I’m not a wood cutter, I’m a woodcutters son, I only……… moving swiftly on.

[The Singing Stalker]

I run my heating and hot water on wood, No problems. I manage to blag trees and get enough. Been doing it for 12 years now. Love my woodburner.
So currently I am cutting up some windfall, namely a big beech. I have noticed my electric log splitter is getting pretty tired, well it has worked hard to keep me warm. Biggest bits I am cutting are more than 20 inches diameter and it is sticking a lot. Lot of water and you have to work the edges a lot.
And the motor is only 2.2kw so it is a bit of a struggle

So I am l thinking of spending up to £500 on a new one. I lean towards electric motor as the carbs don’t gum up over time. Would I notice a big difference between 2.2 kw and 3 kw? Any personal recommendations? Remember, I’m not a pro, so I don’t need the best of the best at over £1,000 plus.
Is there a good place to go for decent second hand ones?

 

[Malxwal]

When you say motor, I presume you mean the hydraulic pump,as opposed to the prime mover electric motor? Just replace the hydraulic pump, as it will be worn out, too much clearance internally.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

I mean the electric motor, there is only one motor on there that I can see, that then, I presume, operates the hydraulic motor to pump the ram.
It is a cheap product that has and still does its job over 10 years, but I have a lot of large hard wood to do now
Dicking around with replacing motors, then rams, then worn out bits of metal, presuming that I had the time, I don’t, it would be cheaper to buy a new higher powered splitter. I think my old one works out at about £25 a year and I could probably sell it for £100, bringing my annual cost down to £15 a year.
I am very time poor and do not have enough free time to start stripping stuff. I have had my moneys worth out of it.

 

[bluesako]

try changing the hydraulic oil you might find your running on low oil?

 

[The Singing Stalker]

try changing the hydraulic oil you might find your running on low oil?

Did that last year.
As I said, it still works, but it is struggling with the size and type of wood.

As said in the original post. I am looking at buying a bigger one with more power. I am looking at recommendations. Thanks.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

I have built a log splitter or two myself. From scrap and scrounged bits, we powered one from the tractor. It bent the inch thick bottom plate and split welds when used on very knotty hardwood. But certainly had plenty of power. Built another based on a piece of I beam powered from an ex plant hire breaker power pack. The problem was the hydraulic ram was not suitable (that my mate sourced) and it was underpowered. Fine on softwood and straight grained hardwood but no good in knotty wood.

If I was building another I wood look at getting a better suited ram. I would use either electric or petrol power pack depending on where it was intended to be used.
I would go with the most powerful I could afford if buying one. Maybe find somewhere that will demonstrate and take some of your own wood in to see if it will do what you need.

 

[Malxwal]

I used to use an electric over hydraulic splitter, it was ergonomically superior to the petrol one I have now, with the table at waste height in the horizontal. I recall it was rated to 7.5 ton, ran off standard 220vac domestic supply, and never struggled with anything, although I'm only splitting softwood. Italian manufacturer, but don't recall the name. Not sure how much bigger an electric splitter you'd get in similar format.

8ton Electric Log Splitter | Our Products | Rock Machinery

Choose our 8ton Venom Compact Series Electric Log Splitter, where this model features a 230V electric motor and a noise level of only 92.5dB(A) under load.

rockmachinery.co.uk

 

[mealiejimmy]

I run my heating and hot water on wood, No problems. I manage to blag trees and get enough. Been doing it for 12 years now. Love my woodburner.
So currently I am cutting up some windfall, namely a big beech. I have noticed my electric log splitter is getting pretty tired, well it has worked hard to keep me warm. Biggest bits I am cutting are more than 20 inches diameter and it is sticking a lot. Lot of water and you have to work the edges a lot.
And the motor is only 2.2kw so it is a bit of a struggle

So I am l thinking of spending up to £500 on a new one. I lean towards electric motor as the carbs don’t gum up over time. Would I notice a big difference between 2.2 kw and 3 kw? Any personal recommendations? Remember, I’m not a pro, so I don’t need the best of the best at over £1,000 plus.
Is there a good place to go for decent second hand ones?

