Types of Firewood Splitters and Logs Splitters
Whether you are a commercial firewood producer or just stocking up with a winter supply for your own home, producing firewood can be a lot of work. Splitting with an axe, splitting maul or a wedge can be the most tiring part of the process as well as dangerous. Firewood splitters take a lot of the back breaking work out of the job and they can be fun to operate. If the wood has knots crooked grain or for whatever reason just tough to split that’s when a firewood logs splitter will really pay off.
There are many different types of firewood splitters or log splitters to chose from to fit your individual needs. Different models range from small hand powered splitters that you can carry by hand, trailer towed log splitter models with models for homeowners or professionals and even high production models that are part of mechanized industrial firewood processors.
Trailer mounted hydraulic log splitters are the most common. Modern hydraulic splitters are simple to use. You set the log in place pull a lever and the wedge will split the wood into two pieces. If the pieces are still too large reposition each of those two pieces to be split into two again. Continue until you have the right size firewood for a fireplace or wood stove.
There are also models with multiple wedges that will split the log into several pieces in a single pass. These are usually on mechanized production models for commercial production.
Firewood splitters are simple machines and a lot of people choose to build their own. If you have the ability to cut and weld steel and some moderate mechanical knowledge it’s not that difficult to build one. The parts can be easily bought and you can find plans to build them online. There are mail order companies and companies online that can supply you with most of the mechanical parts like the engine, hydraulic pump, cylinder, valve (control lever) reservoir and hoses.