Log Saw
A log saw is a stationary saw designed for cutting firewood. The saw is usually equipped with two wheels to facilitate its movement. Electric log saws are particularly used by private individuals. They are easy to handle, noisy and easily moved thanks to their lightness. Our firewood saws with conveyor belt cut and load in one work step. Easy to operate, relatively lightweight and quiet, they are ideal for preparing wood for the winter whether you are cutting logs to the right length or for breaking them down for removal. This translates into the width of the wood you can cut. For example, you might think that a blade diameter of 50 cm (19.6″) would be able to cut through a log of about 25 cm (9.8″) no problem.
Best Slide-Hammer Splitter
The Woodeze 5MH-S-Splitter is a great choice if you’re looking for something straightforward and small. You can quickly make kindling out of smaller pieces of wood by using a large piece of log as a stand and cutting through most smaller logs with ease. It’s one of the least painful slide-hammer models and offers a cheap log splitter option, but it’s best suited for people who don’t need to cut a lot of firewood.
Best Manual Splitter
There are many very similar models on the market, but I believe the Sun Joe LJ10M Logger Joe 10-Ton Hydraulic Splitter is generally the best option due to its steel construction. It has two handles, one of which pumps with less pressure than the other, similar to the majority of manual splitters. The technique is made more pleasant by the handles, which are a little longer than those on other models. There is a two-year warranty included.
Best Electric Splitter
I enjoy using the Boss Industrial ES7T20 electric log splitter because of its affordable price and high value. On seasoned wood, its 7-ton force is effective. It has a 2-year residential warranty and is built well. Although it’s not designed for business use, this is the best option if you want something you can use in your garage during bad weather.
Best Gas Splitter
Boss Industrial triumphs once again. The Boss Industrial GD16T21 gas splitter is a very compact device that packs 16 tonnes of power. It has both a tow hitch and a wheeled trailer jack so you can use it both independently and on a hitch. In contrast to less expensive counterparts, the log cradles are robust. However, it’s not a lightweight device. It is roughly 300 pounds in weight. For those who need to break down a large amount of wood, this is a decent intermediate alternative.
Best Large Hydraulic Splitter
28 tonnes of hydraulic force are available from the heavy duty, gas-fueled Swisher LSRB87528 hydraulic splitter. It will effortlessly pass through both fresh and aged wood. The best part is that you can use it either horizontally or vertically, giving you flexibility in positioning. With a weight of 548 pounds, it is by no means a lightweight; a tractor will be required to move this big, heavy thing. But the Swisher log splitter is undoubtedly a terrific option given the power it offers.
Types of Log Splitters
Slide-Hammer Splitters
This is for you if you want to do things the old-fashioned way or if you want a workout. For millennia, people have used hand tools like wedges and sledgehammers to reduce the size of logs. Axes are preferred by some. However, there is a another option available: a splitter that avoids using hefty sledgehammers or pointed, possibly deadly axe heads.
With a slide-hammer, you may use intense downward pressure to drive a built-in wedge through a wood without the need of gas or electricity. It clearly takes more strength than more conventional instruments, but it’s far less dangerous. Its poor popularity is a disadvantage. If you just light a fire a few times a year, it’s OK, but if you use your fireplace all winter long, you want a better choice.
Manual Splitters
A manual log splitter is your best option if you want something that is still non-powered but has a little more power than a slide-hammer. While manual splitters employ hydraulic pressure to cut through a log, your strength serves as the basis force. Manual log splitters are available in both horizontal and vertical orientations.
The disadvantage of a manual wood splitter is that some strength is still needed to operate it. This strength need is far lower than that of a sledgehammer and wedge, but it is still there. Similar to a slide-hammer, but with a slightly different motion and generally more tolerable for slightly more wood, it is a repetitive motion.
Electric Splitters
An electric log splitter made for the general public typically has a breaking force of 4 to 10 tonnes. You will need access to a power source, such as a generator or a hardwired power supply. The benefit of using electric splitters is that you can do it almost anyplace there is power. They are silent, reasonably priced, and may even be used indoors when it’s bad outdoors (although like any splitter, they can make a mess).
However, one disadvantage of electric splitters is that they are often designed for limited home usage. The majority of electric splitters are designed to split seasoned wood, and they often cannot handle logs with a diameter of more than a foot. You are limited to utilising them within the reach of the house’s extension cords if you don’t have a generator since they do need electricity and cannot be utilised elsewhere.
Gas Splitters
Consumer-grade gas log splitters have a significantly larger power range than electric splitters and can readily shred through logs with 8–16 tonnes of pressure. From then, there is an intermediate level where you may exert 20–29 tonnes of force, and then, with a maximum of 37 tonnes of force, it enters the professional range.
Gas splitters, however, are loud. Considering that they have a portable generator attached on them, they are essentially splitters. They can’t be used indoors since they consume fuel, which might be a problem in the cold. Although they can handle some green wood in addition to seasoned wood, the largest size of the log you can split with consumer-grade versions is still limited.
Large Hydraulic Splitters
Hydraulic log splitters are excellent if you have a small tractor and a few cords of wood to split to prepare for the winter. Because they need a tractor, these tools, also known as 3 point log splitters, are most often utilised by experts. They are pulled behind the tractor while being operated by hooking into the tractor’s power. However, you may really need them if you plan to split a lot of firewood.
These are among the most expensive, but they also have among of the greatest tonnage ratings on the market and can easily cut through both green and seasoned wood. You get what you pay for in terms of strength and functionality since these tools are often of the professional or semi-professional quality. However, a huge hydraulic splitter could be excessive for the typical modest household.
Kinetic Splitters
Kinetic splitters are a little different from other types of log splitters since they are not measured by tonnage but instead by the amount of force they can apply, which may reach up to 40 tonnes. Kinetic log splitters, also known as flywheel splitters, employ a spinning flywheel to store energy before launching a single push to cut through a log. Additionally, they lack tonnage ratings since they generate their force as a single burst rather than via increased pressure.
In comparison to hydraulic splitters, kinetic splitters are quicker, more effective, and need less maintenance. However, their size and cost are its main flaws. They often have a larger physical footprint than hydraulic alternatives since a flywheel compartment is required to generate the force. They are frequently quite expensive as well. But because of their speed, you might still want one of these if you’re looking for a splitter of the highest calibre for handling large amounts of wood.