Kinetic splitter

[alderman]

I had a chance to look at a kinetic splitter last week I was hoping it would be more user friendly while standing than my hydraulic. Unfortunately the table is just too low for my 6’4” height.
I think I’ll stick with the hydraulic as I usually cut Alder which is very easy to split. Most wood splits within a couple of inches of wedge contact and I’ve had luck using it while sitting which saves on my tired old back.
If I were splitting wood that required a full stroke, I can see where the kinetic would save a bunch of time.


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[U&A]

I think they a neat.

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[Deleted member 149229]

I thought about one but don’t care for the horizontal only use. They are impressive.

 

[Circle B MN]

For the wood I pursue my SS is exceptional. I do have a skidsteer mounted hyd splitter if by chance I am burdened with big rounds.

 

[sirbuildalot]

What if you made some platforms to rest the tires and stand on? You could raise it up 4", 6", 8", whatever you need? Could make blocks out of plywood and 2x stock with raised edges so the tires and stand can't vibrate off.

 

[lknchoppers]

I used to use a set of ramps for a car to raise the wheels up and a round up front to raise the tongue on my old splitter, worked pretty good. Only con about doing this was with big rounds I had to lift them higher. Good Luck

 

[panolo]

A super split would be easy to raise. Front legs are already adjustable and with a little modification you could space the axle and the beam. Only time I use my hydraulic is on very large rounds or we have a group splitting.

 

[Guswhit]

I have a super split, I am 6'1" tall and to be comfortable I roll mine up on to some boards I milled that are a full 2" thick. It is now the perfect height for me. It also keeps the front of the table a little bit lower and the debris falls/vibrates of the front of the table instead of under foot.

 

[Multifaceted]

If i ever were to buy a gas powered spliter, it would be a kinetic/flywheel type. No dealing with hydraulic fluid, pump, pressurized lines, etc.

 

[Guswhit]

If i ever were to buy a gas powered spliter, it would be a kinetic/flywheel type. No dealing with hydraulic fluid, pump, pressurized lines, etc.

I have a hydraulic splitter as well that I built many years ago. It has served me very well for what I was processing then. I wouldn't discount the advantages of a hydraulic without running each type processing the end result of what you need to meet your needs. Currently, I am splitting for firewood bundles and need smaller splits of comparable size with a high rate of production, which the super split accomplishes. I don't get near the large wood anymore, mostly because I pass it by so I don't deal with anything I can't easily lift to the table. When I do get large wood, I just let it accumulate until I have about a days worth of splitting with my large hydro and knock the blocks down to manageable pieces, but I would still rather just take smaller wood now.

 

[Multifaceted]

I have a hydraulic splitter as well that I built many years ago. It has served me very well for what I was processing then. I wouldn't discount the advantages of a hydraulic without running each type processing the end result of what you need to meet your needs. Currently, I am splitting for firewood bundles and need smaller splits of comparable size with a high rate of production, which the super split accomplishes. I don't get near the large wood anymore, mostly because I pass it by so I don't deal with anything I can't easily lift to the table. When I do get large wood, I just let it accumulate until I have about a days worth of splitting with my large hydro and knock the blocks down to manageable pieces, but I would still rather just take smaller wood now.

I understand what you're saying, though I don't have a need for one not do I have any way of trying one. I've used hydro splitters plenty before even though I don't own one, but never a flywheel type.

Since I split all of my wood by hand already, at least 5 cords per year, any type of splitter would be a mechanical advantage.

 

[lknchoppers]

I understand what you're saying, though I don't have a need for one not do I have any way of trying one. I've used hydro splitters plenty before even though I don't own one, but never a flywheel type.

Since I split all of my wood by hand already, at least 5 cords per year, any type of splitter would be a mechanical advantage.

Both styles are great for 5 or 10 cords a years. If I was going to split 5 cords a year and my budget was $3K I would take a good look at the Rugged Made with the log lift. I was splitting 2 cords a year with a monster maul and then picked up a homemade hydraulic splitter with a Honda GX160 for $500. That splitter did really, really well splitting about 25 cords per year. I just upgraded to a commercial splitter after using the homemade splitter for 5 years. There are a lot of great homemade splitters out there if you look around.

