Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[mtncats <mtncats@yahoo.com>]

Hi Dawn,

I too balked at the price/maintenance of a hydraulic wood splitter.  We don't burn much, heat the house passively.  My solution was a PTO powered screw.  If you don't have something with PTO, they also can be bolted to a vehicle axle.

I've got mine on the back of a tractor, loader bucket available for moving the firewood.  Works very well.

Many consider them unreasonably dangerous as there's no way for the operator to stop them during splitting.  I don't stick my hand or sleeve into the screw and have no problem.  Jam the log onto the screw, let it rest against the pipe or whatever keeps it from turning and let go.  The screw runs into the log, splitting it.  Quickly.

Mine, almost new, came from an auction where everybody else was fearful or disinterested.  Cost me $45.  As any tool, misused they can hurt you.  The first one that popped up on my search isn't particularly cheap: 
 http://www.thestickler.com/

Beats an extension cord.

Tom (in central Va)

"Dawn M. Ripley" <ripley@iglou.com> wrote:
>  Thanks for the encouragement, Paul, but according to the list home at 
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland, Living on the 
> Land is mostly about soil building:
>
> >Intensive, organic soil building is basic to growing much more in less 
> >space with better nutrition, more profitable growing through less bought 
> >inputs, less need for water, fewer losses from pests and disease, and less 
> >vulnerability to fossil fuel problems now or in the future. What ways this 
> >can best be pursued in different soils and climates leaves a lot of room 
> >for discussion. We deal with the widespread problems of loss of soil 
> >minerals, humus, nutritional
>  content of produce, and loss of topsoil 
> >itself, as well as the cost-price squeeze faced by real organic growers, 
> >the shrinking supply of affordable land for growing and irrigation water, 
> >and the need to increase the supply of nutritious food while making 
> >healthy food more affordable in general. Our generation cannot continue to 
> >plunder the soil capital of future generations.
>
>
> We've discussed things related to the homestead, of course, but I didn't 
> think it was the list's primary purpose, hence the disclaimer.
>
> I'm planning to burn the wood I split in my glass-enclosed, woodburning 
> fireplace.
>
> Dawn

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