Western Producer reporter Ron Lyseng offers his personal insights
after testing a new electric log splitter.
BIRDS HILL, Man. – Electric log splitters have been around for decades, usually thought of as toys. I had never tried one until last week.
When I have a lot of logs to split, I generally rent a gasoline powered splitter with 15 to 20 ton hydraulic capacity. When I have only a cord or two, I use my 15 pound maul with power from armstrong and treatment from my chiropractor.
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So I was skeptical when a News release
news implied that the new generation of DR electric log splitters can do the work of real log splitters.
I could not envision a small 110 volt electric motor plugged into a 15 amp household circuit generating enough force to split 16 inch diameter logs.
At the time, I had a pile of large diameter oak, elm and ash logs waiting for my 15 lb. splitting maul and the necessary cold weather to crystallize the moisture.
The pile seemed to be getting bigger each month.
The rated six-ton capacity of the DR seemed weak compared to higher capacity hydraulic units and the requirements of these big logs.
But the claims in the news release made me curious, so I contacted DR to find a local dealer.
Derek Ennis at Enns Brothers in Oak Bluff, Man., loaned me a new six-ton DR splitter to test. I picked it up in early October, well before frigid temperatures arrived.
My exposed pile of logs had received about 100 millimetres of rain during the previous month, so they were saturated. Logs don’t split as well in warm or wet weather, so this combination of wet and warm would be a good test.
I set it up, plugged it in and hefted on a big 20 inch diameter, 20 inch long green ash log that had just been cut this summer. It was damp and stringy.
The electric motor whined, the ram slowly growled forward and the big log cracked like a rifle as the two halves snapped and went flying. It was probably more of a surprise to me than it was to the log.
Two days later, I put about two cords through the splitter. Diameters ranged from 14 to 20 inches. Lengths ranged from 16 to 20 inches. All were wet, warm logs.
On most of the logs, the electric splitter did the job straight down the middle on the first try.
On the gnarly ones, especially elm, I had to back off and take side slabs before I could split the middle. “Y” branches are a problem for any log splitter.
Although the DR brand generates the most interest, a growing number of electric splitters are on the market.
Although the generic name implies that these machines are pure electric, they are all electric-hydraulic.
The electric splitters in the 1980s replaced the gas engine with an electric motor. These converted splitters still used the same chain or belt driven pump, hydraulic control, separate oil tank and an assortment of hoses tying it together.
Maintenance remained a factor, but the ability of the electric motor to do about twice the work per rated horsepower caused a lot of gas powered splitters to be converted to electric.
Electric-hydraulic splitters came into their own when manufacturers began designing them as a complete, integrated electric-hydraulic unit, eliminating the hoses and reducing costs significantly.
Each component in the power chain is designed to bolt directly to the next component.
The integrated electric-hydraulic splitters on the market cost about half as much as gas powered splitters that do the same amount of work.
Also, an electric motor is virtually maintenance free compared to a small gas engine.
In the modern day version, the hydraulic pump is driven directly off the end of the electric motor. Pressurized hydraulic oil flows from the pump, through the control valve and directly into the hydraulic cylinder.
In the DR six-ton splitter, the hydraulic pressure is 2,700 psi.
The hydraulic cylinder pushes the ram forward. The log is positioned against the stationary splitting wedge. The ram pushes the log, the log pushes the wedge and splits.
The drawback to any integrated machine is that the components are tailored and built for that specific model. If something breaks, you cannot go to your local store to buy a replacement part. You need the unique part that was designed for it.
That glitch becomes more important when you consider that most of the integrated electric-hydraulic log splitters sold in North America come from China.
In the case of DR, its 24 page power equipment catalogue includes 11 categories of equipment. Nine categories carry the American flag symbol along with the “made in the USA” caption. Its electric log splitter lineup does not carry this label.
Electric motors have two advantages over internal combustion engines: noise and fumes. It is not practical or safe to use gas powered engines in a building.
Electric power means you can do your log splitting in the warmth of your shop with the radio playing and coffee pot brewing.
It’s also safer working in sneakers and a T-shirt than all bundled up in heavy boots and a snowmobile suit.
Another safety factor is that it’s easier to concentrate on the job without the sound of that gas engine rattling in your ears.
Speed can be a plus or a minus. The electric-hydraulic splitter is slow, which means you have plenty of time to make sure everything is lined up just right.
And when the log splits, the electric motor doesn’t have enough jam to make the ram jump ahead, as it often does with higher powered splitters.
Certain individuals may not have the patience to put up with slow pace, but I think it’s a valuable built-in safety characteristic, as long as you’re not splitting logs for a living.
For those who want better time efficiency, some electric-hydraulic splitters have a two stage motor that moves the ram up to the log quickly and then drops down to a lower-speed, higher-torque mode of operation when it makes contact.
However, an electric-hydraulic splitter is only as mobile as your longest extension cord. If you like to split on-site as the trees are felled, it means adding a gas powered generator to your operation, and that defeats the whole purpose of going electric. And that electric motor is an integral part that cannot be replaced with a Honda 5.5 hp.
The cost of electric-hydraulic splitters typically average about half that of equivalent gas units. The six-ton DR splitter sold by Enns Brothers lists for $730 plus taxes.
It has an 1,800 watt motor rated at 1.8 hp continuous or 2.7 hp peak, requiring a 15 amp breaker. The ram cylinder is 2.8 inches in diameter and the pump has two speeds. The entire unit weighs 169 lb. and carries a two year warranty for residential use.
Fluid capacity is 6.87 quarts of hydraulic oil. On the demo splitter, a temporary oil leak developed near the end of the project. It spit out a few ounces of hydraulic fluid and then seemed to cure itself.
This was a new unit that had never split a log, so my guess is the reservoir may have been overfilled at the factory, and when it warmed up, some of the expanded oil had to find a way out.
While the DR electric splitter isn’t as fast as the big splitters I’ve rented in the past, it sure beats my old 15 lb. splitting maul and it doesn’t cost a fortune.
For more information, contact Derek Ennis at 204-895-0212 or visit www.drpower.com.
