log splitter ?

going to break down and buy a log splitter,I will be splitting oak and elm, 24" diameter logs,how many ton splitter will I need? thanks I have been splitting by hand but my shoulders are getting bad,think I'm getting old

We really don't have elm in my area of MN, but we have lots of red oak and white oak. White oak is the hardest to split by far, and I have yet to find a piece that our 20 ton Northstar brand vertical/horizontal splitter can't handle. If the chunk of wood doesn't want to split, it will force it through and shear the grain. I have been very satisfied with mine.

I visit arborists.com and the one forum about firewood and heating has lots of people asking/telling about splitters and lots of them recommend the ones from tractor supply. Catch one on sale for around $900 more or less and in the 20 ton range and you should be good to go. They will split 95% of wood with the exception being knotted/forked pieces. The large rounds may need to be nibbled at from the edges,but they usually split in half. There are some people where money is no object and they recommend more expensive splitters, but are selling wood and want faster,bigger tools.
I have a homemade splitter with a 4x24 ram and 11hp engine and 16gpm pump and it splits allmost everything.

We have a 24 ton splitter. It's done a LOT a lot of difficult wood (white oak, twisted ironwood, etc). Have yet to find anything it cannot split.

If you've been splitting by hand (which I did for many years) I think you'll find a machine in the 20 - 25 ton range more than adequate.

I had 22 ton from sears it split a lot of oak around here very seldom stopped in the middle od split but jut back out and start over. Make sure that you get a horizontal / vertical for those big heavy pieces.
Walt

I think the Pizz Elm is the worst to split. If you can handle that, the knotted stuff wont be bad.

I have a 24 ton home made and it splits great. The biggest part of splitting knots and crotches is learning where on the log to start the split. Experience is the best teacher. I made mine so its vertical or horizontal and done with hydraulics to save the back.

I bought my two stage hydraulic pump and control valve from Northern Hydraulics. I bought the hydraulic cylinder at a government auction. It was a steering cylinder off the 8ton Goer used by the Army back in the 1960's. I used a 4-inch I-beam, but if I was doing it today I would use a 6-inch I-beam. The 2-stage pump will split any wood including knots. The control valve would return the piston automatically. The splitter was built in 1982. Hal

If you look up firewood in a set of old encyclopedias Elm is at the very bottom of the list for ease of splitting.

what you learn is when you have an especially tough log you start closer to the edge rather than trying for the middle. The stronger the splitter the faster you can get to the middle.

I can split most anything with a 12 ton but 20 ton would be better.
I can not imagine splitting wood with a horizontal beam, vertical beam for me with a large working table. I find sitting down while splitting is superior to standing up bent over.

If a guy has tried to split elm that isn't fully seasoned he's found that is stringy and doesn't split real easy. Seasoned elm splits like butter.

Bought a new 24 ton splitter from F&F two years ago when it was on sale for a little over $1K. Stove will take 26 inch length logs so splitting is tougher than only processing smaller length stuff. I've had several logs that it wouldn't go thru and had to reposition. A 26 to 28 ton machine would be nice but typically one that big isn't on sale. A 30 ton unit would be great. Wouldn't consider anything less than 18-20 tons and then only if processing shorter relatively uniform wood with none or few knots. I've used home built units and also rented several machines thru the years and experience shows that bigger is better. Most of the home built units used salvaged parts that were OK but not particularly well matched for the application. This affected performance and when I again needed a splitter and priced new components rather than go cheap and use spare parts to scab something together, determined it was nearly as cheap to buy a new one and avoid the extra work.

Best log splitter ever built was a "lickiy Log Splitter". They have not been manufactured for years but I would take my time and try to find a model MK-348.

Fresh elm is some of the hardest splitting I've worked with. Can't imagine oak would be a whole lot better. I'd say 20 ton minimum. You don't want to go too big if 3pth, unless your tractor has the hydraulic capacity to move it at a decent rate. Split-fire makes a heck of a splitter. Splits both ways, so no wasted time waiting for the cylinder to return.

Might be a litle late here. but my splitter isn't the most powerful one on earth. If I get a big old hard log I just chip off pieces from the edges. I don't start in the middle. Stan

Ours is barely 12 ton and it splits everything, including green elm. It stopped in one crotched block a couple of years ago, just had to reposition it and it was spit. The only thing I would think you would need more force for would be a 2-way splitter.

I find that these are kind of interesting to look at, both the wide array of ones made by people whom make their own, and the homeowner types up into the heavier more commercial splitters before you get into processors. Also interesting all the older brand name mfr's you always see for sale on CL. Didier and others come to mind, I never realized how many different kinds of splitters there are, old and new.

The specifications, design, layout, features, wedge types and arrangements, etc. there are quite a few choices, some of the heavier models that are just horizontal, like American and similar mfr's, makes you see the difference in homeowner models.


I think for a homeowner, the typical horizontal/verticle models, in at least 28 ton, would suffice, but the 35 ton would better. I'll use Huskee for example. Awhile back I took a good hard look at all these kinds of splitters, as it was time to get one with the amount of wood on hand. It appeared to me a Huskee , (really a Speeco) was not all that bad in a 28 ton, so I got one a few years old, not too many miles etc.
It has no trouble with 2'-0" diameter oak or elm for the most part though elm can be stubborn, I have 6 20" elm trees down right now, not dead long either. I suppose I'll see how it does on fresh elm.

I like the 28 ton model so far, its not a processor or all that quick but for 5 cord or so per season, its fine. You can get a slip on 4 way wedge and a log cradle, I added those to mine, 4 way works fines on cherry, oak- bucked and dried previously, most pieces straight grained, anything gnarly, remove 4 way, nice to have if you need it or do softwood. The honda GC 190 on it runs nice, starts easy, the 35 ton in Speeco used to be listed with both briggs and stratton and Honda, ideally for my use a 35 ton, 16 gpm 2 stage pump and honda motor, would do all I needed, I do have a fair amount of larger wood, finite but quite a bit, be nice to have a processor, cost is a bit more than justified unless you sell wood.

Any of the homeowner types would likely suffice, things like fenders, road tires, not the 45 mph rated tires, light kit, and similar things to consider, one thing about these, is they are kind of "infinitely rebuildable or easily modified" if need be, all depends on what a person needs to make firewood, I just can't use a 10-15 lb hammer into hardwood, so it was nice to finally get one.