Splitter advice

[Bolt]

1 hour ago, RobInNorfolk said:

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.

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.

 

No experience of these spitters, however, this seems painfully slow considering ( or maybe because of some of the piddling little logs) being split…..

 

******Danger…. Watch this with the sound off!******
 

 

 

 

[Bolt]

However, these ol’ boys have a more reasonable class of logs…

 

 

….that seem to indicate that on longer logs, there may be the efficiencies you suggest.

 

Every day’s a school day.

 

 

[Stubby]

3 minutes ago, Bolt said:

However, these ol’ boys have a more reasonable class of logs…

 

 

….that seem to indicate that on longer logs, there may be the efficiencies you suggest.

 

Every day’s a school day.

 

 

On the double ended one he is wasting a stroke . Split it once and the rotate both split bits together as if they were still one log and split again . That way you get 4 logs with 2 passes instead of 3 passes . Its what I do with mine anyway .

[Bolt]

32 minutes ago, Stubby said:

On the double ended one he is wasting a stroke . Split it once and the rotate both split bits together as if they were still one log and split again . That way you get 4 logs with 2 passes instead of 3 passes . Its what I do with mine anyway .

Indeed stubby, I totally agree.

 

As an aside, If  I remember correctly, yours is a ‘special’ isn’t it?

[Stubby]

22 minutes ago, Bolt said:

Indeed stubby, I totally agree.

 

As an aside, If  I remember correctly, yours is a ‘special’ isn’t it?

I made it into a legal road tow that's all , I think . 

[Bolt]

6 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I made it into a legal road tow that's all , I think . 

I thought it was something like that.

 

I struggle to get anything that doesn’t rapidly get modified to meet my particular needs!

[Stubby]

4 minutes ago, Bolt said:

I thought it was something like that.

 

I struggle to get anything that doesn’t rapidly get modified to meet my particular needs!

Oh yea I made it single handed as well . Just struck the swively handle that operates the ram with lightening and jobs a goodun . 

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Stubby

[Gav73]

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.
 

If you want to have a chat about the pros and cons of the 1m length compared to the 22 ton venom, just send me a message [emoji1303]

[Bolt]

On 03/02/2022 at 14:22, Gav73 said:

I’ve used a dual way splitter and to be honest I wasn’t that impressed - as someone said earlier you need two people to reap the benefits.

 

I take it the dual way is only horizontal… do you reckon that having the vertical option is that important?

 

Tbh, the 22t venom seems to be the go-to model for the serious domestic user with a proper log addiction….. Don’t want to blow my wedge on a horizontal only splitter only to be jealous of all them vertical boys.

[Peasgood]

3 hours ago, RobInNorfolk said:

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.

An Oxdale would do that easy enough. I have had several splitters over the years and really rate the Oxdale, mine worked just off the tractor hydraulics and unless you have a tiny vintage tractor they are quick enough. My current splitter is very good and very expensive but would still say Oxdale for that quantity and wish I had kept mine as a backup/spare. I sat mine on a big table or even on the trailer deck and ran it off extension pipes from the tractor so it wasn't actually on the 3 point linkage. I would advise fastening it in place somehow but I never did.