Log splitter electric/ petrol

[Aled]

I'm in the market for a log splitter, budget of no more than £700 . 

What is the most powerful electric splitter I can get? Also are petrol ones better than electric? ( Up to 8 ton splitting force).

Many thanks 

[eggsarascal]

Personally I’d go petrol, although my ex neighbour had one of the kinetic electric   ones that seemed to work well.

[rapalaman]

I had the Portek kinetic one and hated it so sold it on. Very hard on the wrists and hands. Currently have a Clarke 5.5 ton vertical which is ok but slow. Tend to favour the fiskars x25/27 most of the time but it’s hard manual work and not viable for big quantities 

[NJA]

Maybe keep an eye out for a second hand petrol? Yes they are better than electric broadly speaking.

Rock do some OK electric ones(probably be more than £700 though) but electric wil always be slower as they tend to be heading towards the max they can pull off a domestic socket/lead.

[Aled]

I've upped my budget to 1k so hoping for something decent 

[sandspider]

I've split a lot of wood with a Forest Master 7 ton duocut. Electric. Not too pricey I think, though I borrow it as it happens. Probably not as good as a more powerful petrol splitter, but works for me for a medium volume of logs - 10m3 per year maybe.

[Dan Maynard]

Power is force time speed and you're limited in how much power you can pull from a 13 or 16 amp domestic socket. Upping the budget to 1k doesn't quite get you out of the Chinese weeds, you need around 1500 to get something from Posch, Thor, Oxdale or the like. 

 

I'd keep an eye out for good secondhand though, better off with repairable quality than a cheap new one I think.