timberluver

Difflock is right. If you are getting 3m lengths then 2 cuts and you have your 1m length. I have a Rabaud F13 splitter that can split 1.15m lenghts. I split the billets and tie them off in 1m3 bundles as I split them and it makes them easy to handle and store. It would be as quick to do it that way as try to make a processor to cut and split at this length. A standard processor will cut and split up to 500mm lengths anyway, so is it really worth the effort/expense??

Dorn-tec Cone Screw Splitters available from Oakleaf Forestry. can be fitted to Digger, front end loader and Bobcat. just let them know what type of headstock attachment you have and the model of loader and it will arrive with you ready to work.

Cone Splitter

I don't know why so many people have Hakki machines. Ok they're cheap but so is a Dacia Duster, one's about as good as the other in my opinion...

PALAX is a bit more the day you buy it; but you'll still have it long after the Hakki is in the skip and if you decide to sell/change you still have a desirable machine with a good resale value.

Caledonian Forestry & Oakleaf Forestry are the Palax dealers.

Buy the right machine once!

MOWI if a choice between it or Palms, but if you are looking for a real trailer and crane that will go forever and still be worth something when you are finished with it then tit would have to be KESLA

Collino Saw benches are a very good machine and very well priced. see Oakleaf Forestry Firewood and Forestry Ireland & UK - Oakleaf Forestry is a Firewood Production and Forestry Equipment distribution company based in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland supplying some of Europe?s finest farm and forestry machinery.

Very well made, TCT blade and 3 year warranty

Ok for a farmer, but not a professional machine. It depends on what you are looking for...

I agree with Jim as above. A conveyor would also be a useful addition. I am sure a splitter, saw bench and conveyor could be bought for around your budget.

Palax KS35 is the best value for money IMO. For Sales and Service in Ireland go to Oakleaf Forestry - Oakleaf Forestry is a Firewood Production and Forestry Equipment distribution company based in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland supplying some of Europe?s finest farm and forestry machinery. very easy to deal with. I saw BGU's at shows, not great. and I know a man that has the kindling machine and hates it.

Buy yourself a Palax KS35. usually cost a little bit more but as always you get what you pay for! the Hakki was ok when there was nothing else but I got fed up putting belts on it, not even so much about the cost of the belt just that it is a bollocks of a job to do and I seemed to have to do it too often. The Palax has no belts and just keeps going. Let me know where you are, if you are anywhere near by, feel free to PM me about trying it out.

I've spent a while with a palax combi and recently tried a Japa 700. For me the Japa was superior in every way. I wouldn't touch the palax with a bargepole - horrible UNPRODUCTIVE machine. The Japa is just lovely, the palax a pain in the backside.

Was the Palax a Combi MII or the old TSVe machine? I have used both and the old combi was a bit of a pain alright but the Palax Combi MII is a different machine entirely.

I wouldnt take the free gift of the Japa. very light weight machine, poorly put together with mickey mouse components.

There's a reason why they're cheaper....!

Get a Palax Combi, there really is no comparison.

The combi easily does 4 cube per hour, 5 or 6 if the wood is all 4-8" diameter. it can split 15" rings for the stuff that's too big to cross cut.

A blade lasts a long time, I get it sharpened after maybe 100t, costs about £15 and the TCT teeth can be replaced if you lose one.

Can't recommend it enough!

you can get a 3phase electric motor fitted to your KS35 if you have 3ph power available.

you could get a phase converter if you dont. Palax do it as retrofit kit but that's an expensive way to go.

Best bet would be, get the tractor outside with the shaft through the wall as others have suggested. you really dont want those fumes and the dust mask you are using is next to useless.

Caledonian Forestry do a grab and rotator attachment for tractor front loader or Telehandler. I have seen them made up to suit a forklift or bobcat. They're not as quick as loading up with the forks but certainly a whole lot safer!

Probably around the same price as a cheap chinese crane though.

Where are you based?

Oakleaf Forestry in Ireland are holding they're demo event in a couple of weeks time, Palax KS50 or KS43 might do your job.

28 & 29 Sept.

Where are you based?

Oakleaf Forestry in Ireland are holding they're demo event in a couple of weeks time, Palax KS50 or KS43 might do your job.

28 & 29 Sept.

I have to say I love my Rabaud Splitters.

We have two, a F13 Farmer II and a F16 Eco.

the F16 Eco folds down for storage, not that I ever do (... seemed like a good idea when I bought it) ant it is super strong and never refuses anything.

The F13 is faster because it has the two speed valve and is rarely bested by even the most twisted, knotty timber.

Both will split 1100mm lengths and I use the to split into billets and allow to dry before further processing into firewood logs.

both are around the £1500 mark for the tractor hydraulic version, pto model was a good bit more, but if you have more than 30lpm you dont need the pto one. I run one on an old Nuffield and the other on a Case 4230, can't really say one is any better than the other but very, very well made and you do get what you pay for.

I would post a few pics if I knew how, any one what to help me out there?

but that's the F16 eco in my avatar.

I know many people favour the road tow independent powered machines but I either take the tractor to the job or, more often, the job to the tractor.

I think a 80hp tractor with a 70lpm pump trumps a 13hp honda petrol any day!

buy a Palax combi MII instead. 10 times the machine for only a little extra when new and you will always get a better price if you decide to sell on later.

dip the ends - up to a few inches above ground level - of the posts in pitch or tar before you set them in either concrete or clay. stops water ingress and should out last you lifetime. in years gone by that was the only wood preseravtive available and we still have old sheds with pitch coated pine roof tops that were erected by my Grandfather in the 1920s/30s.

I'm not sure how it works but it speeds up the cycle time on the splitting ram.

Palax usually have variable speed splitting of 3t for speed and 8t for hard to split logs but the 8t is a slower cycle. I believe the booster system makes it work at 8t all the time but at the 3t speed (or faster)

the rabaud one is very good, I'm a fan of all things Rabaud, very well made.

As you can see from my avatar, i use a Rabaud F16 Eco splitter and it hasn't refused anything I have put to it.

there's two options a manual tip, manual tension or hydraulic tip/tension version.

the latter costs more but is a bit handier, but both work well.

I have a few customers who have large gasification boilers that buy wood in 1 metre lengths tied in these bundles and they're easy to handle and store.

Caledonian Forestry UK dealer for these

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czTua8heNxg]Fagoteuse Rabaud : FAGOMATIC BU PRO - YouTube[/ame]

see video.

hi Nick,

thanks for that, I had a look on the posch website and there it was!

Not so sure about the £4000 bit though:

that would buy a lot of the vented log bags that never seem to come back.

Hi All,

I keep seeing pallets of firewood wrapped like this lately. Looks better than ton bags.

How's it done? is there a machine for this? is it fed directly from a firewood processor? Where do you get the netting?

If you want a splitter to handle long lenghts. Take a look at this

Rabaud - Horizontal log and post splitters Post and log splitter POLYCOMPACT

I have seen this in action and it really does work.

Obviously not the job for a 48" Oak butt, however if you have 18" soft wood and a 10/12" processor then it starts to make sense.

Hi there,

I saw this one on Gumtree, TCT blade is a must IMO.

Saw Bench for Firewood in Co. Armagh, County Armagh | Plant & Tractor Equipment for Sale | Gumtree.com

Hi all,

I use a Palax Combi MII, circular saw with 6t apv splitter option fitted.

I normally load 5ft forklift and use straight from the forklift, no log deck required. I can process 4M3 per hour no problem by myself, sometimes into 1m3 crates or tractor tipping trailer.

It really does depend on the timber. 3" TO 6" in 10ft lengths is the best, easy to handle splits into a good size log.

As others have said don't get hung up on weight, volume is the measure.

Don't look at the log pile, Ipod on, head down, cut 'til you run out of diesel or daylight!