Log splitters

[1Admin]

Anyone own or have experience with either of these units?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_116418-270-24BF572B711_0__?productId=1005417&Ntt=log+splitter&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dlog%2Bsplitter&state=R#prod-tabs

http://www.tractorsupply.com/outdoor-power-equipment/log-splitters/huskee-reg-22-ton-log-splitter-1032822

I own "part" of one similar to the first one. The "sharing" deal has never worked out and I'm just ready to say to heck with it and buy one for ourselves.

While I'm cheap and would prefer the cheaper unit, I have used splitters enough to know that sometimes that extra power does help in a nasty knotty piece. Also I'm more impressed with the "Honda" engine than the Briggs and Straton engine.

I'm gonna be in Jax this weekend probably, so I'll check both out in person. I would appreciate any info anyone has on either of these.

TIA

Lowdown3

[Klayton]

I have seen a log splitter built by a very resourceful man made out of the old "hi-lift" jacks.

Instead of simply pushing a button and letting hydraulics do the work (the engine), a simple ratcheting of the hi-lift provided the splitting force needed, and he got a nice little workout while expending no external fuel (gasoline).

Just a thought, not sure how handy everybody here is at McGyverism, but you always need to be thinking outside the box.

[South Jersey Boy]

Log Splitter

I bought a 35 ton log splitter from Tractor Supply last year and it is a winner. I am glad I went with

the larger one. It rarely "grunts" very long.

South Jersey Boy

[jimlas53]

Get as much tonnage as you can. Everything is sized for higher forces, and it will last longer. I have a 37 ton splitter from Northern tool, with the Honda engine. Great machine, engine always starts on the first or second pull. I've split about 18 cords so far, no problems.

[slingshot]

I don't have either one of the models you're interested in, but I would like to make a comment. I have a 34-ton model with an 8-hp Briggs engine and it's a dandy. I've had it about 10 years now. I have a wood furnace and a skinny cold-natured wife, so I burn a lot of wood, year round (furnace also heats water, saves about $200 annually in propane.) The comments above about going with as much tonnage as your wallet can stand is good advice. Brother-in-law had a lighter unit, somewhere in the mid-20's ton range, and the shaft would flex on hard splits. My 34-ton unit can, has split everything I put in it. Just some some thoughts for your consideration.

[Lowdown3]

Appreciate the help. The one that I "co own" with a relative has split everything we have put in it. One of my nephews when they were younger told me they put cement blocks in one time and split them LOL

Down here we have oak and pine, very little really tough to split woods. I've been splitting by hand for a couple years now, but every couple of years we get a windfall (no pun intended) of wood we can cut. We usually reach the 3-4 year point when that happens.

It's one of those "make hay while the sun is shining" deals. I can't tell you how many times we have expanded the storage sheds for more firewood.

[becky3086]

My father built a woodsplitter when I was a kid out of an I-beam and metal he stole from the machine shop he worked at. I wish I had a picture of it (I believe my brother does). I was small at the time but it always seemed to work good. It was a whole lot sturdier looking than the ones I have seen for sale today.

[Sanction]

An axe and 2 wedges is my log splitter. Sure it would be nice to have a power splitter, but quite frankly what little money we have gets spent on more important things. Have we learned nothing about self sufficiency?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

An axe and 2 wedges is my log splitter. Sure it would be nice to have a power splitter, but quite frankly what little money we have gets spent on more important things. Have we learned nothing about self sufficiency?

Easy, get your foot off his neck a little brother, the man aint buying a useless Ferrari, it can greatly enhance his and others preps. 6 guys with wedges will wear out before 1 guy and a splitter with hard wood. If he and his does alot of wood as some do, time and productivity are more important and if he has the funds then don't begrudge him. I'd bet he has the equip to do it without the spiltter but if he has several ricks of split wood ready then it won't be as hard if we do collapse or if he has a natural disaster, snowstorm etc. Spilt firewood could be good barter too.
A smart self sufficient person can figure out how to unhook the motor of a splitter and stick in a hydraulic/high lift jack that requires no electricity and still split wood if he loses power/fuel supplies too. Self Sufficiency doesn't always mean you have to move back in time and stay there. We will figure out how to move forwards. It's our nature.

[Sanction]

Get my foot off his neck? Well, I think Matt in Oklahoma has exaggerated dramatically in his extrapolation of my comment.
If you have that much money, go for it.
I tend to make and do things my self. My vision of how to survive in a SHTF scenario must be different then yours... For instance my land and home are paid for. Getting to where we owe no one was the first step to survival and freedom for us. My wants are long, my needs are short, and step one is done.

[1Admin]

An axe and 2 wedges is my log splitter. Sure it would be nice to have a power splitter, but quite frankly what little money we have gets spent on more important things. Have we learned nothing about self sufficiency?

LOL!

Nope, never learned anything about self sufficiency! Don't have any axes, mauls, wedges or anything else to split except a couple of pieces of broken glass. Won't those work? LMAO ;) Over a decade on the land, I've learned nothing about self sufficiency..... LOL

You know it's a human trait to think of things out of our OWN PERSPECTIVE. If I only had an occasional fire just because my wife thought it was "cute and cozy", then I'd think "why the heck would someone invest in a log splitter." If I was heating my home solely on wood, and had done this for over a decade now, I would think differently. If I was just getting started in preparedness I would think "why isn't this guy buying more food?" I guess if I was retired, didn't have two businesses, run a homestead and train regularly that would also differ my perspective.