If it's not doing the job you want and you don't have he time to fix it and you can afford to buy a new one, then buy a new one
Give the old one to your local repair shop and let them fix it so someone else can benefit from it

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Cyres]

Why not rent one for a week. You can split a hell of a lot of wood in a day if it's all to hand.
D

 

[Malxwal]

Why not rent one for a week. You can split a hell of a lot of wood in a day if it's all to hand.
D

Hard going physically that (if you're a taller, older guy with a machine that's an ergonomic nightmare). And it requires a week of clogging, logistics etc in advance. Whilst I can appreciate the concept, if you rely heavily on timber as I do, ownership is preferable.
I sooo need to modify mine. It's a Rock machine thing that can be vertical or horizontal, either of which are going to render you buggered after a few hours if you're any taller than 5'0".

 

[Cyres]

Friends hired one for a week and I split a huge amount with it. However ergonomically crap. Some hire companies do good big ones.
D

 

[Jamouk]

FM16TW-TC | Powerful 8-Ton Electric Log Splitter | Forest Master

Buy the 8-Ton FM16TW-TC Electric Log Splitter. The log splitter produces up to 8-tons of splitting force, also features work bench, guard and trolley.

forest-master.com

I've been using one of these for last 3 years and it's not really struggled with anything I've put on it

 

[Cyres]

Brilliant was just going to recommend that very one. Saw one at a show in the Borders years ago and was v impressed. Just found the photos but cannot up load.
D

 

[The Singing Stalker]

I was going through my Facebook yesterday and it came up on my feed that I bought my splitter, 10 years ago.
I went for one of these in the end.
Lumag HOS-8N 8 Ton Vertical Log Splitter - Lumag Distribution..

less than £600.

I decided I wanted a vertical splitter as an horizontal one is a pain holding large diameter logs in place and at 8 tonne, it should munch through the hardwood and see me out. Not that I am planning to shuffle off this mortal coil for a long time yet.

 

[SikaSeeker]

This will keep you warm while you’re splitting

 

[The Singing Stalker]

This will keep you warm while you’re splitting

Yeah, I had a friend who was manly with such am implement. I could do 4 times the amount. That is the polite response. Lol.

 

[sh1kar]

FM16TW-TC | Powerful 8-Ton Electric Log Splitter | Forest Master

Buy the 8-Ton FM16TW-TC Electric Log Splitter. The log splitter produces up to 8-tons of splitting force, also features work bench, guard and trolley.

forest-master.com

I've been using one of these for last 3 years and it's not really struggled with anything I've put on it

exactly the one i have

 

[sh1kar]

I run my heating and hot water on wood, No problems. I manage to blag trees and get enough. Been doing it for 12 years now. Love my woodburner.
So currently I am cutting up some windfall, namely a big beech. I have noticed my electric log splitter is getting pretty tired, well it has worked hard to keep me warm. Biggest bits I am cutting are more than 20 inches diameter and it is sticking a lot. Lot of water and you have to work the edges a lot.
And the motor is only 2.2kw so it is a bit of a struggle

So I am l thinking of spending up to £500 on a new one. I lean towards electric motor as the carbs don’t gum up over time. Would I notice a big difference between 2.2 kw and 3 kw? Any personal recommendations? Remember, I’m not a pro, so I don’t need the best of the best at over £1,000 plus.
Is there a good place to go for decent second hand ones?

Beech can be pretty tough to split

s

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Beech can be pretty tough to split

s

I know, my little splitter is struggling. It is doing it, but it is sticking so.much and you have to take small cuts. I've upped the power from 2.2Kw to 3.3Kw. All indicators are that it should cope now. Ask me in a couple of days. Lol.