How a saw came to be.

More like smolder unseasoned wood.

 

The guy answered me and ask for me to make an offer. He was asking $175.00 for a 5 ton electric hydraulic splitter. used one season and always stored inside. What is a good offer to make?

 

photos of the splitter in question. From the advert; "SpeeCo 5 Ton electric log splitter. Runs good, splits well. Used 1 season to split about 2 cords of Oak"

 

If its as good as new and close $80 off would be good thats like 1/3 off

 

The less you want it the cheaper you go. Start at $100

 

I offered $130.00 The idea is to get the price closer to what I can handle if he is willing to negotiate.

 

I would say it is worth what he is asking. Anything less is gravy.

What are you splitting? Will it handle it? My 5-ton splits pine and douglas fir fine, but I am not sure how it would do with hardwoods.

Greg

 

He stated in the advert that he split oak with it but he did not say what type of oak, red oak is straight grain, easy to split, white oak has more of a cross grain to it and is a bit harder to split. American beech has a corkscrew grain and is impossible to split unless you cut it into very short pieces, sweet gum has this strange grain that I don't know how to describe and it is hard to split. I know a bit about splitting because when I helped Dad, he did all the cutting and I would split. The problem is that I am not 18 anymore and I tried using that splitting maul and it was bleeding heavy.

This is the maul; or one like it. Mine has the same type head but a hollow steel handle.

 

Elm is stringy sweet gum is just crazy. Doesnt want to spit just rip apart.

I know those 5 tons will split most oak. Not knots and things but even twisted grain or white oak, it should do it fine.

 

That is the way white oak is; it will split but strings hold it together and you have to pull it apart.

 

To help avoid self-torture, I'd strongly suggest usings no maul heavier than 6 lb. Beyond that, you struggle just to lift it, and can't add much velocity on the way down. Sub-optimum. I've "discovered" over the years that the edge counts, for a LOT. And to keep that edge, the maul should be forged of good quality steel and properly heat-treated. Not normally encountered with budget mauls.

Boiling that down, I'd suggest a 6 lb Council Tools maul. (Got mine for $25.) Quick sharpening with Dremel and sanding drum, then with same tool polishing down the ridges a fraction back of the edge, and it's as good as any maul I've tried. Note the price. Council is at Lake Waccamaw, NC.

An axe is a very dangerous splitting tool, for anything bigger than kindling. I've seen some bad things happen there, with experienced sawyers.

For really difficult rounds, there's "noodling". You lay the round on its side and cut through the bark with the grain, gemnerating long woody "noodles". It's a really easy cut mechanically, on the saw, so long as the clutch cover doesn't clog. To not waste wood fiber, I usually just cut in about as deep as the bar is wide PLUS any visible forks/knots. Then you can set a wedge or two and pound them in. If the noodles clog the clutch cover, rock the saw in the cut- alternately raise/lower each end of the bar, so the noodles are shorter.

For targeting the splits: hit the round alternately far & near until a crack opens up, then nail it in the center. Setting the workpieces up on a big block helps a lot too. Gotta keep the edge sharp, you know. HTH. Enjoy. It also warms you, just talking about it.

 

Except you nor I can pull elm apart. You have to use the ram or an axe to cut those fibers.

But yes white oak is stringy.

 

I use the fiskars x27. Its light maybe 4.5 pounds I think. I can split just as good as the 6lb maul I use to use and I can swing it longer. I use to use an 8lb maul. Those things you put a picture of are just junk in my opinion and will vibrate your hands off.visit never have liked them.

I have read all the reviews of the x27 here the hearth and on Amazon. My wife got me one just over a year ago. I love it and can't believe I didnt get one sooner. Its $50 and I am cheap is the reason I never got one. But at that point I had broken my last fiberglass handled maul and the wood one I had so I needed to either rehandle something or buy something anyway. At that point I was splitting with a normal ax. Anything short of perfect wood its tourcherous. And i dont go back to a plain axe now.

 

White Oak can be stringy, Elm can be torture

 

The guy said I could have it for $160.00.