Kinetic vs hydraulic

[Gboutdoors]

Archer I am not blind and have used a Super Split many times. A fellow worker has had one for years and use to sell 30-40 cords a year. Just because it works for you does not mean it is for every one.

I wonder how many hydro units are out there in use and how many kinetic units.

I run my own business also and have for 30 years and spend lots of time with my wife of 42 years and our twins.

I don't by wood and never will but I don't think those that do are wrong or blind to the fact that free is far better.

Ok rant over have your self a great day.

 

[Jazzberry]

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Kinetic would not work in my area after thinking about it due to the size of the wood we have here. Would have to be able to split it vertical.

 

[Bad LP]

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Kinetic would not work in my area after thinking about it due to the size of the wood we have here. Would have to be able to split it vertical.

That looks pretty straight grained. If you attack it on a SS starting in the middle you're right. It will buck and fight. However, working it from the outside edges in might really open your eyes.
I've split some stuff I could barely pick up.

 

[Jazzberry]

That looks pretty straight grained. If you attack it on a SS starting in the middle you're right. It will buck and fight. However, working it from the outside edges in might really open your eyes.
I've split some stuff I could barely pick up.


Sounds good. You come over and pick that 48" diameter 400 pound mofo up and put it on the table for me ok?

 

[Bad LP]

That does not look like a 48" diameter log.

 

[Jazzberry]

Just measured my splitter and its 46" out to out on the tires so its not much off if any. Lets call it 3'6'' to be safe and its 19" thick. And that is not the largest trees around here we run into. Its all you can do to tip them up and roll them around let alone throw it on a horizontal splitter. We hardly ever get stuff as small as the size you need for a SS.

 

[Tar12]

Just measured my splitter and its 46" out to out on the tires so its not much off if any. Lets call it 3'6'' to be safe and its 19" thick. And that is not the largest trees around here we run into. Its all you can do to tip them up and roll them around let alone throw it on a horizontal splitter. We hardly ever get stuff as small as the size you need for a SS.

Thats the reality of my world as well.They will run from 36in to 5 feet plus across.I routinely get tops that the butt end will run 2.5ft to 4ft across.Even after they are quartered or I load them onto the splitter with the log lift they are some heavy muthers you are not picking up. A kinetic would not survive this environment very long at all. I realize this is extreme but it is to demonstrate whats necessary for a take all home firewood mentality.I think the OP will be fine with a kinetic splitter as long as he is aware of its limitations.

 

[Bad LP]

I know many professional wood cutters. They could not give that wood away for free. Have a friend who took a 10 wheeler load of 3-4 foot diameter wood a few years ago. He pushed it into his own woods with his Case 580.

 

[jetsam]

I know many professional wood cutters. They could not give that wood away for free. Have a friend who took a 10 wheeler load of 3-4 foot diameter wood a few years ago. He pushed it into his own woods with his Case 580.

Tell 'em to bring it over! That stuff is why I even have a splitter. I still do little stuff and straight-grained stuff with the maul to be nice to my back.

 

[Tar12]

I know many professional wood cutters. They could not give that wood away for free. Have a friend who took a 10 wheeler load of 3-4 foot diameter wood a few years ago. He pushed it into his own woods with his Case 580.

I will take it all! Your friend was a foolish man indeed...it makes excellent firewood and lots of it...the right equipment and its a piece of cake..The one tree alone was a 2 years supply of premium burr oak

firewood....

 

[Jazzberry]

I know many professional wood cutters. They could not give that wood away for free. Have a friend who took a 10 wheeler load of 3-4 foot diameter wood a few years ago. He pushed it into his own woods with his Case 580.

3' is the perfect size for me. I wish all my stuff was 3' I get loads of big pine dropped in my back yard for free with many over 4' thick. That pic shows one at or near 4' and I handled it by myself. I would need my son to roll it in our trailer but getting it to the splitter and splitting it was pretty easy for me. (Im 62 years old) I do a lot of double cutting with my 064 and a 36" bar. The guy you are talking about obviously doesn't have a tilting splitter or he would not be throwing good wood away.

 

[Ashful]

3' is the perfect size for me. I wish all my stuff was 3' I get loads of big pine dropped in my back yard for free with many over 4' thick. That pic shows one at or near 4' and I handled it by myself. I would need my son to roll it in our trailer but getting it to the splitter and splitting it was pretty easy for me. (Im 62 years old) I do a lot of double cutting with my 064 and a 36" bar. The guy you are talking about obviously doesn't have a tilting splitter or he would not be throwing good wood away.

I split a lot of big stuff, to the tune of 10+ cords, some years. I don't turn any of it away, but I think it's stretching a bit to say 3' is a great size. I have split as much as 5 cords in a full day, when working with 12" - 16" diameter rounds on a horizontal splitter. When I get to the big stuff, I slow down to less than 2 cords per day, and I hurt a lot more the next day.

Many threads here on how I process the big'uns. Slab them, then walk the slabs onto the vertical splitter. I've not found a more efficient way, but it will never match the speed of straight 12" rounds, especially if one has access to a kinetic splitter.

 

[Bad LP]

I guess this large diameter wood falls into the category of "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Professional loggers, truckers, wood mills and most homeowners don't want that crap either. Must be spoiled.

