my lounge.  I've 'made do' with a 'small' electric 6 ton machine and this works plenty fast enough.  You need time to move your unsplit logs to the machine, split them, then throw them into a pile.  At some stage, you need to get more logs closer and possibly move or stack your split pile.  You'll also want to stop for a coffee probably.  ha ha.

 

 

I tend to do about 1-2m3 per month (typically split over 1 or 2 days - a morning here, an afternoon there) over the course of the year, so not all at once, plus it gives a progressive seasoning to my logs and I burn from oldest to newest.

Probably 15-20m3 a year I would guess. Moving back to the farm from central-heated later this year so time will tell. We have recently had a good thinning in the wood though so there's a pile to get through and I'd like to do it quickly and efficiently. Electricity won't be an option in terms of working in the wood / yard unfortunately.

5 hours ago, Paul in the woods said:

What length logs do you need? That dual splitter says max 22" log, so that would be 11" when you're doing two logs? My fire takes 20"  logs and they're much easier to stack at that length to season. 

Our kitchen wood-burner takes 11" lengths max and an open fire can take twice that, so I've been mixing between 11" logs and splitting into IBCs and 44" billets and stacking in the wood for cross cutting later. All splitting by hand so far. Not sure which is more efficient but the billets seem more satisfying! I'm quite tempted to go for a 1m length spitter for billets.

 

Surely with a 22" log you can load it one side of the wedge, split and then load a new one, or one of the halves, for the return journey? I don't see why 11" would be the limit. Or do you mean loading two 11" lengths to split in one pass?

 

Going back to power source, I think petrol seems the way to go but am seeing both PTO and tractor hydraulic options as alternatives. I don't fancy revving the tractor to get the PTO RPMs up which I assume I'd have to.

 

Many thanks to everyone offering their experience. It's much appreciated. Especially as you can see I'm pretty confused about what's going to be the best option.