Electric Wood Splitter??

[Glendon Mullins]

Going to be going back to wood heat this fall, after a 10 year hiatus from using my wood stove. Will have a wood/coal furnace.

I will be providing wood heat not only for my household but my mom as well. Been browsing wood splitters and to my surprise they now make electric wood splitters??

They seem to be priced alot better than the gas powered ones. But I have no experience with them, anyone on here use a electric wood splitter?

 

[madgrad02]

I can't speak to the electric ones as I haven't used them, but I would think if you had really dry wood without many knots or imperfections, maybe good to go? I am never that lucky when splitting wood. Had EAB come through our neighborhood a few years back and pretty much decimated the ash trees. I picked up the wood splitter from harbor freight and couldn't be more pleased... could it use MORE power, sure, but those little Predator motors (honda-clones) are pretty decent, and it splits in both directions... nothing is worse than waiting for the splitter head to retract... splits in both directions so twice the work for the effort.
Actually looking to get into wood heat - currently have a gas stove (don't really use as it is propane fed and if you haven't had to fill up a 500gal propane tank as of late, consider yourself lucky (thanks Brandon). We do use a pellet stove, but figured even if this isn't the best wood to burn, still free of charge and the tree guys guesstimated 3-4 years worth of wood once it is all split (if not more) - and that is just from 1 section of woods in my small backyard. Have an aging pine growth in the front that Mother Nature is assisting in the take down.

 

[hiker270]

Depends on the wood your splitting. Softer wood with few knots the Electric one may work. If your dealing with hardwoods like oak I really have my doubt's. I split a lot of oak, maple and wild cherry and have owned 3 different wood splitters. The newest one is a 35 ton 15 HP gas motor splitter. My experience is that if your gonna split a large amount of wood bigger is better. Money is of course a factor but if your splitter is not up to the job then you'll need a bigger splitter.

 

[black dawg]

The electric ones I have used were a joke. They did split small easy to split stuff without issue, but anything more difficult had to be broken up by hand first. Always thought it would be cool to have one indoors, if I had the room, for getting pieces to fit just right for a full stove overnight.....

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have an electric one, its ok but I want to get a real one.

 

[riversidejeep]

I run a 6.5 h/p 25 ton job from tractor supply, oak, fir, pepperwood. Splits everything including slicing though 10" knots but only because of a 2 stage pump. If you get an electric get a 2 stage pump.

 

[PNWGATOR]

@mtnwrunner has used one for years and will probably have some insight to share

 

[mtnwrunner]

@mtnwrunner has used one for years and will probably have some insight to share

I have used one for years and it has worked great. It was one made by Grizzly. I usually split pine but have done both red and white fir with no issues. I've only had a couple rounds that it just quite wouldn't split due to very large knots.
The nice thing is I just put it on my tailgate, pull the wood from the bed of the truck and split it right there and either stack it or pile it for stacking it later. I've had mine for about 10 years and it's been awesome. It also was a 5 ton and they make them bigger and better.
I highly recommend them but hey, I also have a creedmoor........

Randy

 

[Howdy Partner]

Nice Wood.

 

[2muchhp]

I have been using one at my buddies cabin for a while. TroyBilt Tomahawk Pro. It works good for 3 cord per year(ish) Diameter of log is a hold back because its just not a big splitter

 

[def90]

Electric.. what's the mechanism? Is it just an electric pump running a hydraulic ram? If so I don't see why it wouldn't work as long as everything is sized right.

 

[mt100gr.]

Some years ago, my uncle switched to a pellet stove and left his DR ele tric splitter at my shop. It's not fast, but it's a splitting sonofabitch. Like Randy, I set it on my tailgate or some saw horses and bring the wood to it. Usually right in front of my shed so when it comes off the splitter it goes straight to the stack. This one is probably close to 20 years old. My brother and I share it and split probably 8 or so cord per year. (Fir, larch, pine, spruce, etc. Occasionally it'll snort on a knotty piece, but I have a maul handy for them.) Not sure I'd want to count on it (6 ton) for multiple cords of hardwood, but for the trees we have on our land, it's just right. And I can pick it up and haul it in the truck, move it close to the pile, etc. Pretty handy unit.

 

[IDShane]

I briefly owned a dirty hands electric splitter. I spent more time trying to fix it than running it so sold it and bought a gas powered.

 

[Dos Perros]

View attachment 519961

My 8 year old son would say "this picture is very satisfying."

 

[robby denning]

I have used one for years and it has worked great. It was one made by Grizzly. I usually split pine but have done both red and white fir with no issues. I've only had a couple rounds that it just quite wouldn't split due to very large knots.
The nice thing is I just put it on my tailgate, pull the wood from the bed of the truck and split it right there and either stack it or pile it for stacking it later. I've had mine for about 10 years and it's been awesome. It also was a 5 ton and they make them bigger and better.
I highly recommend them but hey, I also have a creedmoor........

Randy

View attachment 519960View attachment 519961

nice splitter, but I wanted to note the "real truck" regardless of what Ryan-Eco-Green-Avery might say

 

[black dawg]

Not finding anything over 10 ton, anybody seen bigger ones?

Would sure be nice to not have the noise and exhaust on cold still days. Split over 25 cord this year.

 

[mtnwrunner]

nice splitter, but I wanted to note the "real truck" regardless of what Ryan-Eco-Green-Avery might say

He wouldn't know what a real truck was even if Ford was stamped on his forehead.

Randy

 

[svivian]

Been using a 7 ton electric log splitter for a while now from good ole harbor freight. Used mainly on large pine and cottonwood though. So far I have been very impressed. Bought it for my moms place so she could split would herself without the hassle of a gas one. Does about 3-4 cords of wood a year though so not much...

 

[riversidejeep]

Not finding anything over 10 ton, anybody seen bigger ones?

Would sure be nice to not have the noise and exhaust on cold still days. Split over 25 cord this year.

It wouldn't be to hard to convert a gas unit over to electric with a little fab work and a correct pully system.

 

[black dawg]

It wouldn't be to hard to convert a gas unit over to electric with a little fab work and a correct pully system.

I dont think it would be difficult to get an electric motor in place of the gasser, but I am not familiar with sizing and speeds of large electric motors. It would be nice to have it only run the electric motor when the hydraulic pump needs run, and not sitting there running like an exhaust tubing bender.