Vertical or horizontal?

[fireview2788]

I have been reading through the threads and it seems that most people prefer to have the splitter horizontal as opposed to vertical. I recently split about a cord using the splitter vertical and it seemed to work fine. I had some pretty big pieces but not all of them so I could have done some horizontal.

How does it make a difference?

 

[MofoG23]

I prefer to use horizontal with smaller rounds and vertical with the big 'ol oak rounds....

 

[smokinj]

vertical 99 percent of the time here!

 

[fireview2788]

Any particular reason?

 

[smokinj]

Any particular reason?

Big rounds no lifting.

 

[xman23]

I like the fact that I can do both horizontal and vertical. For years I did every thing horizontal. It's a pain when you need to do multiple splits and drop half the log and have to pick it off the ground again. One day I had 4 ft diameter logs to split. They were so big they would split the sap wood, leaving the heart wood. To split these the machine went vertical, I got a milk create chair like Backwoods has.
I have a spliter do do the large logs, so I don't see why you would want a machine that could not do vertical.

 

[fossil]

Depends on the rounds and where I'm going to work. Sometimes I want to be able to move the splitter around, and that means it's in the horizontal position. Sometimes, as others have said, I'm working rounds which are simply to big to get up onto the rail, so the splitter goes vertical. Quite often, I choose to put the splitter in front of my shed and move the rounds from the heap to the splitter in the FEL on my little tractor...then I can easily grab 'em and plop them on the rail and split and toss without a lot of bending over. So...it just depends. I'm glad I have a splitter that can go either way. Rick

 

[fireview2788]

I see. I got the splitter as part of the deal when I bought my house last year. It goes vertical or horizontal and I have only been using it vertical after hearing stories of the splits flying off and hitting in areas that need not be hit! I see it for the big rounds and it worked great for those.

Thanks guys!

 

[DanCorcoran]

I tried to use my Fiskars horizontally but it was hard to control, swinging it like a golf club, so I stick with vertical.

 

[mayhem]

I've borrowed a few Hucky 22 ton splitters, which does vertical and horizontal and used it both ways. I find for me that splitting vertical for everything is faster, easier on my body and results in a bigger pile of split woood per tank of gas.

My biggest issue with splitting horizomtally is that when you first pop the round, it drops on both sides of the beam and I have to walk around to the other side too often to pick up the second half. If you can catch it in time or work with a helper its not so bad, but when you split vertically, the halves just fall over and I don't have to do any walking at all.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[firefighterjake]

I have been reading through the threads and it seems that most people prefer to have the splitter horizontal as opposed to vertical. I recently split about a cord using the splitter vertical and it seemed to work fine. I had some pretty big pieces but not all of them so I could have done some horizontal.

How does it make a difference?

I'm not sure if more folks really prefer splitting horizontally or vertically to be honest.

I know Dennis (Backwoods Savage) and I kid each other about our preferred method of splitting . . . he splits the majority (OK, all) of his wood sitting down with the splitter in the vertical position and I prefer to split most of my wood horizontally . . . although I go vertical for very large rounds so I don't have to get a hernia trying to lift the monster round on to the beam. Truth is . . . there is no right or wrong way to split wood . . . well I mean . . . as long as you don't stick your hand between the round and the wedge or ram . . . that would most definitely be the wrong way to do it. Personally, I suggest folks try both ways and see what works best for them and their own needs -- for me I take the rounds off a trailer that is perfect for horizontal splitting as there is no bending over for me . . . for Dennis vertical works since he is rolling the rounds towards him without bending over.

 

[firefighterjake]

I see. I got the splitter as part of the deal when I bought my house last year. It goes vertical or horizontal and I have only been using it vertical after hearing stories of the splits flying off and hitting in areas that need not be hit! I see it for the big rounds and it worked great for those.

Thanks guys!

I forgot to add that part of the reason some may prefer one method over another is what their splitter has on it . . . for example . . . with a cradle or table attached to a splitter staying horizontal isn't so bad since the splits can rest on the cradle or table vs. having to bend over and pick it up again for splitting . . . a person without these might prefer vertical splitting in this case.

As for splits hitting and flying off . . . I rarely see this happen . . . and truthfully I've had this happen as many times when I have split vertically as I have horizontally . . . a lot of it has to do with how dry the wood is and the placement of the wood in relation to the beam/wedge.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I have both and much prefer horizontal. I also prefer electric over gas. It depends on how you want to work. I like to stand and work at a bench if you will as opposed to sitting on a crate. My poor man's log lift, a round against the side of the splitter I use as a ramp, works fine for the bigger ones. A small pile of splits with some splitter trash on the other side serves as a work table.

