The log splitter was delivered very quickly. It arrived during storm Goretti with plastic wrap only on the very top of the box, so it was a rush to get it inside before the cardboard fell apart. A handful of parts had some light cosmetic damage due to metal parts being placed against each other in the box, but some wear to paint happens during use so we ignored it. Assembly was slightly more than expected and a couple nuts and bolts were missing, with a few rattling around the bottom of the box. We also installed our own additional washers in a couple of places as a couple parts were manufactured bent and wouldn’t fit securely without spacers.
The printed user manual isn’t the best, so online photos of a built machine and some basic problem solving skills were utilised. There were no instructions at all about installing the hydraulic pipes or filling/priming the system. The log splitter does not have a dedicated (or marked) filler point or dipstick etc. so, after experiencing a little difficulty getting answers, we figured the majority out ourselves. We found the machine accepts 5 litres (oil not included) of 46 grade hydraulic oil (if in average UK climate). We discovered it best to pour 4L into the air-release breather valve (yellow top screw-off cap) before priming/powering on the system and adding the final 1L after the oil’s worked into/around the pipes. The provided power cable is a 3-pin to female Schuko adapter and a 2m standard extension lead made using 1.25mm cable that's rated for 13A. It worked during initial testing, but we sourced a 1.5mm 16A rated (but still 13A fused) all-in-one weather resistant replacement power cable.
Once everything’s put together and ready to go the machine performs well. It can split 35cm deep seasoned and knotty Ash logs (e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y hard stuff) and larger green logs too. We’ve found that if it doesn’t manage to split straight through the middle it will always succeed when taking bites out of the wooden round from the outer edges.
The dual speed ram is handy. A small push on the levers makes the ram move quite quickly, but there may not be enough power to split wood until the handles are pushed all the way forward which maximises the force. You have to pull back on the handles to engage the auto return of the Ram. The return is quite slow, but it all feels safe and easy to control. Another great feature is the multi-position rest. The vertical position is good for splitting larger logs that are too heavy or large to lift and the horizontal position is at a good height for smaller logs, as it saves your back from constant bending.
It’s worth mentioning that this splitter comes supplied with 2 splitting wedges: A two-way (straight) and a four-way (cross). They’re easy to swap over as they’re simply held in place by a bolt and nut that can be accessed by extending the Ram forward a few inches. Both splitters work well, although we’ve only had need of the two-way version so far. Our experience is that the four-way is best suited to smaller/softer logs that can be broken down easily or mostly equally split into quarters thanks to the cross splitting ability. When splitting very large or stubborn timber the four-way wedge requires more pressure to break its way through, placing additional stress on the motor and seals etc., so the straight two-way splitters is preferable here.
As electrical vertical/horizontal hybrid log splitters go, this 12 tonne version is probably one of the best available. We're pleased to add it to our arsenal of log splitting equipment and think it’s a good machine for anyone happy to do a bit of assembly.
