Sun Joe Hydraulic Steel Beam Log Splitter, 10 Ton Capacity Firewood Tool, Green

We've got a couple of maple trees that I cut into approximately 15" logs, 14" in diameter on average. They're a little short; I should have made them 18 or 20" but too late now. This splitter works great, though.For the shorter logs, I use a good, straight piece of wood as a spacer and it's worked great. You have to be careful that the spacer doesn't cause the log to pop out and become a flying projectile. In fact Snow Joe doesn't recommend this approach, so do this at your own risk!I've done about 5 logs so far, and will finish these trees in a few days. It's easy to use and doesn't hurt my back the way swinging an axe does. The satisfying sound of the log cracking in half is music to my ears. I just go ahead and split a log down to 6-8 pieces suitable for use in my small wood stove. Takes about 5-10 minutes per log.I think for the price, this machine is pretty good. The electric and gasoline splitters are way more expensive and inconvenient. If you're doing large scale splitting, like to produce several cords of wood, this might be insufficient and you need to consider shelling out $300-$500 for a motorized heavy duty splitter, but for casual use like chopping up a single tree, the Snow Joe is pretty close to ideal.The worrisome thing is that several of the reviewers report defective units, like the knobs breaking off or the piston suddenly failing to work. But so far, my unit has worked great. It stores upright in the garage and takes up very little space.It does have wheels, and you have to be somewhat in shape to haul this thing around, but it's not that hard, not harder than pulling a heavy mower around for example. I don't try to take it down to where the wood is at the rear of the yard; the wheels seem too small and it seems like it would end up just getting dragged through the soft dirt and mud, and then I have to drag it back up the hill to the garage. So I just wheel it out onto the driveway, and wheelbarrow my logs back and forth. For the amount I have, this works out great.If you have a pretty big pile of logs, though, you may need to load this thing onto a hand cart to wheel it to where the wood is, and maybe lay it down on a 2-by-4 or a plank of plywood for stability. I've noticed it will rock back and forth while you are working the levers, if it's set on an uneven surface, so you do need to make sure it's on a flat, level surface.Not much else to say about this. In a couple of months I'll probably add more oil, if the instructions are accurate, and if that is problematic, I'll add a note about that here. Otherwise... it's time to "make like a banana and split"!!!

I don't use wood as a primary heat source like many others. I have a fireplace that I use occasionally, and a fire pit that I use more often. I had a large cord of wood dropped off and stacked recently from a new supplier. It was the hardest, most solid wood I've ever handled, and cut in very thick chunks. My axe and hatchet just bounced off the wood, and I just didn't want to rely on a maul. I researched various and wide ranging options. I couldn't justify purchasing a gasoline powered splitter for the few times a year it would be used. I looked at many electric log splitters, but the reviews were far too spotty, depending on they type of wood being split. Manual Hydraulic splitters seemed to offer a good mix low price, low maintenance, and reliability when faced with extremely hard wood and knots.The packaged arrived quickly, but the box was in rough shape with large holes punched through - and no wonder as this is a heavy beast. I unpacked the Sun Joe, and except for one of the cradle arms being bent significantly, the machine was was in tact. There was virtually no assembly save for the handles. I picked a chunky log from the pile, positioned it in the machine, and started pumping the handles. Once the face of the jack hit the wood, the left handle (faster speed) stopped dead. I gave a few pumps with the right lever (higher pressure), and the wood popped and cracked loudly as it was forced apart. I split about three armfuls of kindling and rightly sized fireplace logs in about 15 minutes or so without being winded or breaking a sweat.

I have used this for 7 years now and besides the normal wear and tear*, the unit is still going strong and I have processed somewhere around 10 full sized trees worth of hardwood ... yielding around 30 cords of firewood. It's tough, alright!Admittedly, I push this unit hard. We are surrounded by New England hardwood (maples and oaks, mostly), and when an 80+ year tree falls, you need to bust it up. I find that as long as I can balance the log on the spiitter, I can usually catch enough of an edge to get it done even if it takes a couple of passes, cutting it into quarters or thirds ... whatever the wood will offer.The operation is quiet and powerful. It produces a very satisfying 'pop' or 'thump' when the log finally relents. And although it can take some elbow grease on logs over the recommended size, it is still way easier than slinging a sledgehammer or maul.I only have two observations about the design that could be improved:1. The unit has two very undersized wheels that, except for the shortest trips on the most level surface, are basically useless. If I need to transport it to the where I need it in the yard, I use a wheelbarrow.2. The right-angle chute brackets are a poor design choice. They sit at right angles to the movement of the wood you are splitting. That basically guarantees that they will get caught on knots and knurls in the wood, causing them to twist and break. But that can be remedied (see photos)* Normal wear and tear involved the 'chute' brackets bending and tearing off under the force of the piston. I will post a picture of how I asked a local welder to repair and modify the original design ... one I shared with the Logger Joe team (but they have not implemented).