 

[Multifaceted]

Both styles are great for 5 or 10 cords a years. If I was going to split 5 cords a year and my budget was $3K I would take a good look at the Rugged Made with the log lift. I was splitting 2 cords a year with a monster maul and then picked up a homemade hydraulic splitter with a Honda GX160 for $500. That splitter did really, really well splitting about 25 cords per year. I just upgraded to a commercial splitter after using the homemade splitter for 5 years. There are a lot of great homemade splitters out there if you look around.

That's why I've kind of just put it low on priority, for splitting enough to fuel my own stove, doing by hand seems sufficient enough. If I we're doing 10+ cords a year it'd be a higher priority for certain.

 

[Whitbread]

I burn between 20-25 full cords a season and I absolutely love my frankenstein'ed super split. I built (and later sold) a huge hydraulic splitter years ago and I don't miss it at all. In my opinion, too many people get way too focused on tonnage and ability to split the biggest, ugliest chunk of wood they can possibly find. Will the kinetic split the nastiest forked crotch you can find with ease? With enough hits you'll eventually get it all broken up, but why? There is so much easily split wood where I'm cutting, I leave the nasty 3-4 way forked pieces. I can split 8-10 straight-ish pieces in the time it took to deal with one nasty forked chunk with my old 6" ram 18hp hydraulic. The chunks off a nasty fork are also usually odd shaped don't stack very well, so yet another reason to focus on what builds up the woodpile fastest.

 

[panolo]

I split a little over a cord today and never ran my SS over 2/3 throttle. It started running out of gas half way through my load today. I checked it for fuel a couple weeks ago after I let my buddy borrow it and have 5+ cords on what was in the tank. I did have an issue with it today as I was splitting a piece of silver maple and got a sliver caught under the ram. I had to loosen the three bolts on one side and the sliver came out. Took me 5 minutes and that included the 2 minute walk to and from the shed.

Honestly the thing that pisses me off the most about it is that my graphics never stuck on the side panels. Otherwise I couldn't be happier.

 

[RyeThomas]

Just to add, I’m only 6’-3” and getting shorter with age but I called Super Split and had them build my table higher. These units are built one at a time so you can make some changes. Mine absolutely rips.

I will say if I were dealing with only 30”+ rounds I’d probably look at a hydro with log lift and adjustable wedge (of course that would be $6-10k). I live on the East Coast and the stuff I run is under that so kinetic is the way to go.

 

[4seasons]

I will say if I were dealing with only 30”+ rounds I’d probably look at a hydro with log lift and adjustable wedge (of course that would be $6-10k).

Yes, to buy a commercial splitter new it will cost that much. But I am currently working on a used splitter that I am planning on putting those features on. I have less than $300 in it now and will probably have $1000 in it by the time I get done.

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[RyeThomas]

There’s countless threads on here about the cost and time needed to build your own splitter, if it’s something you want to take on that’s great. But most will spend more time and money than just buying.

 

[Guswhit]

There’s countless threads on here about the cost and time needed to build your own splitter, if it’s something you want to take on that’s great. But most will spend more time and money than just buying.

Yes, but we get to chalk that up to experience! I changed the 1 I built so many times, I can't even tell you how much I have in it now, but would have been ALOT better off buying one. If I had known about super splits 25 years ago when I started, it would have made things much better for me!

 

[Circle B MN]

I split a little over a cord today and never ran my SS over 2/3 throttle. It started running out of gas half way through my load today. I checked it for fuel a couple weeks ago after I let my buddy borrow it and have 5+ cords on what was in the tank. I did have an issue with it today as I was splitting a piece of silver maple and got a sliver caught under the ram. I had to loosen the three bolts on one side and the sliver came out. Took me 5 minutes and that included the 2 minute walk to and from the shed.

Honestly the thing that pisses me off the most about it is that my graphics never stuck on the side panels. Otherwise I couldn't be happier.

I get stuck on a sliver as well from time to time. Not often enough to be an issue, but enough that I know exactly what you are talking about. I have had some success in pinning the sliver to the rail with my pocket knife and tapping the ram back off it but more times than not I just double the time it would have taken to go get the wrench. Should hang a couple cheap wrenches on the machine as well as a scraper to clear the beam from time to time.

Being that you have an empty canvas, you get get flames or pin striping on the side panels...?