Log splitter 4 point wedge

[John_Mc]

I’ve been splitting some wood lately and have revised my opinion on a 4 way wedge. On the right sized rounds I like it. It’s a little more critical you hit the round dead center with a 4 way or you end up with a piece that’s too big. It’s just slips off and on so easy so why not use it.

On really large rounds, I just quarter a bunch of them with the single wedge. When my work table fills up with those pieces, I put the 4-way on and re-split them with that. For rounds that aren;t quite big enough to do that process, but still oversized for a nice split one time through the 4-way, I will intentionally line up the log off-center on the four way so the vertical split is something like 1/3 - 2/3 rather than right down the middle. I'll toss any pieces that are small enough to burn, and run any other through the 4-way. (This one goes better with a helper who can pick out pieces for re-splitting appropriate for the wedge I have on at the time, but I do some of it on my own as well. If the sorting gets to be too much of a pain, I just revert to the single wedge, and double stack the re-split pieces when I can.)

 

[arrow]

I paid $7K 12 years ago. My shop burned destroying my previous homemade splitter. Insurance adjuster asked me the tonnage rating, I figured it up and told him 40T. He came back to me and said this was the only one he could find and would it be okay? I said sure. I had claimed a value of $1,500. I had/have "replacement" insurance. I will always have replacement insurance.

I've seen these things go up and up in price. Last time I looked they were $8500 for a 35 ton. It is a super set up.
In 1998 is when i bought my first hydraulic also from Northern. Had been hand splitting for 20 yrs before that then a light went on in my head and it was a wtf moment.
$798 for a simple 16 ton horizontal that I had a 4wy made for.
Whip it on and off as needed but I always had the Jones for a hydraulically controlled wedge. Too late now cuz the wife wants to move to the beach.
Oh my. What's a woodchuck to do?