Log Splitters Upcoming Auctions

About Log Splitters

A log splitter is a piece of forestry or landscaping equipment whose sole purpose is to cut sections of wood or de-limbed trees into smaller pieces, usually for further processing, or for use in a wood-burning application, such as in a stove or furnace. These machines generally perform their function by forcing the log into a sharpened wedge. Small log splitters tend to split small-diameter logs into two pieces, but large-diameter logs require multi-blade wedges that can split the log into as many as six pieces. Log splitters are also sometimes referred to as “processors.”

Types Of Log Splitters

The smallest log splitters can be purchased for less than $1,000, and are highly portable. These machines tend to consist of a sharp wedge forced into the edge of a log by a hydraulic cylinder powered by a gas or diesel engine. They can be freestanding units or, most commonly, attached to a single axel and a trailer hitch to be towed behind a truck, tractor, or other vehicle. The higher-end models cost tens of thousands of dollars and employ large circular saws and conveyor belts to split large tree trunks, up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) or longer in length into smaller pieces before they’re forced into a cutting wedge. These high-capacity splitters can typically produce three cords of firewood per hour or more.