New super fast log splitter. Must watch.

[Billhook]

just taken delivery of the 5 ton capacity Portek really for my wife to use as she never seems to have the right size for the wood stove and she is a liability with any axe.

Thought I would test it out first and selected a horrible knotty piece of ash followed by an equally horrible bit of dead elm which I tried to split with the trusty Fiskars X27 to no avail even with my fifteen stone behind it.

It cracked the ash first go but needed three thumps to break the elm. Very impressive though for a relatively small machine.

It was really impressive on the ordinary straight ash logs where the output nearly matched the Palax Combi.

My wife likes it and I shall build a table for her at the right height for the logs to drop into the one ton potato box

[Billhook]

Cannot seem to upload more than one photo at a time with the iPhone

[Havelock]

My wife likes it and I shall build a table for her at the right height for the logs to drop into the one ton potato box

 

Yes, a fairly wide table is all but essential on these fast horizontal splitters or you will be continually picking timber off the floor. Also then able to split larger pieces and put half to one side. If they don't already, Portek really need to supply a bolt on, integral table. This is an optional extra for the American Supersplit.

[Billhook]

I like the two handled operation as these machines are so quick that you need both hands out of the way in case of distraction.

The other bonus as far as my wife is concerned is that the electric operation is so quiet and easy to use compared with an engine or tractor driven machine.

 

There is quite a lot on the web about these kinetic machines when you start looking.

 

The Rock machinery claims 30 ton splitting force and many are in the 20 tons plus category. The Rock one was about £1600 but out of stock.

 

6 Incredible Facts About Kinetic Log Splitters - Homesteading and Livestock - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

 

 

RapidFire Electric Flywheel Log Splitter | DR Power Equipment

 

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RapidFire Log Splitter (Outsplits 34 Ton Wood Splitter) | DR Power Equipment

 

Welcome to SuperSplitter

 

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Split Second Log Splitter | Kinetic Log Splitting > Product Tour

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Rock Rapide M2

 

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[Chris Sheppard]

Has anyone got any feedback on the 5 tonne portek now a few months have gone by since it's launch?

 

Did read something about an upgraded model (7t) coming out soon.

[Chris Sheppard]

Has anyone got any feedback on the 5 tonne portek now a few months have gone by since it's launch?

 

Did read something about an upgraded model (7t) coming out soon.

 

Anyone?

[Stereo]

Bump. Any more thoughts on these? About to order one I think. I think a good set up on a stack of pallets and straight into a crate / bag would be pretty awesome. I have a vertical electric splitter which I liked as it could do 1m billets but it was slow.

[Billhook]

We have found it to be an excellent machine, well built and quiet.

 

You need to be firm with the handles as the rack will sometimes kick back and catch you unawares if you are not holding it firmly.

 

My neighbour keeps wanting to borrow it and I have trouble with him not returning it when he said he would which must be a good advertisement

 

It does punch above its weight but we use it at home in our woodshed where my wife can cut smaller stuff for the Clearview Pioneer 500.

She likes it because it is fast and quiet.

 

I have mounted it on a waist high table and the splits fall into a barrow so she does not have to bend all the time

 

All the bigger stuff is dealt with by the Palax 600 Combi. I would say that the splitting power is nearly as good as the Palax but of course with a fourway splitter and conveyor on the Palax there is no contest for output from long log to firewood loaded in a ton box.

[Stereo]

Cheers Billhook.

[smokewood]

I have had 2 of the 7 tonne splitters, the first one lasted about 15 minutes before it jammed and wouldn't release the cherry log and the second one only cut 2 logs before it jammed. In the end the rep from Portex very kindly visited me to see if I was doing anything wrong, we tried splitting a piece of apple which was about 8 inches in diameter and it would not split the log, and jammed the splitter (again). He took the second machine away with the log still firmly attached to the splitter. He said they are fine if you are splitting something with a nice straight grain, however I was splitting Apple & Cherry & it could not handle it. Both logs that jammed were only small logs, but what made it difficult was that the hydraulic ram would not return to the start position therefore making the splitter useless. The warranty states that you shouldn't hit or release the log with a hammer to release the log or you could invalidate the warranty. I am sticking with my hydraulic splitter, it may be slower but it is reliable, and it is easier to release a log if one gets stuck.

Edited December 4, 2016 by smokewood
additional information added