Every person on the planet has their lifestyle which is normal and natural. Someone lives a corporate life with a job nine to five, others don’t do anything and live off of somebody else while there are people who in this modern-day in age decide to live off their work. Those people usually run from the urban commotion and go somewhere off the grid where they can be at peace with nature.
That sort of lifestyle has its good and bad sides. You have to work a lot to provide and there is a lot of hard labour involved in the process. Thanks to new technologies even that hard labour is eased in a way and you get to keep your health and strength for longer and used when needed. Most people that need wood or log splitters live on farms and use wood furnaces to cook and provide heat. This means you have to collect wood, cure it and split it to have food and heat available.
To save yourself from hard work the wood-splitter machine was invented. It both saves time and you as a whole from this necessary, but menial and hard job. Now if you are looking for one of these, and you are on a budget you probably are looking at a second hand one. The article today will shed some light on the safety and cost-efficiency of a used wood splitter. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something new, affordable and reliable give Uniforest a check and see what they have in store!
Since these things come in a variety of styles that range from portable, hand-operated, electric models to tractor-mounted PTO units, you have to think about the usage and the storage option for this machine. If you are using it just for your fireplace you don’t need a big one or even one that has greater tonnage because it is highly unlikely that you will split huge logs. Small homesteads commonly use a gas engine powered log splitter, and that is what most of you will end up buying.
Now since we are discussing the topic of used machines like this you will have to look for a few things in order not to get ripped off, or start instantly start paying for repairs that will be over the price you paid for the thing. They have a few sensitive areas that you need to check and here they are:
Engine
Pay attention to the general state of the engine of the splitter and see what kind of engine it is in power terms. It is well known that more heavy-duty engines for these things tend to have a lot longer life cycle and are less prone to problems or malfunctions. Weaker engines, especially those that have been beaten down will not provide any safety or longevity and they will be either serviced often or even changed at some point.
A gas engine on these things is a bit simpler than a gas engine on your vehicle and it also needs a sort of maintenance. Regular oil changes, sparkplug change, fuel and the air filter is what is necessary for this part of the splitter to operate normally. If any part of this is mistreated or not serviced properly you could find yourself in a lot of problems and frequent visits by the mechanic. Check the engine as best as you can, fire it up to hear it operate before you buy it and if there is anything out of the ordinary either try and find out about the problem or skip that one and look for a better maintained one.
Hydraulics
Now if you buying a used wood splitter besides the engine, a good thing to do is check out the hydraulic parts of the machine. Check the hoses for leaks and cracks, check the hydraulic liquid and the colour to see if it has ever been changed. See the operation of the piston meaning the way it shoots out and retracts in.
If there are any hissing, scratching noises or any other irregularities with the piston or the hydraulic system as a whole we would advise steering clear of that machine. Sometimes the repairs of that part can get costly especially if it hasn’t been maintained and looked out for. Enquiry as much as possible and try and determine if you could fix it yourself or if it isn’t worth buying at all.
The chassis
Since a lot of people tend to neglect these and do not use them the way they are intended to be used, the chassis tends to get damaged. The best thing is to inspect it in detail and see if it has any defects or flaws. What you have to look for is the tray that seats the wood if it is a horizontal splitter, which is ideal for homesteads.
It usually gets beaten up fairly since people do not understand that huge and heavy logs, although can be split, aren’t meant to be split on this type of machine. This way they bend the carrying tray or chip it off and it is not safe for usage. If the tray is not in good condition steer clear of the machine and look for another one since the tray has to support the wood and hold it in the correct position while it is split. Other things are the legs if this particular type has it, or any other thing that is holding it aboveground. If it is broken, wobbly or damaged in any other way that is making it unsafe for usage don’t buy the thing.
Parts and availability
Whether you are buying a new or second hand always do your research thoroughly. Always try and find something that is made in your country and that has a lot of replacement parts still made (more important for older models still being used) that are readily available and obtainable at the shortest notice. Also, look for authorized services for these splitters or at least specialists that can fix or replace a part or parts when they break. Although these things, especially for home use, look simple enough some parts will give you headaches like you never seen before which is why mechanics and available replacement parts are very important.
The conclusion to this would be to always, if possible, buy the things you need now and that way you will avoid any problems or even safety concerns. Used equipment is OK to buy but only if it is maintained well enough and not beaten down on, otherwise you will end up paying the equipment more money that is worth in repairs and you still won’t be safe and secure with it. New is always the best option but if you can’t afford it look for a good wood splitter using this small guide.
