You could probably pick up a used one for two or three hundred bucks.
Yep, saw a good one being advertised for under five benjamin's not to long ago. Would split any round you and yer old lady could lift. Portable also, hooks-up to your ball joint/rear bumper and tow it out into the toolies, or wherever. The only way to go, why pay $250 or whatever per cord, get yerself some exercise and while yer at it chop a couple cords fer the widow with three kids down at the end of yer block, eh?
edit: BUT, I cud picture Cragman owning one of those mega contraptions, parked right next to his loader, worm/snowshreader, fishing boats, etc.! ;)
It was down here in Dago (San Diego). Within the last year, prollie last winter. They go fairly cheap whenever they do come up (rarely) cuz their isn't a big demand for firewood, and if you really wanted some bad enough you would just havta tag along with one of the gazillion tree trimmers/choppers that abound down here and they will gladly let you haul some rounds away rather then go through the hassle of grinding them up! And, if your that ambitous, you would most likely be willing to split them by hand! But, you would have to let them season for a year (dry out since they would be green), so you would need to plan in advance. Plenty of free firewood though!
eeeeEdit: prollie in the Pennysaver or perhaps the local Union/Tribune newspaper (don't recall)!
edit: looks like she knows what she's doing. have seen a few very experienced people do major damage to their thumbs via splitter's! Where is "around here"?
Who said anything about a Spaltfix K-540? I was talking about one of the dozens that go for anywhere between $1000-$1500+ new being marked down to bargain prices. Don't recall what that one was, but it was well below of what they origionally paid for it (a third or so).
With the kind of timber you have it would prolie be worthwhile investing in a commercial unit (if you had the time, resources and clientele). wudevah, bro!
edit: "Still dropping dead ones on our ten acres" My folks had 12 acre farm in Cape Breton that was bordering forest. I know what yer talkin' about. Didn't have a splitter period, did it all by hand. Prollie should have bought one or borrowed one. But everyone did their own then (80's) so there wasn't any market for it or money to be made off it. My uncles were all lobster fisherman and were set to the hilt with all the fancy toys so we cuda borrowed one from them except they were no longer on talking terms (canook thing) so we ruffed it ti save face, lol!
I was talking about a splitter like yer LADY has. Prollie a little newer/better than that. since us city slickers/flatlander's buy sh#t they don't need or know how to use and let it sit in their garage gathering dust.
EDIT: "sarcastic" i figured that much, just thought it be best to intertain ya a bit longer though in case ya were waiting fer yer meds ta kick in! ;)
"But here's to heating with dead wood if you can. Cheer's!" -- Yep, DOUBLE CHEER'S to that!
Funny, I've been trying to find a decent splitter for some time now.
Even at $240 a cord for oak, I have a hard time thinking $1400+++ for a cheapo splitter is worth it once you factor in the gas, time, and inevitable repairs.
So I bought a good splittin' axe instead. Wish me luck.
Thankfully between the USFS and PG&E we run into quite a bit of appropriately sized limbs nicely cut and left for the taking. I think we've picked up a 1/4 cord just on the 3 occasions we bothered to look.
So I only burn 2 cords a year, oak and some madrone.
All split with a maul.
Keeps my back and arms in shape.
Most of it this year I'll have to haul up 100 feet of steep hillside. Will also keep my legs in shape.
And I'd better get after it tomorrow.
Yeah, the USFS will drop a dead tree on your property if you ask them to here in Cali!At least they would back in the mid-ninties, according to my sis & brother-in-law who lived up in Crestline, Ca!
But, my bro-in-law talked me into climbing up to about 70ft (it was exactly 71 ft. cuz we measured it after we felled & before we bucked the lower section.) and topping off this one cuz he didn't want it to take out a corral & shed.! Since I had fed him all this BS about being a bad azz climber, etc, over the years he elected me to do it. The ladder only reached to about 20 ft, so it was a pure free-solo up the next 15-20 feet until I got to the first solid branch. The finger sized limbs I was climbing up were snapping like match sticks under my weight as I moved from one to the next. Scared the sh#t out of me. Plus it was on a slope and I would have takin' the BIG one had I fell. Got it done though. It was over Christmas vacation of '92/'93! I have video of it but would have to have it transfered to digital. I think my sis still has pics though. Maybe I will get her to scan them if she can find them and I'll post them here. I kissed the blessed earth when I finally got down. That's in the vid also. lol
treez - "for 13 used" -- i haven't priced splitter's (new or used) or firewood in years, so i was just guessing at what they were going for. so i guess that one was a pretty good price/deal after all. i considered buying it because i'm a sucker for bargains even if i don't have a use for them right away. oh well! if i see a good deal in the future i will contact ya or post it here. like i already said, people buy sh#t down here in the city that they don't need or know how to use or whatever and let it go cheap when they find out they are in over their heads, etc!
So I only burn 2 cords a year, oak and some madrone.
All split with a maul.
Keeps my back and arms in shape.
Most of it this year I'll have to haul up 100 feet of steep hillside. Will also keep my legs in shape.
And I'd better get after it tomorrow.
Power to the people - Right on!
I call it a wedge, and just hope I don't get mauled.
I burned a lot of wood in the past, never paid a cent. Winds blew down the trees and then these nice big rounds would appear free for the hauling!
Let us know!