That looks pretty stout, but I don't see myself horsing 100 lb. rounds up on to a horizontal splitter for very long. I like the vertical orientation, because all ya gotta do is roll it over there, tip it up, and slide it into place. FWIW
I agree. I think I'm gonna put a lift on this splitter and maybe a gantry like dougs has.
I agree, too. I ran a Verticle once for about 8 hours sitting hunched over. Was not a happy camper. I'll take a horizontal any day. If the round is too big to pick up, noodle it.
I'm not trying to run down John, either, for getting his splitter. I think that's primarily the only type you can get today at a reasonable price. I will never run down another person's choice of equipment. But I think most will agree horizontal is the way to go. Somebody brought a home made verticle to a gtg at Matt's once. Now that was a nice one. It was waist high during use and folded flat for transportation. I've thought about doing that with mine, too.
Work tables are awesome.
Well, I spoke too early. I have spark at one plug. Made a 1 into 2 coil/plug wire and no joy to second plug. Should've figured that. If one wire has more resistance, the juice goes the other way. Have to figure out something else.
Last time i used a hydraulic splitter i used it in vertical. Rather than kneel or bend over i sat on a round. Id roll a round to the splitter, sit, split, toss pieces into a pile, get up, get another round. The constant moving kept me from getting sore. Main advantage was i didnt have to hoist the round onto a horizontal beam. Get enough hoisting when i load them on the truck in the woods unless i drag the logs out with my truck.
I like splitting by hand the best too, but my shoulders protest when I'm beating a wedge through the hard stuff. Some of that elm, locust, red maple, and so forth, makes it a true exercise in futility, where time seems to stand still, and the wedge pops back out no matter how hard I swing that handle. So I'm afraid this splitter is going to get worked pretty hard, because the straight pieces, nice walnut and mulberry, those'll get the "recreational splitting" treatment. Now if I were in the firewood business.... nah. I'm not that tough, and I don't have a place to go harvest. About the first time I got stuck in the mud out in the woods, I'd be so mad I'd blow my own head gasket.
I'm sorry if I gave the impression I was running that machine down, that's not what I meant at all. It's impressive, clean design, and I'll bet pushing the log rather than the wedge makes it inherently stronger, less likely to bend the ram on a fossilized locust stump. And, my back is pretty stiff this morning, so I went out and put a log on it in horizontal mode, and it is definitely at the right height. Thirty pounds and under, I could see doing it that way. I suppose I'd better put the log catcher on there after all. Having a cart or wheelbarrow right there might actually make it go pretty smoothly. Eight hours of splitting, that would be a good day's activity. I'm not very strong, but I seem to be able to go a while before the
