Depending on size and power source, log splitters can be handy home helpers or high-production workhorses. Here's help choosing the right one.
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If you like real wood fires—and who doesn’t?—you could benefit from log splitters in several ways. It helps turn unwanted wood waste in your backyard into usable firewood, and it’s an essential tool if you have enough seasoned lumber to start a full-fledged firewood operation. On the other hand, you might just fancy having a handy tool to split kindling right on your hearth.
A log splitter doesn’t seem like a mainstream tool. But Vince Christofora, owner of Woodstock Hardware in Woodstock, New York, says log splitters (AKA wood splitters) are actually becoming more popular. He says this may be because firewood prices continue to rise and more and more people aspire to make their own.
For anyone with an abundance of logs to split and completely over the romantic notion of swinging an axe, Christofora says a log splitter can be an invaluable tool.
If you’re looking for a tool to make kindling near a campfire, the Inertia Wood Splitter is for you. This isn’t a hydraulic machine like most other log splitters. You supply the force yourself with a mini sledgehammer.
It requires less effort to use this tool than an axe. And because there’s no need to stabilize the log, there are fewer misses. Just set the log in place against the blade and swing away to split it into easily burnable kindling.
The Sun Joe Hydraulic Log Splitter is no kindling splitter. Capable of developing a force of 10 tons— more than some electric models—it turns 18-inch x 8-inch or smaller logs into firewood with a manual hydraulic ram.
It has wheels so it’s easy to move around the yard or the basement, making it one of the most portable log splitters. You operate it by pumping a pair of handles. It’s a bit of a workout, but nowhere near as taxing as swinging an axe. And it’s a lot faster. It’s one of the best log splitters if you’re trying to turn into firewood quickly without making a major financial investment.
The Swisher Eco Split develops a respectable 22 tons of force and won’t ever stall because of a clogged carburetor. It’s a little pricey and must be towed on site. But it splits logs up to 25 inches long, bigger than most gas-powered models.
This splitter works in vertical and horizontal positions. And because it’s emission-free, you can set it up in your basement or garage and work out of the rain and snow.
Put your 20-inch by 10-inch or smaller log on the Wen 6.5-Ton Lumberjack and let its 15-amp motor do the work. This versatile machine has a 20-second cycle from beginning to full automatic retraction and can handle up to 120 logs an hour.
The unit is easy to use on its built-in wheels or with its 34-inch wheeled stand. The side-mounted cradle supports the log and prevents it from falling.
A more compact version of the 34-ton model, the Champion Seven-Ton Log Splitter is towable but also light enough to move around manually. It handles smaller logs than the more powerful version (up to 19 inches long and 50 pounds in weight), and it has a slightly longer return cycle and smaller production rate (180 logs per hour).
This Champion model operates only in the horizontal position. But because it also has an integrated log catcher, you don’t have to worry about your back. The blade splits dense hardwood logs into and cuts through knots as if they weren’t there.
Log splitters can be manual or gas-powered. Electric log splitters are also popular options, and can be mounted on the back of a tractor. Here are some things to consider when looking for the best log splitters for your project:
