Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Dan Conine <dconine@dotnet.com>]

I don't recommend that you use this screw type of splitter unless you 
are experienced. I've got lots of experience, and I would like to try 
one, but I've been around machinery all my life. I intend to put it on a 
motor stand with a safety switch nearby. PTO shafts DON'T STOP if you 
slipped on a piece of wood and fell on the screw.  If the wood block 
slipped, and you stuck your hand onto it, you would need more than a 
bandaid.

Scared? Damn right. My dad had a recent accident with a PTO shaft and 
would have been killed if the tractor had been any bigger or above an 
idle speed. He slipped on some ice.

The DR splitter gives you something with a cord that doesn't make you 
stand and breathe carbon monoxide for hours on end, or deal with 
gasoline and oil all over things. It won't have the splitting power of a 
big engine-driven model, but will probably work well enough if you have 
time to kill on the homestead. Take your time and take small bites.

I realize that the STickler was the first one that popped up on a 
search. I assume their $259 price is 80% liability insurance, and 10% 
material costs (a rolled and welded sheet of steel with a thread cut 
into it.)

I also recommend anyone who is going to handle firewood should get some 
kind of bucket loader or skid loader to handle the rounds and bring them 
to a comfortable place to work, like a flat yard. Splitting wood on some 
slippery, cluttered hillside in the woods just so it's easier to carry 
is often what gets you into trouble.

Just a couple of thoughts from the guy who had an axe bounce into his 
foot. (behind the steel toe)

Wear a helmet. The sky really does fall in the woods.

Dan
Belgium, WI
> Message: 10
> Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 07:22:30 -0800 (PST)
> From: mtncats <mtncats@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Slightly off-topic:  DR woodsplitters
> To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing
>         <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <616374.72116.qm@web59101.mail.re1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> 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)

>