Electric Log Splitters

[bkuhn]

Wondered if anyone has first hand experience with electric log splitters? I am looking for something for splitting next years wood (about 4 cords a year). I don't think I'm ready to spend the money on a gas powered splitter (and even if I were I'm not sure I want the maintenanace of gas if it can be avoided). I've looked at the DR electric splitter as well as a model offered by Harbor Freight. The Harbor Freight one is only rated for 10" logs so I think that would have limited use. The DR looks ok but would be about $600. I'd hate to spend that sort of money only to find out that they are not up the the task.

Any input or suggestions about either of these models or electric splitters in general?

Thanks,
Brad

[ShadowWolf]

I have never seen an electric splitter in person, but watching the commercial for the DR splitter, and using a gas splitter, my thoughts are..it would take forever to split wood with the one shown on TV..I bet I could quarter 3 logs with my splitter in the time it would take an electric to do the job.

[kyhillbilly]

i dont have a electric log splitter but i was thinking about getting one last year and i looked around and my thought was that they wouldnt do the job for me. one alternative is to rent out a gas powered splitter get all your logs together and some help and start splitting throw it in a big pile and stack later. i ended up buying me a new splitter as i get wood in at different times and i try to split some after work a little each day till i get it done. you might buy a used splitter they sell about half what a new one does but when i was looking for one i couldnt find a used one at the time.

[DM]

I haven't used an electric splitter, mine runs off the remotes on my tractor. But i have talked to two different guys that do own them. I was told they are on the slow side and don't have enough power to split anything that splits on the hard side..

DM

[clawhammerdan]

Just this past autumn, the city where I live took out two big green ash trees. They told me I could keep the wood, which I did. The guy living two doors down, asked me if I wanted to borrow his electric log splitter, which I did. It had about 4 tons of hydraulic pressure, but the only drawback was it could only split logs that were about 14 inches at most. Most of the stuff the city cut was 17-18 inches long. Hence I split about 2.5 cords of wood over a period of three days, but 95% of it was done with a maul and wedges. When I had a piece small enough to use it on, it worked fine. Don't recall the brand, but I could go ask the guy if you want to know. Mantis makes one called the Swift Splitter...it looks good. Think I'd go with an electric splitter, if I could find one capable of doing 16-18 in. logs...up to six cords a year. Ps the one I used was on a wagon, which made it alot better to pull around and less leaning over to use it. Saved my back. Good luck.

[clawhammerdan]

Oh ps...the guy ahead of me said something about being on the slow side. The one I used had a fourteen second cycle. Seemed plenty fast for me.

[FarmerGrant]

I have an electric over hydralic splitter. Looks just like one of the big gas powerd ones but with a 220v electric motor. Splits anything I throw at it.

[RangerRick]

http://i19.tinypic.com/2pzz4f4.jpg

This is my hydraulic splitter, just finished splitting a half cord. It is powered by a 12 ton bottle jack that I connect to my 20 gal air compressor. I haven't found anything todate that this won't split so I'm happy with it. I bought this online 4 years ago for $150 because I didn't want another damn internal combustion engine to maintain. It is a simple concept and could be built for probably $75 if ya just wanted to do it. It isn't as fast as a standard splitter but I'm retired and I don't want to work fast so it's just right for me. Sweetie usually goes through 3-4 cord a year and this unit handles the chore with ease.

Rick

[bkuhn]

So after much thought and looking over the input from other forum members I decided to go ahead and try an electric. I purchased what I think is about the best electric splitter available (the DR 6 ton model). I figured if this didn't do it for me i'd know for sure that electric was not up to the task and they offered a 6 month trial including a refund of shipping BOTH WAYS. With that sort of offer I figured it was worth trying out.

It arrived this week and I unpacked it today. I did this carefully and took note of how it was packed because I fully expected to be repacking it a few hours later to be shipped back.

I can say after spending the day splitting with it I WAS SHOCKED and IMPRESSED. I split about 2 cords total including some very large rounds (about 22 inches). The rounds were large enough that I don't think I could easily lift much bigger. It definitely lugged a bit on those very large rounds but managed to split them all.

It seemed plenty quick for me (this was one of the concerns mentioned). It ran off of a 25 foot extension cord with no problem (no breaker issues or overheating).

Overall I'm very impressed with it. I heat with wood exclusively and use about 4 cords a year. Based on the performance of this unit I expect I will be splitting all of my wood myself and I'm very happy with it.

Just wanted to share my experience with this.

Thanks for all the input,
Brad

[conundrum]

Nice looking setup, RangerRick. I split about 8 cords per season. Used to do it by hand, but time has taken a toll on my joints, etc.
Was loaned a hydraulic splitter this past late summer.."It works fine, you'll just have to fix a few things." Well, okay. Ran it off a diesel tractor which was doable, but I won't mess with it again. Seemed slow to me, and even with the three point lowered as far as it would go there was a LOT of lifting and messing to get things lined right.
The DR sounds good for a premade unit. And it would be nice to NOT have to listen to an engine running all the time-kind of wearing. Thanks for the info.

[DM]

Seemed slow to me, and even with the three point lowered as far as it would go there was a LOT of lifting and messing to get things lined right.


Mine works standing up or laying down. Standing up there is no lifting, you can roll the big ones into place and split them...

DM

[Pitdog]

BKuhn, I was reading through here getting ready to tell you that the electric one I used to help someone I know split some wood I gave him this year worked fabulously, and it was the DR 6 ton model. There were several pieces of the REALLY gnarly locust that it wouldn't munch through, but everything else eventually split.
Sometimes I had to roll it around and find the right spot, and split some smaller pieces off of it, but the entire Dodge 3500 load was split in a matter of an hour and a half or so, with no breaks of course. But it powered on through and I am jealous as hell of it. I may wind up with one, depending, but I really do need a larger model considereing what I split and load in a year's time.