Log splitter
As a wood splitter devices are called that for splitting tree pieces in logs, mostly for use as firewood are used. Either the piece of wood is pressed against a riving knife or the riving knife is pressed against the log. Modern log splitters have a two-hand release to prevent accidents, but appropriate protective clothing is still appropriate: PPE forest .
The main performance data of log splitters are the type of drive, the maximum dimensions of the splitting material (length and diameter), the splitting force and the forward and reverse speeds.
Mechanically, a distinction is made between manual and hydraulic log splitters.
Hydraulic log splitter
The majority of all log splitters are equipped with oil-powered hydraulics . These are driven by a tractor using a power take-off shaft , an electric (230 or 400 V) or an internal combustion engine. A type of drive that also exists in this segment is that of clear water hydraulics.
The clear water hydraulics differs significantly from the water hydraulics . Both terms imply hydraulics powered by pure water. However, the difference is that the water hydraulics are driven with emulsified hydraulic fluids mixed with water. With the clear water hydraulics, however, only that water is used that comes from the house pipe or the rain barrel.
The log splitters used for wood processing in normal households are mostly operated with a 230 V electric motor. The gap pressure in these devices is usually around 6 tons.
In the professional sector, on the other hand, there are log splitters whose splitting power is specified as over 40 tons. In some cases, saw-splitting combinations are also used, which make it possible to automatically process meter-long logs. The splitters in the professional segment are equipped with log lifters and rope winches.
The splitting force is normally given in tons (t), although Newtons (N) are provided for in the Si system of units .
Hydraulic log splitters are available in a standing or lying version as well as in the form of combination devices, in which sawing and splitting with one machine is possible. With larger devices, the stroke is more than a meter, and the table can often be adjusted in height in order to be able to split shorter pieces faster.
Small log splitters from hardware stores are often driven with a threaded rod instead of a hydraulic system in order to be able to offer customers a cost-effective alternative. However, the splitting force usually suffers from this.
PTO-driven log splitter
Log splitters operated with a PTO shaft are characterized by the fact that they are operated without their own motor. These use the energy source of a running engine, for example that of an agricultural utility vehicle.
Due to the fact that a PTO-operated log splitter uses the torque of a mostly large-volume tractor engine, the splitting forces that act are high. This enables the professional user to process particularly long, thick and, above all, stubborn split material without major problems.
This in turn means that log splitters of this type are heavier and more costly.
Cylinder stroke and log length
The splitting power of a log splitter is just one performance parameter. If only short pieces are required for the chimney, a splitter with a short gap length or a short cylinder stroke is sufficient. These are mainly horizontal devices that allow the splitting of pieces of wood with a length of 30 to 40 cm. If these do not already have a substructure ex works that allow working at hip height, a suitable base frame must be used to ensure a back-friendly position. Alternatively, two well-secured and fastened trestles with a plank on which the log splitter is placed can also be used.
Log splitters, which can be used to process split material exceeding 50 cm, have the disadvantage that, due to the longer distance, the forward and return times are significantly higher. This leads to fewer splitting cycles per hour.
There are now many log splitters where the cylinder stroke can be adjusted to the length of the log.
In general, freshly felled wood with higher moisture levels can be split more easily than remote wood. With some types of wood, however, it can make sense to allow drying cracks to be produced by drying in the air , as the riving knife can be attached to these, which in turn facilitates the splitting process. This includes particularly soft types of wood such as pine or spruce .
Cone splitter
Cone splitters work with a steel cone with threads , which is screwed into the wood. If the cone drills into the wood, it will split, as the piece of wood with the thread “pulls” itself further and further onto the wider part of the cone. Hand-operated devices of this type are considered dangerous, as carelessness can lead to loose items of clothing getting caught in the drill cone and parts of the body being pulled into the machine. The use of manual cone splitters is prohibited for companies that are members of the social security system for agriculture, forestry and horticulture . Since 1996 there has been a ban on these devices by the agricultural trade associations. During controls, it is often insisted that such machines be destroyed immediately and in the event of accidents caused by these devices, a fine is to be expected. There were also combination devices with a cone splitter, which was mounted on the shaft of a (firewood) circular saw, so that firewood could be both sawed and split with these devices. In the past, such devices were often driven by means of a drive belt over the pulley of a tractor and were sometimes used in agriculture until the 1980s.
However, there are models that are mounted on the crane of a logging trailer or on an excavator and thus work at a safe distance. Cone splitters as hydraulically driven attachments on front loaders, mini excavators and other machines with an extension arm are also considered to be less dangerous because there is no need for people to feed them with the associated hazard.
Portable log splitter
Portable log splitters are particularly suitable for professional use. They can be used to split logs in any position, preferably when it is on the ground. This means that the heavy logs do not have to be transported to the log splitter. The use of these devices becomes more economical the harder and thicker the logs to be split are.
Portable log splitters weigh around 15 kg and are therefore relatively easy to handle.
The portable log splitters on the market are hydraulically driven. The hydraulic drive power is provided either by a forest tractor or another internal combustion engine or electrically powered hydraulic unit.
Splitting wood by hand
In the past, splitting with a splitting wedge , splitting ax ( splitting hammer ) or ax was the only way to split large pieces of wood. Also today are offered; they have a larger angle of the cutting edge than ordinary axes and are therefore better suited for splitting holes than these.
Log splitters for manual operation are also known. A weight of 3–4 kg, which is carried on a pole, is thrown by hand onto a riving knife, which is also carried on the pole. The riving knife is arranged in such a way that there is enough space between the wedge blade and the base to prevent injuries. These splitters are much safer than splitting with a splitting hammer or ax .
See also
- List of forestry equipment and machines
- Log splitter (types, models, guides)
- Firewood splitter (lying and standing models)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Starfort wood splitter: clear water hydraulics. Retrieved November 6, 2019 .
- ↑ Log splitter with PTO shaft as drive type. In: https://der-holzspalter.de/ . Accessed November 6, 2019 (German).
- ↑ SVLFG: Safe processing of firewood. November 18, 2013, accessed August 12, 2017 .
- ↑ Commercial use permitted: cone splitter as an attachment on bi-medien.de, accessed on April 7, 2019