Hello, I am considering buying a McCullugh (called a Woodchuck) electric wood splitter. It has a 4 ton force and supposedly can split a 20 inch long piece of wood up to 12 inch diameter. I am thinking of keeping it in my basement to split pieces of wood down to kindling size when needed. My question is does anyone on here have one of these splitters and, if so, what do they think of them??? They sell around my area for about $230. Made in China, of course........ Thanks, Steve
Most of my firewood is already split at least in half so it would be mainly to reduce the halves down farther if needed to fit into my wood stove. It might be used probably a few times a day at the most. Up until now I have been using a small hand size metal splitting mall to do what I am talking about and am just thinking of trying to make my woodburning life a little easier in my older age. I still split all my major size firewood outside by hand with a large metal splitting mall. Sounds like you have a pretty good idea to try too though. Thanks! Steve
That would probably work fine. I use a manual hydraulic splitter for kindling and everything else. Works like a charm and was only $99.00. It will also split twisted grain logs.
I have a Honda 5hp 26 ton splitter. I love it. Yet, still, I need a kindling splitter like you. I'm thinking of making one out of a maul. Drill a hole in the end of the handle for a pivot point. Insert bolt so it will rotate 90 degrees, falling onto a stump on which to sit smaller pieces of kindling. Starts vertical, ends up horizontal. Then let gravity do its work. Maybe attach a bungee to add a little oomph. I can make the framework out of steel tubing, as I weld. Stumps are a dime a dozen around here.
Or make some kind of sliding device that drops like a guillotine. I think you could come up with something for less than $230.
Trouble is "It has a 4 ton force and supposedly can split a 20 inch long piece of wood up to 12 inch diameter". Sounds like you may use this for your main splitter, and one day overwork it. If you just use it for kindling and small pieces, it should be okay. But if you're like me, you tend to push the envelope.
Most of my firewood is already split at least in half so it would be mainly to reduce the halves down farther if needed to fit into my wood stove. It might be used probably a few times a day at the most. Up until now I have been using a small hand size metal splitting mall to do what I am talking about and am just thinking of trying to make my woodburning life a little easier in my older age. I still split all my major size firewood outside by hand with a large metal splitting mall. Sounds like you have a pretty good idea to try too though. Thanks! Steve
I have to split about four cords of wood that's stacked outside in rounds right now. Like you, I will split it down to stove sized pieces. But, I, too, want some small apparatus that I can quickly sit some small pieces into, and split into kindling. Lots of the time, it goes flying, or I'm just edgy about breaking a nail. (Or losing a finger.) So, I am going to build something simple. Something I can just sit the wood into, and it will stay put, then drop the maul and know exactly where it will land.
I will post a picture on flickr when I get something made. I have a few days of projects to do here soon, and that's one of them.
I cut up the smaller branches (down to 1/2") and bundle them for convenient hauling (using re-usable chunks of rope). So I never need to split wood for kindling. I did buy a used hydraulic splitter for the big stuff, figuring it would save me its cost in medical bills.
The bundling process. Drape the rope across the inside of a "storage tote". fill the tote with cut branches. Tie the rope tight by cinching the loose end through a tied loop in the other end and tie it with an easily removable braid type knot. The rope can be snugged up after a couple months of drying, as it will loosen.
I buy my wood cut and split. I always find enough junk and splinters in it when I pile it up to use for kindling. I just hold it out and make a separate pile of splinters and sticks and take that down to the kindling pile.
No booze till you are done with sharp things. (Unless you haven't had kids yet.)
Booze doesn't keep you warm, anyway- that is just a fleeting illusion, that you pay dearly for later if you can't get back to someplace warm in time. It actually makes your body lose heat faster.
Still, for $140, I think I could make something out of a stump and a maul, which I have. Maybe a little Yukon Jack or Jaegermeister for working in the cold cold shop .......
