Log Splitters

[Karen]

Looking at the 22 ton gas powered splitter at Tractor Supply ($999). Anyone have one? Good? Bad?

I have a wood shed nearly full of seasoned, unsplit wood, and a wood burning stove in my basement that I hope to use this year (we haven't used it but for a few days since we moved in).

BTW, for those of you that responded to my weed wacker thread last year, we did finally replace the weed wacker last week. Picked up a Stihl FS110 R. Hubby used it once, so far so good.

And we have an excavator coming in the next week to clear 5 acres for us (give or take). He'll clear and back drag the area to fill in the holes from the tree roots, and pile everything in the middle. We'll take what firewood we want, offer what's left to our neighbors (2 have wood burning furnaces), and then burn the rest.

I'm excited and dreading it all at the same time! We're going to have MUD! And lots of it, and tons of rock to deal with before we have anything useable, but it's a start, and we'll have some pasture eventually. Once we get these 5 acres going, I figure we'll have him back (in a year or 2) to clear another 5 acres. That should provide enough grazing for 3 or 4 horses....we can hope.

[High Voltage]

We have one, Tractor Supply 22 ton. We have had it for at least 5 years does a great job. Had a friend that bought property that had a lot of trees down and we got to keep the wood for helping clear it out.

[Max2]

How many full cord or face for that matter will you be splitting ? That should be the deciding factor. I do see a lot of those 22 ton splitters around here though. The 22 ton should work well for most normal size logs but may have a time with the bigger ugly stuff.

[Karen]

I have no idea how much wood we'll be splitting to be honest....as much as we possibly can. I've got a wood shed full of unsplit wood, and we're having 5 acres of forest cleared. My guess is if there's a diameter the splitter can't handle, we'll harvest the smaller stuff from the pile of cleared trees, then call the 2 neighbors with wood burning furnaces to see if they want the rest. What they don't want, we'll burn in place. We don't have a lot of huge trees on the property.

I'm hoping to have another 5 acres cleared in the next year or two, once we get the first 5 cleaned up and seeded.

We have an Alaska stoker wood burning stove in the basement, and are hoping to put a dent in our oil bill this winter using it.

[deke]

Might want to look at renting one for the weekend. Don't know where you live but here you can rent one for 65 dollars p/u Friday and return Monday. Find your self some local kids who want to make a buck bringing you rounds all day and get it done.

[Karen]

I think long-term we'll have use for a log splitter...I just don't want to buy junk.

John used to split all the wood by hand, but he has a persistent elbow injury that gets aggravated easily. Once we get a log splitter, I've tasked my 21 yr old son (starting his senior year in college) the job of splitting & stacking wood for the winter...hoping we don't freeze to death!

[Hoosierdaddy]

I have the 35 ton tsc splitter i bought probably 8 years ago.It will split rocks if i asked it to.However it was the loudest splitter i have ever owned.Loud vibration from the engine mount,at the pivot point where you swing it up to split monster logs.The hydraulic valve has never worked as it should(wont stay in position in retract mode).All this is minor stuff as far as i am concerned.I have a 10 h.p. engine and the cylinder is huge . In a couple weekends of messing around she is quiet now. No broken welds,or bent beams in 8 years of use.I split oak and hickory with it.The oak splits much better,the hickory tends to be real stringy.I burn about 2 cords a season in my pole barn.Overall i think they are worth the money.

[deke]

I think long-term we'll have use for a log splitter...I just don't want to buy junk.

John used to split all the wood by hand, but he has a persistent elbow injury that gets aggravated easily. Once we get a log splitter, I've tasked my 21 yr old son (starting his senior year in college) the job of splitting & stacking wood for the winter...hoping we don't freeze to death!

You have a 21 year old son and you are looking for a log splitter? You need to write a book on parenting; preferably before fathers day so I can give it to my old man.