PSA: Don't cheap out on a splitter like I did with that $80 Firewood Processor from Harbor Freight

Bought a $80 hydraulic wood splitter attachment last fall to save some money on processing a big oak I took down in Gig Harbor. It seized up on the third log and I spent more on the tow to the shop than I would have just renting a proper one from Sunbelt for a weekend. Has anyone else had luck with those cheaper splitters or is it better to just bite the bullet and rent?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianal9429d ago

That firewood splitter story hurts to read because I did almost the exact same thing but with a different cheap brand. Thought I was being smart saving money on processing a maple tree in my yard and got maybe four logs in before the whole thing started making a noise like a dying blender. Ended up having to finish the pile with a splitting maul and my terrible form, which really made my shoulder angry for a week straight. My neighbor walked over to watch me struggle and just handed me his good Fiskars axe without saying a word, which was both nice and embarrassing. Now I just rent the good stuff or trade beer with friends who actually know what they are doing with wood processing gear.

lopez.simon18d ago

Dying blender" is exactly the right way to describe it. One thing I gotta gently point out though, Fiskars actually makes axes not axes. People mix that up all the time. But your neighbor sounds like a good dude, just silently watching you struggle and handing you the better tool without rubbing it in. That's real neighbor stuff. I see you learned the hard way too that cheap splitters are basically just fancy paperweights with extra steps. Trading beer for help is honestly the best system, everyone wins that way.

grace5081mo ago

My neighbor Joe bought one of those little electric splitters from the same place, figured it would be fine for his fireplace wood. First day he had it, the hydraulic fluid started leaking all over his driveway, looked like a crime scene. He ended up borrowing my maul and a wedge for the rest of the season, which is kind of funny considering he's got a bad back. Sometimes the old fashioned way is cheaper in the long run, or at least less frustrating.