 

[smokinj]

I have both and much prefer horizontal. I also prefer electric over gas. It depends on how you want to work. I like to stand and work at a bench if you will as opposed to sitting on a crate. My poor man's log lift, a round against the side of the splitter I use as a ramp, works fine for the bigger ones. A small pile of splits with some splitter trash on the other side serves as a work table.

Thats working in the soup!

 

[SolarAndWood]

Thats working in the soup!

lol, yep time for spring cleaning. I'm up to my axle in splitter trash :lol:

 

[fireview2788]

I'll definitely be working both ways to see which is best for me. I like the idea of having a seat. I can't wait to get some serious splitting in!

 

[smokinj]

I'll definitely be working both ways to see which is best for me. I like the idea of have a seat. I can't wait to get some serious splitting in!

Its not as exciting as it looks! :lol:

 

[fireview2788]

What?!?!? Please don't dash my hopes of the joys I will be having.

 

[smokinj]

What?!?!? Please don't dash my hopes of the joys I will be having.

lol Its an awesome tool! Makes spliting almost fun.... :cheese:

 

[Randy S]

Hi,
My father, brother and me went in together on a Northstar 22 ton h/v in 2006 when we all moved.
Vertical is the way we do it; one cuts, one rolls the rounds and the 3rd person sits in a chair and splits. the roller picks up between times and throws on the truck.
This splitter does have a cradle if we wanted to do horizontal, we just prefer vertical.
Thanks,
SG

 

[smokinj]

Hi,
My father, brother and me went in together on a Northstar 22 ton h/v in 2006 when we all moved.
Vertical is the way we do it; one cuts, one rolls the rounds and the 3rd person sits in a chair and splits. the roller picks up between times and throws on the truck.
This splitter does have a cradle if we wanted to do horizontal, we just prefer vertical.
Thanks,
SG

There it is.....We do it the same way!

 

[Highbeam]

I didn't even know that you were supposed to use these vert/hor splitters in the horizontal position. Seems ridiculous to have to bend down 1000 times to pick up fallen splits and how many times do those splits fall onto the engine or the oil filter? I put a huge vote in for vertical. My knees are still good so when I've used them I just sit on my feet with my knees on the ground and I can lean/reach over and grab rounds, split them up, and throw them into the heap without ever leaving that kneeling position. I have my earmuffs on and am singing to myself.

The only times I've used a hydro splitter were with rented splitters or at a scrounge where the homeowner proivided one. Either way, high production was very important. Split like heck and vert is the way to go when you want to get something done.

 

[certified106]

I always split vertical if the rounds are on the ground and horizontal if I am splitting out of the bed of the pickup truck. There is no way I'm picking up a 30" diameter round of oak to put it up on the splitter I have been there and done that and didn't find it fun. Heck at times I had to build stairs of wood to roll the rounds up to the splitter and that was for the birds.

 

[PapaDave]

Highbeam, did it your way the first 3 years here, then switched to horizontal. I suppose if my knees weren't so bad, I'd still be kneeling to split.
fireview2788, we also inherited the splitter when we bought the house. My brother about had a heart attack when he found out it came with the house. W might be the only 2 here who are paying for a splitter in the mortgage payment? :lol:
I was also going to suggest you just try both ways to see which fits YOUR needs. I haven't gone back to vertical yet, but I may when I get back into the 2' maple I've been working on.
I've also never had a round fall on the engine or filter, but they have fallen on the fenders and close to my toes. Someone totally twisted the cradles on both sides of the beam. Not sure how they managed that, but musta been a HUGE round that got dropped on there or something.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Most here will expect me to chime in on the vertical so there are no surprises.....except one (look closely at the picture).

As others have stated, to have to pick up the logs and place them horizontally requires extra work. I've worked hard enough in my lifetime that I do now want to cause extra work by splitting horizontally. If, however, one has, say, some wood on at pickup or wagon and wants to just go from there to splitter then horizontally will work fine so long as you have a cradle or table. Some others have a log lifter but that is an added expense and not necessarily a cheap one.

For me, standing on one spot like that just would not work as my body will not tolerate it. That is one of the big reasons (along with easier) I split vertically and do so while sitting. It is just so much easier. Also when it comes time to move the splitter, that is done easily by simply moving the beam back, move the splitter and lift the beam again. It take very little time and effort.

While it is true that some of the huge diameter logs can be a challenge to split simply because of size and weight, for most of us we do not have a huge quantity of those really big ones. I just finished splitting a pin oak that was 30" at the butt. I split all but one round while sitting. That butt piece was a struggle and I had to move it around while on my feet. But that was only one log and part of the reason no doubt was that it was the last one and I was extremely tired. Point is, I was able to handle those things by myself....and glad it is finished. I wish I could have weighed a few of those logs but didn't.


(broken image removed)

So what is so different about this picture? I'm sure someone should notice. I've posted it before thinking someone would pick up on the change but nobody has yet.