I use a maul on most wood its much faster easier imo, Knotty stuff stays in the pile and the Mrs uses the borrowed splitter. Big stuff is noodles or wedged again if it's knotty. Big straight oak will get mauled.
Gotta love a horizontal splitter with a hydraulic log lift!!! Every once in a while I smash some blocks apart with a single bit axe. Good way to relieve stress on a bad day!!!
I just push it into the beam or huge ones let it sit cockeyed. Doesn't hurt anything. And I got the x27 a few years ago. It's worth it. Can swing it longer and for some reason I am way more productive with it over a normal 6 or 8lb maul.
I have a troy built 27 ton h/v splitter from lowes and fiskars x27. I use the splitter horizontally 99 percent of the time. I think I used it vertically 1 time just to see how it works. I added some log racks to mine so I don't have to keep bending over. If the rounds are to big I just noodle them into manageable pieces. Also if they are small straight grained round I'll just set a bunch up and walk along wacking them with the fiskars.
Vertically chunks can pop and fly several feet, but as you stated its still better on the ground. I couldn't imagine one busting and flying horizontally.
98% horizontal, 1% vertical, (just to bust up some biggins on site so they can be loaded in the truck) and 1% X27 ( just enough to maintain my aim...and partially to make me feel like maybe I could actually be as much of a man as my boy thinks I am )
When you have Mrs. Muffinhead there feeding you rounds its a lot faster. Great vid, bobdog! Mrs TD had back surgery a few years back so I wont ask her to move rounds. She will help move splits. But every time she's around and my shirt comes off, all the work comes to a halt...
Even splitting vertical the wood has to be carried, it does not walk over to the splitter on its own legs
Many ways to get a big round where you want it , you can, Roll it, use a cant hook ,a hookaroon, a hand truck (dolly), a pry bar, etc
Agreed. Sometimes I wait too long to listen. My wife already asked me when we are going to buy a splitter, so I may not wait too long, this time!
Been running horizontally on the smaller stuff 12-18 inches the past few outings... way easier and faster. Never tried it with smalls until now. Anything bigger there is no way I'm lifting, ain't wasting time or gas noodling.