Advice on a log splitter for home use.

[Stevie Mac]

Looking for advice on a petrol driven Hydraulic log splitter probably a 5 - 8 tonne. Budget from 300 - 400 quid.

Will be mainly used for home use but may get used for selling wood in the future.

 

Cheers

 

Stevie

[windfall]

I dont think anything that spec exists for that price, you are in the second hand 3point linkage splitter that runs from a tractors hydraulics territory.

 

Plus really you will need 10tons min if you are thinking of earning a bit of money with it.

[scbk]

I'm the other side of Inverness and have a "10 ton" petrol splitter, you could stockpile a load of logs then pay me to come in for a few hours/a day etc

[Stevie Mac]

I dont think anything that spec exists for that price, you are in the second hand 3point linkage splitter that runs from a tractors hydraulics territory.

 

Plus really you will need 10tons min if you are thinking of earning a bit of money with it.

 

Yeah been having a look around now and will need to re think my budget.

 

Cheers for the advice

[Barnyard]

I'm in the same sort of predicament as you Stevie. I have about 20 tonnes of felled Ash to cut and split but very little in the way of finances to afford such machinery. I so far i have done about 4 tonnes by hand... Blistered and knackered..But enjoying every second of it!

Just get physical... and save a whole load of cash on a splitter.

Saying that if you lived near me i would definatley go halves on one!!

Cheers

[tree monkey]

ive been there used an axe for years then i made one with a farmer mate tapped into hydrolics on my crane wagon and off we go lol

still use axe on straight pieces cost of diesel and its quicker

[Barnyard]

Would it be beyond the collective knowledge of this very fine forum to actually design and market such a splitter? :Sub £500... Has anyone achieved this? Be it electric. petrol or tractor driven??

Just a thought...

Happy Easter!!

[sandbach-sticks]

Think you would be looking at 2nd hand parts and then rams are hit and miss, you might get dodgy seals etc. Maybe if everyone purchased parts in bulk then it could be done. My friend made my splitter £1000 and it is a beast, i am sure that he or someone would make them if the parts were supplied. We have looked at making a towable log splitter (road legal) but was coming out at same price a those on-line!

[windfall]

You can buy a 10t one like mine from ebay for £450, its powered by tractor hydraulics or a hydraulic powerpack. Quite a few of us on this forum have the same unit.

 

The diesel JCB Beaver pack mines running from now uses a Litre of red an hour but cost me £1000... gulp.

 

I looked into making my own power pack as there are pumps on ebay with 60l/min for £100, then you would need a small engine and the gears/pulleys to drive the pump and the correct speed, the spool lever (£50) and pipe work. So depending on how cheap you can get the motor to drive it, it could work out quite cheap. Plus a 60lm dual speed pump is going to be very powerful!

Edited April 24, 2011 by windfall

[Big J]

I think that the problem with cheaper splitters is that they are very limited in what they can do. I'm getting a vertical electric splitter just to get me through the toughest rounds that don't want to go with an axe, but I am not kidding myself that it will be quick. I think until you spend quite a lot of money, a reasonably well practised chap with an axe is always quicker than someone on a splitter. Even if I'm only plodding, I can easily get through 1 to 1.5 cubic metres an hour with an axe.