Lesson learned
- Thread starter suprz
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
Why stand when you can sit?
Why lift every log?
Why not lift any log?
Why should be more tired when finished splitting?
Why not settle for faster splitting?
Why not settle for easier splitting?
Why not make it the easiest on the body?
Why not work in the safer manner?
If you split by hand, why not split horizontal?
For the record . . . I prefer splitting horizontally most of the time . . . easier on my back . . . but my back and Backwoods back are quite different . . . splitting vertically works for him, splitting horizontally works for me . . . plus he has a really nice milk crate . . . I do not. 
But we also have to consider that Jake is from Maine and sometimes they like to do things backwards. lol (Sorry Jake, my browser is not working for smilies.)
Why stand when you can sit? Getting up off a milk crate (or something that height) constantly would kill my knees and back. I'd rather stand if I can't sit at a regular height
Why lift every log? Whether you are splitting vertical or horizontal, going to have to do some lifting at some point. How are you getting that log to the splitter, rolling it? I set my splitter up against my trailer and throw the splits into it. Might be 20-30ft from the pile of logs depending on how much I cut that day and if I feel like moving the trailer.
Why not lift any log?
Why should be more tired when finished splitting? Exactly
Why not settle for faster splitting? Exactly, sitting, getting up, getting a log, sitting, splitting, getting up... more motions than just standing.
Why not settle for easier splitting? Exactly
Why not make it the easiest on the body? Exactly
Why not work in the safer manner? Not sure either way is safer than the other?
If you split by hand, why not split horizontal? How exactly would you do that?
Nah it's just that everyone else is doing it backwards
(I'm from Maine as well).
My splitter is horizontal only so I don't have a choice even if I wanted.
My brother used one that you could go vertical. I used it vertical for a few big logs. It worked fine for that but my back and knees didn't deal with that kind of bending for very long. To me it just seemed un-natural to be in that position.
I have 3 ruptured discs and 2 wedge fractured vertebrae... I have a pretty good idea what kills my back or what I can deal with. Whatever works have at it... for me horizontal is MUCH more comfortable.
I'm all for whatever works
Why lift every log? Whether you are splitting vertical or horizontal, going to have to do some lifting at some point. How are you getting that log to the splitter, rolling it? I set my splitter up against my trailer and throw the splits into it. Might be 20-30ft from the pile of logs depending on how much I cut that day and if I feel like moving the trailer.
Why not lift any log?
Why should be more tired when finished splitting? Exactly
Why not settle for faster splitting? Exactly, sitting, getting up, getting a log, sitting, splitting, getting up... more motions than just standing.
Why not settle for easier splitting? Exactly
Why not make it the easiest on the body? Exactly
Why not work in the safer manner? Not sure either way is safer than the other?
If you split by hand, why not split horizontal? How exactly would you do that?
Nah it's just that everyone else is doing it backwards
(I'm from Maine as well).My splitter is horizontal only so I don't have a choice even if I wanted.
My brother used one that you could go vertical. I used it vertical for a few big logs. It worked fine for that but my back and knees didn't deal with that kind of bending for very long. To me it just seemed un-natural to be in that position.
I have 3 ruptured discs and 2 wedge fractured vertebrae... I have a pretty good idea what kills my back or what I can deal with. Whatever works have at it... for me horizontal is MUCH more comfortable.
I'm all for whatever works
TimJ
Minister of Fire
horizontal works great on 14" birch rounds, but when you get 36" oak rounds I can assure you you will be splitting vertical
What I did with big stuff like that is 1/2 all the big ones vertical and then split the 1/2s horizontal.
Why stand when you can sit? Getting up off a milk crate (or something that height) constantly would kill my knees and back. I'd rather stand if I can't sit at a regular height
And why would you be "constantly getting up" Even when you do, it is quite easy to grasp the splitter to help you get up so there is no strain on the knees and back.
Why lift every log? Whether you are splitting vertical or horizontal, going to have to do some lifting at some point. How are you getting that log to the splitter, rolling it? I set my splitter up against my trailer and throw the splits into it. Might be 20-30ft from the pile of logs depending on how much I cut that day and if I feel like moving the trailer.
Yes indeed I do roll the big logs. No, I do not lay them down to roll them but roll them as you would a milk can. Most times I can do that one handed; no lifting it up onto the splitter.
Why not lift any log?
