DIY electric wood splitter

The first wood splitters appeared around the end of the 19th century. Such devices worked on steam and required human participation. They were used only in large-scale industries, since their use was unprofitable for people who harvest firewood for their own needs. Now you can buy ready-made wood splitters of various capacities. If desired, you can independently assemble a structure that runs on electricity. Such mechanisms are also called hydraulic.

Advantages and disadvantages of electric wood splitters

All electric wood splitters can be divided into the following types:

1. Horizontal. In such devices, the log lies in a horizontal direction. After that, a cleaver is introduced into the wood, which breaks the log into several parts.
2. Vertical wood splitters. Such mechanisms practically do not differ from horizontal ones. The only difference is that the log is located vertically. It is worth noting that the quality of this type of device is higher, but they have a higher cost.

Both types of mechanisms can have a different design. For example, many vertical wood splitters are a mechanism with a small platform for placing a log and an element located on top that splits the wood when a lever is pressed. Other devices have a stabbing element that works automatically and falls onto the log after a specified period of time. Such models are less secure.

Before purchasing a wood splitter, you should familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of such devices. The benefits include:

1. No need for gasoline, diesel or diesel. That is why many owners of suburban areas for the preparation of firewood acquire electric mechanisms.
2. Relatively low cost when comparing the described wood splitters with models that run on combustible fuel.
3. The ability to assemble an electrical device with your own hands. If desired, you can create a simple and effective design from improvised materials. For example, many use an engine from an old car for this.
4. Maintenance free. During the use of the device, it is not necessary to lubricate its components and replace the fuel.
5. The absence of any waste that appears during use.

But the described type of wood splitters also has disadvantages. These include the need to connect to a three-phase 320 volt network. This means that the electrical system on the site will have to be upgraded. If desired, you can find devices that operate on a 220 volt network.

Another disadvantage is the need for a nearby electrical network. If diesel models can be used in any area and far from home, then electric ones are used only at a short distance from the mains. In addition, it is difficult to replace the engine on some models of electrical devices, since such units are not common in Our Country.

When purchasing an electric wood splitter, you should remember that even the most powerful household appliances are not designed for industrial logging.

general description

If a horizontal log splitter is used to split the logs, they must be lifted. Vertical machines do not require lifting logs. It is worth noting that wood splitters are divided according to the volume of firewood that they can chop. Also, the division occurs according to the width and length of the firewood.

Many models are designed for chopping firewood no more than 50 cm in height and 30 cm in diameter. Industrial electric wood splitters are able to handle logs with a length of about 120 cm and a diameter of about 70 cm.

Before choosing a particular device, it is important to determine exactly what it will be used for. If you need a wood splitter to harvest a small amount of firewood, you should look at the cheapest models. In the case when it will be used every year to harvest firewood for the winter, it is necessary to choose a device with a vertical bed and a durable machine.

The standard cutting force of the described log splitters is from 5 to 10 tons if they are intended for domestic use. The models used in production have a cutting force of 10 to 30 tons. The standard engine power of a mechanism used in everyday life varies from 2 to 10 kW. In addition, during the selection, you should pay attention to the presence of wheels.

Industrial electric wood splitters

A feature of industrial wood splitting stations is the ability to harvest a large amount of firewood in a short period of time. Such stations not only divide the log into separate logs, but also cut it.

They are rarely purchased for domestic use, as they have a high cost. These stations can be of various sizes. If necessary, a large number of nozzles are installed on them, which allow splitting logs of various diameters. At the same time, during operation, you can choose the required length of firewood.

Features of household electric wood splitters

If you are going to buy simple electric wood splitters with a power of about 3 kW, you should remember that they work quite slowly. At the same time, during the use of such devices, it is necessary to constantly turn the split chocks so that they split into logs of the same size.

Such devices should be purchased in the case when a person does not want or is not able to spend energy on splitting firewood with a cleaver. If you want to quickly deal with a large number of logs, you should purchase more powerful and expensive wood splitters.

Recommendations

So that there are no problems during the use of the wood splitter, you should heed the advice of people who have extensive experience working with such devices:

1. If the cleaver is made on the basis of an electric motor, the power of the device must be taken into account. This indicator should be from 3 kW.
2. If the machine power is good, the motor can quickly drive the hydraulic pump to spin the cone. Thanks to this, the splitting of the chocks will occur quickly and easily. That is why it is important to consider the power of the purchased mechanism.
3. When working with a wood splitter, safety rules must be observed. For example, when working with a cone mechanism, you should not work with gloves that can wrap around it when in contact. It is also important to carefully monitor each movement, since the knives that split the logs into logs are quite sharp.
4. It is worth installing a protective agent on the cleaver, which will prevent the unexpected start of the mechanism.

Having considered the various types of wood splitters, you can assemble your own mechanism with your own hands. This will save you a lot of money. Also, thanks to such mechanisms, you can easily prepare firewood with almost no effort.

Having made an electric wood splitter with your own hands, you need to check its performance and make sure that it is safe for the one who will use it.