Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Dawn M. Ripley" <ripley@iglou.com>]

Thanks, Dan!  I'm heeding your warnings.  I already wasn't wild about 
inhaling all that carbon monoxide, not to mention what I was doing to the 
environment in the process.  If I can't split wood using my own steam (and 
I'm afraid I can't), then the electric splitter seems the lesser of the evils.

Still hoping to hear from someone with experience with DR,

Dawn



At 08:18 PM 3/2/2007 -0600, you wrote:
> 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)
>
> >
> >
>
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