 

[jetsam]

Huge stuff is more work, but it burns the same. I tend to get a lot more slabs than wedges out of it too, which is mildly convenient. (I can't explain this... you'd think that if I preferred slabs I'd just split everything into slabs, but my brain is conditioned to do wedges with the maul. Any forestry psychologists in the house?)

 

[jetsam]

I split a lot of big stuff, to the tune of 10+ cords, some years. I don't turn any of it away, but I think it's stretching a bit to say 3' is a great size. I have split as much as 5 cords in a full day, when working with 12" - 16" diameter rounds on a horizontal splitter. When I get to the big stuff, I slow down to less than 2 cords per day, and I hurt a lot more the next day.

Many threads here on how I process the big'uns. Slab them, then walk the slabs onto the vertical splitter. I've not found a more efficient way, but it will never match the speed of straight 12" rounds, especially if one has access to a kinetic splitter.

When you say that you slab them for splitting, you mean you noodle huge rounds into smaller pieces for easier manhandling?

 

[Tar12]

I guess this large diameter wood falls into the category of "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Professional loggers, truckers, wood mills and most homeowners don't want that crap either. Must be spoiled.

Things must be a lot different in small wood land...my best friend works full time as a professional logger and routinely cuts large wood for buyers and mills unless it has a obvious void in it. If the void is hidden and they cut it down and it can't be sold then I get it! They are indeed another mans treasure! The vast majority of it is used as pallet wood.They cut a lot of it...I know this as fact as I process a lot of the tops and have helped skid these big mutters out.It is a large portion of their business.They have to be cut into 8ft lengths in order to be able to manage them.Do I prefer big trees? Hell no I don't! But I am set up to take care of anything that comes my way...

 

[Tar12]

Ashful...in a perfect world all I would ever cut would be 16 -20 in stuff...you can flat stack it up in a hurry!

 

[Tar12]

Saewoody are you any closer to figuring out what you need?

 

[woodhog73]

I always cut big and heavy wood. I only cut oak on my property because that's what I have and well most would agree for BTUs oak is one of the best. My sizes are mostly around the 2 foot to 4 foot around give or take a few and always atleast 60 feet tall or taller.

I only have a 22ton splitter. It usually splits what I put on it. In hindsight a bigger splitter might have been useful for oak I generally don't have issues with a 22 ton. Even my 24 inch white oaks cut to 16 inches are too dam heavy to lift. Anyways I don't lift those rounds there is something about working smarter not harder.

I noodle. In half. Or in quarters if I have to. I have a Stihl 056 and 661 that is more than up for the task. I tuned my 056 rich for it. My 661 tunes itself I then tow those rounds from my woods to my splitting area with a 4 wheeler and a small trailer. It's a slow process. Labor of love and desire for free heat.

 

[Jazzberry]

In pine I like it bigger but my big stuff is dropped near my splitter in my backyard which has a slight slope to the woodpile. Chasing stuff out in the woods I would only tackle big wood if my trailer could be parked conveintly downhill. On level ground rolling one 3' round vs 4 or more smaller rounds is easier. Plus you get to sit longer and move less per the amount of wood. I think the wood is better for burning on bigger stuff also.

 

[Bad LP]

Things must be a lot different in small wood land...my best friend works full time as a professional logger and routinely cuts large wood for buyers and mills unless it has a obvious void in it. If the void is hidden and they cut it down and it can't be sold then I get it! They are indeed another mans treasure! The vast majority of it is used as pallet wood.They cut a lot of it...I know this as fact as I process a lot of the tops and have helped skid these big mutters out.It is a large portion of their business.They have to be cut into 8ft lengths in order to be able to manage them.Do I prefer big trees? Hell no I don't! But I am set up to take care of anything that comes my way...

OK I get it.

Your tree is bigger than my tree. It's not the size that counts. It's how fast you can split it up.

You're also happy with a hydro and I chose a Super Split made in the USA and locally in New England.

 

[Tar12]

OK I get it.

Your tree is bigger than my tree. It's not the size that counts. It's how fast you can split it up.

You're also happy with a hydro and I chose a Super Split made in the USA and locally in New England.

Its not about a pissing match my friend...the OP titled the thread Kinetic vs Hydraulic searching for pros and cons of each. Its really that simple.As I have stated before he will probably be better served getting a Kinetic splitter for his situation. If I had a choice? All I would cut is small wood and a Kinetic splitter would be in my arsenal...its all good.

 

[Ashful]

When you say that you slab them for splitting, you mean you noodle huge rounds into smaller pieces for easier manhandling?

Yep. Noodle 6" slabs off, walk 'em over to the splitter (like you'd move a filing cabinet), and whack 4" pieces off. Perfect 4" x 6" pieces of timber.

 

[heritageguy2005]

I highly recommend the ariens 22 ton hydraulic. It's small enough to wheel around by hand and it has split everything I've ever thrown at it. I don't think the kinetics are that great for tough and gnarly wood which we all deal with. I personally just prefer the power of hydraulics.In all reality, the handling of the wood is the most time consuming. I know the kinetics are fast but I can still only do so much.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

 

[VirginiaIron]

I like watching them on YouTube. Dont the gears and rod wear out pretty quickly?