An Important Feature to Consider When Choosing Hydraulic Log Splitter Plans For Building a Splitter
Before you choose log splitter plans and build a splitter you are going to want to make sure you are choosing the design that will be the best for your needs.
Hydraulic log splitters follow a fairly basic design but there are some small differences that can make a big difference in the way they work.
There are two major styles of hydraulic splitters and that is vertical and horizontal.
A vertical splitter gives you the advantage of working with your rounds close to the ground so you don't have to lift them up on the work table.
The disadvantage of this is you will have to work on the ground bent over or kneeling down which can be uncomfortable and hard on your back.
And after the pieces are split you may have to throw them out of your work space or lift them up to move them out of your way.
With a horizontal splitter you can work standing up in a comfortable position.
If you are building your own splitter you can make the work table so it fits your height comfortably.
After you split the pieces you can just push them off he table and hey fall out of your way.
The disadvantage of the horizontal splitter is you are going to have to somehow lift the rounds up to the work table.
For me it's worth lifting the rounds to be able to work in a comfortable position so I prefer the horizontal design.
If the rounds are too big to safely lift I just rip them into a small enough size with a chainsaw.
If you want the best of both worlds you can build a splitter that will easily convert from horizontal to vertical.
This is fairly easy to do by mounting the main I-beam to a hinge so it can tilt 90 degrees.
I have never done this since I don't find much use for a vertical splitter but I know some people like them.
Building a log splitter can be a fun project and they are not that difficult to build and can last for a long time if you build them right.
I built 3 of them over 20 years ago and they are all still in commercial use today.
Before you choose your log splitter plans just make sure you consider that there are differences in designs that can make a huge difference in the way they will serve you.
Hydraulic log splitters follow a fairly basic design but there are some small differences that can make a big difference in the way they work.
There are two major styles of hydraulic splitters and that is vertical and horizontal.
A vertical splitter gives you the advantage of working with your rounds close to the ground so you don't have to lift them up on the work table.
The disadvantage of this is you will have to work on the ground bent over or kneeling down which can be uncomfortable and hard on your back.
And after the pieces are split you may have to throw them out of your work space or lift them up to move them out of your way.
With a horizontal splitter you can work standing up in a comfortable position.
If you are building your own splitter you can make the work table so it fits your height comfortably.
After you split the pieces you can just push them off he table and hey fall out of your way.
The disadvantage of the horizontal splitter is you are going to have to somehow lift the rounds up to the work table.
For me it's worth lifting the rounds to be able to work in a comfortable position so I prefer the horizontal design.
If the rounds are too big to safely lift I just rip them into a small enough size with a chainsaw.
If you want the best of both worlds you can build a splitter that will easily convert from horizontal to vertical.
This is fairly easy to do by mounting the main I-beam to a hinge so it can tilt 90 degrees.
I have never done this since I don't find much use for a vertical splitter but I know some people like them.
Building a log splitter can be a fun project and they are not that difficult to build and can last for a long time if you build them right.
I built 3 of them over 20 years ago and they are all still in commercial use today.
Before you choose your log splitter plans just make sure you consider that there are differences in designs that can make a huge difference in the way they will serve you.
