What is the best tool for splitting wood?
Well, you’ve come to the right place because that’s exactly what I’ll be going over in this post.
So, let’s get straight into it!
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | |
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Electric splitter |
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Gas splitter |
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Manual splitter |
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Maul |
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Kindling splitter |
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Metal splitting wedge |
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1. Electric splitter
This electric splitter is probably the best in the game when it comes to personal use log splitters. You could even potentially use this in a commercial realm, depending on the context.
Standard with electric splitters is a power cable to plug into an electric source. This means that you can use the machine whenever you need to even in suburban environments and your neighbors won’t hear it. You can have all your privacy and still get your work done; no one can ask to borrow it if they can’t hear that you have one.
The maintenance on these electric splitters is very minimal and can be done quickly when need be. All parts are exposed and when the electric motor wears out you can simply find replacement parts. With an electric motor, you need not worry about gas prices and can even have a green carbon footprint at the end of splitting logs.
This specific product is the top of the line, while still being affordable and practical. It has the power of over 13,000 pounds of pressure, running off a 15 amp hydraulic motor. With this immense pressure, you can easily handle logs up to 20.5 inches long and 10 inches in diameter.
Don’t let that intimidate you as it is incredibly intuitive to use. The splitting edge is 5 inches long and is at a 45-degree angle for optimal splitting, you can even adjust the push plate to make for a smooth process.
2. Gas splitter
Gas splitters are a great option for when you have really big projects ahead of you. Often with power ranging up to 25 tons of pressure, it can easily handle any size log and any amount of knots.
Because they run on gas, they obviously don’t need to be plugged into anything and can be regarded as portable. They are often going to be the heaviest options, but can also come with car hitches so you can drive them to your campsite.
Granted you will experience a bit more in the realm of maintenance and you will need to purchase gas. Any time you get involved with gas machines there will be more upkeep involved, but with that said you can better monitor the state of your machine.
A cool feature sometimes offered by some companies is the ability to get different shapes and sized wedges. A popular and very helpful option would be an “X” shaped wedge so you can quarter your rounds.
This particular model of gas power log splitter is high end and efficient. Has a splitting capacity of 25 tons with a large 224cc engine. It can quickly split wood in 12 seconds and has an auto-return function that allows you to split 300 logs an hour.
It comes with wheels so you can tow the machine wherever you like, as long as you don’t exceed 45mph.
One of the most appealing features of this expensive machine is the 2-year warranty and lifetime technical support. This company took great pride in creating an absolute workhorse of a log splitter.
3. Manual splitter
A manual log splitter is pretty self-explanatory at this point. This is definitely a less physically demanding job than an axe, however more work than the electric or gas splitters. It’s a great in-between.
You will move a lever, in the same way, you do with a gas or electric splitter, but all the power will come from you. Some machines come with a foot-powered lever and others with a hand-powered option, based on your preference you want to keep an eye out for these.
The least expensive option when looking at the electric or gas powered log splitters, while not the cheapest of a whole lot of options in this article.
This particular model of manually powered log splitter is well endorsed. Can easily take care of logs up to 18 inches long and 8 inches wide, with a powerful hydraulic RAM that can add up to 10 tons of log splitting pressure.
Relatively portable, it has small wheels so you can move it around the backyard or campsite. It is incredibly easy to learn to use and can leave you happy with hours of splitting wood under your belt.
Comes with a 2-year warranty and from a company that is there to help you with whatever problem you run into. Not terribly expensive when compared to higher-end splitting axes, it can even be cheaper than some.
4. Best Maul
A splitting maul is something much heavier than just your standard splitting axe. These splitting mauls are a perfect option when a pesky knot interferes with the perfect cutting line.
Not just that but the bit of a splitting maul is wider and able to spread the wood much easier. They will commonly come with a poll on the backside of the head and can be great when used with a specialized maul that is meant for hammering.
These are easily the most portable options as you could strap this to your backpack if you wanted and be able to split wood deep in the forest.
The Fiskars IsoCore Maul is the best in its class while also being affordable. The handle is made with shock absorption technology that is unmatched in the industry. While the handle is made of incredible steel, the texturing is strategic and designed for reducing slippage.
Not just the handle but the whole axe is made of heavy fluid metal. By this, I mean that the head is inseparable from the handle and you will never need to worry about it coming off.
The poll of the axe head is designed with a hammer on the backside so you can easily hammer in a maul to split rounds. Not just that but the angle of the bit is designed to be able to split with potentially one swing.
5. Kindling splitter
Originally invented by a 13-year-old girl who saw her mother cutting her finger one day while splitting kindling, this is a little known device. It is specifically designed to make the arduous process of finely splitting logs into good-sized kindling safer and simpler.
It is incredibly intuitive to use, as all you need to do is press or hammer the appropriately sized logs into the sharp blade in the center of the device and kindling is there.
There are many different sizes of these kindling splitters and it all depends on what you think is more vital to use. Just because they deal with a smaller version of the wood, doesn’t mean their price is any smaller; they can still be in the range of $100.
The Kindling Cracker Firewood splitter was originally designed in Australia as a solid piece of cast iron, the durability and reliability of this device is unreal.
It is extremely portable as you can keep it in your camper and forget where it is or even keep it next to your home fireplace and tuck it away. It comes with mounting holes so you could even mount it next to the fireplace and have a sturdier process.
This specific model has a diameter of 6.5inches and is 12 inches tall, more catered to smaller kindling for starting a fire. There is little to no maintenance involved as it is one solid piece.
6. Metal splitting wedge
Metal splitting wedges are another option you can consistently depend on when splitting firewood. As the name suggests, they are shaped like a wedge so you can hammer into firewood and merely split them into two pieces.
Coming as solid metal pieces they’re easy to use and require no prior knowledge. Best when used in combination with either a rubber mallet or metal sledgehammer, it is also a reliable option to use the poll of any splitting maul you have around.
This is the cheapest option you can find, but that does not mean you skimp on output. These are a dependable tool you can actually use for any sort of prying you need.
The Ajax Tools 886 Wedge can be the last wedge you will ever need to buy. It is designed as a tool to separate pipe flanges and also to re-align pipe flanges in all forms of assembly and maintenance operations.
Also designed with the idea for lifting and aligning machinery; this design gives you the advantage of working below its pay-grade when regarding wood splitting.
It’s 10 inches long with a width of 1.5inches, with a flat backside, the height of the wedge is around 1.5 inches as well. It is small enough to take up little space while also being able to handle any task.
It is certainly the cheapest option on this list, but it has great bang for your buck.
