Choosing a Log Splitter That Won’t Add Maintenance and Noise to Your Life
The decision to purchase a log splitter was easy.
Which variety was not. There are so many choices; gasoline, electric, hydraulic…
I knew we did not want yet another gasoline tool to deal with upkeep on a carburetor, fuel filters, and seasonal fuel treatments.
Quiet!
The splitter I chose, the SunJoe Log Splitter, is human-powered. Well, actually, hydraulic. I didn’t want the noise of either electric or gasoline.
If you know you won’t be splitting anywhere close to a power source; electric won’t work very well for you.
You could bring along a generator, but then you’re back to noise and smell.
Gearing
Pretty funny, but it took us a minute to realize there are three different modes to advance the ram on the SunJoe Log Splitter.
Moving both sticks forward at once advances the ram splitter the fastest.
Once you are closer to the chunk you want to split, the left lever is faster and more difficult, then the right lever yields shorter, easier strokes for the final crunch.
Return Spring
Our favorite feature on the SunJoe Log Splitter is the ram return spring.
To split wood, you tighten one dial and move the levers.
When the wood is split, unwinding the dial allows the return spring to bring the hydraulic cylinder back to the beginning position. Brilliant!
Delivery & Specs
The SunJoe Log Splitter weighs a whopping 87 pounds! The delivery men hoisted it over their shoulder to deposit it on our front porch. I barely walked it inside and wrapped the sides and top in position!
- Dimensions: 41.1″L x 8.1″W x 11.8″H
- For logs up to 18 in. long x 8 in. wide
- Full 2 year warranty
Packaging
The SunJoe Log Splitter arrives in a terribly sturdy box that can be reused for storage.
It is reinforced with doorskin-type thin wood paneling. That was set aside for some wood burning practice, and we recycled the rest of the box.
The cats particularly adored the box!