Why should be more tired when finished splitting? Exactly
Why not settle for faster splitting? Exactly, sitting, getting up, getting a log, sitting, splitting, getting up... more motions than just standing.
If that is your idea of how to split wood, I can not help you because I simply cannot relate to such sillyness. There is no way I or anyone else could split wood like that.
Why not settle for easier splitting? Exactly
Why not make it the easiest on the body? Exactly
Why not work in the safer manner? Not sure either way is safer than the other?
If you split by hand, why not split horizontal? How exactly would you do that?
Just like you are splitting now. Horizontally. Try it and you'll see that vertical splits easier.
Nah it's just that everyone else is doing it backwards
My splitter is horizontal only so I don't have a choice even if I wanted.
Now we've come to the correct answer. Your splitter does not give the option.
My brother used one that you could go vertical. I used it vertical for a few big logs. It worked fine for that but my back and knees didn't deal with that kind of bending for very long. To me it just seemed un-natural to be in that position.
I have 3 ruptured discs and 2 wedge fractured vertebrae... I have a pretty good idea what kills my back or what I can deal with. Whatever works have at it... for me horizontal is MUCH more comfortable.
Truth is, you do not have the option to split vertically with your own. When you tried your brothers you did it wrong. As for the ruptured discs, I am no stranger to that either. I too have a bad back. Have had 3 surgeries. Scoliosis from polio. 4 ruptured discs now in the back and 3 in the neck. Sadly, I know what pain is. I am also a bit older and age does take its toll. Still, I hope to be able to do this into my 80's.
I'm all for whatever works
Yep. If I see the wedge slow up or hear the engine start to strain, time to start taking some precautions like backing up.
1- Step rearward
2- Place hand up in front of face
3- Lift leg and turn to side in order to protect package
4- Laugh nervously in relief as wood flies in direction other than yours
Bradford Pear does this 75% of the time, in my experience.
2- Place hand up in front of face
3- Lift leg and turn to side in order to protect package
4- Laugh nervously in relief as wood flies in direction other than yours
Bradford Pear does this 75% of the time, in my experience.
I had a bunch of large twisted knotty Apple rounds & stumps from a small local orchard back in early 90's just like that Pear.Nasty stuff splitting,but some of the best wood I've ever burned.Wont see much like that now cause most orchards switched to dwarf trees for easier picking once the old regular sized ones started dying off.
JP11
Minister of Fire
You vertical splitting guys...
are you working from a loose pile of rounds?
The reason I ask is.. I'm splitting from bucked up tree length.. so the distance from the splitter to some of the rounds is 10 feet or so. I can place the splitter in the middle of the log pile.. and I usually start splitting the rounds furthest away and work my way in to the splitter.
I don't mind the bending and walking. I go from the splitter right to the pallet U
If I was working from a large pile of rounds.. a hokaroon and a milk crate might be more appealing.
JP
are you working from a loose pile of rounds?
The reason I ask is.. I'm splitting from bucked up tree length.. so the distance from the splitter to some of the rounds is 10 feet or so. I can place the splitter in the middle of the log pile.. and I usually start splitting the rounds furthest away and work my way in to the splitter.
I don't mind the bending and walking. I go from the splitter right to the pallet U
If I was working from a large pile of rounds.. a hokaroon and a milk crate might be more appealing.
JP
We have beat this to death many times but most of the time I take the wood from the pickup to the splitter so no bending needed, not sure why you would split small pieces vertical but if it works for you I'm good with it.
![[Hearth.com] Lesson learned](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/85/85501-4de807ed38f73176de882f46450dc6a9.jpg?hash=Jb-g0hAolZ "[Hearth.com] Lesson learned")
![[Hearth.com] Lesson learned](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/85/85502-82a40afcf6ab8938886661ccedc6ec40.jpg?hash=VEL1n2x2H7 "[Hearth.com] Lesson learned")
![[Hearth.com] Lesson learned](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/85/85503-3ea6a1898677932344076f7cfce636a1.jpg?hash=uHV6FAPjuc "[Hearth.com] Lesson learned")
![[Hearth.com] Lesson learned](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/85/85504-159901bfa1d0631fb5e7f19ee2b555b2.jpg?hash=_NGZOpukuK "[Hearth.com] Lesson learned")
![[Hearth.com] Lesson learned](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/85/85505-7eb9437e91725e2c3823dd9706a6bf43.jpg?hash=y2zd_ER4bp "[Hearth.com] Lesson learned")
And you will notice in picture 4 that the wood gets stacked right where it was split so no hauling from there until it is burning time. Notice in picture 5 that the splitter is right next to the stack and I was taking 2 rows at a time before moving the splitter ahead. Sometimes I'll take 3 rows at a time so have to move even less. Yes, the hookeroon does come in handy. None of this foolishness of getting up to get a log then splitting. I stay sitting until it is time to move the splitter ahead. When stacking, it is simply grab a couple splits, turn and stack it.