I refuse to get into "bragging wars" with people but I can assure you with most certainty that my family would not go without food ANYTIME soon if something happened today. My family would not be without power, water or defense. I don't live in the suburbs and we have grown/raised most of our own food for years now. I have been preparing for 24 years, not six months or 2 years. In other words, I'm NOT looking to buy a log splitter while I don't have basics like water filters, year of food, full NBC protection for all family members, out of debt, AE system, etc. You mentioned "little money we have"- well I have spent the little money "we" have on preps for over two decades. Perspective change now? :)

Perhaps, just perhaps my reality on where I am, is different from your perspective?

And let's not forget that "self sufficiency" does not necessarily mean "back breaking work." We have a washing machine, does that also mean we are not working towards "self sufficiency?" I've washed clothes by hand in the field for weeks on end, it sucks. I have all the necessary materials to wash clothes by hand, heck I authored a how to video on youtube about it. Do I have a washing machine? Yes and one backup. And power to run it. EMP you say? The diesel genset won't be affected and I assure you that will run for a long time.

Simple LABOR SAVERS like that will allow us to continue a 24/7 guard schedule, maintain a garden, do necessary repairs and upgrades, have a person "out" and not screw up the plan, etc.

My firewood/heating plan is roughly as follows:
*Keep at least 2 years, preferably 3 on hand at all times (check). This allows me to NOT have to cut and split wood for 2-3 years in the PAW. Now, already being in an area wherein their isn't 100 people living in a 5 mile radius, how big will it be after the die off 2-3 years after the PAW? 3 years into the PAW will running a log splitter still be a security (noise and smell) issue? Possibly. We also have small buildings we can pull it into and use it there. However it's a labor saver for us NOW also, and I'm most certain that we will be in the "NOW" wherein the PAW is just a possibility.

Tie up 2 men daily for a week splitting a couple cords or split that much with the log splitter in a few hours? Cir***stances dictate actions and only during that time period will we be able to say for sure whether and how we would use it. Yes we have plenty of mauls, axes, wedges and I think somewhere along the lines here I mentioned cutting by hand the last couple years.....

After probably 3 years the gas MAY start to be going bad for the saws (I suppose I'm not suppose to own chainsaws either??) and splitter. So IF cir***stances and situation allows, more than likely a large supply will be put in then (think, another 3 years worth). After the gas either runs out or gets where it cannot be used the options then include the axes, bowsaws, mauls, etc.

Here's a twist, if the solar and AE system is still working, I may even be able to use electric saws to cut smaller wood to firewood length. "That's a waste of power"- power that is being RENEWED daily wherein the gas is a finite resource? I may even consider getting one of those cheesey little electric chainsaws for this reason. OPTIONS.

Parts and duplicates follow each chainsaw we have, and we have pretty much "standardized" on the Stihl 290 as I've found it easiest for "me" to work on.

If the situation goes past about 7-10 years then we will have to get really good with the cutting axes. I do need to sit down with someone that can show me how to properly sharpen them.

[610Alpha]

Well said Matt. I don't split enough firewood to warrant buying one, I might rent one when I have the huge Maple tree dropped in my yard.

[1Admin]

Get my foot off his neck? Well, I think Matt in Oklahoma has exaggerated dramatically in his extrapolation of my comment.
If you have that much money, go for it.
I tend to make and do things my self. My vision of how to survive in a SHTF scenario must be different then yours... For instance my land and home are paid for. Getting to where we owe no one was the first step to survival and freedom for us. My wants are long, my needs are short, and step one is done.

I think he's questions your DELIVERY of the message.

I understand where you are coming from, however the "have we learned NOTHING about self sufficiency" set the tone for the replies you have received thus far. I wrote a reply "in kind" but then scrapped it and re-wrote a nicer one.

I don't speak for Matt, but I think he was making mention of your DELIVERY. I know that's is what sat wrong with me.

As I said, we all think/act out of our OWN PERSPECTIVE. But what we need to realize is that not everyone else's reality is the same as our perspective.

Robert

[1Admin]

I guess I accidentally closed this thread this morning???

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Whew didn't mean to start a sh..storm guys. I aplogize for what I said if it was out of sorts. The delivery of the comment was harsh and off key which got me started. I tend to see that we all have our own ideas about how to live after something happens but for now we still need to live. If something can be bought that will enhance the preps greatly but may not be as useful later then the pros and cons need to be weighed out. I'm sure this was done and the question was asked so as a group we need to help each other as much as possible.
This attitude of "you dont know what you are doing" has happened more than once on this post though, when someone reaches out they get bit by someone who is better prepared and smarter or stronger. We all have different cir***stances. What if he is hurt or crippled and cant swing a sledge should he just roll up and freez? Nope we gotta live for today and prep for tommorow.
If someone asks a question help them, if ya can't let it be, if you don't agree on it then provide a better solution rather than striking them down with attitudes.
I will admit I am not even near where I need to be, being debt free, living off the land, having years of food for everyone in my life etc. Heck I just lost my house due to a spouse job loss even with my "union" job and lost alot of my investments for retirement, depleted my savings trying to keep what I had so as not to be a part of the problem, worked for Uncle Sugar, etc. so I'm part of the dumbasses that got us in this ecomomic mess to begin with so look no further to yell at someone about it. My e-mails on here so go ahead and get after it. Light me up and tell me what a POS I am but off this forum where good folks are looking for answers and help!
Again apologies if I was out of line for the original commentary.