double acting log splitter?

Patrick62 · Jun 22, 2020

Any good?
Has anyone tried it? Did it work? Was it fast enough? Were there any drawbacks?
boss industrial 20 ton
to me it seems like a nice enough idea, but I'm sure there isn't as much power when using the return stroke of the cylinder. I was thinking about getting one to use around the yard, and to rent to people who just have to rent a splitter.

Philbert · Jun 22, 2020

This thread (below) is from a few years back, and some of the brands and models available have changed. Like anything else, there will be better quality ones and lower quality ones. For rental use, you will definitely want a sturdier one.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/ran-a-2-way-splitter-sunday.190097/
I was impressed how fast they work: no waiting for the ram to return. The user is the limiting factor as far as speed. May not have the capacity and tonnage of larger, conventional models, so great for smaller and multi-split firewood.

Philbert

rancher2 · Jun 22, 2020

I haven't been around the newer ones. I used to sell ash blocks to a guy that had one that I am sure he bought it at a farm supply store probably thirty years ago. It had a 5 HP Briggs on it and was build a little different the cylinder was on the bottom of the beam. It worked good and he normally would buy three or four cord of ash blocks from me every year. I would cut some ash on my farm and block it up and it would bring the splitter out to the farm and spit a pickup load and take it home stack that off and keep at it until he had three of four cord at his house. I probably sold him blocks for 15-20 years.

Mustang71 · Jun 22, 2020

I had the chance to barrow a harbor freight 2 way splitter last year and I liked it a lot. If you have a big round that needs to be split multiple times it works fast. My splitter not does not have auto return and splits 1 direction so it's a bit slower. I let my 5 year old run the lever while I grab logs and position them and it works pretty quickly. You are putting a good amount of trust in a 5 year old though.

nathan4104 · Jun 23, 2020

i have a 'Splitfire' 2260 model. The way they have the end blocks/wedges it does not need the same tonnage rating to split it seems. this little machine has a 2 1/2" cylinder, honda gc160. does the 24" stroke in 4 seconds. It's split some knarly Birch. I need my splits smaller for my cook stove so it fits the bill here for the speed. I hardly use it anymore having got a processor but i'd never sell it, it's a great machine.
I rented a bigger Splitfire from a rental shop before i bought. It's sturdy enough for most idiots i'd think. There was a video on here a while back showing some machines in a timed event, but the 3ph model is not near as fast as the stand alone.