$99 Wood Splitter

[Plowboy]

I've mentioned my splitter before, but haven't posted a picture. This is about half of the wood I split today. I admit that I sometimes split with an axe when I want to split a stick down a little further. I often use an axe and the splitter at the same time. Not as easy as a big gas driven splitter, but a lot cheaper and is a lot easier than it looks. The following is going on my Blog tomorrow...




The best kind of wood is free wood. This is true in wood turning and BBQ. This last fall my wife drove past a neighborhood house that was having a huge sugar maple tree cut down. The huge logs were laying in the driveway with a sign: Free Maple Wood! I came home with my truck and tailer full. Four months later, I've started to split it for BBQ. Maple has a sweet and smooth flavor and works well paired with Oak, Hickory, or Pecan.

Free wood is great, but splitting it with an axe or maul isn't. Mechanical wood splitters cost a lot of money and take up a lot of space. For the backyard cook, its a dilemma. A few years ago I found a tool that fit my wallet and my garage. This splitter uses a 10 ton hydraulic jack with two levers. One lever is set up to move the jack fast while the other moves the jack slower, but with more torque. Both are necessary. It looks like a lot of work, but I can split a nice pile of seasoned wood like in the picture in about a half hour's time. There's no way you could do this with an axe or maul. The price tag: $99. I've seen my money out of this tool several times over with what I save finding my own wood and not having to rent a large hydraulic splitter.

 

[jpw23]

Cool tool.....and way better than a maul or an axe!

 

[QansasjayhawQ]

Where did you get it?

It would be well worth owning one!

/Brother Dave

 

[backyardchef]

That is super cool, Todd. Looks like fun.

I still like using an axe or a maul, though, too. I even have a little hand saw that I use for making my wood a shorter length. :shock:

 

[Plowboy]

That is super cool, Todd. Looks like fun.

I still like using an axe or a maul, though, too. I even have a little hand saw that I use for making my wood a shorter length. :shock:

I've posted this for GetYourGrillOn.net, but was thinking that this could almost be a Cook's Kitchen article. :wink: (Which you still need to give me access to.)

QJaHaQ - I got it at Cummins, the discount tool store. I've had this for four years now and its held up great. Sometimes stuff from Cummins has a limited lifespan. :wink::roll:

 

[Norcoredneck]

I get coupons sent Email from HarborFreight. Saw this:

 

[FatDaddy]

may have to goto harbor frieght in the AM and get that with the coupon

 

[backyardchef]

I've posted this for GetYourGrillOn.net, but was thinking that this could almost be a Cook's Kitchen article. :wink: (Which you still need to give me access to.)

QJaHaQ - I got it at Cummins, the discount tool store. I've had this for four years now and its held up great. Sometimes stuff from Cummins has a limited lifespan. :wink::roll:

I thought the same thing as I read it. :wink:....Is the email that I've been sending stuff to the one you want us to use for Cook's Kitchen?

On topic...I've really been enjoying the last few sticks of maple that I have, it would be great to stumble across a big batch like that-- and now that I think about it, I'd probably be happy to have a device like that, then....

 

[Plowboy]

I thought the same thing as I read it. :wink:....Is the email that I've been sending stuff to the one you want us to use for Cook's Kitchen?

Yup.

 

[smokinbadger]

I've got a Ryobi 4 Ton electric splitter (Model RY49701) which I got from Home Depot for $299 less a 10% coupon I got in the mail. The manual says it handles logs up to 12" in diameter, but I split some cherry logs today which were about 15". I can rip through a cord of wood in about an hour with this machine. Also nice is that it is pretty small (about 3 feet long by about a foot square) so it stores really easily.

 

[Norcoredneck]

Something else since your making the trip:
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/z.jsp?id=91037

 

[swamprb]

Killer deal on the Propane torch, I paid $24.99 last summer and saw it at the coupon price a month ago.
Todd- are you into wood turning also?
I like free-or my name isn't El Cheapo Brian!

 

[Plowboy]

Killer deal on the Propane torch, I paid $24.99 last summer and saw it at the coupon price a month ago.
Todd- are you into wood turning also?
I like free-or my name isn't El Cheapo Brian!

If you are a woodworker, check out www.woodworkingtalk.com. Bull, JP and I are on that board, too. I'm not really into wood turning as much as I am general woodworking, but I do have an old lathe that I use infrequently.

Here's my old lathe. Its about crica 1940-50. Is a hand me down from a great uncle through my grandfather. I just redid the stand last month. The other picture is one of the more intense projects I've done. Used four different woods for the states. You put the state quarters in the map.

 

[jpw23]

If you are a woodworker, check out www.woodworkingtalk.com. Bull, JP and I are on that board, too. I'm not really into wood turning as much as I am general woodworking, but I do have an old lathe that I use infrequently.

Here's my old lathe. Its about crica 1940-50. Is a hand me down from a great uncle through my grandfather. I just redid the stand last month. The other picture is one of the more intense projects I've done. Used four different woods for the states. You put the state quarters in the map.

Plowboy....that is some tight work! I'll bet that took some time, nice work!!:biggrin:

 

[swamprb]

If you are a woodworker, check out www.woodworkingtalk.com. Bull, JP and I are on that board, too. I'm not really into wood turning as much as I am general woodworking, but I do have an old lathe that I use infrequently.

Here's my old lathe. Its about crica 1940-50. Is a hand me down from a great uncle through my grandfather. I just redid the stand last month. The other picture is one of the more intense projects I've done. Used four different woods for the states. You put the state quarters in the map.

Very nice work on the States! Probably hard to save those quarters when they all go towards Q'n! The lathe and stand look very sturdy. I added the link to my favs and will check it out. I've got a Shopsmith and took a turning class years ago, but kids and sports took up a lot of free time. I've got to get back into it!

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

Nice work Plowboy. My dad is an old time finish carpenter and wood worker. It is amazing the things he can make. He is almost 80 years old and still loves to work with his tools.

 

[chinesebob]

Wood splitter? Come on guys. Where's that testosterone? What are you talking about wood splitter. Maul, Axe, and Chainsaw are the only way. I split like 4 to 5 chords of wood a year and do it all by hand. It's how I justify exercise.

ok, just kidding - The only one I've had long term success with is a gas powered one. I watched the farmer papers or auctions and then picked one up. Gave it to a friend of mine who owns a farm but only because he's getting to old to cut it up by hand. That and he has 60 acres of woodlands he lets me come cut down a tree every year.
"There's nothing like the smell of sawdust in the morning."

 

[big brother smoke]

I get a couple of free cords of Oak every year. The oak sometimes comes so big and round (36" diameter +) you need a loglifter to get them up onto the splitter. For my back yard charbroil I break them down with my lil splitter.