My wood wagon, is level with my home made horizontal spliter.
I just lift with my back strait and place the wood on the beam.
Load rounds where they were cut, unload onto the spliter.
Welded bead lines on the push plate.
I spilt/ noodle larger rounds in the woods
I just lift with my back strait and place the wood on the beam.
Load rounds where they were cut, unload onto the spliter.
Welded bead lines on the push plate.
I spilt/ noodle larger rounds in the woods
I got an early Christmas present in the form of a Homelite 5 ton electric splitter this fall. I noticed right away that certain straight- grained woods like Tulip Poplar do sometimes fire off explosively down the handle end (wedge end)) after a slight hesitation. I've seen them go 6-8 feet on mine. They're on the ground soon enough, but sometimes skid a few feet more. OTOH the vast majority of rounds just immediately split and do not fly apart or fly away. So it's definitely good advice to keep the handle end of the splitter clear of personnel at all times when actively splitting. I split alone in my back yard, so no problem for me. But watch where any visitors may have wandered when you're splitting!
The other problem with this sort of splitter is that it can fail to split certain rounds and instead launches them more or less straight up. The key here is simply constant vigilance- in two senses. First, be ever ready to react immediately and back off on the hydraulic valve if it becomes obvious the piece is not going to split. Otherwise you can build up quite a lot of compressive energy in the work piece before it suddenly squeezes out of the intentionally smooth ram face and goes airborne. (At least it is that way on my model- earlier versions may have had a more diamond tread face that gripped better, maybe a little too much better) Second, by keeping alert, you will be better able to duck quickly enough to lessen or avoid injury when the airborne work piece comes raining back down. And they will. Don't ask me how I know that. BTW I was pretty good at dodge ball as a kid...
These are good little splitters. I'm glad I got mine. But they are no toy. Probably a bad idea to work with them if you are not feeling sharp and alert and on top of your game. You could definitely get hurt on these. Worst that happened to me so far was a fairly heavy piece came off horizontally and nailed me on the shin. It caused only a slight goose egg, but it took a couple of weeks to fully heal up. It was a little tender for a while. I learned to not crowd the splitter and allow myself to migrate down towards the side of the round. Better to hang back more near the end with the controls. Operator position is important with these splitters. BTW I do mostly sit while splitting- on a sturdy round on end. I'd use a milk crate if I lived in the frozen tundra like Dennis.
That's why I quickly became interested in having a pickaroon or hookaroon for working with the splitter- so I can remain seated more of the time.
The other problem with this sort of splitter is that it can fail to split certain rounds and instead launches them more or less straight up. The key here is simply constant vigilance- in two senses. First, be ever ready to react immediately and back off on the hydraulic valve if it becomes obvious the piece is not going to split. Otherwise you can build up quite a lot of compressive energy in the work piece before it suddenly squeezes out of the intentionally smooth ram face and goes airborne. (At least it is that way on my model- earlier versions may have had a more diamond tread face that gripped better, maybe a little too much better) Second, by keeping alert, you will be better able to duck quickly enough to lessen or avoid injury when the airborne work piece comes raining back down. And they will. Don't ask me how I know that. BTW I was pretty good at dodge ball as a kid...
These are good little splitters. I'm glad I got mine. But they are no toy. Probably a bad idea to work with them if you are not feeling sharp and alert and on top of your game. You could definitely get hurt on these. Worst that happened to me so far was a fairly heavy piece came off horizontally and nailed me on the shin. It caused only a slight goose egg, but it took a couple of weeks to fully heal up. It was a little tender for a while. I learned to not crowd the splitter and allow myself to migrate down towards the side of the round. Better to hang back more near the end with the controls. Operator position is important with these splitters. BTW I do mostly sit while splitting- on a sturdy round on end. I'd use a milk crate if I lived in the frozen tundra like Dennis.
That's why I quickly became interested in having a pickaroon or hookaroon for working with the splitter- so I can remain seated more of the time.- Status
Similar threads
