2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
In the modern world, there are fewer and fewer spheres of activity where hard physical labor is used. Machines and units have made life much easier for a person. More recently, wood splitters have also appeared - such machines with the help of which they harvest firewood. They are also called cleavers, and they came to replace the ax
Scope of application
According to the scope of application, wood splitters are household and professional. Households use them to prepare logs for their own needs, for example, for a fireplace or a boiler. They will also come in handy in the country. Industrial wood splitters will help owners of firewood shops and saunas. The industrial type of these units is more powerful, designed for intensive work during the day. It should be noted that most of these wood splitters are equipped with additional functions, for example, they can pack logs.
Types of wood splitters
There is a wide range of wood splitters on the market. They are graded by type depending on many indicators.
By working direction
Depending on the location of the split log, wood splitters can be: horizontal, vertical and mixed types.
In a horizontal wood splitter, a log or part of it is located on a special horizontal chute. The knife that makes the splitting is either fixed in place (the log is fed to it), or moves itself towards the block. In the horizontal direction, the knife presses the block from above. Mixed - combines the capabilities of the two previous types. In domestic conditions, I usually use horizontal wood splitters.
By engine type
* Models with an electric motor driving a hydraulic pump. Such units are the simplest machines for splitting logs. They are environmentally friendly and simple in everyday use, they can be used for splitting even indoors. This type of wood splitter is used in everyday life. Their main drawback is being tied to a power source.
* Models equipped with a diesel (gasoline) engine. They are often more powerful than electric ones. They can be used both for professional purposes and in the country.
* Tractor-driven models. Such units are connected to the tractor hydraulics or to its power take-off shaft. Machines of this kind are durable and powerful. They are used in forestry, on farms and commercial enterprises.
* Combined models. In them, the tractor drive can be combined with an electric motor or a gasoline engine.
From the principle of work
According to this characteristic, all wood splitters are divided into conical and hydraulic.
* In a hydraulic knife, pressing on a block of wood drives a hydraulic pump, which causes the tree to split. The price of such household units depends on the device of the working direction and engine power.
* In tapered, the function of a knife is performed by a special threaded cone. He splits the block by rotation, screwing himself into the log. This type of cleaver requires more engine power than hydraulic ones. Therefore, its cost is higher.
From the possibility of movement
Some types of wood splitter cannot be moved. Depending on this, they can be stationary and mobile.
* Stationary units are heavy wood splitting machines. They are used in professional activities.
* Mobile cleavers have special transport wheels. This makes it possible to easily move the unit to the desired location.
Tips for choosing a wood splitter
* Knives in wood splitters can be cross-shaped and straight. The number of parts into which the block will be split depends on this. Straight knives, according to users, are considered more wear-resistant.
* Different models of wood splitter are designed for a certain length of the block to be chopped. This should be taken into account and be guided by the dimensions of the stove in which the cooked firewood will be used. The minimum size of a log is 300 millimeters, and in professional cleavers it is usually 500 - 1000 millimeters.
* When choosing a wood splitter, you need to pay attention to its most important technical indicators: the power of the unit and the feed rate of the workpieces. The effort to split the log depends on the power of the machine; the larger it is, the easier the splitting process will be. The performance of the cleaver depends on the feed rate of the block. Its average indicators are 4 - 7, 3 cm / s.
* For use in everyday life, compact wood splitters with transport wheels will be most convenient. This will make it possible to deliver the cleaver to where it needs to be used.
