Firewood…it’s that time of year again! The smell of freshly cut timber. The roar of the chainsaw and the crackle of the wood as a splitter powers its way through the log….

Log Splitters are an extremely popular tool for cutting your own firewood. While swinging an axe might be good exercise, it’s not so great for your elbows, shoulder and hands. A log splitter takes the hard work out of splitting your firewood.

4 Types of Log Splitter for ‘Home Use’

In this article, we go over the 4 different types of log splitter we have available here at Taskpower, for the home user. Which model suits you, depends on a range of factors, including how much wood you split, what your budget is, and how fast production needs to be.

1. Horizontal/Vertical Log Splitters;
2. Vertical ‘Benchtop’ log splitters
3. 2-way (dual action) log splitters
4. Tractor Powered log splitters.

You can check out our full range using this link.

Now we’ll dive into some more details!

1 - Horizontal and Vertical Log Splitters

• The most common, budget-friendly log splitter
• Suitable for low volume home use
• Simple, versatile and easy to use

Horizontal and Vertical wood splitters are extremely popular as simply put, they’re the cheapest style to build. These machines operate in one direction, i.e. split on the outward stroke only.

These splitters are normally operated in the horizontal position. The beam can pivot into the vertical position which is really handy for splitting large rings that are too heavy to handle.

Things to look for in a good horizontal / vertical splitter are; good cycle times; good quality engines; and adequate engine protection. Also, there’s a lot of sellers on places like Marketplace and TradeMe which incorrectly overstate log splitter tonnage – so beware of that too!

Popular Models:

Wood-King 22T Horizontal/Vertical Log Splitter >

Wood-King 35T Horizontal/Vertical Log Splitter >

2 - Vertical Benchtop Log Splitters

• Easier on the back as the operator is always standing upright
• Better for large rings
• A log lifter is a must

Vertical Benchtop splitters have the ram permanently mounted in the vertical position. This means the operator is splitting at bench height. Typically, these splitters have a log lifter arm to lift the logs up to bench height.

This has a number of advantages. It makes it extremely easy to just rotate the ring around a few degrees from one split to the next. It also means you can make very precise cuts which is helpful if you have a small firebox in your fireplace.

This type of vertical woodsplitter has been notoriously expensive over the years. However, our new WKV range changes all that, with vertical benchtop models with a lifter available from $4,700+GST (Dec 2024).

Popular Models:

Wood-King WKV-25 Vertical Log Splitter >

Wood-King WKV-32 Vertical Log Splitter >

2-way / Dual Action Log Splitters

• The fastest option
• Available with 4-way heads
• We have a large range of accessories for these units

The unique 2-way Log Splitters from Canadian manufacturer Split-Fire are very fast yet still safe to use. These machines are specially built to split on both the outwards and return strokes – meaning you’re never waiting for the ram to return.

While a typical log splitter has a cycle time of 11 seconds, as you achieve two splits with these machines, this is effectively halved – cutting the cycle time to effectively 5.5 seconds per split!

The Canadian manufacturers have also mounted the engines at the back and high up. This means there is very good ground clearance and the engine is well away from any debris.

Split-Fire machines have been made in Canada for over 40 years and are extremely durable and long-lasting – you’ll only have to buy 1 of these splitters!

Popular Models:

Split-Fire 4490 2-way and 4-way Log Splitter >

Wood-King WK3265 2-way and 4-way Log Splitter >

Tractor Log Splitters

• Cost effective compared to like-for-like motorised machines
• Lowest maintenance option
• Not an option if you don’t have a tractor! 😊

Tractor powered wood splitters run off either the hydraulics or PTO of the tractor. This means you need to know the specs of your tractor to see which model will actually run off your machine.

Split-Fire Tractor Powered splitters have been very popular over the years with farmers and lifestyle block owners due to their simplicity, low maintenance and fast cycle times.

Our Split-Fire range splits in both directions – meaning you’re never waiting for the ram to return – every movement is productive. They are also top quality Canadian-manufacture units – in Canada there are machines still in annual use that are over 40 years old!!

Popular Models:

Split-Fire 3203 2-way tractor log splitter >

Split-Fire 3403 2-way and 4-way tractor log splitter >

Comparison Chart

Other Considerations

There are some other considerations to make when purchasing a log splitter.

If you’re purchasing the log splitter for business, you need to consider safety. Any log splitter purchased for business should have a Two-Handled Control system – see here for more details.

You also need to consider towing / transport. Most log splitters come standard on wheels that aren’t suitable to be towed along the highway at 100 km/h. We do have a range of options - contact us to discuss your towing requirements.

Commercial Use

We do have some commercial and firewood processing options – contact us today to discuss further!

Questionnaire

Contact us today to discuss your options!

Alternatively you can contact our friendly team today.

Phone - 0800 200 744

Email - sales@taskpower.co.nz