advice on going from splitter to processor

[Stephen Blair]

As it says, i have been wanting to buy a firewood processor for some time and i would like to know from the guys with 1, the diference they have found after taking the plunge.

I am not really that bothered about how quick i can process but how much easier it would make life and reduce handling more:thumbup1:

[gensetsteve]

Big can of worms, everyone will have a different take on it. Depends on size and how straight your wood is on which to go for. How much do you want to spend what will you load it with.

[robert t]

It really depends what kind of wood you have. I bought a new palax KS35 because i wanted one and didnt think it through enough. I had it for about 3 years and hardly ever used it, where some one uses the vertical splitter nearly every day. It was really down to the wood that i had from arb arisings was mostly rounds and the lengths i brought back to the yard were to big for the processor. The small amount of timber that was ok for the processor was split in a good day then the machine lay idle for a long time until i could get another pile for a days splitting.

When i did use it i found it slow with only one chap working it but definitely speeded things up with one loading and one working saw, but two men working on the logs was not always possible. Probably if i was a bit more determined I could have rigged up or bought a loading bay, filled it up then moved round and worked the saw, which would make it a bit more suitable for one man.

[dent]

as said if your working on cord deffinately good

if you get one though i would deffinately say get a log deck or make one as it is then entirely a one man opperation also specify it with an extactor as you will get ick of chovelling up what doesn't get extracted after a long day processing let alone trying to shovel up everything es there is easily a cubic meter of chips with a chain one

different models have different benefits the larger dalen machines are very ergonomically desighnedand can go far quicker than say a base spec posch

all this also means that you would benefit from haveing a loader with interchangable tines and log grab aswell

[Billy68]

I have a Farmi processor, used to have a Japa 300 and upgraded last year. This is what it does in a day.

[John Hughes]

I have an old Palax combi. I process mainly spruce but some nice straight ash. I think it is great especially the conveyor so I don't have to throw the logs onto a pile or into a bag. The splitter can be a bit slow with the knotty spruce. One of my best buys.

John

[Chris Sheppard]

On the right wood, you should see a massive improvement ofver using a splitter and chainsaw, but unless you're using nice straight thinnings, then you'll probably not be as impressed by a processor as you first expect to be as wiggly stuff can have a tendency to drop in the chamber sideways meaning you have to go in a nd fish them out.

 

Some, like the farmi and I think Tajfun and now Hakki Pilke, can be equipped with a lifter like in Billy's photos - if you are movign the machine to the stack (and/or going out on hire) then this can be a very usefull back saving addition.

 

I used to have the Hakki Pilke Hawk, after going from a Hakki Pilke Eagle and that old Thor splitter - for what I was doing, I'd almost have been better staying with the sawbench and splitter, though on the odd occaisons I was processing decent timber the processor did make for easier work.

[Rob D]

I have a Farmi processor, used to have a Japa 300 and upgraded last year. This is what it does in a day.

 

 

That Farmi looks good. What size diameter does it take and how well does in cope with bendy branches?

 

I like the fact it is self powered.

[Stephen Blair]

cheers guys. i like the look of billys. Big rings are easy and i have 2 vertical splitters which deals with that stuff great, its the small light long stuff that drives me nuts.

[renewablejohn]

Biggest gain is not having to handle logs again once you have placed the timber on the saw deck but this requires being organized in our case straight from conveyor into IBC containers for drying and delivery direct to customer using 3 point pallet fork on tractor.