Splitter Safety Tips?

[Zale]

Hearing protection.

 

[Toxic2]

Only woods related accident i ever had was with my splitter..i usually hold the wood dkwn in case of a nut buster. Had one peice of birch instantly shift and pinch my thumb between the pusher platet and wood. lost my thumb nail 2 months later and i had gloves on but it didnt seem to help..just got going to fast i recken

 

[burnses]

I used a splitter this weekend for the first time in awhile....safety starts when you cut the wood into bolts....if you buck the log with no angles at the ends the wood will be flat on the ram face and not try to push at odd angles. try to cut our wood with knots at the ends of the bolts is ya can and split with the knot at the ram side to get it started not at the splitter side....stop when you say....ill stop after im done with these last few.....and it dark!

good luck....with that kohler....get some ear protection

 

[hupte]

ear protection, gloves and keep your hands on the round part, if possible, never put your fingers on the flat part.

 

[Gologit]

I split with help a lot. The lever operator has one rule - nothing moves till all hands are visible and not in the way. Log handlers - hands on the side of the log only, not the end.

Well said. A lot of kids like to help Dad split and they almost always like to run the lever. Make sure the person on the lever watches where the hands are. Can't see the hands? Don't move the lever.

 

[bbxlr8]

good luck....with that kohler....get some ear protection[/QUOTE]

Thanks again for the tips all. I definitely wear the muffs plus glasses although they seems a bit overkill on the splitter. Like I said originally, not too wild about the Kohler, but it was a "bang for the buck" decision that I hope I don't regret.

I am going to try horizontal, but so far the vertical does seem a lot more efficient for big rounds even with the stooping.

 

[tla100]

Yeah, I must be getting old cause I run around with muffs all the time now. Running grinder, chop saw, splitter and saw. Still need to get used to putting eye protection but, stubborn yet. ANd I get crap in my eyes a lot.

 

[Toxic2]

Whoever is splitting runs the lever. Period..way tok dangerous of a task to have someone else contorl 40 tons of crushing force..i was just barely able to get off the lever in time and i was running it by myself..hate to see how much delay there would have been with a second operator..

 

[Fred Wright]

Here are some experiences I've (hopefully) learned lifetime lessons from and a few I (thankfully) haven't:

Never forget what you're dealing with. If that wedge can cut through a block of wood, it can cut your fingers off.

Once the ram contacts the round, remove your hand. Don't think that holding the round while it's being split will make any difference. It won't.

A retracting ram can pinch fingers and hands. Avoid reaching in until the ram has fully retracted.

If the round doesn't completely split or pinches on the wedge, resist the temptation to lift it off the wedge by hand. I got a finger seriously pinched doing this. Only did it once. To free a round that's stuck on the wedge, hook a length of chain around the round and extended ram, run cylinder in reverse.

Stand away from the round while splitting. Yup, a tough one can suddenly fly apart and do some serious injury. Also, a heavy split landing on your foot won't make for a good day.

Knots, crotch wood, burls etc. can and will do unexpected things when they break. Make sure your body parts are clear when splitting those things.

 

[bbxlr8]

Thanks again to all. Ran new splitter on horizontal for the first time today on misc stuff that I cleared from a new tractor path to get to an 30" ash in a hollow (felled last spring). It was definitely the way to go for rounds <10 - 14" although I probably will continue vertical for the big stuff. Also tried out my new early xmas present - logrite 36" hookaroon. I HAD NO IDEA how good life could be!