Anyone else use a log splitter? This was my experience. About four years ago, pre-pandemic, we had an enormous tree cut down before it toppled onto the neighbor’s house. The tree crew asked if I wanted the wood, and since we have a fireplace, I said absolutely. Unfortunately they didn’t split it, so I figured, hell I’ll just get out my trusty axe is split the wood. My wife laughed and rolled her eyes.
I discovered at my age (60s) I don’t have the strength to split enormous logs with an axe. I tried finding someone to split the wood for me and realized they’d charge well over a thousand dollars. So the piles of tree sections sat in my backyard, with vines and weeds growing over them:
Then a few weeks ago, I discovered the solution: an electric wood splitter:
It literally makes me a lumberjack. Here’s someone’s YT video of the device in action.
I ordered it on Amazon for about $330. There are several different brands to choose from, but this one was well reviewed. It arrived Thursday and yesterday I set it up (it was mostly assembled; I didn’t put it on the stand). I also bought safety goggles and even read the fuckin’ manual.
I discovered they were testing to see if I read the fuckin’ manual:
And then I began my career as a lumberjack:
Worked like a charm!
Within an hour I had a good pile of split wood:
I spent another hour today splitting more, then stored all the wood in my garage in order to dry out.
I would imagine this wood will take a year to dry out; I could use it perhaps in the winter of '24.
There is a ton of the fallen tree still left; this weekend’s work barely scratched the surface. I’ll do a little at a time, and I’d hope by next summer to have everything split.
Moral of the story: you too can be a lumberjack!
