Customer Reviews

Swisher 12428 10 Ton Manual Deluxe Hydraulic Log Splitter

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I didn't need a big expensive gas driven model for the small amount of wood that I use. I split hickory, and I need all 10 tons to split hickory, so any log splitter that is less then 10 tons is a useless toy. This little jewel is a delight to use. I no longer have to split wood with a sledgehammer and a wedge. Why everyone who has a fireplace does not buy one, I do not understand.

Swisher, Big Roc, and Northern Industrial all sell this same log splitter, which is made by some no-name company. Ours broke before one year or one cord was finished. The end of the bottle jack piston is welded to a yoke that is connected to two springs that pull the ram back into the jack, when you open the needle valve to let off the hydraulic pressure. Those three undersized welds broke, so now we push the ram in with our hands. The needle valve has also worn out, to the point where we have to use vise grips to tighten it enough to get (maybe) 5 of the 10 tons of pressure it is supposed to provide (so forget splitting any big or knotted logs). The seller says ship it back at our expense & they will refund the money (which is nice, but not the $51 shipping). Postage for us will run about $65, not including finding a box strong enough to pack this 100 pound lump of metal in and the hassle of lugging it to a UPS office. Between the two shipping charges, we got about 1/2 a cord of wood for $115 !!

The good part: For a reasonable price, this unit will help you break down large logs for your fireplace or woodstove. It is essentially a hydraulic jack which pushes the wood into a metal wedge, by means of a couple levers which operate like a Nordic track machine. You get a bit of exercise, and the wood gets dealt with. It has two speeds: the left lever moves the jack faster, but becomes hard to push when you get a tough log. The right lever moves the jack slower, allowing you to apply more force with less effort. I've had this item for a couple months, and it has been very useful, but not perfect.
The bad part: This is NOT a precision instrument; there is a lot of free play in the levers, and the whole thing can use to be of a higher quality. The instructions hint at a screw for bleeding the hydraulic fluid, but mine has no such screw. A substantial part of each stroke produces no hydraulic effect, which I guess you could look at as a way of getting more exercise...:^)
With some logs, it's just not up to the task, and I've had to give up for fear of the thing busting a gut...a couple drops of hydraulic fluid leaked out once or twice. In a perfect world, the wedge would have a sharper edge, the jack would have less free play, and the whole thing would have been better. I'd have gladly paid an extra $50-75 for such an item, if only it existed. Instead, the next step up is a power tool at a substantially higher price...
In any event, this thing works pretty well for me, even if it ain't perfect.

This is the first and only log splitter I have ever used. I have nothing to compare with it except the old wedge and axe technique. It was hard work but easier than the old way. Also I am a 64 year old trim lady. I am pretty sure that a man in shape would find using it a breez.

I would recommend this splitter to anyone who has to split a nominal amount of wood. It works very well. I was very surprised by its ease of use and splitting power. I bought it directly at a local Northern Industrial store, but it would be worth paying shipping if you don't have one close. It only takes 30 minutes or so to split enough wood for a few days. I just split it as I need it.

Much better than wood splitting axe. Great on seasoned wood. Good on unseasoned wood as well. Good on shoulders. Gives your back a work out because of handles, but no wrenching of back. Pretty easy to move. I'm 120 lbs and no problems.

Using the wood splitter is work, however, it does the job and is better than trying to split wood with a splitting axe. If I were to improve the splitter I would make the triangle in the back 10 inches in height instead of the 5 inches in height, this would improve the splitting action of the product. Overall, I am pleased with the result, however, remember that you will get a workout on shoulders and biceps.

THIS MAYBE MY WIFE'S ACCOUNT, BUT TRUST ME, SHE DOESN'T USE THIS LOG SPLITTER......This log splitter works great for my use. I especially like having it available whenever it's needed. No more paying a ton to rent a splitter and then having to split the whole pile in time to return it. Now I can do the pile little by little. I think that I probably tend to over load this splitter a little bit, but so far it is doing the job. I have wedged some of the huge rounds in half before putting them on the splitter. I would make the same purchase again if I had it to do over.

Like another reviewer stated, this same splitter is made and sold under several different brands. I've had one for several years and am happy with it. It's not a precision machine, nor is it a fast way to split wood. That being said, it's tough and it can split some big pieces of wood! I've used mine so much that the rubber grips wore off the handles. I've bent the little pieces that stick out to hold the log in place, and it just keeps on truckin. If you burn less than a cord or two a year this might be a good splitter for you. Thanks for reading.

We bought this Log Splitter after reading many reviews are are pleasantly pleased with it so far! The handles move freely and easily - I am even able to do it when my husband is at work and it is no problem. It will give you muscles pumping those bars though!It's heavy-90 lbs-but it moves easily enough on it's wheels.I just pull it out of the garage and into the yard. Set-up is really simple - just pull out the bars from their stowing area and slip into the holes on the top and start pumping- just watch your fingers - sometimes the bars stick and when you pull them out you can pinch a finger pretty good! Experience talking. This is our first year splitting wood for our new wood stove (thanks to ridiculously high heating oil costs!) so hopefully all will work fine and the log splittler will continue to work for many seasons!