4 way split or horizontal/vertical feature on splitter

[They Call Me Pete]

Which would you want ? I was looking at a TimberWolf splitter and like the 4 way feature. The model I was looking at you can get a manual log lift for it. My theory is if I can't lift it in the truck it won't be going to the splitter. I also bring my maul/wedge on tree jobs so worst case I'd have to split so I can load it in the truck.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Their 6-way is beautiful. It depends on what your rounds look like though. If you look at any of the shots of those wedges or firewood processors, the rounds/logs are always straight grained and usually pretty small diameter. I think maybe 1/3 of what I scrounge would go through one. If you bought loads of straight 12 inch diameter logs, you would probably be in heaven.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The 4 way split is okay if you have all the right sized wood logs. As for me it does not take that long for those sized logs to split it with just the vertical splitter. I've posted many times how ridiculous I think a horizontal splitter is. Have an extra table. A log lift. Lift every piece of wood before splitting. Too much work. I'll just sit in front of my splitter and happily work much less and get the job done faster anyway.

 

[Gooserider]

I don't like the 4 ways as I feel like they don't give enough control over the size / placement of the splits. I would rather do several strokes, which doesn't take long if you short stroke (especially on the early strokes) and hold the round together and slide / spin it as a unit. I will often go for two or three strokes in each direction and get say 9 splits w/ 4 strokes...

OTOH, I don't want a splitter that can't go vertical... (at least not w/o a major log lift or FEL...)

Gooserider

 

[millerhill]

True...the 4-way wedge has a lot to do with the average diameter of your logs. Positioning may not always be ideal unless you have a splitter with the hydraulic wedge...but then you're into the killer commercial machines.

The thing about the log lift is not necessarily that it can lift heavy logs (which it can of course), but that it functions as a great staging platform. Stack 4 or 5 chunks on the lift, raise it into position, then as you split, you just have to roll the next chunk into position. It really speeds things up when someone is working with you. They can load up the lift, while you split. Other than that, it's the same number of trips to the woodpile anyway you slice it.

To pyro's point about the perfect wood shown on the site or marketing materials, we do that just because it looks good. I assure you that our machines are very powerful and the units that take a 6-way will not be stopped by anything that I've see so far after 8 years with the company.

Steve

 

[fire_man]

The 4 way split is okay if you have all the right sized wood logs. As for me it does not take that long for those sized logs to split it with just the vertical splitter. I've posted many times how ridiculous I think a horizontal splitter is. Have an extra table. A log lift. Lift every piece of wood before splitting. Too much work. I'll just sit in front of my splitter and happily work much less and get the job done faster anyway.

Dennis: I can see what you mean by having to lift all the logs to a Horizontal splitter, but when splitting vertically I may as well be on a pogo stick with all the jumping up and down I have to do to get to the next log.I work alone and find vertical more difficult for other reasons. Many of the logs don't sit just right at the base and require shims to hold them up against the beam. Others require hand holding up against the beam. All this fiddling and jumping around makes horizontal my preferred method except for the first split or two on the big ones. I just rest the log on the cradle, poke it into place and away I go - no Ricochet Rabbit pogo sticking around.

One good thing vertically is as you previously pointed out there is no risk that the split goes shooting into the family jewels the way I have experienced more than one unfortunate and painful time. I guess everyone's got their preferred method, but one thing is for sure I would never buy a splitter that could not work both horizontally and vertically.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Somehow I just can't relate to fiddling, jumping around, bending, etc. that I keep reading. I don't go through that at all. However, during the winter as I am cutting I do stack the wood in rows so that come spring I just set the splitter next to the row and split away while sitting on my duff. Every so often I just move the splitter ahead a few feet and happily split away sitting down (a lot of resting actually!).

I have split where there was a helper and it is nice, but not necessary if it is done right. I much prefer working alone and there is less chance of accidents, like pinched fingers.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I don't like the 4 ways as I feel like they don't give enough control over the size / placement of the splits. I would rather do several strokes, which doesn't take long if you short stroke (especially on the early strokes) and hold the round together and slide / spin it as a unit. I will often go for two or three strokes in each direction and get say 9 splits w/ 4 strokes...

OTOH, I don't want a splitter that can't go vertical... (at least not w/o a major log lift or FEL...)

Gooserider

Good post Goose.

 

[chad3]

I don't like the 4 ways as I feel like they don't give enough control over the size / placement of the splits. I would rather do several strokes, which doesn't take long if you short stroke (especially on the early strokes) and hold the round together and slide / spin it as a unit. I will often go for two or three strokes in each direction and get say 9 splits w/ 4 strokes...

OTOH, I don't want a splitter that can't go vertical... (at least not w/o a major log lift or FEL...)

Gooserider

Good post Goose.

OK, I'll add on to my only horizontal splitter.
I use a laminated beam that I can run the rounds up if they are too large to be lifted. Works fine and one less variable in the equation.
Just my .02.
Chad

 

[They Call Me Pete]

I don't like the 4 ways as I feel like they don't give enough control over the size / placement of the splits. I would rather do several strokes, which doesn't take long if you short stroke (especially on the early strokes) and hold the round together and slide / spin it as a unit. I will often go for two or three strokes in each direction and get say 9 splits w/ 4 strokes...

OTOH, I don't want a splitter that can't go vertical... (at least not w/o a major log lift or FEL...)

Gooserider

All my wood is from trees I remove which are pretty big and straight most of the time. Diameter is very close in size for most of the trees so I could just put on 4 way and split most of it. Plus if you welded a spacer piece on one side you'd just have to flip it over to get it higher or lower

 

[millerhill]

A slip on 4-way with the horizontal wing offset by about 4" or so allows you to flip the wedge over and adjust for different size rounds. OTOH I like to have different size splits in the pile to allow me to adjust the heat in the stove so I usually don't worry about flipping the 4-way.

 

[Gooserider]

My wood varies considerably - everything from ~6" stuff that's marginal as to whether it even needs splitting, to 40" plus monsters that take a fair bit of engineering to even get onto the splitter platform - as such I don't want to be worrying about dealing with a 4-way, as I can control the action much better with a single wedge. I also feel much safer with a single wedge as there is less coming down as I'm trying to hold one of those annoying angled pieces in position and I can see all of the working area.

Gooserider

 

[millerhill]

I agree. If your wood varies that much than a 4-way would probably be less help and more headache.

 

[CT-Mike]

I find the 4-way wedge on my TW-2 extremely helpful. It is offset so I can flip it over to adjust the height by 3" or so. I typically just leave it on the lowest setting, and with larger logs, just run the splits that came off the top of the 4-way through again. It definitely speeds up production time. 12" or so rounds go through the splitter once and I have 4 perfect splits.

 

[firefighterjake]

No question . . . while I may split horizontally 99% of the time, for those few times I am wrestling with a monster piece of wood I like the ability to go vertical . . . plus when I get old like Dennis I may want a splitter that can go vertical. Just kidding Dennis.

Also, as Goose mentioned, the wood I have is not one perfect size . . . I have wood of varying dimensions . . . crooked wood . . . and wood with crotches . . . if a person was constantly splitting wood of a certain diameter and the wood was nice and straight with no forks or crotches the 4-way might work pretty slick . . . for my purposes the 4-way would not be very useful.

 

[WidowMaker]

This 65 yr old man with a bad back far an away prefers, horizonal with a log lift, the ricochet rabbit stuff wipes me out in a hurry...