All the 'mini splitter' types I have seen in catalogues, on the net, etc., take more effort and time to split the stuff than an ax and a single swing would. I guess they are all right for people with poor physical strenght or other handicaps but for the able bodied, I just don't see it.
You could, I suppose, make a case for 'safety', a weak one, but a case.
I agree Harry. Just this past weekend splitting birch I was 3-1 with the splitting maul over the brother who was using the electric splitter which had an 8 second return.
Just a quick update...... I did go and purchace this 4 ton electric splitter. So far I think it will do just what I need it to do. It can split knotty oak and hard maple maple and stringy ironwood with very little problem. It has not stalled in any piece I have tried so far. I think as long as I keep the wedge tip very sharp, it will do just fine in my basement....
3 of us spent about a few hours this weekend splitting curly grained wood with a gas powered 20-ish ton splitter.
1 guy ran the control handle while the other 2 lifted the logs onto the splitter, caught their half and took turns putting them back on the splitter to split again. We got pretty efficient, with the splitter barely ever stopping it's back and forth motion.
I don't know what the return time was, but it was a lot less than 8 seconds. In any case we never let it go the full return, just far enough for the lifters to drop the log back in.
Just a quick update...... I did go and purchace this 4 ton electric splitter. So far I think it will do just what I need it to do. It can split knotty oak and hard maple maple and stringy ironwood with very little problem. It has not stalled in any piece I have tried so far. I think as long as I keep the wedge tip very sharp, it will do just fine in my basement....
Steve
All I'd say is that I think if you don't overload it with a big piece, it should be fine. I'll post links to photos for my manual gravity model when I get a projects day break from my honey do schedule.
3 of us spent about a few hours this weekend splitting curly grained wood with a gas powered 20-ish ton splitter.
1 guy ran the control handle while the other 2 lifted the logs onto the splitter, caught their half and took turns putting them back on the splitter to split again. We got pretty efficient, with the splitter barely ever stopping it's back and forth motion.
I don't know what the return time was, but it was a lot less than 8 seconds. In any case we never let it go the full return, just far enough for the lifters to drop the log back in.
Reply:
I guess I'm good. I can run the handle faster than one helper can feed and stack. It takes years for a helper to learn that, and not everyone can do it.
(Hint: it's usually the owner of the splitter who can do it.)
Last night on the DIY channel my wood splitter was featured on a program on tools.,,,,,,,,,,, Only that one had a Ryobi name stamp on it instead of McCullough. Just a couple cosmetic differences, both made in China probably in the same plant. Same exact size and specs as mine. They seemed to give it a very favorable review so I'm hoping they are right. They said for maintenance it mainly needed the hydraulic fluid changed once and awhile and to keep the wedge sharpened. I have used mine everyday now for about a week and I continue to be impressed by its capability.......
Last night on the DIY channel my wood splitter was featured on a program on tools.,,,,,,,,,,, Only that one had a Ryobi name stamp on it instead of McCullough. Just a couple cosmetic differences, both made in China probably in the same plant. Same exact size and specs as mine. They seemed to give it a very favorable review so I'm hoping they are right. They said for maintenance it mainly needed the hydraulic fluid changed once and awhile and to keep the wedge sharpened. I have used mine everyday now for about a week and I continue to be impressed by its capability.......
Last night on the DIY channel my wood splitter was featured on a program on tools.,,,,,,,,,,, Only that one had a Ryobi name stamp on it instead of McCullough. Just a couple cosmetic differences, both made in China probably in the same plant. Same exact size and specs as mine. They seemed to give it a very favorable review so I'm hoping they are right. They said for maintenance it mainly needed the hydraulic fluid changed once and awhile and to keep the wedge sharpened. I have used mine everyday now for about a week and I continue to be impressed by its capability.......
Steve
Went to my cabin the last few days. I had brought all the tools down here to do some landscaping. So, I was walking out in the woods with a flashlight gathering up tinder. Didn't even have a hatchet.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.