Everyone who has a fireplace or a wood stove has heard the age-old saying, "Firewood warms you twice; once when you cut it and once when you burn it." This was true for decades, as men and women used sledgehammers, mallets and wedges when splitting firewood. But in the last few years hydraulic, gasoline and electric log splitters have replaced much of the manual labor. The result: people spend more time relaxing by the fire than before.
What is important when shopping for a quality log splitter? The first question to ask would be: Will this be used for personal firewood only or will it be used to split wood that will be sold to others? If the wood is going to be used in a home stove or fireplace, then smaller equipment is sufficient (beginning in the 2 to 5 ton range). But for commercial log splitting, it will be necessary to purchase equipment that exerts up to 20 tons of pressure. Purchasing a splitter that is much too small is an invitation to trouble, as the engine will overheat or be damaged because it is overtaxed.
Some individuals have found that the quality log splitter is excellent for uses beyond the simple task of providing wood for the stove or fireplace. Some have incorporated their splitter into a furniture-making process, creating excellent chairs, tables and other items from rough wood that is initially split with the hydraulic or electric splitter. Commercial-grade splitters are used by forest-product suppliers to create rough-cut planking, prepare large trees for transport to the mill and so on. In every case, the modern log splitter has become an important tool for both private and commercial use. All of this translates into time saved and money saved.
Log splitters of sufficient strength and quality to last for years may cost hundreds of dollars. While it is possible to purchase an electric splitter for personal use, the larger hydraulic splitters can generally be more powerful and are good for commercial and heavy-duty use. These high-end items may cost thousands, rather than hundreds, of dollars.
If the log splitter is to be used only for home firewood, when the stove or fireplace is more a luxury item than a necessity, the smaller splitter should be sufficient. If the splitter will be used in a firewood business, even on a part time scale, it may be wise to figure out how much wood can be split per hour or per day, to get some idea about cost. Hydraulic log splitters can also be a tool for creating log furniture. In this case, it is also very important to get a splitter that is powerful enough and durable enough. It would be wise to take a bit of extra time to learn more about splitters, their capabilities and their costs, before choosing one that is too small.
With any power equipment, there is the issue of safety. While many new models of log splitter are self-lubricating and require very little maintenance, the more the individual learns about the equipment the safer it will be when in use. Tip: Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
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November 15 2009 | Log Splitters | 2 Comments »
If you need to use a log splitter, you need to think foremost about safety. While these are nifty, albeit expensive, tools, they are hardly a plaything. Below are listed eleven important safety tips that you should follow and keep in mind. By the way, did you know that you can actually use some log splitters to make furniture? Read on for more detailed information.
How to Properly Use a Log Splitter
If you are a person that is always cutting trees for firewood, then you will want to think about getting a log splitter. Log splitters are a very expensive machine that is often purchased when there is a lot of wood that needs to be cut. Wood splitters are most commonly used for firewood or logs for furniture making. In fact, you can buy one wherever equipment for logging is sold; as well as on the internet.
One of the best selling log splitters is a hydraulic log splitter. In fact, there are many benefits of hydraulic splitters over any other ones. Some of the benefits of wood splitters are that they are very easy to use; they have either a gasoline or diesel engine; which is what makes the machine fire up.
When it comes to the features of a hydraulic wood splitter, there are many to look for. In fact, one of the biggest features that people look at is the engine size; which ranges from 5-8 horsepower. Generally, any home wood splitter has a small engine that is commercially used. In most cases, it will have 10-25 tons of force when splitting wood as well as have a 2 stage oil pump.
For most people, the only purpose they have a log splitter is for cutting logs into firewood; however, the tree must first be cut down and de-limbed by a chainsaw. In fact, the process of making firewood with a splitter is much easier and faster than doing it by physical labor; as it would take hours and even days to complete the job.
One of the biggest things to think about when using a splitter is safety. In fact, there are many tips that should be followed; and those are:
1. Children should never be allowed to operate the machinery.
2. Always make sure there are no children present, as there can always be debris flying.
3. Always wear protective gear (steel-toe boots and safety glasses) as well as no loose clothing; as it could get tangled in the machinery.
4. Before using it, read all the directions and owner's manual.
5. Make sure there is a safe perimeter around the machinery.
6. Don't ever make any adjustments while the machine is running.
7. Never operate the machine during the evening or night; always during daylight.
8. Never be impaired when operation the machine; no drugs or alcohol.
9. Always use on a dry surface.
10. Do not put anything else in the cutter except for wood.
11. Always make sure the guards are in place.
On some occasions people have purchased wood splitters for the purpose of furniture making; which is possible. In fact, many splitters can be set up for log furniture making; however, a chainsaw will still be necessary among other tools. Some of the other tools you will need for making log furniture are different sized clamps, instructional videos and books, larger sized chisels, mallet, wood guides of various sizes and a tenon among other things.
Ken Morris repeatedly publishes detailed reports on ideas associated to log splitter hydraulic system. You can come across his contributions on hydraulic log splitter and log splitter hydraulic system here.
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November 14 2009 | Log Splitters | No Comments »