Kinetic splitter - Rock Machinery or Forest Master?

[smokingdragon]

Guys

Looking at buying an electric splitter for domestic use. My wood is all self felled or windfall from my own woodland. Mostly Alder and Oak with a bit of Ash. My budget is about £5 -600. I think a kinetic type should do, the biggest rounds are about 500mm in diameter and I cut them at about 300mm long as that fits the fire box.

So the 2 brands that seem to offer the best value are Forest Master and Rock Machinery. Anyone have recommendations?

Cheers.

 

[Silverhooker]

Get a good maul , splitting axe and some wedges, it will save you money and give some exercise. I got a wee splitter for domestic use and hardly used it, by the time I hauled it out the shed and got everything set up I could be 1/2 way thru the pile manually.

Get a good set up with a tall splitting block and you really don’t need a splitter. IMHO.

The key is to have a set up where you handle the wood as little as possible and don’t do too much bending, a pickeroon is a god send.

[smokingdragon]

Thanks but been there and got a maul etc but splitting 4 or 5 pallets worth is heavy going and my aim is split most of it in a day and at my age tweeks and strains take a lot longer to recover from and then stops me cutting more wood.

[rapalaman]

I had the portek impact splitter and didn’t get on with it. Quite fast on the right logs but failed on a lot and was uncomfortable on the hands in use. Went for a much slower Clarke vertical splitter for the stuff the X25 didn’t do or when my energy levels were getting low

[trigger_andy]

Kinetic Splitters look crap. Either get a regular petrol splitter or use your maul.

[Haironyourchest]

A family member has a 5.5hp petrol one, Jensen I think. It's fast on straight grained stuff. Not so hot on knotty. He rates it highly, personally I can't, as never tried it.

 

Vertical electric hydraulic for me. Cheap, reliable. Slow, but there are ways to offset that. Use a wide wedge, build a bigger deck, modify the handles. 

[Gav73]

I have an old kinetic splitter that only comes out when I’ve forgotten how much I detest it.

When it was new I loved it, it was very quick. But it also very quickly became a problem too. If the wood is gnarly in any way, the ram will soon get knackered, as will the rack and pinion. Mine went through 3 rams before I chucked it into the corner of a shed. All the bolts lose their thread because of the jolting and it’s a very uncomfortable working height.

It’s also worth noting mine is lethal with a severe design flaw, it’s got two levers, one as a safety and the other for engaging the ram. The safety lever lives above the ram housing and is only small. It doesn’t take much to slip off and have your hand going where the ram is firing out of!

Much better with a hydraulic, it will last longer, yes it will be a little slower, but you won’t be spending as much time on repairs, maintenance or down A&E

[smokingdragon]

Looks like its hydraulic then!

Any preference Forest Master or Rock?

 

[maybelateron]

Regarding kinetic splitters my understanding is that these are only for use on seasoned timber; something to be aware of?

[Gav73]

Looks like its hydraulic then!
Any preference Forest Master or Rock?
 

Rock [emoji1303]