I have that same splitter, although with the mature responsible adult controls. ( The motor stays on so you can one hand it ) It splits huge rounds of red oak fine, white oak it can struggle a little bit. White pine, fir, birch - no problem. Spruce - fuhgetaboutit. When I was using under a cord a year, It was all I needed. Before that I did well with splitting maul and some wedges but my back just couldn't do it any more.
Yep I'll be swinging an axe for another year. That's alright Im liking taking out work frustration when I get home. So far this year I am about 2.5 cord. We have been having a mild winter this year. Two weeks ago shut off NG to furnace seeing if we can make it on wood only so far so good.
Just talked to a gentleman at the c store has a cabin lot. Would like to know if I want to clean some of the dead lodgepole up. Going to meet this weekend to work out details. Can start cutting in forest June 1st took BogyDaves advice bought two 10 cord permits. 125.00. My summer weekends are all planned out.
Moisture content C/S/S 2 years rotted trunk fresh cut sitting in round fom dead standing cut in fall c/s/s 6 months.
Another Wyoming wood burner here. I go to the mountains in June cut, split and stack lodge pole pine and burn by winter. I also just built a house but I started piling wood on it about 3 years before I built it. I also burn a lot of cotton wood and if you season it out 2 to 3 years it is not that bad. I have made some contacts with some tree service guys and once in awhile I will get a load of elm. Keep all your options open and let everyone you know that you are a serious wood burner. You never know where that next free load of wood might come from. Good luck and sounds like you will do fine.
A mature, responsible adult doesn't need those two handed controls. Those are for children, drunks and, most importantly, lawyers. By the time you have modified it so it is practical to run, you can no longer (successfully) sue the manufacturer. On something fast, like a Split-fire or a punch press, it makes sense for safety reasons. On something this slow, it's for liability reasons. Mine won't retract until the motor shuts off, so there is (was) no one handing it. Between bending over to run it and having to pick up both pieces of the split after one fell on my foot, I could probably have sued for the foot and back injuries.
That's the ryobi one that home depot sells. Plugs into your smartphone or tablet. Iirc, its 20-30 dollars. I just reminded my wife that's one thing I want for my upcoming birthday.
Just have to be careful. First bought was walking around house checking moisture content in everything.
Thanksgiving turkey, check.... Meatloaf, check..... Indoor plants... Check... Oh yeah, fresh split wood. That's what its for. Sounds like a fun toy.
we cut a little cottonwood this past fall. It is on the five year plan. Neighbors think I'm crazy for working on a thee year plan with lodgepole. (Same ones that run out every season).. It is amazing if you start looking some sort of logs show up.
talk her into an early birthday present. Oh I've done that with a saw she told me that was two birthdays and a couple christmas's
Around here, some wood is just too knotty to split by hand. I'm a newb here too, working on my hoard. Even with easy splitting pine, I'd require at least an electric splitter. It's rewarding and fun to hand split a little. I know my wife enjoys watching me split wood with an Axe or maul. But it's not about that, it's about getting wood for your heating stockpile. I'm working on the gas splitter and probably will share one with my cutting buddy I've known nearly all my life. My parents have the same MTD that Dennis (backwoods) has. It's great, but my bud and I borrow another friends old splitter when we can until we get our own. Splitting by machine allows precise pieces, especially nice and IMHO necessary for corners/ ends that might be sitting for 3 or more years. My wife likes running the splitter, and its really really nice having help and company. It's almost always me felling and bucking by myself. Getting help with splitting and stacking is a bonus.
